US771910A - Vending-machine. - Google Patents

Description

lll/ll 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATBNTED OCT. l1, 1904.

v/l/ l W. L. HOLLOWAY.

VENDING MACHINE.

vxPPLIoATIoN FILED DE01, 190s.

FIG. l.

No MODEL.

WIIWESSES. ,9, 5. t

No. 771,910. PATENTED 00T. 11, 1904. W. L. HOLLOWAY.

VENDING MACHINE.

y APPLICATION FILED DEO. 7. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

G FIG.4. v FIG. 6.

WITNESSES L i INYLWToJz.-

UNITED STATES Patented October 11, 1904.

WILLIS L. HOLLOWAY, OF WESTBRANOH, IOWA.

VENDlNG-NIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,910, dated Qctober 11, 1904.

I Application filed December 7,1903. Serial No. 184,244. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, WILLIS L. HoLLoWAY, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Westbranch, in the county of Cedar and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to coin controlled vending-machines; and it consists of further improvements upon the pencil-vending machine described in United States Patent No.

- 738,613, issued to me September 8, 1903.

The main object of this invention is to so improve and simplify said former invention that only one coin-slot and oneoperating-lever may be used for coins of different value and size corresponding to pencils of different grades or quality to be delivered from the machine, thus obviating the liability to put the coin in the wrong slot and get the machine out of order. This and other objects I attain by the novel construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of the apparatus with a small portion near thetop in section to show the coin-separating member. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line a a in Fig. l looking from left to right and-with shaft 38 and adjacent lever 42 slightly` raised into view. Fig. 3 is a sectional top View on line 6 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged portion of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on the line c c in Fig. 4 looking from right to left. Fig. 6 is a modification of the operating-lever.

Referring to the drawings by referencenumerals, l is a preferably square casing having a lid 2,' hinged at 3 and held closed by a padlock 4 or any other suitable means. rIhe front side 5 of the casing is of glass or other transparent material secured in the front corners 6 of the casing 1,which is secured upon the' base 8 by screws 7, inserted upwardly from inside the base. Said hollow base 8 is formed with amoney-tray 9, having an outlet at the rear covered by a pivoted lid l0, locked by a padlock 1I. The base is also provided with an internal inclosure 12 to prevent the money from obstructing the end 13 of the operating-lever 14, which is pivoted at 15 in a bifurcated standard 16, fixed upon the cover 17, secured by screws 17X over the tray.

Upon the base 8 are secured two arches I8, united at the top bya bar 19, which, if so desired, may be broad enough to form a roof and even walls of the arches at the sides where the pencils 20L and 20 rest against the arches. By means of said arches, the partition 2l, projecting upward therefrom, and the moneychute 22 the casing is divided into two compartments or hoppers 23, into which are placed pencils 20 and 201 of different quality-say that the pencils 20 cost one cent a piece and the pencils 2Gb five cents a piece.

The upper money guide or chute 22 is bifurcated into two branches 22 and 22h, as best shown in Fig. l, which for convenience in manufacturing and repairing are intersected at 22X, so that their lower portions form lower chutes 22mL and 22M), held by braces or arms 24, projecting from the post 16.

If the coin inserted through the slot 25 be a penny, it finds no obstruction or part to operate before it gets into the lower chute 22, where it operates in a manner presently to be described; but if the coin be a five-cent piece its diametrical size will in passing under thc arm 26, pivoted at 27, raise said arm some, and as the arm is connected by its finger 28 and rod 29 to a crank 30 of a shaft 3l, carrying fixed to it a guiding-plate 32, inside the junction of the upper chutes, said plate is tilted so as to guide the ve-cent piece into the branch 221 of the chute, causing it to drop into the lower chute 22h". When the coin is thus deposited into either one of the lower chutes and the lever 14 is pressed on, either by a finger-piece 33 in Fig. 6 or preferably a push-button 34, the coin causes the pencil paid for to drop into one of the grooves 35 in the base-piece, and during the dropping mo tion the pencil is pushed forward by a fixed incline 36, with which its rear end comes in contact, so that its front end comes forward IOO within easy reach of the operator, as indicated in dotted lines 37 in Fig. 3.

The pencil dropping or delivering mechanism will now be described, and as it is eXactly the same in both sides of the machine only that in one side need be described. In the arches 18 are journaled the ends of a rockshaft 38, having two escape-hooks 39 and a radial rocker-arm 40, held down by a spring 41 upon a secondary operating-lever 42, so that the hooks 39 support with their lower ends the lowest pencil in the hopper, (see Fig. 1;) but if the arm 40 be raised by the lever 42 the lowest pencil will drop and the upper ends 39 of the hooks hold the next pencil from falling until the arm is returned to its position, when said pencil will drop from the upper to the lower end or finger of the hook and be ready for escape and delivery at the next operation. The lever 42 is provided with a sleeve-like journal 43 to give it a firm motion. Said sleeve is retained by the head 44 of a screw upon the end of the fulcrum-pin 15 in the post 16, so that said pin supports the main or primary lever 14 in the post and one secondary lever 42 at each side of the post. The main lever 14 is held in normal position by a spring 45 at its rear end, land from each side of the lever projects a pin 46, which when the primary or operating lever is depressed, while the pendant 47, pivoted at 48 to the secondary lever, hangs about vertically, as in Fig. 4, takes upon the pivoted arm 49 of the pendant 47 and carries down the front end of the lever 42, so that its rear end raises the rocker-arm 40 and drops the pencil from the hooks. If the operating-lever be depressed while the pendant 47 stands at an incline, as in Fig. 2, the pin 46 passes by the arm 49 and does not operate the secondary lever 42. The pendant 47 is normally held in the slanting position by the spring 50 and either end of an elongated tumbler 51, pivotedl at the middle to a suitable point of the brace 24 or other iiXed part, and being revoluble on the pivot may swing either end in through the slot in the rear side of the adjacent chute and is held in that horizontal position by having its end tooth 52 engaged by the notch 53 of the lightly-spring-pressed pendant until the coin passing down the chute turns the tumbler into the position shown in Fig. 4 and to the left in Fig. 3. The coin thus operates to make the pin 46 operative to deliver a pencil at the side of the machine where the coin passes down according to its size. With the par-ts brought by the coin into the position in Fig. 4 the lever 14 is depressed, the pencil-escapement operated, and the notch 53 of the pendant 47 is brought below the tooth 52 of the tumbler, so that when the lever 14 returns to its normal position the pendant turns the tumbler to the horizontal position, (shown in Fig. 2 and to the right in Fig. 3,) to be operated by the next coin. As best shown in Fig. 5, the finger or arm 49 is pivoted at the top of the pendant 47 and is formed with a shoulder 54, supporting the arm in a horizontal position,and a shoulder 55 to so limit the raising of the arm that it will fall back of its own weight to the horizontal position. A light spring 56 may also be used to insure the return of the arm to normal position after the pin 46 has escaped upward-namely, in case it should accidentally get below the arm 49-by pressing the operating-lever before the coin had acted on the tumbler and brought the arm 49 in under the pin 46. It will be understood that the lower end 13 of the lever 14 projects downward through a slot 56 in the top of the base, and similar slots 57 admit the coins from the chutes into the tray 9 in the base.

' In the foregoing description I have indicated only two grades of pencils and only two sizes of coins; but it is obvious that on the principle disclosed I may provide more than two hoppers and give the money-chute 22 more than two branches, as the larger the coin is the more it will tilt the guide 32, so that each size of coin will slide into the chute predetermined for such coin and will operate to connect with the operating-lever a mechanism delivering goods of equal value to the coin deposited. To show such extended degree of utilizing my invention would involve an unnecessary complication or crowding of the drawings. Among other modifications which may be made will be noted the form of operating-lever in Fig. 6. The casing may be secured in any suitable manner upon the base. The grooves 35 in the base may be dispensed with and openings provided in the front of the casing near the base for the pencils to come forward through. Also in many other respects I do not desire to be limited to the eX- act forms, materials, and arrangements shown and described, as I am aware that many modiications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A vending-machine comprisingacasing having a plurality of hoppers with a delivery mechanism in the bottom of each for goods of different prices, a single slot in which to deposit coins of different sizes, a chute receiving the money and conveying same into a receptacle below; said chute having near its upper end a coin-separating mechanism and being below said mechanism divided into several branches, each of which having a side slot,

IOO

pivoted tumblers projecting normally into the slots so as to be turned by a falling coin, a single primary lever adapted to be operated by a pressure of the hand or finger, secondary levers adjacent the primary lever, a coupling mechanism at one end of each secondary lever, to establish operative connection with the primary lever whenever said mechanism is released by the tumbler when the latter is turned by the falling coin,.said secondary lever having operative connection with the goods-delivering mechanism at the outlet of the hopper holding goods of the price corresponding to the coin deposited into the machine.

2. A vending-machine comprising a casing having a plurality of hoppers with a delivery mechanism in the bottom of each for goods of different prices, a single slot in which to deposit coins of different sizes, a chute receiving the money and conveying same into a receptacle below; said chute having near its upper end a coin-separating mechanism and being below said mechanism divided into several branches, each of which having a side slot, pivoted tumblers projecting normally into the slots so as to be turned by a falling coin, a single primary operating-lever adapted to be operated by hand, secondary levers adjacent to the primary lever, a coupling mechanism at one end of each of the secondary levers, to establish operative connection with the primary lever whenever said mechanism is released by the tumbler when the latter is turned by the falling coin, said secondary levers having operative connection with the goods-delivering mechanisms in the outlets ofthe hoppers, and said coupling mechanisms between the primary operating-lever and the secondary levers being self-releasing in case the primary lever is moving upward to get a proper hold after being depressed too early, before the coin has acted on the coupling mechanism.

3. In a vending-machine, the combination With the standard 16, the spring-held operating-lever 14 pivoted therein and having the side pins 46, of the levers 42 having each a spring-pressed pivoted pendant 47 with the notch 53 and upwardly-yielding pivoted arm 49 adapted to be engaged by said pin, a coinchute adjacent to the pendant, an intermediate pivoted tumbler projecting alternately into the passage of the coin through the chute, and acting on the pendant to hold it alternately out of or admit it into the path of the pin 46, and goods-delivering means operated by the lever 42, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS L. HOLLOWAY.

Witnesses:

D. E. MCCLELLAN, R. T. SMITH.

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