AU590776B2

AU590776B2 - Coin operated paper vending machine

Info

Publication number: AU590776B2
Application number: AU59666/86A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wlodzimierz Rast
Original assignee: Rast W Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Rast W Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1985-06-06
Filing date: 1986-06-04
Publication date: 1989-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 2006-06-04
Also published as: GB2186556A; AU5966686A; JPS63500095A; GB2186556B; WO1986007339A1; GB8702493D0

Description

"COIN OPERATED PAPER VENDING MACHINE"

This invention relates to a paper vending machine.

The vending of commodities, usually under control of a coin or token, is already well known and many forms of such devices have been used for dispensing different commodities such as cigarettes or the like.

5. There is however a difficulty when delivering articles such as newspapers which must be individually removed from a stack of such papers particularly where it is necessary to be able to deal with papers of different folded thickness, and the invention is generally 10. described with reference to paper vending but may be used for other commodities which can be stacked.

In vending machines it is customary to stack the articles to be vended above the vending locality to feed to the. vending site, but it has been found

15. that this system is unsatisfactory when applied particularly to a commodity such as papers as the weight of a stack, particularly where the weight varies in accordance with the varying stack height, makes it very difficult to achieve a satisfactory delivery

20. of the individual papers.

The object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine which will allow a stack of a selected commodity such as papers to be fed singly from the machine after a customer inserts the necessary coin or token or 25. uses a key or other selective device. According to this invention the papers which expression is to include other stackable products which are to be vended, are carried in what is termed a magazine by having the lowermost paper of the stack 5. rest on a platform which supports the stack of papers and is urged upwardly to maintain the top paper of the stack at the delivery level, means being supplied to allow a single paper to withdrawn when freed by a coin or token mechanism, the platform then being 10. moved upwardly the required amount to position the next paper ready for delivery.

It has been found during research that by relatively lightly loading the stack of papers upwardly by applying the correct force to the platform to press the uppermost

15. paper against a stop mechanism at the top of the magazine, a paper can be removed much more successfully than if, for instance, a lower p'aper of a pile of papers had to be removed, and therefore an important feature of this invention is the upward urging of a stack

20. of papers in such a way that the paper uppermost in the stack can readily be pulled laterally from the stack by the purchaser.

The machine according to this invention comprises a frame supporting a vertically movable platform arranged

25. to support a stack of papers and itself urged upward against a stop mechanism which locks the platform until the top paper is removed, removal of the paper being by actuating a horizontal drive mechansim which slides the top most paper forward through a delivery

30. slot to a position where the customer can withdraw the paper, whereupon the stop mechanism is actuated to free the platform to be driven upwards until the stop mechanism again terminates the lift of the platform and the next paper is ready to be removed. In its prefered form the vending machine comprises a frame supporting a vertically movable platform adapted to support a stack of papers, and including means to move the platform to bring the papers sequentially 5* to the vending site, characterised by means to urge the platform upwards to maintain the topmost paper at the vending site, sensing means above the stack of papers to stop movement of the platform when the topmost paper is in the vending position, spiked means

10 • to feed the paper into a delivery slot and clutch means to allow the paper to be withdrawn from the spiked means through the delivery slot, whereby when the said paper is withdrawn from beneath the sensing means the platform is urged upwards to position the

15- next paper at the vending site.

In order however that the invention will be fully understood an embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the machine showing 20. the essential mechanisms,

FIG. 2 is a transverse section, somewhat schematic, on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the upper par of the machine, showing a stack of papers therein ready 25. to be sequentially delivered when the machine is operated, and

FIG. 4 is a similar view of the machine but with the top open ready to be charged with papers. The machine comprises a frame 1 supporting a platform 2 by pairs of wheels 3 engaging guide posts

4 on the frame 1, the wheels 3 being arranged as shown to allow free vertical movement of the platform 2

5 but retaining correct horizontal position. The space above the platform 2 forms the magazine in which the papers are stored prior to and during despensing.

The mechanism for moving the platform 2 can of course be considerably varied but according to the I_Q_ form illustrated the platform 2 is urged upwardly by progressively actuated weights 5 with the topmost weight being coupled by a pair of chains 6 which pass over sprockets 7 and idlers 8 at the head of the frame 2 and are fixed to the back of the platform 2.

_]_5_^ The sprockets 7 are fixed on a platform control shaft 9 which is supported in bearings 10 on the main frame and this ensures that the platform is maintained in a correct lateral horizontal position during movement. The idlers 8 are supported by the frame 2 and can

20. be mounted on a shaft supported by the frame 2.

As it is necessary to control the lifting weights

5 in accordance with the weight of the papers on the platform 2, the weights are sectionalised so that each section of the weight is progressively introduced

25_ to effect the lift. This is achieved by having the series of weights arranged to be lifted by the chains 6 but to have the individual weights spaced at different heights as shown and adjacent weights coupled together by flexible links 11, the arrangement being such that

3_Q^ during the initial movement all weights are effective, but as movement continues the weights are progressively carried by a support 12 on the frame 2 as they move one on to the other. Instead of using a weight, spring means could be used to lift the platform or to aid the lifting of the platform and motor means could also be used, but the arrangement is always such that the platform 5_^ can be forced down against the upward urging when loading the magazine with papers but then applies an upward force to the platform 2 carrying the stack of papers to maintain a paper in position for delivery from the top of the stack. The lifting force is thus l_Q arranged to vary in proportion to the number of papers on the platform to ensure that irrespective of the size of the stack the necessary light upward pressure on the topmost paper is exerted.

To stop upward movement of the platform 2 when ^5_^ a topmost paper is in position, the platform control shaft 9 which carries the sprockets 7 over which the chains 6 pass is connected by a sprocket 15 and chain 16 to a sprocket 17 which has on it a brake wheel 18 the rotation of which is controlled by two detents 19 and 20, the 20. detent 19 being mounted on an arm 21 carried by a pivot 22 on the frame 1, which arm 21 projects into the path of the movable lid 23 of the machine so that when the lid 23 is raised to place a stack of papers on to the platform 2, the spring 24 moves the arm 25_# 21 to engage the detent 19 into serrations in the periphery of the brake wheel 18 to stop movement of the platform. The platform 2 can still be moved down for loading, or after loading, by moving the arm 21 to release the detent 19.

30, The detent 20 controls the locking of the platform 2 when the topmost paper on the platform has reached the position where it is ready to be dispensed. This is achieved by normally loading an arm 25, on which the detent 20 is carried, by a spring 26 attached to the frame 2, " he arm itself pivoting in the frame, but to actuate the detent an arm 27 on a 5. movement control shaft 28 supported by the lid 23 has an adjusting screw 29 which, when the platform 2 drive is to cease, presses the detent 20 onto the serrated periphery of the brake wheel 18.

The movement control shaft 28 has a lever 30 attached 10. to it which extends to the forward part of the machine and has a sensor 31 in the form of spiked wheels which are arranged to be engaged by the topmost paper in the stack to lift the sensor 31 and the forward end of the lever 30 to cause the detent 20 to engage the 15. brake wheel 18 and lock the platform 2.

Delivery of a paper from the top of the stack can conveniently be effected by operating a coin cont- ' rolled dispensing lever 35 which is coupled to a delivery mechanism which includes the sensor 31 which engages

20. the paper and is as said in the nature of spiked wheels 36 which can be rotated to feed the paper forward through a delivery slot 37 as the dispensing lever 35 is actuated, this mechanism comprising a paper discharge shaft 38 supported by the lid 23 above the stack of

25. papers, the spiked wheels 36 engaging the paper at spaced distances along its width to move the paper forward when the dispensing lever 35 is actuated. The dispensing lever 35 may be arranged so that it has to be pulled down a required distance before it can return, and may operate a flap 40 which can be displaced to allow the paper to be brought forward 5. through the delivery slot 37 so that the paper can be pulled out of the vending machine. When the dispensing lever 35 returns, the flap 40 closes to prevent access to the next paper, but such mechanism is not always necessary as access to the paper when on the platform 2 through 10. the delivery slot 37 is difficult unless the dispensing lever 36 is actuated. Such a flap 40, shown dotted in Fig. 1, can be linked to the dispensing lever 35 to be locked unless the dispensing lever 35 is depressed after inserting a coin.

15. The topmost paper is fed forward by the spiked wheels 36 which are mounted on the paper discharge shaft 38 positioned transversely across- the machine, the paper discharge shaft 38 being driven by a chain 41 against pressure from a spring 42 connected to the frame 1, the

20. chain 41 having its other end secured to the dispensing lever 35, the chain 41 passing over a pair of spaced sprockets 43 on the frame 1 in a position such that when the lid 23 is down, a sprocket 44 on the paper discharge shaft 38 is in contact with the chain 41 so that the paper

25. discharge shaft 38 is driven when the dispensing lever 35 is actuated to allow the paper to be pulled out of the machine. Clutch means 45 are used so that if the paper is pulled by the person taking it from the machine the spiked wheels 36 will rotate freely to allow the paper to be

30. completely removed from the machine, the feed being of sufficient length when the dispensing lever 35 is moved to allow the paper to be gripped by the customer as it leaves the delivery slot 37, thereafter allowing the paper to be pulled out. The papers will of course be fed into the position to engage the spiked wheels 36 as the platform is urged upwards by the weights 5 but to ensure effective positioning, the brake wheel 18, which stops the upward 5. movement of the platform 2 when actuated by the paper level sensor 31, is provided with a governor 46 to limit the rotational speed which can be achieved. This can take any usual or approved form and is coupled between the movement control shaft 28 and the frame 2 to 10. slow down the rate of rotation of the brake wheel 18 during at least the lifting of the platform 2.

It has been found desirable to guide the papers very carefully in the magazine under low friction conditions and this can be achieved by having at the

15. forward part of the paper magazine a series of rollers 50, carried by the frame 1, which serve as anti-friction means but at the same time serve to ensure that the papers move upwardly freely in their correct position, the rollers 50 reducing friction to ensure that the

2-. papers are not differently orientated during their upward movement by friction against the front of the magazine.

To reduce friction between the papers and the sides of the magazine, stacking guides 51 form movable

25. sides hinged by links 52 to the frame 2. These have a parallelogram action (see Fig. 2) and are positioned to engage the sides of the papers as they are being loaded into the magazine so that a vertical stack is formed under guidance of the stacking guides 51, but when the lid 23 of

30. the machine is closed after loading the magazine these stacking guides 51 move outwardly by pressure exerted by the lid 23 on their upper ends against loading of springs 53 which urge them into their inward position and are then held clear of the sides of the papers in the magazines, thereby removing any frictional forces from the sides of the papers as they are being lifted by movement of the platform 2 under control of the weights 5. 5- The stacking guides 51 are arranged as a pair at each side of the magazine, the guides 51 of the pairs being connected together by connecting members 54 to which the springs 53 are connected, the other ends of the springs 53 being secured to the frame 1.

10. The chains 6 which lift the platform 2 form a back stop for the papers in the magazine, which chains 6 move with the platform 2 so that friction can occur only at the front of the stack of papers or at the sides, but friction at the front is reduced by the

15. antifriction rollers 50 while the stacking guides

51 are clear of the sides of the stack of papers when the lid is closed.

From the foregoing it will be realised that an effective machine is provided in which the papers

20. are progessively moved upwardly by a platform 2 under low friction conditions with the weights 5 regulating the pressure exerted to ensure that the platform rises without undue pressure until the papers reach the discharge locality and the uppermost paper contacts

25. the spiked wheels 36, which can be driven by the dis¬ pensing lever 35, to position the uppermost paper for dispensing. This upward movement of the papers is regulated by the governor 46 to ensure that the movement is effected at a speed which does not disturb the papers, and it will also be realised that with a machine of this type the coin freed mechanism, indicated by 55, can simply release the dispensing lever 35 to cause the spiked wheels 36 to be rotated to partly discharge 5_^ the paper, these spiked wheels 36 being preferably disposed towards the two sides of the papers so that a parallel feed is ensured as both spiked wheels 36 are on the same paper discharge shaft 38 and, as said, once the paper has been projected sufficiently by this 10. drive, the paper can be pulled out with the spiked wheels 36 rotating freely because of the clutch means 45 to allow this to occur.

The clutch means 45 of course ensure that as the dispensing lever 35 is returned after discharge of -_j_ _^ a paper, the spiked wheels 36 are not actuated reversely by such return..

It -will be realized that the spike wheels 36 form the sensor 31 which actuate the brake through the brake wheel 18 so that immediately they are displaced

20. slightly by the upwardly moving stack of papers the brake wheel is stopped to hold the platform until the topmost paper is discharged. The spiked wheels 36 have the paper discharge shaft 38 supported between the spiked wheels 36 by a bearing 56 on the forward end of the lever

25 30, and have limited vertical movement under control of a bracket 57 to enable them to act as the sensors 31. The paper discharge shaft 38 has a universal link 58 in it to allow the outer end of this paper discharge shaft 38 to be accommodated in a bearing in the frame of the lid

30. 23. The lid 23 is locked in position when the device is dispensing by a bracket 59 on the lid having an aperture 60 in it to match with an aperture 61 in the frame 1 through which a locking pin 62 can be 5. inserted. The lid 23 can be held in open position by a stop 63 pivoted to the frame 1 and adapted to engage the underside of the lid 23 when the lid is raised.

The pivots holding the lid 23 to the frame 1 are 10. designated 65.

The weights 5 can be guided by guide rods 66 attached to the frame 1.

In this specification the expression "forward" or "forwardly" refers generally to the dispensing end of the 15. machine where the delivery slot 37 is positioned.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A vending machine comprising a frame (1) supporting a vertically movable platform (2) to support a stack of papers, and including means to move the platform

(2) to bring the papers sequentially to the vending 5. site, characterised by;

(a) means (5,6) to urge the platform (2) upwards to maintain the topmost paper at the vending site;

(b) means (46) to control the rate of upward 10. movement of the platform (2);

(c) sensing means (31) above the said stack of papers to stop movement of the platofrm (2) when the topmost paper is in the vending position;

15. (d) spiked means (36) to feed the paper into a delivery slot (37) and;

(e) clutch means (45) to allow the paper to be withdrawn from the spiked means (36) through the delivery slot;

20. • Whereby when the said paper is withdrawn from beneath the sensing means (31) the platform (2) is urged upwards to position the next paper at the vending site.

2. A vending machine according to claim 1 wherein the frame (1) supports the platform (2) by rollers

(3) on the platform engaging guide posts (4) on the frame (1) and is arranged to form a magazine above

5. the platform (2) to support papers, a lid (23) hinged at the rear to a rear part of the frame (1), the lid (23) being arranged to be opened to allow the platform to receive a stack of papers but when closed defines a delivery slot (37) with the frame (1) at the front 10. part of the frame (1).

3. A vending machine according to claim 1 wherein the means to move the platform upwards comprise a series of weights (5), flexible means (6) attached at one end to the said platform and passing over guide 5_^ means (7) at an upper part of the frame (1) and extending downward therefrom and attached to an upper weight of the series of weights (5), means (11) attaching each weight to a weight immediatley below it, and means (12) on the frame (1) to receive .the lower weight 10. of the series of weights (5) whereby the weights are sequentially rendered noneffective as the platform rises.

4. A vending machine according to claim 1 or 2 wherein sensing means (31) are supported at the top part of the machine above a forward part of the platform (2), the guide means (7) comprising sprockets (5) mounted 5_ on a platform control shaft (9) engaging chains which form the flexible means (6) joining the weights (5) to the platform (2), a detent (20) supported by the frame (1) coupled to be actuated by the sensing means (31), and a brake wheel (18) secured to the said platform ₁₀_ control shaft (9) in the path of the detent (20), all arranged to stop upward movement of the platform (2) when a topmost paper of a stack of papers on the platform (2) actuates the sensing means (31).

5. A vending machine according to claim 4 wherein a pawl (19) mounted on a lever (21) pivoted to the frame (1) is positioned to engage the brake wheel (18) when the lid is open to hold the platform (2) π while loading. 6. A vending machine according to claim 5 wherein the sensing means (31) are carried on the lid (23) and comprise a lever (30) extending forwardly from a movement control shaft (28) rotatably carried by

5. the lid (23) and having attached to it an arm (27) which actuates the said detent (20), said sensing means (31) being supported at the forward end of the arm (27) and extending to contact the topmost paper of a stack of papers carried by the platform (2).

7. Vending machine according to claim 2 or 6 wherein the sensing means (31) form the means to discharge the topmost paper to a stack of papers through the delivery slot (37).

8. A vending machine according to claim 1 wherein the sensing means (31) are mounted at a forward part of a lid (23) hinged at a rearward post to the frame (1), the sensing means (31) comprising spiked wheels

5. (36) mounted to rise and fall relative to the lid

(23) to sense a paper on the platform, and means to rotate the spiked wheels (36) to discharge a paper into the delivery slot (37).

9. A vending machine according to claim 8 wherein the spiked wheels (36) are mounted on a paper discharge shaft (38) carried in bearings at a forward end of a lever (30) extending forwardly from a movement control 5. shaft (28) rotatably carried by the lid (23), said shaft being arranged to actuate means (20,25,27) to stop upward movement of the platform (2) when the spiked wheels rise under pressure of a paper on the platform (2), a chain (41) engaging spaced-apart chain 10. guide sprockets (42) on the frame (1) attached at one end to a dispensing lever (35) and loaded at the other end by a spring (43) attached to it and the frame (1), said pair of chain guide sprockets (42) . being positioned to cause the chain guide sprockets

15_> (42) to engage the chain (41) between them when the lid (23) is closed, a one way clutch (45) on the said shaft (38) whereby the dispensing lever (35) rotates the spiked wheels (36) to move a paper into the delivery slot (37) when the dispensing lever .is actuated but

20. allowing the paper to be pulled through the delivery slot without moving the paper discharge shaft (38).

10. A vending machine according to claim 1 wherein the magazine is defined at a forward end by a series of anti-friction rollers (50) mounted on the frame (1) positioned to engage the forward edges of papers

5 stacked on the platform (2) if papers are displaced forwardly on the platform (2).

11. A vending machine according to claim 1 wherein the sides of the magazine are defined by stacking guides (51) supported from the frame (1) by angularly positioned links (52) and upwardly urged by springs

5_^ (53) connected between the guides (51) and the frame (1) and arranged that when the lid (23) is open the stacking guides (51) are inwardly positioned but when the lid (23) is closed the stacking guides (51) are outwardly disposed whereby the sides of the papers •_]__{Q ^} in the stack on the platform (2) are out of contact with the stacking guides during upward movement of the platform (2) .

12. A vending machine constructed substantially as described and illustrated. 13. A vending machine according to claim 1 wherein the vertically movable platform (2) is movably supported from guide posts (4) secured to the frame (1) to project vertically thereon, and wherein;

5. (a) the means to urge the platform (2) upward comprise a series of weights (5) connected together by flexible links (11) to operate sequentially and connected to a pair of chains (6) the other end of each of which 10. is connected to the platform (2), said chains passing over sprockets (7) on a platform (2) control shaft (9) rotationally supported by the frame (1) , and

(b) the rate of upward movement of the platform 15. (2) is controlled by a governor (46) connected between the platform control shaft (9) and the frame (1) ,

(c) the means to stop movement of the platform (2) when the topmost paper is in the vending

20. positon comprise a sensor (31) positoned above the said platform (2) and connected by a lever (30) to a movement central shaft (28) actuating a detent (20) to engage a brake wheel (180 rotationally coupled to

25. the platform control shaft (9), and

(d) spiked means (36) which feed the paper into the delivery slot are mounted on a paper discharge shaft (38) adapted to be rotated in one direction by a dispensing lever (35)

30. but free to rotate in the opposite direction by clutch means (45). 14. A vending machine according to claim 13 wherein a lid (23) is connected by pivots (65) at its rear to the rear of the frame (1) and has a bracket (59) engagable on the frame (1) to hold the lid closed,

5. carries the movement control shaft (28) at its hinged rear part, and the paper discharge shaft (38) at a forward part, and wherein a sprocket on the paper discharge shaft (38) engages a chain (41) coupled to be actuated by the dispensing lever (35), between 10. sprockets (43) mounted on the frame (1), when the lid (23) is held by the bracket (59).

15. The method of vending papers which consists in placing a stack of papers on a movable platform (2) when the platform is in a lowered position in a frame (1) and then moving the platform upwardly to bring

5. the papers sequentially to the vending site, charac¬ terised by moving the platform (2) upwardly at a governed rate when the lid (23) of the vending machine is closed after placing the- stack of papers onto the platform (2), stopping the movement of the platform (2) when

10. the uppermost paper of the stack contacts sensing means (31) above the stack of papers, sliding the topmost paper into a delivery slot (37), withdrawing the paper from the slot (37) whereby to displace the sensing means (31), and causing the platform (2) to be

15. urged upwardly to bring the next topmost paper into the dispensing position.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the papers are slid into the delivery slot by rotating at least a pair of spiked wheels (36) in contact with the top of the topmost paper further characterised by using

5. the spiked wheels (36) as the sensing means (31) to control a brake (18) on the means (5,6,7) which urge the platform (2) upwardly. 17. Means according to claim 15 or 16 in which the platform (2) is urged upwardly by driving a chain (6) by means of a series of weights (5) arranged to progressively subtract their effective weight to maintain a substantially even urging of the platform (2) irres¬ pective of the number of papers in the stack on the platform (2) .