EP0385234A2

EP0385234A2 - Coins or token operated mechnical dispenser, for the distribution of tickets or the like objects

Info

Publication number: EP0385234A2
Application number: EP90103225A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Vittorio Mattiolo
Original assignee: TECNOTOUR SpA
Current assignee: TECNOTOUR SpA
Priority date: 1989-03-02
Filing date: 1990-02-20
Publication date: 1990-09-05
Also published as: EP0385234A3; IT1232696B; IT8912439A0

Abstract

The tickets (H) are stacked on each other within a magazine (M) in the lower portion of which a device (28) operates reciprocatingly, said device being provided with pointed teeth (128) which "bite" into the lower face of the lowest ticket in the stack and move it partially out of the magazine and of a slot (39) provided in the front portion of the dispenser. This device is carried by a pivotable lever (33) which is operatively connected to a drum-shaped cam (38) which, in turn, is keyed on the shaft of the unidirectional rotation apparatus (A) which may be activated by the user only when a coin or token (X) is received therein after being checked by the components of a conventional token-machine.

Description

This invention relates to a dispenser having completely mechanical operation, which can be activated by the introduction of coins or tokens and which is adapted to dispense either tickets for various purposes, for example, tickets for a lottery, or other planar and stackable objects. The dispenser of the invention has an extremely simple construction and an utmost operating reliability. The characteristics of the dispenser and the advantages resulting therefrom will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, shown as a merely non-limiting example in the Figures of the accompanying two sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser in the operative condition,
Figure 2 is an elevational front view of the dispenser, the front casing being omitted,
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the dispenser as from Figure 2,
Figure 4 is a perspective bottom plan view of the magazine for the tickets with the associated device for the unitary ejection of said tickets,
Figure 5 is a plane-development of the drum-shaped cam arranged in the dispenser,
Figure 6 shows the magazine for the tickets, as seen from the sectional line VI-VI of Figure 2.

With reference first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that the dispenser of the invention comprises a composite parallelepipedal housing 1 made of any suitable material and comprising, for example, a box 101 adapted for fixing to a supporting wall or pillar, which is open at the front and top sides, and which can be closed by a casing 201 hingedly connected to the lower portion of the element 101 and provided at the top with a coded-key latch 2 to be removably secured to a suitably-shaped projection 3 of the portion 101.
The side walls of the portion 101 of the housing are provided, at their front sides, with longitudinal wings 4-104, with holes, permitting to removably secure in the housing 1, the assembly comprising the token-machine G, the manually rotatable device A for actuating the ticket ejector, and the magazine M with the stacked tickets and with the ejector in its lower portion. The parts G and A are mounted, one above the other, on a single frame 6 which is connected to the magazine M by means of a channel member 7, said assembly being provided with side wings 8-108 having holes to be secured by means of screws to said wings 4-104 of said box 101. The token-machine G is of conventional design. It checks the coins or tokens inserted into the dispenser through the slot 25 on the basis of their dimensions, weight and/or other characteristics, and it comprises a mechanism which seizes any defective or false coins or tokens and which, by means of a pushbutton P arranged on the front side of the casing 201, ejects them into a lower discharge pocket B also provided in the casing 201. If the coins or tokens are genuine, they will be conveyed into the device A comprising an assembly which is rotatable on a horizontal shaft, rotatable manually by the user through a knob 9, which is provided with a ratchet wheel and non-return pawl mechanism, indicated generally at 10, to enable the rotation of said assembly only in one direction, for example, in the anticlockwise direction indicated by the arrows 11, and which is provided with a further wheel having a peripheral notch 12 for receiving a coin X. The device A can be rotated only if a coin is present. Otherwise, the notch 12 interferes with a seizing means, not shown because it is of conventional design. In case the rotation is enabled, the device A is rotated 180° and it discharges the coin X into a case 13 arranged below said device, and thereafter, during the remaining 180°, it causes the partial ejection of a ticket from the magazine M (see below). Unlike the magazine M, which extends substantially over the entire height of the box 101, the assembly G-A is such as to leave a lower space available in said box for receiving said case 13, which is arranged between a pair of guides 14 to achieve a proper positioning and to avoid any interference with the adjacent moving components of the dispenser.
With reference also to Figures 4 and 6, it is to be noted that the magazine M is of such a shape as to contain with a suitable clearance a sufficient number of tickets H stacked on each other, and its side walls mount overhangingly a set of co-planar small rollers 15 whereon the base of said stack is supported. A weight 16 rests on the stack of tickets and is formed with equal and opposite side slots 17 which, when the stack of tickets is exhausted and when said weight rests on said rollers, permit the upright end portion 118 of a feeler 18 arranged between the structures M-6 to move upwards, as guided by a support 19 fixed to the frame 6 and urged upwards by a spring 20 resting against said support and against a ring member 21 secured to said feeler. The upper end of the feeler is pivoted at 22 to the end of a flat lever 23 which is inter-fulcrumed at 24 to the frame 6 and is so shaped that, as a result of the upward movement of the feeler, a portion thereof will be disposed in front of the slot 25 which is provided in the upper region of the casing 201, to prevent the insertion of a token or coin, as shown with dot-and-dash lines in Figure 2. Normally, the lever 23 is in the position shown with full lines in Figure 2, whereby a coin or token may be inserted into the slot 25.
In Figures 2, 4, 6, it will be seen that the magazine M is open anteriorly, as indicated at 26, to facilitate the loading of new tickets thereinto and to facilitate the removal of the weight 16 therefrom. The magazine M is open also in the rear-lower portion thereof, as indicated at 27 in Figure 4, to permit the required movement of the device for the cyclical ejection of tickets, which comprises a comb 28 whose teeth are formed by small flat springs 128 with pointed free ends and suitably bent upwards. The body portion 228 of the comb 28 is secured intermediately to a lever 29 perpendicular thereto and connected through a cylindrical hinge 30 parallel to said body 228, to a support 31 which is secured at 32 to the lower portion of a pivotable lever 33, with possibility of rotation about an axis which is normal to said hinge 30. A spring 34 is provided on the spindle of said hinge 30 and urges said lever 29 and comb 28 upwards. As a result of this urging action, as a result of the independent resilient behavior of the springs 128 of the comb, and as a result of said double articulation 30-32, said pointed ends of the comb engage intimately the lower face of the lowermost ticket in the stack, even if said face is not perfectly planar and uniform. The lever 33 comprises, for example, a U-shaped channel arranged at the rear of the magazine M and whose wings are pivoted to the sides of the upper portion of said magazine, as indicated at 35-135 in Figure 3, so as to be pivotable about an axis which is normal to that of the device A described above. Secured overhangingly to the intermediate portion of the lever 33 is a cross member 36 ending in a cam-follower 37 which follows the contour of a drum-shaped cam 38 which is keyed to the shaft of said device A. The rotation of the cam 38 is converted into an oscillatory movement by the lever 33 and the latter actuates, with a rectilinear reciprocating movement, the comb 28 at the bottom of the stack of tickets contained in the magazine M. As shown in Figure 6 with broken lines, during the movement of the lever 33 away from the magazine, the comb 28 moves backwards and the points of the teeth 128 are so oriented as to slide on the lowermost ticket, without damaging it. During the reverse movement of said parts, as shown in the same Figure 6 with full lines, the points of the teeth "bite" into the lower face of the lowermost ticket, causing its partial ejection from a rectangular slot 39 formed in the front wall of the casing 201 (see also Figure 1). In order to effect the ejection of only one ticket at a time, the magazine M is provided at its front side, in line with said slot, with a gauge formed by a stationary projection 40 engaging the lower face of the lowermost ticket, intermediately of the front edge of said ticket and comprising a further small projection 41 engaging the front side of the stack, and which is in line with the former projection and is spaced therefrom by a distance which is slightly larger than the thickness of a ticket. The projections 40 and 41 are supported by cross members 42-43 secured to the front side of the magazine M and the level of the projection 41 can be adjusted so as to match the thickness of the tickets H with precision.
Figure 5 shows the contour of the cam 38. The camfollower 37 which follows the contour of the cam, is shown here in its rest position. The contour comprises a first rectilinear portion 138 whereby the cam is rotated 90° without causing any displacement of the ejection device. This movement is necessary to make the notch 12 containing the coin move away from the respective locking sensor and make the rotation irreversible. The portion 138 is followed by an inclined portion 238 having an angular amplitude of 90° which causes the maximum backward displacement of the ticket-ejection device 28 and which causes also the transfer of the coin into the case 23. The portion 238 is followed by two oppositely inclined portions 338 and 438 which complete the contour of the cam over the remaining 180°. The portion 338 causes a slow forward displacement of the ejection device, required to make the teeth 128 of the ejection comb "bite" efficiently into the lowermost ticket. The portion 438 causes the completion of the active stroke of the ejection device.
The dispenser of the invention, if installed outside of watched-over spots and, therefore, if it is liable to attempts of tampering, may be provided with a small barrier which is effective in front of the magazine M, at the slot 39, to close it when said dispensernis in the rest condition. For example, the barrier could be arranged to have either a guillotine or an oscillatory movement and could be operatively connected to the pivotable lever 33 or to other inner moving portions of the apparatus of the invention, through means which can be easily conceived and constructed by those skilled in the art.
It is to be understood that the description is referred to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that various changes and modifications, especially of constructional nature, may be made thereto, without departing from the basic principle of the invention, as disclosed above, as shown in the Figures of the accompanying two sheets of drawings and as claimed hereinafter. In the following claims, the reference numerals in parentheses are only intended to facilitate the understanding of said claims and, therefore, they shall not be interpreted at all as limiting the scope of protection of said claims.

Claims

1. A mechanical dispenser, activatable by the introduction of tokens or coins and adapted for the distribution of tickets or other flat and stackable objects, characterized in that it comprises:
- a housing (1) formed by at least two portions (101-201) one of which (201) is removably associated with the other by at least a safety lock (2), a case (13) where the coins or tokens are collected and a magazine (M) where the tickets are stackable;
- the inner space of said housing being divided into two parts breadthwise, one part being occupied by the magazine (M) with the tickets and ejection device (28), and the other part being occupied at the top by a token-machine (G) and an underlying manual rotation device (A) which may be activated only when permitted by said token-machine and/or by introducing a coin or token thereinto, a case (13) for collecting the coins or tokens being arranged under said device;
- the shaft of said manual rotation device (A) being connected through any suitable drive means to a device (28) which can reciprocate at the bottom of the stack of tickets and which is provided with suitably pointed and oriented teeth (128) which "bite" into the lower face of the lowermost ticket to cause its horizontal displacement and partial ejection from a suitable slot (39);
- a feeler (18) which detects the presence of tickets at the bottom of the magazine (M), which is urged upwards by resilient means (20) and which is operatively connected to a lever (23) arranged at said slot (25) for the introduction of a coin or token, for the purpose of closing it automatically when the tickets in said magazine are absent.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotation device (A) is of the type which is activated by inserting a coin or token thereinto and which, in this instance, can be rotated through 360° whereafter it returns to the lock position after discharging by gravity, in the first 180° rotation, the coin or token into the collecting case (13), a drum-shaped cam (38) being keyed on the shaft of this assembly and the double-acting contour of said cam being detected by the end camfollower (37) of a cross member (36) secured overhangingly to the intermediate portion of a substantially vertical lever (33) which is fulcrumed at the top of the magazine (M) for the tickets and which, at the bottom, supports the ejection device (28) which operatively reciprocates at the bottom of the stack of tickets.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the cam (38) which is keyed on the manual rotation device (A) has such a contour as to cause no displacement of the camfollower (37) during the first 90° rotation, while during the successive 90° rotation said cam causes the maximum backward displacement of the ticket ejection device (28), the successive 180° rotation causing an initially slow displacement of said ejection device to ensure that the teeth (128) thereof will "bite" effectively into the lower face of the ticket to be ejected.

4. A dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the ejection device (28) which operates at the bottom of the stack of tickets comprises a comb whose body (228) is arranged parallel to the ticket outled slot (39) and whose teeth (128) are constituted by flat springs the end portions of which are conveniently pointed and suitably directed upwards, said comb being supported by a lever (29) which is connected to the pivotable actuating lever (33) through the intermediary of a double hinge with orthogonal axes (30-32) and of a spring (34) which urges said comb upwards, the arrangement being such that the points of the ejector can perfectly engage the surface of the ticket to be ejected, even if it is uneven and not uniformly planar.

5. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the points (128) of the ticket ejection device are so oriented as to form an acute angle with the portion of the overlying ticket, that is disposed between said points and the rear wall of the magazine (M), whereby said points can "bite" effectively into the lower face of the ticket, only during the active ejection stroke of the latter.

6. A dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that arranged at the front side of the ticket magazine (M), close to the lowermost ticket in the stack and intermediately thereof, is a gauge device comprising a preferably stationary lower projection (40) whereon said ticket rests, and also comprising an overlying projection (41) spaced from the former projection by a distance which is slightly larger than the thickness of a ticket, so as to permit only one single ticket at a time to pass between said projections, the level of said latter projection, preferably, being adjustable to exactly match the thickness of the tickets to be dispensed.

7. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the magazine (M) designed to contain the tickets to be dispensed is open at the front side to be loaded more easily, is provided at the bottom with idle rollers (15) whereon the stack of tickets rests, for the purpose of facilitating the cyclic ejection movement of the lowermost ticket, and said magazine accommodates a ballast weight (16) bearing on the top of the stack and provided with side opposite slots (17) to allow the passage of the end portion (118) of the feeler (18) which causes the coin-insertion slot (25) to be closed when the tickets in said magazine are exhausted.

8. A dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that between the ticket-outlet slot (39) and the corresponding front portion of the ticket-containing magazine (M) there may be provided a barrier which is usually closed to prevent any fraudulent removal of said tickets, which is opened automatically during the return movement of the ejection device (28) and which is closed again automatically as soon as the dispensed ticket has been extracted from said slot, said barrier being operatively connected to the actuating mechanisms of the ejection device (28).