US2875923A - Towel vending machines - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1959 v. MARSHALL TowEr. VENDING MACHINES 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed April l0, 1957 anim Manda/ A ORNE UnitedStates Patent'v O TOWEL VENDING MACHINES i Vernon Marshall, Grand Prairie, Tex. Application April 10, 1957, Serial No. 651,969

Y 2 claims. (cl. zzn-186) This invention is a n ovel cloth towel dispensingand vending machine, in which a stack of cloth towels is carried Iby a transversely movable carriage within a machine, and movable from a normal position over a discharge outlet adjacent the bottomrof the machine, at one side thereof, across the casing adjacent the other side of the machine, the carriage having an ejectorbar vertically slidablymounted therein and provided with serrations on its under side normally engagingthe bres of the top towel in the stack, so'that when the carriage is shiftedv the top towel will be held stationary until thc carriage moves from under the same, whereupon the top same from `shifting with the carriage,

towel will drop into the discharge chute, the operation of the carriage being coin-controlled.

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

l" will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate .one practical embodiment thereof, to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims the novel features of construction, and novel combinations .of parts, for which protection is desired.

ln said drawings;

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of my novel towel vending machine, showing the access door in normal closed position.

Fig. 2 Nis .a View similar,- tor Fig.I lybut showing the access door opened.VU Y W Y W' j Fig. 3 is a -vertical transverse section through a portion Vof the machine, showing the carriage and its operating mechanism. Y. Y 3. 1

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the machine; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5--5, Fig, 3.

As shown, my novel cloth towel vending machine preferably comprises a casing of generallyrectangular shape, having a top 1, a bottom 2, sides 3, and a back 4, the front of the casing for about half its width being normally closed by a plate 5, while in the lower portion of the front of the casing at the opposite side from plate 5 is a discharge opening 6 for the vended towels. A curved deector plate 7 extends from the lower edge of opening 6 and fairs into the back 4 adjacent its lower end to deect the vended towels dropped from the stack towards the front of opening 6.

Extending horizontally across the casing adjacent the front and back thereof are parallel tracks 8 and 9; and suspended from the top 1 of the casing are similar tracks 10 and 11 receiving the wheels of a transversely movable carriage which supports a stack of cloth towels to be vended.

'Ille open portion of the front of the casing is normally closed by a door 12 which is hinged as at 13 to the side of the casing, the same carrying a lock or latch 14 of any desired type to maintain the door 12 normally closed.

The carriage preferably consists of a rectangular j 2,815,923 Patented Mar. 3, 1959y ICC 2 frame having top bars 15 andbottom bars 16 at each side thereof, the bars 15-16 being connected at their ends by uprights 17,--18 respectively. At the upper and lower corners of the carriage are Wheels 19 adapted/to run in the tracks 8-9-10-7-11 respectively so as to support the carriage for horizontal lateral movement within the casing from a normal starting position positioned directly over they discharge opening 6 to a retracted position behind the fixed front 5 of the casing.

Within the casing, adjacent the side remote from the front plate 5, is lixedly mounted a pair of spaced rods 20 upon which is slidably mounted a bracket 21 having. spaced tubular extensions22 which slidably engage the rods 20, sok as to be vertically movable thereon. 21 carries a horizontally disposed ejector bar 23 which may convenientlyrbe formed as a small angle iron,khav ing its inner end attached in any desired manner to the bracket 21 and at its outer end curved upwardly as at 24, said yejector 23 being adaptedto overlie the stack of cloth ktowels carried by the carriage, and the outer end of the ejectorterminating of ejector bar 23 adjacent the bracket 21 is serrated or toothed as at 25 for the purpose ofv engaging the fibres of the top towel. in the stack and preventing the so that after the carriage is shifted behind the front plate S of the casing the said top' towel will drop by gravity downwardly within the casing engaging the deilector 7 and will'come to rest in a position so as to be readily accessible through the' opening 6 in the front of the casing. In order to prevent thev said towel from coming to rest upon the lower 'track 8 which isy disposed adjacent the front of the casing, aV suitable deector plate 26 is mountedupon the inner face of the door 12, and has its lower end'curved 'so as to extend inwardly substan-A 1f desneaga'partial door 27 (Fig. 2) may be pff.

videdcovermg about half the width of the carriage at thev frontl thereof, lsaid door 27 being hinged as at 2.8v to the verticalframe member 18 of the carriage and being normally held in closed position by means of pivotedrclips 29 at the upperrandh lower edges thereof,said door being adapted to maintain. the stack of towels properly positioned within the carriage without toppling over.

The carriage is shifted laterally within the casing by means of a coin-actuated mechanism contained in a housing 30 on the front plate 5 of the casing adjacent the inner edge thereof, said housing 30vhaving a c oin slot 31 and an operating lever 32, the coin-operated mechanism being such that when a coin of prop-er denomination is inserted into the slot 31 the lever 32 may be manually operated to shift the carriage and thereby vend the top towel of the stack for each successive operation of the lever 32.

As shown, the lever 32 is mounted upon a rod 33 extending through the front 5 of the casing, and carrying on its inner end a chain sprocket 34 or the like while in the top of the casing is journaled in any desired manner a shaft 35 carrying a chain sprocket 36, a chain 37 running around the sprockets 34 and 36. Fixedly mounted upon the shaft 35 is an arm 40 (Fig. 3), the outer end of which arm 40 carries a roller 41 which is confined between the rear vertical carriage member 17 and a parallel member 42 which has its upper end connected to the top of the carriage and its lower end connected to a transverse frame member 43 so that as the 'arm 40 is swung on shaft 35 the roller 41 acting between the frame members 17 and 42 will cause the carriage to be shifted adjacent the side of the` casing remote from the guide rods'20; The lower edgey Operation `In operation, with the towels stackedl in the carriage and with the ejector bar 23 overlying the'top'towel in the stack, when a coin is inserted in the slot 31 and the handle 32 manipulated, the chain 37 will cause the arm 40 to swing from the full-line position shown in Fig. 3 into the dot-and-dash line position shown in Fig. 3, causing the carriage to be shifted from the full-line position shown in Fig. 3 to the dot-and-dash line position, and the teeth or serrations 25 on the lower edge of the ejector bar 23 will hold the top towel from movement with the carriage, while the remaining towels in the stack are moved from under the top towel by the carriage during its lateral shifting movement. When the stack has cleared the top towel, the top towel will fall by gravity downwardly through the casing, and will be positioned so as to be accessible through the opening 6. As soon as the lever 32 is released, however, the spring 50 will return the carriage to the full-line position shown in Fig. 3, so that the ejector bar 23 will overlie the then :top towel in the stack, and lthe parts will be in normal position, in readiness for actuation as soon as another coin is inserted into slot 31 and the handle 32 again manipulated.

I If desired, the wheels 19 of the carriage may be mounted in roller or otherv anti-friction bearings to facilitate movement of the carriage while being shifted and while being returned by spring 50 to normal starting position. I do not limit my invention to the exact form shown in the drawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

Iclaim: v l. A towel vending machine comprising a casing having an yopen front; a front plate closing said open front; said casing having a bottom discharge opening in its front at one side thereof; a carriage within the casing laterally movable from a normal Yposition above said opening into a shifted position, said, carriage being adapted to carry a stack of towels arranged in superimposed relation; an ejector vertically movable within the casing adapted to overlie the top towel of "said Vstack and "to prevent said top towel from shifting laterally with said carriage, whereby when the carriage is shifted the top towel will drop by gravity opposite said opening; coinactuated mechanism mounted on the front plate adapted when actuated to shift said carriage; means for yieldably maintaining the carriage in normal position; said coinactuated mechanism including a manually operated shaft; a sprocket on said shaft; a second shaft journaled at the top of the casing; a second sprocket on said second shaft; a chain running around said sprockets; an arm fixed on said second shaft; and'a roller carried by the said arm vertically confined between spaced parallel members on said carriage, whereby as the-arm is swung the carriage will be shifted.

2. A cloth towel vending machine comprising a casing having an open front; a front plate closing half the width of the open front; said casing having a bottom discharge opening in its front at the opposite side 'thereof from said plate; a door normally closing the opposite half of the front of the casing above said opening; a carriage within the casing laterally movable from a normal position behind said door to a shifted positionV behind said plate; said carriage being adapted to carry a stack of cloth towels arranged in superimposed relation; an ejector vertically movable Within the casing adapted to overlie the top towel of said stack and to prevent said top towel from shifting laterally with said carriage, whereby when the carriage is shifted the top towel will drop by gravity opposite the said opening; coin-actuated mechanism mounted on the front plate adapted when actuated to shift said carriage; means for yieldably maintaining the carriage in normal position; said coin-actuated mechanism including a manually operated shaft; a sprocket on said shaft; a second shaft journaled at the top of the casing; a second sprocket on said second shaft; a chain running around said sprockets; an arm fixed on said second shaft; a roller carried by the said arm vertically confined between spaced parallel members on said carriage, whereby as the arm is swung the carriage will be shifted; and said maintaining means comprising a spring connecting said arm with the casing. Y

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kindrat et al. Mar. 22, 1927.

Images