US3021035A - Ice dispenser for beverage vending machines - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 13, 1962 Filed Aug. 18, 1958 J. J. HILL 3,021,035

ICE DISPENSER FOR BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JAMES J. HILL ATTORNEY Feb. 13, 1962 J. J. HILL ICE DISPENSER FOR BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 18, 1958 JUNIM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 72 FIG. 2

e2 66 e4 e7 4 63 JAMES J. HILL AT TORNEY Feb. 13, 1962 J. J. HILL ICE DISPENSER FOR BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 18, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 NIMIHW.

INVENTOR. JAMES J. HILL BY W/QW FIG. 4

ATTORNEY 3,021,035 ICE DISPENSER FOR BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINES James J. Hill, North Miami, Fla, assiguor to Apco, Inc, a company of New York Filed Aug. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 755,575 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-245) This device relates generally to vending machines and is more particularly directed to an ice dispensing device for cup-type beverage vending machines.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a cup vending machine with an ice dispensing device so that each cup of beverage vended by the machine will contain a quantity of ice floating therein.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cup vending machine having an ice dispenser which discharges a quantity of ice chips or particles with each cup of beverage vended wherein the ice dispensing device is provided with adjustable means for varying the quantity of ice dispensed with each cup of beverage.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an ice dispenser in a cup vending machine, which ice dispenser consists of an upright ice containing receptacle that receives particles of ice at its upper portion and has an increasing cross sectional area to prevent the ice from adhering to the sides of the receptacle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an ice dispensing device in a cup vending machine wherein the ice is dispensed at the bottom portion of an upright ice retaining receptacle by a horizontally reciprocating plunger having a plurality of knife-like edges at variou heights thereon extending the full width of the plunger to form a plurality of steps thereon which break up the ice into particles as the plunger ejects the particles of ice from the dispenser into a chute to be deposited in a cup at the cup station.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an ice dispensing device in a cup vending machine with means for evaporation and removing water resulting from the melting of the ice in the dispenser.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an ice dispensing device having a solenoid operated door and plunger which operate simultaneously to discharge a certain quantity of ice.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cup vending machine embodying my invention with the door of the machine in its open position to show the position of my ice dispensing device therein.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of my ice dispenser.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal cros sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a plunger for dispensing ice.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral refers to a coin operated vending res art machine for dispensing cold or refrigerated beverages in a cup. The vending machine 10 which is conventional except for my ice dispensing device and shown herein for illustrative purposes only consists of a cabinet 11 closed at its front portion by a full size door 12. On the inside wall of the door 12 is a beverage selector switch box or bracket 13, a coin chute 14, a change maker and slug rejector 15 and a cash repository 16. An opening 17 in the door 12 is positioned over a cup station 18 when the door 12 is swung to its closed position, thereby permitting a person to reach through the opening 17 to remove a cup of beverage which has been dispensed.

Mounted above the cup station 18 is a cup chute 19 whichreceives cups that are dropped from a cup dispenser 21 mounted on a bracket 22. Within the cup chute 19 is a beverage chute 23 which receives beverage from a plurality of tanks 24 one of which is shown in FIGURE 1.

In the upper portion of the cabinet 11 is an automatic ice making machine 25 which freezes water that flows to the freezer 25 through the hose 27 from the water reservoir 26. An electric motor 28 operates the freezer 25 that is capable of producing ice fragments or chips and dispenses it through a duct 29 into my ice hopper and dispenser 30. The freezer 25 and motor 28 are of conventional construction and form no part of the present invention. The ice container and dispenser 30 which is explained in greater detail hereinafter is provided with a chute 31 at its lower end portion for directing the fiow of ice into the cup chute 19 so that after a cup has been deposited in the cup station 18, the beverage and ice will flow through the chutes 23, 31 respectively and into that cup. Any liquids that spill over into the cup station 18 flows through a drain pipe 32 which empties into a waste tank 33.

The ice storage container and dispenser 30 consists of an upright insulated receptacle 35 having a rectangular cross section tapering outwardly in girth from top to bottom so that the cross sectional area of the receptacle 30 increases in the direction of the bottom to the position of a discharge mechanism 34. This prevents ice which is stored in the receptacle 30 from becoming wedged and frozen to the side walls, but will permit the ice to slide downwardly to replace the ice at the bottom that had been dispensed. Also, the construction of the ice discharge mechanism 34 as is explained hereinafter is such that upon its operation the receptacle 30 is subjected to vibration so that any ice that is frozen to the side walls of the receptacle will become dislodged. The receptacle 35 is lined with a metallic inner casing 36 to provide a smooth surface for the downwardly moving ice contained therein. There is an opening 37 at the top portion to which the chute 29 is connected whereby ice produced by the ice maker 25 will slide through an outlet 38 into the chute 29 and into the ice storage receptacle 30. A thermostat 40 is mounted on a cover 39 mounted at the top of the receptacle 30. When ice completely fills the hopper 30 and comes into contact with the thermostat 40, the ice maker 25 is then deenergized and stops producing ice until the receptacle 30 discharges some of the ice contained therein and the top level of the ice has been lowered in the hopper 30.

At the bottom portion of the receptacle 30 is second opening 41 which serves as an outlet for the ice and is provided with a door or gate 42 hinged along the upper edge of the opening as at 20. A lower edge of the opening 41 is recessed so that the door 42 must be swung beyond its vertical position to become closed. Slidably mounted on a bottom wall 44 adjacent the discharge opening 41 is a plunger 45 whose function is to push out through the opening 41 a quantity of ice. The plunger 45 is provided with a plurality of stepped portions or tiers of knife like edges 46 beginning at the forward end portion 47. The knife-like edges 46 extend the full width of the plunger 45 and are each positioned horizontally; and are vertically equi-distant from the adjacent knifelike edges 46. These edges 46 are joined by a horizontal surface 48 and an oblique vertical surface 49 which joins the edges 46 and the horizontal surface 48. One of the horizontal surfaces 48 is provided with a plurality of bores 51 for receiving upright pins 50 therein. These knife-like edges 46 as well as the upright pins 50 of the plunger 45 serve to crush the ice into fragments or particles which were originally produced as chips by the ice maker 25 and may have become frozen together again in the hopper 30.

Means are provided for actuating the plunger 45 comprising a pair of rods 52 threadedly secured to a rear portion 53 of the plunger 45 and extending through bushings 54 mounted in openings in the receptacle 30. The rods 52 extend rearwardly through bores in a horizontally extending pusher bracket 55 with an adjustable collar 56 mounted on the rods 52 adjacent the rear surface of the bracket 55. A coil spring 57 mounted on the rods 52 and extending between the head of the bushing 54 and the pusher bracket 55 yieldingly urges the pusher bracket 55 to its rearmost position. The free end portion 58 of each of the rods 52 extend into bores in solenoids 59. The solenoids 59 are of conventional structure having an armature or plunger 65 which extends into the bore in the solenoid 59 so that when the solenoids 59 are energized the plungers 65 are drawn into the solenoid 59 as far as a collar 68 which limits the movement of the plunger 65; the inward movement of the plungers 65 push the rods 52 outwardly against the spring pressure 57. A further solenoid 60 mounted between the solenoids 59 is identical in construction with the latter and is provided with a rod 61 slidably mounted in its bore with a plunger 65 positioned in said bore and extending through the rear portion of the solenoid 60. The forward end of the rod 61 extends through a bore in the pusher bracket 55 and is secured thereon by a nut 82 and an adjustable collar 56 mounted on the rod 61 on either side of the bracket 55.

The door 42 is constructed and arranged to operate simultaneously with the pusher bracket 55 and with the ice dispensing plunger 45. This is accomplished by providing the door 42 with rearwardly extending ears or tabs 62 and the pusher bracket 55 with forwardly extending end portions 63 in alignment with each other and joined together by a pair of of adjustable tie rods 64. One end of a pair of the tie rods 64 is provided with a clevis 66 which is pivotally connected to the tabs 62 of the door while the other pair of tie rods 64 have a clevis 166 which is pivotally connected to the ends 63 of the bracket 55 with the other ends of all the tie rods 64 joined in pairs to each other by an adjustment sleeve 67 threaded thereon.

The solenoids 59 and 60 are connected to switches and a source of energy (not shown) for operation thereof and when the solenoids 59, 60 have become energized, the armatures 65 are drawn into the solenoids 59, 60 pushing the pusher rods 58, 61 outwardly. The pusher bracket 55 is pushed in the direction of the hopper 30 causing the door 42 to be swung outwardly to an open position. Simultaneously therewith, the plunger 45 is made to slide in the direction of the opening 41 breaking up the ice in its path and pushing the fragments of ice through the opening 41, which ice then falls into the chute 31 where the ice is directed into a cup standing in the cup station 18. The stepped knife edges 46 serve to break up the ice as does the upright pins 50. A plunger having a flat surfaced face has proved ineffective to dispense ice as it tended to pack the ice rather than break it up into its original fragmental condition, As the plunger 45 returns to its normal inoperative position, the ice in the hopper 30 will slide downwardly to fill the void 4 created by the ice previously dispensed. The increasing cross sectional area of the hopper liner 36 compels the ice to slide downwardly of its own weight.

The amount of ice to be dispensed with each stroke of the plunger 45 may be varied by adjusting the posltion of the collars 68 which determines the distance the armature 65 will slide which distance is equal to that the plunger 45 will slide. Shortening the sliding movement of the plunger 45 decreases the amount of ice that is dispensed at each stroke.

Upon the deenergizing of the solenoids 59, 60 after a quantity of ice has been dispensed, the springs 52 will take over and return the door 42 and the plunger 45 back to their original position with a great deal of force. The impact of the door 42 and plunger 45 against the hopper 30 will cause the latter to vibrate thereby loosening ice contained in the hopper 30 that may have refrozen together or to the side walls of the hopper thereby assuring the flow of the ice particles downwardly. The space previously occupied by the ice that had been dispensed will now be replaced by the ice that has moved downwardly in the hopper 30. Some melting of the ice in the hopper 30 will take place, especially when ice has remained in the hopper 30 a great length of time. The water of the melted ice will flow to the bottom wall 44 of the hopper and drain through a drain opening 69 therein and flow into a container 70 mounted below the hopper 30. At the bottom of the container 70 is an electric heating element 71 which causes the water to evapo rate which escapes through an evaporation escape tube 72 positioned at the top portion of the container 70. The tube 72 extends (not shown) to the side or rear wall of the vending machine 10 so that the water vapors may be discharged beyond the confines of the machine 10.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a cold beverage dispensing machine having an ice making machine and a cup station, the combination com prising an elongated receptacle having an opening at an upper portion, said receptacle having an increasing cross sectional area in the direction of its lower portion, a chute connecting said opening and said ice making machine for delivering ice to said receptacle, said receptacle having an ice discharge opening at said lower portion, a door, pivot means mounting said door at said discharge opening, a plunger slidably mounted at said lower portion of said receptacle for reciprocation in a direction toward and away from said opening, a rod secured to said plunger and extending outwardly of said receptacle, a second rod secured to said door and extending in the direction of said first named rod, means connecting said rods and power operated means operatively connected to said rod connecting means for simultaneously operating said door and said plunger for dispensing ice through said lower opening, and a chute mounted below said lower opening for directing said dispensed ice to said cup station.

2. In a cold beverage dispensing machine having an ice making machine and a cup station, the combination comprising an elongated receptacle having an opening at its upper portion, a chute connecting said ice machine and said opening for delivering ice to said receptacle, said receptacle having an increasing cross sectional area in the direction of its lower portion and an opening at said lower portion for dispensing ice, a door, substantially horizontal pivot means mounting said door at said lower opening, a plunger slidably mounted for reciprocation at said lower portion of said receptacle in a direction to and from said opening, a pair of rods secured to a rear portion of said plunger and extending outwardly of said receptacle, a pair of tabs secured to said door, a pair of tie rods, each pivotally secured at one end to one of said tabs and extending rearwardly along each side of said receptacle, a substantially horizontally disposed pusher bracket having a plurality of bores for receiving free ends of said first named rods, collar means mounted on said first named rods in contact relation with a rear surface of said pusher bracket,

spring means mounted on said first named rods and extending between said receptacle and said pusher bracket, pivot means connecting said other ends of said tie rods and said pusher bracket and power operated means operatively connected to said first named rods for operating said pusher bracket and simultaneously opening said door and discharging ice through said lower opening, and a chute mounted below said lower opening for directing said dispensed ice to said cup station.

3. The structure as recited by claim 2, wherein said plunger comprises a forward end portion, a bottom wall portion and a top portion, a plurality of edge portions including an edge portion at said for-ward end portion extending transversely of said plunger on said top portion, each of said edge portions other than said edge portion on said forward end portion lying in a plane above that of an adjacent edge portion, with said edge portion at said forward portion of said plunger being closest to said bottom wall portion and a plurality of pins mounted adjacent one of said edge portions and extending upwardly above said top portion.

4. In a cold beverage dispensing machine having an icemaking mechanism and a cup station, the combination comprising a generally vertically elongated ice hopper having an inlet opening at its upper end, said ice hopper having a progressively increasing cross-sectional area in the direction of its lower end, a chute connecting said inlet opening and said ice-making mechanism for delivering ice from said mechanism to said ice hopper, said ice hopper having a discharge opening at its lower end, a door pivotally mounted on said ice hopper adjacent said discharge opening and being pivotally movable in one direction to close said discharge opening and being pivotally movable in the opposite direction to open said discharge opening, a plunger slidably mounted at said lower end of the ice hopper for generally horizontal movement toward and away from said discharge opening, rod means secured to said plunger and extending outwardly of said ice hopper, additional rod means secured to said door and extending in the same general direction as the first-mentioned rod means, connecting means connecting said first-mentioned rod means and said additional rod means, poweroperated means operatively connected to said connecting means for simultaneously opening said door and operating said plunger to dispense ice through said discharge open ing, and a chute mounted below said discharge opening for directing said dispensed ice to said cup station.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4, wherein the power-operated means comprises solenoid means energizable to thrust the connecting means, rod means, plunger and door in one direction to open said discharge opening and to dispense ice therethrou-gh, and spring means oppos ing the action of said solenoid means, said spring means being biased to thrust said connecting means, rod means, plunger and door in the opposite direction, upon de-energization of the solenoid means, to close said discharge opening and to retract said plunger in preparation for a further ice dispensing operation.

6. The combination of claim 4, wherein the plunger is provided with a plurality of stepped ice-engageable portions having knife-like edges capable of cutting into the ice to form dispensable chips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,931,908 Tillotson Oct. 24, 1933 1,990,715 Steifen Feb. 12, 1935 2,237,189 McCormack et a1 Apr. 1, 1941 2,779,165 Pichler et a1 Jan. 29, 1957 2,787,890 Muffly Apr. 9, 1957

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