US2058637A

US2058637A - Automatic vending machine

Info

Publication number: US2058637A
Application number: US12825A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leslie E Scott; Ernest A Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-03-25
Filing date: 1935-03-25
Publication date: 1936-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 1953-10-27

Description

Oct. 27, 1936- 1.. E. SCOTT ET AL 2,053,637

. AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE Fil-ed March 25; 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Egi L.E. E.A.S1nith Q--l mmmv Oct. 27, 1936. L. E. scoTT EIAL 2,058,637

AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1955 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS L.E'. S00 If t E.A.S1niilb Patented Oct. 27, 1936 PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE Leslie E. Scott and Ernest A. Smith,

San Jose, Calif.

Application March 25, 1935, Serial No. 12,825

1 Claim.

This invention relates to coin controlled automatic vending machines and particularly to one for dispensing individual bottled or packaged goods which must be maintained in an upright condition.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a machine of this character arranged to cause one bottle or the like at a time to be automatically discharged from an upright. position. on

w the supply support to a similar position in a delivery chute from which it may be withdrawn by the purchaser; such movement and discharge of the merchandise taking place automatically upon the insertion of a coin into the coin box of the machine.

The merchandise for which the machine is particularly designed and suited is bottled drinks, cartons of cracked ice for mixing with drinks; and another object of our invention is to provide a supply chamber and feed unit arranged so that a large number of containers may be maintained in an upright position and in very compact relationship in a relatively small space. This chamber is also arranged so that it may be easily kept in a refrigerated condition, with little possibility of loss of refrigeration as the merchandise I is dispensed.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for, the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine with 40 the cover partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the machine I partly in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

4 Figure 4 is a diagram of the control circuits Turnably mounted in the chamber 2 and form'- ing the goods supporting floor thereof is a disc 6, set as close as practical to the bottom wall of the chamber but spaced somewhat from the side walls thereof. This disc serves as the support for a supply of merchandise to be dispensed, shown in this case as being cylindrical cartons 1 to contain cracked ice, and standing on end. Supported from a fixed spider frame 8, preferably resting on the bottom of the compartment 10 2 outwardly of the disc, is a continuous horizontal spiral element 9, which may be either in the form of a rod or band set on edge and disposed a short distance above the disc. The spiral works outwardly from adjacent the center of the 15 disc to theperiphery of the same, the spacing between the various turns of the spiral being all equal and such spacing being sufficient to receive a single container therebetween with a free running flt. Adjacent the inception of the spiral a cross member It extends between adjacent turns thereof to form a stop for the corresponding end of the row of containers, which row is of course also spirally disposed.

At its outer end the spiral terminates at a 25 point from the periphery of the disc 6 a distance less than the diameter of a container 1, and at a distance from the inner wall of the chamber 2 slightly greater than the diameter of such container. At this point the spiral is formed with an outwardly and abruptly curved extension ll projecting to said chamber wall. It will therefore be seen that if the disc is rotated in the proper direction relative to the spiral, the containers on the disc as a whole will be gradually moved toward the rim of the disc and the foremost container of the row will be engaged by the spiral extension II and slid radially off the disc.

Such container is then received in a vertical recess l2 formed in the adjacent wall of the greater width than the container but projects upwardly from the pad to a height less than that of said container. Thus, while the container may be removed through the opening by tilting the lower end of the container outwardly, it cannot well fall out of itself. The height of the chute from the pad to the bottom of the chamber 2 is such that a container resting on the pad will hold the trap door open as' shown in Figure 3; the door tending to close upwardly of itself by reason of a suitable spring l'l connected thereto.

The disc 6 is mounted on an axial shaft i8 which depends into the compartment 3 and is journaled and engaged by suitable ball bearings I9. The shaft is operatively connected to an electric motor 20 in the compartment 3 by means of suitable reduction gearing 21. The circuit M to the motor is normally open and is closed by the insertion of a coin in a coin switch box 22 of conventional form mounted on the front of the housing I in a convenient position to one side of and above the delivery openings IS. The motor circuit M has a normally open relay switch R therein, which relay is connected to an auxiliary circuit A in which a step down transformer T, a normally open coin controlled switch 0, and a normally closed trap door controlled switch D are interposed. The switch D is mounted behind the trap door adjacent its hinged end and is arranged so that it is held closed by the door when the latter is closed, but opens whenthe door opens.

When the coin switch is closed by the insertion of a coin in the usual manner the auxiliary circuit A is closed, energizing the relay and closing the relay switch R and the motor circuit. The

coin switch as usual is closed only momentarily,

but the auxiliary circuit still remains closed as long as the motorcircuit is closed and as long erate and the motor circuit will not be again closed, regardless of the re-closing of the switch D by the closing of the trap door, until the coin .controlled switch is again closed by the insertion of another coin. Only one container will thus be delivered at a time, since it is obvious that the drive of the motor ceases the instant a container is deposited on the trap door, and before the adjacent container can possibly be shifted off the supporting disc.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that we have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While. this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A coin controlled vending machine comprising an enclosed chamber, a horizontal disc for the support of containers standing vertically thereon, a delivery compartment below and to one side of the chamber and provided with a top opening communicating with the chamber, adepressible trap door normally closing said opening, means, including a motor, to rotate said disc, means co-operating with the discto sweep containers mounted thereon toward said trap LESLIE E. SCOTT. ERNEST A. SMITH.