EP0171872A1

EP0171872A1 - Mechanism for controlling the loading of articles into or the removal of articles from article-storage means

Info

Publication number: EP0171872A1
Application number: EP85303319A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David John Marchant
Original assignee: Mars GB Ltd
Current assignee: Mars GB Ltd
Priority date: 1984-05-11
Filing date: 1985-05-10
Publication date: 1986-02-19
Also published as: DE3570260D1; DK206885A; DK206885D0; JPH085504B2; EP0171872B1; GB8412054D0; JPS60251064A; GB2158426A

Abstract

A mechanism for controlling loading of articles (20) into and removal of articles (20) from article storage means comprises a pawl (10) which is rotatable and slidableto allow uninterrupted loading of articles through an opening and removal of articles from the storage means through the opening one at a time but not continuously. A blocking mechanism having a series of blocks (24,25,26 and 27) allows articles (20) to be removed only singly from the storage means. The positioning and shape of the blocks (24,25,26 and 27) and a progressive locking wedge (28) are such that when one article has been removed from the storage means by passing between two blocks, passage of further articles through the blocks is prevented.

Description

The invention relates to mechanisms for providing access to articles stored in a container to allow removal of an article or articles by, for example, a customer.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a blocking mechanism for allowing articles to be removed only singly, in use, from storage means storing a multiplicity of articles in a plurality of stacks, which blocking mechanism comprises a fixed end block, a single series of slidable blocks and means controlling movement of the blocks such that, in one operating cycle, when one article has been removed from the storage means by passing between two blocks, passage of further articles through the blocking mechanism is prevented.
Means are preferably provided for biasing the slidable blocks towards the fixed end block and means are preferably provided for locking the slidable blocks in a closed configuration.
Stop means are preferably provided for preventing displacement of the slidable block furthest from the fixed end block by more than the width of a stored article.
The mechanism preferably comprises means for sensing when the block furthest from the fixed end block has been displaced by the width of a stored article.
The mechanism may comprise stop means, preferably progressive stop means operable in accordance with a signal from the sensing means when the block furthest from the fixed end block has been displaced by the width of a stored article, the stop means acting to prevent movement of the block furthest from the fixed end block in a direction away from the fixed end block.
The profiles and positions of the slidable blocks are preferably such that movement of an article between a pair of blocks causes the block or blocks on the side of the article remote from the fixed end block to be moved away from the fixed end block without causing movement of any block lying between the article and the fixed end block.
Preferably, the profiles and positioning of the slidable blocks are such that when the blocks on the side of the article being removed remote from the fixed end block are displaced by at least half the width of the article being removed, an attempt to urge a further article between a pair of said displaced blocks will urge the block on the side of the further article nearer the fixed end block towards the fixed end block.
Each slidable block preferably has a bevelled edge profile on the side of the block nearest the fixed end block, the bevelled edge profile lying across the path of an associated article stack when the block is at its nearest position to the fixed end block. The edge profile preferably has a double bevel to provide a central apex pointing towards the fixed end block.
Each slidable block other than the block furthest from the fixed end block preferably has a bevelled edge profile on the side of the block remote from the fixed end block. The bevelled edge portion preferably lies across the path of the associated article stack when the block is at its position furthest from the fixed end block. The edge of each block remote from the fixed end block preferably has a portion lying parallel to the path of an article being removed.
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a mechanism for controlling loading of articles into and removal of articles from article storage means, which mechanism comprises a pawl movably mounted on the storage means for permitting uninterrupted loading of a multiplicity of articles into the storage means through an opening in the storage means and for permitting the removal of articles from the storage means through the opening one at a time but not continuously.
Tr_le pawl may be movably mounted on the storage means by mounting means, the mounting means allowing the pawl to be moved away from engagement with the articles during loading and into engagement with the articles during removal of articles from the storage means.
The mounting means preferably allows the pawl to exhibit both sliding and rotational movement relative to the mounting means.
Slide biasing means preferably bias sliding movement of the pawl towards an engagement position, loading of the articles into the storage means urging the pawl away from the engagement position against the slide biasing means.
The pawl preferably has a first contact surface for engagement by a first article during removal of the first article from the storage means, and a second contact surface caused to move into engagement with a next succeeding article by action of the first article on the first contact surface to prevent movement of the next succeeding article from the storage means until the first article has been removed from the storage means.
Action of the first article on the first contact surface preferably causes rotational movement of the pawl. Rotation biasing means preferably bias the pawl in a direction to move the second contact surface out of engagement with an article.
The second contact surface is preferably convex.
The mounting means preferably comprises a pin on one of the pawl and storage means and a slot in the other of the pawl and storage means, and guide means for guiding sliding movement of the pawl. The pin is preferably on the storage means.
By way of example, one embodiment of a mechanism according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a mechanism according to the first aspect of the invention;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the mechanism of Figure 1 in a loading configuration;
Figure 3 is a view of a blocking mechanism in a first position;
Figure 4 is a view of the blocking mechanism of Figure 3 in a second position;
Figure 5 is a view of the blocking mechanism of Figures 3 and 4 in a third position; and
Figure 6 is a view of the blocking mechanism of Figures 3, 4 and 5 in a fourth position.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate diagrammatically a mechanism for allowing continous loading of articles into storage means such as a slide support and removal of articles from the slide support one by one but not ° continuously.
The mechanism includes a pawl 10 mounted on a support to provide rotational movement, as illustrated in Figure 1, and sliding movement, as illustrated in Figure 2. Mounting is achieved by a pin 11 on the support engaging a slot 12 in the pawl 10, the slot 12 being omitted from Figure 1 as that Figure is to illustrate rotational movement of the pawl 10.
When it is wished to load articles 13 into the support slide in the direction shown in the arrow in Figure 2, the articles 13 push the pawl 10 away from engagement with the articles 13 so that the pawl 10 travels relative to the stationary pin 11 and the pawl moves to the position shown in the chain lines in Figure 2. In this way, continuous loading of the articles 13 can be effected without interference from the pawl 10.
A spring biases the pawl 10 towards the position shown in solid line in Figure 2 and when it is wished to remove an article 13 from the slide support, as shown in Figure 1, the first article 13 will contact a first contact surface 14 of the pawl 10 thereby rotating the pawl 10 in an anti-clockwise direction in Figure 1. This rotation brings a second contact surface 15 of the pawl into engagement with the next succeeding article 13 to prevent removal of the next succeeding article until the first article has moved beyond the first contact surface 14 of the pawl 10, at which time a spring biases the pawl 10 back to the position shown in chain lines in Figure 1.
Articles in the slide support (not shown in the schematic Figures 1 and 2) are biased in the direction given by the arrow in Figure 1 and the arrangement of the pawl 10 thereby allows convenient withdrawal of articles 13 one by one. The articles 13 illustrated are nozzles of sachets of the type described in our published British Patent Application No. 2121762A but it will be appreciated that this is by way of a mere example.
Figure 3, 4, 5 and 6 show a blocking mechanism for preventing removal of more than one article from a storage apparatus during a particular control cycle, such as is initiated by a coin freed mechanism.
In schematic Figures 3 to 6, articles 20 are illustrated as circles but it will be appreciated that other shapes could equally be used. The pawl 10 of Figures 1 and 2 is included in the mechanism to allow single feed of the articles 20 along respective channels 21, 22 and 23, the articles being spaced to allow operation of the pawl.
The blocking mechanism incudes a fixed end block 24, intermediate sliding blocks 25 and 26 and an end sliding block 27. The sliding blocks 25, 26 and 27 are slidable laterally with respect to the paths 21, 22 and 23_along which the articles 20 can travel.
Figure 3 illustrates the configuration of the blocks in which the mechanism as a whole is blocked by means of a locking wedge 28 engaging a recess in the sliding end block 27. Engagement or disengagement of the wedge 28 is effected by a solenoid 29. A spring 30 biases the blocks 25, 26 and 27 towards the fixed end block 24.
When the blocking mechanism is freed, for example by insertion of a coin or token, the solenoid 29 lifts the wedge 28 from engagement with the slidable end block 27 and a user then decides which article is to be removed from which row.
As shown in Figure 3, an article from the central path 22 is to be removed. The profiles of the three slidable blocks 25, 26 and 27 at their ends nearest the fixed block 24 are each bevelled, meeting in a central apex pointing towards the fixed end block 24. There is thus provided on the block 25 a first contact edge 31 and similarly on the block 26 a first contact edge 32 is provided and on the block 27 a first contact edge 33 is provided. Second bevelled contact edges 34, 35 and 36 extend below respective contact edged 31, 32 and 33 as shown in Figures 3 to 6, thereby allowing loading of articles into the rows through the blocks.
As can be seen in Figure 3, the first contact edges 31, 32 and 33 extend completely across the respective paths 21, 22 and 23 of the articles 20 when the mechanism is locked. When an article from the central stack is to be removed. the article is pulled towards the exit thereby urging the blocks 26 and 27 to the right in Figure 4. Although the block is allowed to make some movement away from the fixed end block, this movement is insufficient to allow an article from the left hand stack to be removed.
Movement of the blocks 26 and 27 away from the fixed end block 24 continues until the position shown in Figure 5 at which time the blocks 26 and 27 are at their maximum displacement from their original positions. In Figure 5, a micro switch 40 is operated to switch the solenoid 29 to drop the wedge 28, there being a physical stop 41 to prevent any further movement of the block 27 away from the fixed end block 24.
Further movement of the articles of the central stack to the position shown in Figure 6 has the following effect. The profiles of the blocks 25 and 26 on the side remote from the fixed end block 24 come into play, these profiles having a first bevelled edge portion 45 and 46 respectively and a second portion 47 and 48 respectively lying parallel to the article travel paths. In the Figure 6 position, any attempt to remove an article from the left hand stack 21 is prevented since the block 25 is jammed by the article being removed from the centre stack. Any attempt to pull an article from the right hand stack 23 urges the block 26 towards the fixed end block 24 and will not prevent the block 27 from following the block 26 under the bias of the spring 30. However, the bevelled edge profile 35 of the block 26 is also jammed against the article being removed and will thus prevent any outward movement of an article from the right hand stack 23.
As the article from the central stack 22 is progressively removed, the wedge 28 takes up any play in the system and thereby reduces the overall spacing between the fixed end block 24 and the block 27 to less than one article width. It is thereby impossible to extract more than one article 20 from the stacks until the solenoid 29 is activated again to lift the wedge 28. Fiy res 3 to 6 and the foregoing description illustrate removal of an article from the central stack 22 but it will be appreciated that the blocking mechanism is equally effective if an article is chosen to be removed from the left hand stack 21 or the right hand stack 23.
If an article is to be removed from the left hand stack 21, all three blocks 25, 26 and 27 are pushed away from the fixed end block 24, and the action of the wedge 28 is the same as that already described. Any attempt to remove an article from the central or right hand stack while an article is being withdrawn from the left hand stack will cause the block 25, 26 and 27 to be urged to the left and allow the wedge 28 to take up any free play.
If an article is to be removed from the right hand stack 23, the blocks 25 and 26 are unmoved and the block 27 is moved to the right. A small amount of play in the blocks 25 and 26 is present initially in the same way as described in relation to Figure 4, but is insufficient to allow an article to be removed from the central or left hand stack. Once the article has passed the apex of the block 27, the wedge acts as a progressive stop against the block 27.
It will be appreciated that the pawl mechanism of Figures 1 and 2 and the blocking mechanism of Figures 3 and 6 are useful in relation to many varieties of article. The present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended Claims.

Claims

1. A blocking mechanism for allowing articles to be removed only singly, in use, from storage means storing a multiplicity of articles in a plurality of stacks, which blocking mechanism comprises a fixed end block, a single series of slidable blocks and means controlling movement of the blocks such that, in one operating cycle, when one article has been removed from the storage means by passing between two blocks, passage of further articles through the blocking mechanism is prevented.

2. A blocking mechanism as claimed in Claim 1 comprising means for biasing the slidable blocks towards the fixed end block.

3. A blocking mechanism as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 comprising means for locking the slidable blocks in a closed configuration.

4. A blocking mechanism as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 comprising stop means for preventing displacement of the slidable block furthest from the fixed end block by more than the width of a stored article.

5. A blocking mechanism as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 comprising means for sensing when the block furthest from the fixed end block has been displaced by the width of a stored article.

6. A block mechanism as cliamed in Claim 5 wherein the mechanism comprises stop means operable in accordance with a signal from the sensing means when the block furthest from the fixed end block has been displaced by the width of a stored article, the stop means acting to prevent movement of the block furthest from the fixed end block in the direction away from the fixed end block.

7. A blocking mechanism as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the stop means act progressively.

8. A blocking mechanism as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the profiles and positions of the slidable blocks are such that movement of an article between a pair of blocks causes tleblock or blocks on the side of the article remote from the fixed end block to be moved away from the fixed end block without caausing movement of any block lying between the article and the fixed end block.

9. A blocking mechanism as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the profiles and positioning of the slidable blocks are such that when the blocks on the side of the article being removed remote from the fixed end block are displaced by at least half the width of the article being removed, an attempt to urge a further article between a pair of said displaced blocks will urge the block on the side of the further article nearer the fixed end block towards the fixed end block.

10. A blocking mechanism as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein each slidable block has a bevelled edge profile on the side of the block nearest the fixed end block, the bevelled edge profile lying across the path of an associated article stack when theblock is at its nearest position to the fixed end block.

11. A blocking mechanism as claimed in Claim 10 wherein the edge profile has a double bevel to provide a central apex pointing towards the fixed end block.

12. A blocking mechanism as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11 wherein each slidable block other than the block furthest from the fixed end block has a bevelled edge profile on the side of the block remote from the fixed end block.

13. A blocking mechanism as claimed in Claim 12 wherein the bevelled edge portion lies across the path of the associated article stack when the block is at its position furthest from the fixed end block.

14. A blocking mechanism as claimed in Claim 12 or Claim 13 wherein the edge of each block remote from the fixed end block has a portion lying parallel to the path of an article being removed.

15. A mechanism for controlling loading of articles into and removal of articles from article storage means, which mechanism comprises a pawl movably mounted on the storage means for permitting uninterrupted loading of a multiplicity of articles into the storage means through an opening in the storage means and for permitting removal of the articles from the storage means through the opening one at a time but not continuously.

16. A mechanism as claimed in claim 15 wherein the pawl is movably mounted on the storage means by mounting means, the mounting means allowing the pawl to be moved away from engagement with the articles during loading and into engagement with the articles during removal of articles from the storage means.

17. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 16 wherein the mounting means allows the pawl to exhibit both sliding and rotational movement relative to the mounting means.

18. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 17 comprising slide biasing means biasing sliding movement of the pawl towards an engagement position, loading of the articles into the storage means urging the pawl away from the engagement position against the slide biasing means.

19. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 17 or Claim 18 wherein the pawl has a first contact surface for engagement by a first article during removal of the first article from the storage means, and a second contact surface caused to move into engagement with a next succeeding article by action of the first article on the first contact surface to prevent movement of the next succeeding article from the storage means until the first article has been removed from the storage means.

20. A mechanism as claimedin claim 19 wherein action of the first article on the first contact surface causes rotational movement of the pawl.

21. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 19 or Claim 20 comprising rotation biasing means for biasing the pawl in a direction to move the second contact surface out of engagement with an article.

22. A mechanism as claimed in any one of Claims 19 to 21 wherein the second contact surface is convex.

23. A mechanism as claimed in any one of Claims 16 to 21 wherein the mounting means comprises a pin on one of the pawl and storage means and a slot in the other of the pawl and storage means, and guide means for guiding sliding movement of the pawl.

24. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 23 wherein the pin is on the storage means.