GB1328507A - Coin-operated vending machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1328507 Coin-freed vending apparatus GKN SANKEY Ltd 4 Dec 1970 [10 Dec 1969] 60205/69 Heading G4U A coin-freed vending machine includes coin responsive pulse generating means associated with each denomination of coin the machine accepts, a plurality of commodity selection elements, a multi-stage counter for totalizing the value of coinage inserted, subtracting the value of the commodity selected and recording the residual value, price setting means connected to the totalizer, and coin payout means operable to dispense change equal in value to said residual value. Totalizer.-The totalizing counter 10 has four binary stages, eight inputs 40 connected to appropriate stages of the counter, numerical outputs 60 which are all connected to each price setting element 17, 18, 19 and binary outputs 50 which serve to register the residual value for the purpose of change giving. The machine accepts coins of value 1, 2, 5 and 10 which operate switches 13 to 16 respectively, switches 13 to 15 being connected to the input line 40 of corresponding value and the "10" switch 16 being connected to the "2" input and through time delay device 12 to the "8" input, allowing a maximum count of "7" to be registered before a pulse is applied to the fourth stage of the counter. The total count is represented on lines 60 by signals on lines "1" to "7" and/or "8" i.e. signals on lines "5" and "8" indicates a total of 13. The counter is reversible being converted to the subtraction mode by a pulse from MEMORY device 11. Price setting.-Each of the price setting units 17 and 27, 18 and 28, 19 and 29 comprises four banks 51 to 54, of sixteen electrical contacts corresponding to values "0" to "15", arranged in tiers, Fig. 2. Each bank has an associated contactor 55 to 58 respectively, the contactors being mounted for rotation on a common axis and rotatably fast with each other. The angular position of the contactors with respect to the contacts determines the vending price of the associated commodity. Wiper 65 may connect line 64 to one of input lines "1" to "7" through projections 61 or 62 and wiper 66 may connect line 64 to the "8" input through contactor 56. Contactor 57, consisting of two separate mutually insulated portions 67 and 68 selectively connects one or more outputs 60, through wiper 69 to one input of NAND gate 81. Contactor 58 may connect output line "8" through wiper 73 to the other input of NAND gate 81. The price setting unit 17 and 27 is set, as shown, to vend commodities of value 5. Vending arrangement.-When sufficient coinage, in this example a coin of value 10, is inserted signals appear on lines 71 and 74, therefore no signal is passsed from NAND gate 81 to crosscoupled NAND gates 82, 83. The absence of an input from NAND gate 81 causes an output which is amplified and passed to a command relay 87 permitting operation of commodity selection switches 22, 23, Fig. 1. The output is also passed via line 85 to one input of AND gate 20, the other inputs being associated with the other price setting units. AND gate 20 gives an output when sufficient coinage has been inserted to purchase the commodity of highest value and the output is passed to a coin insertion block mechanism 21. All the commodity switches 22 to 26 are connected to OR gate 30 and when one is operated, the selected commodity is dispensed, and OR gate 30 passes a signal to MEMORY device 11 which converts the counter to the subtraction mode and also passes a signal to coin rejection block 31 and escrow mechanism 32. The closing of a switch 22, 23 pasess a pulse via line 64 and wiper 65 to the "5" input of the counter. Change-giving.-The 2‹ binary output is connected directly to one input of AND gate 34, the other input of which is connected through payout delay device 33 to the MEMORY device 11. The output of AND gate 34 initiates a change mechanism 37 through a line delay monostable device 36 to dispense a coin of value 1. The other binary outputs are connected as inputs to OR gate 48 the output of which is connected to AND gate 35, the other input of which is also connected to payout delay device 33. The output of AND gate 35 is connected through gated oscillator 38 to change mechanism 39, which dispenses a coin of value 2, the oscillator also passing a pulse to the "2" input of the counter, which is still in the subtraction mode. In this way change of 5, for example, is paid out with two coins of value 2 and one coin of value 1. After a sufficient length of time to permit the proper functioning of the dispensing and change payout means a RESET pulse is applied to the MEMORY device 11, counter 10, and cross-coupled NAND gates 82, 83 to return the apparatus to its normal state.