GB720379A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus having means for guiding or conveying articles therethrough - Google Patents

Abstract

720,379. Sales and sale service. SCHOFIELD, C. S., and CHURCHILL, H. W. S. Dec. 19, 1952, [Dec. 20, 1951], No. 29935/51. Class 116. In an article dispensing machine the article moving means comprises an angularly movable operating member adapted to co-operate with a replacement article inserted through an inlet opening in the top part of the chamber so that in the absence of such an article no movement can be imparted by the operating member to the articles and thus no article is delivered through the outlet opening. As shown in Fig. 1, a container with insulated walls and lid houses a number of bottles 10 the necks of which are supported by members 8 in a rotatable cage 4 and the bases are supported by members 16 enclosed by bands 17 so that the bottles form an helical path leading to a ramp 11 providing a channel down which the bottles pass in a helical path to the delivery outlet when a sector 24 is operated. The triangular sector 24 has a dependent member 26 for contacting a bottle and a handle 25 for rotating the sector and the cage to deliver a bottle. The handle is then returned to the initial position and a further bottle inserted through a hole in the lid having the bottle shape before the apparatus can be used to deliver another bottle, alternatively the sector may also be provided with a hole having the bottle shape. The bottle when leaving the ramp strikes a member to pivot a flap which normally closes the exit. The member 26 has a pivoted pawl 30 which is rotated by a member during the releasing movement of the sector into the path of a stop 32 to prevent further rotation of the cage. A cooling unit 33 is provided at the centre of the cage or the refrigerant may be in a compartment covering the whole of the floor. Adjustable vertical sectors may be placed between the bottles. Two or more hinged flaps may be provided at the inlet or outlet to provide air traps. There may be one or more cold chambers or a prechilling and storage chamber: there may be combined cages or cold chambers. The delivered bottle need not be removed at once but retained in a delivery tray holding several bottles and having a central ridge.