GB1238523A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,238,523. Coin-freed vending machines. VENDO CO. 2 July, 1968 [27 March, 1968], No. 31481/68. Headings G4V. [Also in Division A4] An article vending machine has stationary banks of columns 34, 36, 38 and a movable bank of columns 142, each column containing a stack of articles, e.g. packages of cigarettes of a particular brand. A carrier 28 is reciprocable on rollers 68 running in tracks 66, cogs 70 on the rearmost rollers engaging racks 72, and it carries an article ejecting assembly 30 for each stationary bank. An article, ejecting assembly 32 for the movable bank is mounted on the stationary bank 34. Each ejecting assembly 30 or 32 has a solenoid coil 92, armature (94) and an ejector 96 movable with the armature for each column. When the coil is energized, the ejector 96 is raised from its standby to its article ejecting position in which a horizontal upper leg (102, Fig. 3) thereof enters a slot in the base of the column so that relative movement between the ejector and the column will push the lowermost article rearwardly out of the column. The ejected article gravitates down a shoot 108 to a front delivery station 110. Each assembly 30 or 32 has an elongated pivoted latch bar 112 yieldably biased by springs 118 to the left in Fig. 2. Each ejector 96 can be latched in its ejecting position by a latch member 122 of bar 112 engaging therebeneath (see Fig. 5). Latch bar 112 is released when a projecting end thereof engages a spring 128 mounted on a fixed bracket 130 or on the movable bank 142. Each bank has an elongated cancel bar 132 that is tilted by an article being ejected to actuate a switch 138 to reset the coin controlled mechanism. The movable bank 142 is pivotally mounted on fixed brackets 144 and is coupled to the carrier 28 by arms 146 pivotally connected to the bank and carrier respectively through bolts 152 and pins 150. Arms 146 are also pivotally mounted on fixed brackets 156 so that when carrier 28 moves to the left, Fig. 2, bank 142 is swung to the dotted position, and vice versa. Upon deposit of coins and the operation of a selector button one solenoid coil 92 is energized, and a motor (76, Fig. 1) drives carrier 28 and bank 142 through one cycle by means of an eccentric 80, a pivoted arm 82 and a pivoted bar 84 connected to the carrier. Carrier 28 moves to the left and back, and bank 142 swings to the right and back, and the lowermost article is ejected from the column by the selected raised ejector. Bank 142 may extend for only a portion of the width of bank 34.