US1193235A - Coin-controlled vending-machine - Google Patents

Description

1. N. CHILSON & L. B. PUGH.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATlON FILED AUG.I7, 1915.

l 1 93,235 Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

witnesses mg r . Qttnrum s I. N. CHILSON & L. B. PUGH.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.17. 1915-.

1 1 93,235 Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I. N. CHILSON & L. B. PUGH.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHLNE.

APPLICATION ElLED AUG.17, 19-45.

1 1 93,235 I Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

' 3, SHE ETSSHEET 3- v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMES N. CHILS ON AND LOWTHER BROWN'TUGH, OF FAIRMON '1, WEST VIRGINIA.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Application filed August 17, 1915. Serial N 0. 45,952.

apparatus, and more especially to fraud reventives; and the object of the same is to produce an apparatus of this character which cannot be actuated by the use of a washer, although the latter be of the same dimensions and weight as the coin. This object is carried out by the mechanism hereinafter described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings wherem:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of this vend-' ing machine complete. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the check controlled apparatus, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and slightly enlarged. Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views of the top plate and check carrier respectively; Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective of a portion of the underside of the carrier, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspectiveof a portion of the upper side of the bed plate. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective detail of the device for holdingv the globe ring in place, and Fig. 9 a perspective detail of the means'for preventing the movement of said ring. Figs. 10 and 11 are diagrams to be referred to'hereinafter, showing respectively the action of parts when a coin or a washer is inserted and the carrier moved. 1 Fig. 12 is a vertical section through the drum and the mechanism for operating it, takenon'line 12- 12 of Fig. 3; Fig. 13 is a bottom plan of said drum; Fig. 14 a side elevation of its cap; and Fig. 15 a perspective detail of the lock for such drum.

. Certain sections of this country are flooded with metallic checks, slugs, or tokens (herein called washers) which may have and often do have some little fvalue but which under Federal requirements "mustfbe "made with. a hole through them; and clever'manufacturers are making these washers of the same diameter, thickness, and

weight as nickels (which we will herein refer to as coins) with the object of permitting their use in coin controlled apparatus which are intended for nickels alone. There has therefore arisen a demand for a fraud preventive mechanism whose principle of operation depends on the fact that the check is not perforated. This can be associated with other devices for prohibiting the insertion of too large a coin, preventing the manipulation of the apparatus when too small a coin is-inserted, etc. While it is possible that this device may be applied to check controlled apparatus of a. variety of types and for a variety of purposes, we have shown it herein as associated with a machine having a swinging or oscillating check carrier, the same serving also to carry an article from a stack within the hopper of the venderto the outlet. It will be quite obvious, however, that the check controlled apparatus might take other forms, and of course it is not necessary that it be associated with a vending mechanism of the precise character disclosed. The shapes, proportions, and

' materials of parts are matters of no moment,

and many features are briefly referred to herein because they are well-known in this art.

In Figs. 1 and 2 is showna circular or shell-like base 1 having a bottom 2 held in place by a lock 3 so that it may be removed to give access to the money chamber 4. Within this-base isa chute 5 leading to the outlet 6 for the articles being ven'ded, and immediately above the outlet is the coin inlet slot 7. The top of the chamber 5* constitutes the bed plate 8, and may well be cast as a part of the shell of the base, and

we prefer to form it with a peripheral bead 9 and an annular groove 10 inside the same.

The carrier 11 (see Fig. 4) stands next above the bed and has an upright peripheral rim 12 traveling in said groove '10 and a radial handle-13 which projects through a slot 14 best seen in Fig. ,1. This carrier has a skeleton form of body with spokes 15 and a hub 16, the latter resting on a hub or boss 18 rising from the center of the bed.

The top plate 21' (see Figs. 2 and 3) has an annular rim'22'which isflanged as at 23 to engage within the bead 9 outside the rim- 12 of the carrier, and this plate has a depending hub 26 resting upon the hub 16 of the carrier. Its rim also has an upstanding head 29 which may well be employed as seen in Figs. 8 and 9. That is to say, a ring fits over this head and over flange 31 at the lower end of a globen32. The ring has .a number of L-shaped feet 33 depending from it and adapted to pass through holes 34 in the plate 21, and thereafter if the ring is turned slightly on the bead 29 the toes 35 of its feet engage under said plate and the ring and globe cannot be removed. To hold the ring against retrograde movement it is provided with an ear 36 adapted to come up against an ear 37 projecting from the rim 22, and a padlock 38 may be passed through holes in these ears as seen in Fig. 9. It is to be understood that the top plate rests on the bed which forms apart of the base, and that the only moving member thus far described is the carrier which is interposed between said top plate and bed.

Around the front side of the bed plate just inside the coin inlet 7, it is thickened to produce on its upper side an arcuate band or rest 40 in whose upper face is formed an arcuate groove constituting a track 41. At one end of the band and groove is a hole through the plate 8 constituting the article outlet 42, and at the other end of the track is ahole constituting the coin drop 43 through which the coin or check falls into the chamber 4. At about the center of the band and adjacent the track is a hole 44 through the plate, for dropping or ejecting spurious coins, undersized coins, and washers; and opposite this hole 44 and on the other side of the track from it the face of the band 40 is provided with an inclined seat 45 whose forward end merges into the upper face of the band but whose rearward end is shaped-to form an upright wall 46 which stands oblique to a radius of the bed such as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 6.

Coacting with and overlying the parts just described is the structure on the bottom of the carrier as seen in Fig. 5. While this carrier is of skeleton formation as already stated, around its front side it has a rather wide band 50, and into the lower face of this band is cut a channel which is deepest at its peripheral end next the coin inlet 7, while its inner end 54 merges into the plane of the lower face of the band 50. The rearward edge of the channel is scalloped as at 58, but its forward edge is formed into an abrupt upright wall 56 which stands oblique to a radius of the carrier as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 5; and depending from the lower face of the band 50 adjacent the scallop is a lug 51 which travels in the groove or track 41 in the bed band 40. Through the carrier at a point in rear of the channel 1s an opening 52 which constitutes a pocket for the articles being vended, as

described below. We may remark that as the carrier is ,shown inverted in Fig. 5 the parts to the right in that view may be said to be rearward parts, while the parts to the right in Fig. 6 are forward parts.

The upper side of the carrier (see Fig: 4) is formed with a rectangular wall 62 around the pocket 52, and just forward of this wall carrier normally in such position that the shank of its handle 13 stands at the rear end of the slot 14, at which time the pocket 52 is directly over the article outlet 42, and

therefore when pressure on the handle is released and the parts are returned by the' spring to their normal position, the article within the pocket drops through the outlet 42 and runs down the chute 5 to the main outlet 6 within reach of the customer.

The top plate 21 overlies the carrier and is supported by its rim 22, screws or bolts 70 passing down through this plate and into the bed 8, and care being taken to so locate them with respect to the spokes 15 that the carrier may have itsdesired movements as will be seen from Fig. 4. The top plate carries the hopper described below, and it is provided with an opening 72 directly underlying the hopper so that the lowermost of a stack of articles within the latter may pass through this opening when the carrierv is moved to bring the pocket 52 beneath it. At other times the rest 63 stands beneath said lower- 'most article and holds the stack within the hopper in a manner well understood in apparatus of this character. Pivoted at 74 to the underside of the top 21 is apawl 75 which is moved on its pivot by a spring 76 to throw its tip into engagement with the teeth 61 and the position of the pawland the length of the rest 63 and its rack of teeth are such that after the carrier has been moved so that the foremost tooth engages the tip of the pawl, the entire rack of teeth must be passed over the pawl before thelatter will disengage the last tooth and the car- .rier can be returned to its starting point. This detail of construction insuresa full movement of the carrier from its normal -warrier is returned to its normal position this article slides down the chute 5 and is delivered to the operator without fail.

The fraud preventive mechanism is best illustrated inFig. 7. The numeral 80 designates a latch whose beveled upper end 81 projects through a hole 82 in the band 40 at some distance in rear of the seat 45, while its lower end is ivoted at 83 to a lever 84 which in turn is pivoted at S5 near its front end 86 within the base and has its rear end normally raised by a spring 87. The numeral 90 designates a trip pin which has its upper end rounded at 91 and projecting through a hole 92 in the band 40 forward of the seat, while its lower end is pivoted at 93 to a rock lever 94 which in turn is pivoted at 95 within the base, and its rear end 96 underlies the front end 86 of the lever 84. Therefore anything which depresses the pin 90 rocks the lever 94, which in turn rocks the lever 84 and depresses the latch 80. Formed through the carrier just in rear of the channel 55 is an arcuate slot 88 into which the tip 81 of the latch normallyprojects, and this slot is of such length that a certain freedom of movement is permitted to the carrier for a purpose to be described below. Formed through the carrier yet in rear of the slot 88 is a hole 89 into which the tip 81 of the latch may project without lost movement, and this hole constitutes a catch.

The operation of the mechanism thus far described is as follows: With the parts standing in-their normal position, a coin or 1mperforate check is inserted in the inlet 7 as seen at a in Fig. 10, and it asses onto the band 40 and under the top 0 the channel as seen at b. The operator now grasps the handle 13 and turns the carrier so that its slot 88 moves over the ti of the latch, and the lug 51 traveling in the track 41 moves the check forward as at 0 until it drops onto the seat 45. Continued movement of the carrier moves the check to the dotted position (l in Fig. 10 when it slides over the rounded upper end 91 of in 90 and if the check has no hole in it, this pin 13 depressed and the latch is tri ped just in time to permit the rear end 0 the slot 88 to pass over the tip of the latch. Continued turning of the carrier moves the check along over said tip 91 so that the check retains the pin 90 in depressed condition and this, through the levers, retains the latch in depressed condition'so that the catch 89 may move over its tip 81 without engaging it; and the check is moved successively through the positions a and f to the position 9, where it falls through the drop 43 into the chamber 4. At this time the shank of the handle 13 strikes the left end of the slot 14 as seen in Fig. 1 and checks the swing of the carrier just at a moment when its ,pocket 52 is under the article chute which alines with the openmg 72 in the top plate. One article now drops through said opening into the pocket and is supported on the band 40; and, when the carrier is restored to normal position either by moving the handle to the right or releasing it and permitting the spring ()7 to contract, the pocket moves and slides the article along band 40 until the shank of the handle strikes the right end of the slot 14, at which time the pocket is directly over tho outlet 42 and the article drops through the latter and runs down the chute 5 to the dclivery outlet 6. I

If a perforatctl check or washer is mserted as at u. in Fig. 11, it also wi slip across the track in front of ,the lug 51, and then when th carrier is swung forward the lug traveling in the track will carry the washer with it. On reaching the position I." the edge of this washer engages the tip of the pin no presses it just at a time to depress the latch 80 and permit the rear end of the slot 88 to pass over its tip 81; but when the washer reaches the position ll, its hole permits the rise of the pin which, through the levers.

permits the rise of the latch. The result, is that said latch now engages the catch 89 and prevents further forward swing of the carrier: therefore the washer cannot pass through the positions 0 and f and be dropped as at {7 into the chamber 4. Now when the handle is released or turned back to normal position the oblique wall 56 (which it will be understood is in front of the washerl forces said washer backward to the position 0. and at this time its edge engages the rear oblique wall 46 of the seat 45 with the result that a shearing action between these walls takes place and the washer is moved radiall inward to the )osition r and drops thron 1 the hole 44 either into the chamber 4 or into the chute in which latter case it is handed back to the would-be operator. If a thin check or coin such as a dime or a penny is inserted in the inlet 7. it is moved forward by the swing of the carrier to position 0'. but the diameter of this coin being insutiicicnt to permit it to reach the center of pin 91, it will not disengage latch 80. As

the would-be operator releases the handle, iv

the same action takes place as above described with the washer, the latch prevents a eonmletc forward movement of the carrier, and the thin coin is elected at through the hole 44. Obviously the size of the inlet f 7 is such that too large a coin may not be inserted. Thus is provided a fraud prcventivc which is proof against the use of a washer that may have the same dimensions and weight as the coin which it is intended shall be employed with this machine, and is also proof against the successful use of under-sized or over-sized coins. rhcclcs, or washers. Obviously the tip 91 of the pin may be made small enough to court with 113;)

41 and under the channel 55 k and dosmaller hole in the washer than that illustratcd in Fig. 11.

The-hopper referred to above may be a single and substantially upright chute down which the packages of gum or other material may slide, through the opening 72 in the top plate, and beneath which they will be handled as'has already been explained; but we prefer to provide means for permitting the customer to select the'article he prefers to purchase, so that if it be gum as herein described he can choose the flavor desired, and reference is now made to Sheet 3 of the drawings.

The numeral desi notes a drum herein shown as having six si( es and each of them provided with upright channels constituting hoppers 101, openat their front so that the edges of the packages of gum will be exmsedandanay be seen through thcfglobe 32. The posts 102 will preferably there ore have flanges 103 along their sides,'as seen in Fig. 13. v -The drum body may be hollow, closed by a top 101 and a bottom 105 both pierced with central holes mounted on an upright shaft 106, which shaft extends down through the hubs of the several members of the check controlled apparatus and carries a bevel gear 107 at its lower end meshing with another bevel gear 108. The latter is mounted on the inner end of a shaft 109 journaled in suitable bearings within the base 1, and on the front end of this shaft is a knob 110 standing'alongside the main outlet 6 as seen. It is obvious that the operator by turning this knob may bringany hopper 101 over the opening 72, and therefore may select the flavor of gum he prefers. In order to aline the hoppers successively with said opening 72, we provide a hub 111 which is connected with the shaft 106 by any suitable means such as a key or pin 112, and a spur wheel 113 is made fast to the hub just above the top plate 21, its scallops 114: correspomling with the number of hoppers 101 in the drum. Pivoted at 115 to the to plate 21 is a lever 110-having a. cam 11; whose face is rounded so that it may slip over the spurs of the wheel 113 and drop into the scallops 114, and a spring 118 moves this lever to throw the cam into active position with yielding force. Thus when the operator turns the knob, he revolves the spur wheel which, with the drum, will come to rest only when the cam engages one of the scallops and a certain hopper alincs with the opening 72. a

In order to render the drum removable for cleaning or re air and to prevent lost motion, we provite the upper end of the hub with pins 120, and the bottom 105 of the drum with a plate 121 around its center pierced with holes 122' adaptedto engage said pins; and above thetop 104 a washer as 124 is mounted on the shaft 106 and held removably in place as by a screw 125. The cap 126 formin the apex of the drum may have aflange 12% which closes the upper ends of the hoppers, but this cap need not be fastened on the drum body and therefore it may be lifted off to gain access to the screw 125. When the latter is withdrawn from the shaft 100 the entire drum can be lifted oil the shaft. It is not necessary, however, to remove the drum when the hoppers are to be replenished with packages of gum or other articles being vended. All that is necessary is to open the padlock 38 and remove it from the cars 30 and 37, turn the ring to disengage its toes 3:) and lift its feet 33 out of the holes 34, then lift off the globe 32 and cap 120, and supply the packages of gum to the upper ends of the hoppers 101. Doubtless this will be done by the druggist or other merchant in whose establishment the device is set up, whereas from time to time a representative of the proprietor of the machine will come around, open the lock 3 and take the coins out of the chamber 4, and give the druggist the percentage thereof agreed on. It is quite obvious that such coins could be nickels or other coins, and we do not wish to be limited in that respect; but themain purpose of this invention is carried out if the machine is such that it is i impossible to actuate its mechanism to deliver the goods by the use of perforated checks or washers which are so prevalent in certain arts of the country or by the use of coins w rich are not of the size of those for which the machine is intended.

What we claim is:

1. In a check controlled apparatus, the combination with a circular hollow base containin a chamber whose top constitutes a fixed bed plate having an upstanding peripheral bead provided with a coin inlet and a slot in rear of the same, the bed plate having an ejector hole immediately forward of said inlet and a coin drop forward of the hole, a boss rising from the center of'this plate, a top plate disposed above said bod plate and having a peripheral rim engaging said head, and a hub depending from the center of this plate; of a movable carrier pivotally mounted between said boss and hub and having a peripheral rim provided with a notch, a handle on the carrier movable within said slot, the carrier having a channel in its lower face communicating with its notch, a depending lug at the rear side of said channel for advancing a check as the'carrier is swung forward, means for preventing its full forward movement when a washer is inserted, and means for ejecting said washer on the return movement of the carrier.

2. In a check controlled apparatus, the combination with a circular hollow base containing a chamber whose top constitutes a fixed bed plate having an upstanding peripheral bead provided with a coin inlet and a slot in rear of the same, the bed plate having a groove inside said bead and an ejector hole immediately forward of said inlet and a coin drop forward of the hole, a top plate disposed above said bed plate and having a peripheral rim with a flange-em gaging said bead, and means for rigidly connecting said plates; of a movable carrier p1votally mounted between said plates and having a peripheral rim traveling in said groove and provided with a notch, a handle movable within said slot and secured to the. carrier at a point to strike the rear end of the slot when said notch registers with the coin inlet, the carrier having a channel in its lower face communicating with its notch, a depending lug at the rear side of said channel for advancing a check as the carrier is swung forward, means for preventing a full forward movement of the carrier when a washer is inserted, and means for ejecting said washer on the'return movement of the carrier.

3. In 'a check controlled apparatus, the combination with a hollow base whose top constitutes a bed plate having a curved band,

i around its front side provided with an ejector hole, the shell of the base having a coin inlet just in rear of said hole and the band having "an.- arcuate groove constituting a track, and a top plate overlying said bed plate; of a movable carrier pivotally mounted between the plates and having a channel adapted to aline with said inlet, a depending lug on the carrier at the rear side of said channel movable in said track for advancing a check as the carrier is swung, means vfor preventing its full forward movement when a washer is inserted, and means for dropping said washer through the ejector hole on thereturn'movement of the carrier.

4 In a check controlled apparatus, the combination with a circular hollow basecon- 'taining a chamberwhose'top constitutes a fixed bed plate having an upstanding pethe plate and having a channel in its lower ripheral bead provided with 'a' coin inlet at.

the frontof the'base, the bed having a thickened band inside said inlet and provided in' its upper face with an arcuate groove constituting a track, and the band having-an ejector hole just forward of said inlet and'a coin drop forward of the hole; of a swinging carrier pivotally mounted over face adapted to aline with said inlet when the carrier stands at normal position, a depending lug' at the rear side of said channel moving in said track for advancing a check as the carrier is swung, means for preventing its full forward movement when a P washer is inserted, and upright walls oblique to radial lines and at angles to. each 8 other, one at the rear side of said hole and the other at the forward side of said chan-- nel for forcing the washer into said ejectorhole on the return movement of the carrier. 5. In a check controlled apparatus, the combination with a circular hollow base whose top constitutes a fixed bed plate hav ing an upstanding peripheral bead provided with a coin inlet, the bed having a band inside said inlet provided in its upper face with a depressed seat forward of the inlet and having an upright wall at its right wall oblique to the radius of the carrier and at an angle to said other wall,

means at the rear side of said channel for advancing a check as the carrier is swung, means for swinging the carrier, and means for preventing its full forward movement when awasher is inserted.

6. In a check controlled apparatus, the combination with a fixed bed plate having along its front edge a bead provided with a coin inlet, and a thickened band inside said bead having a groove parallel with the bead and constituting a track, an ejector hole inside the track just forward of the inlet and a coin drop forward of the hole, the band also having between its head and track and opposite said hole a seat-in its upper face whose front wall merges into said face and whose 'rear wall is upright and stands oblique to the length of the track; of a carrier movable over said band and having in normal position,

its lower face a channel whose outer end is adapted to aline with said inlet and whose inner end merges into said face, the front wall of said channel being upright and oblique to the length of the track and at an angle to said other wall whereby said walls are adapted to coact with a shearing action on a washer resting on said seat, a lug depending from the carrier at the rear side of sald channel and moving in the track for advancinga check as the carrier is moved, means for, moving the carrier, and means for preventing its full forward movement when a washer is inserted.

7. In a check controlled apparatus, the combination with a bed plate having a band leading from the coin inlet to the coin drop and provided with a seat within its length and an ejector hole opposite said seat, a carrier overlying said band and provided in its lower face with'a channel, the front wall of the channel and rear wall of the seat stand- I ing at angles to each other for forcing a washer through said ejector hole on the rearward movement of the carrier, and

means for moving the carrier; of a latch pro ecting through the band in rear of said inlet. yielding means for holding it normally elevated, a catch in the carrier at a point to engage said latch and prevent the full forward movement of the carrier, a push pin projecting through said band forward of theseat at a pointto enter the hole in a washer, and connections between said pin and latch for depressing the latter as the former is depressed by a check.

8. In a check controlled apparatus, the combination with a bed plate having a band leading from the coin inlet to the coin drop and providedwith a seat within its length and an ejector hole opposite said seat, a carrier overlying said band and provided in its I lower face with a channel, the front wall oft;

the combination with a hollow base containthe channel and rear wall of the seat standing at angles to' each other for forcing a washer through said ejector hole on the rearward movement of the carrier, and means for moving the carrier; of a latch projecting through the band in rear of-said inlet, vielding means for holding it normally elevated, a catch in the carrier at a point: to engage said latch and prevent the full forward movement of the carrier, a

push pin projecting through said band for ward of the seat at a point to enter the hole in a washer, a pivoted lever having one arm connected with said latch, and a second pivoted lever having one arm connected with said pin, the other arms ofs'aid levers engagingeach other so that depression of the pin b v a check causes the depression of the latch, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a check controlled apparatus, the

combination with a band extending from the coin inlet to the coin drop and provided with a seat within its length and an ejector hole opposite said seat, and a carrier overlying and movable along said band and provided' in its lower face with a channel whose outer end is deep and adapted to pass said for forcing a washer or small coin through said ejector hole on the rearward movement of the carrier; of a latch having a. beveled upper end projecting through the band in rear of said inlet, the carrier having a slot and forward of it a hole, both adapted to receive said beveled end, a push pin having a rounded upper end projecting through said band forward of the seat at a point to enter the hole in a washer, a pivoted lever havmg one 'arm connected w1th said pin, a second pivoted lever having one arm connected with said latch, the other arms of said levers engaging each other so that depression of the pin causes depression of the latch, and a spring normally raising the ,latch to project its tip into said slot or hole,

vfor the purpose set forth.

10. In a machine of the class described,

ing a coin chamber whose top constitutes a fixed bed plate having a peripheral bead provided with a check inlet, the bed plate having an ejector hole forward of said inlet,

a coin drop forward oft-he hole, and an article out-let rearward of the inlet, said base having a main outletand a chute connecting it with said article outlet, and a. top plate above the bed plate and resting on its bead and provided with an article opening out of registry with said article outlet; of a carpreventing its full forward movement when a washer is inserted, means for ejecting such washer through said hole on a return of the carrier to its normal position, and an article hopper communicating with said opening in the top plate.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

JAMES N. CHILSON. LOWTHER BROWN PUGH. a

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