GB885733A - Apparatus for vending stamps, tickets and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

885,733. Coin-freed vending machines. ASSOCIATED AUTOMATION Ltd. June 19, 1959 [June 27, 1958], No. 20643/58. Class 27. A coin-freed machine for issuing stamps, strip tickets or the like comprises a frame 1, a rotatable delivery device for delivering stamps from a storage magazine, a coin-freed means for operating the delivery device, a horizontally-movable member 2 for actuating the coin-freed means, and a resilient connection between the member 2 and coin-freed means of sufficient strength to transmit the required operating force but insufficient strength to transmit a force in excess of such force. As shown in Fig. 5, the member 2 is a push-button having a shank 2B fixed to a tube 2C which has a pin-and-slot connection 2D, 6A with one end of the pivoted operating lever 6 of the coin-freed means, a spring- loaded plunger 2E, 2F provided in the tube being arranged to transmit the operating force to the lever but to absorb such force without effect on the lever should the mechanism be ineffective because, for example, no coin has been inserted, the magazine is empty or the mechanism has developed a fault. The lower end of the lever 6 is formed with a quadrant gear 6C meshing with gears 8A, 9A which mesh with gears 8B, 9B. The gear 8B, which is freely rotatable on a shaft 8 coupled to the stamp magazine, is formed with a cam having detents 8C arranged through a pawl 10A to drive a lever 10 connected to the shaft 8. A coin inserted in a slot 1B passes through a testing device 4 and shoot 4A to a rotary hopper 5 which when rotated by the gear 9B on initial movement of the push-button 2 causes the coin to abut a spring-loaded lever 5B and thereby withdraw an abutment 5D carried by the lever from the path of the coin hopper. Continued movement of the pushbutton causes the shaft 8 to be rotated by the device 10, 10A to deliver a stamp; the lever 10 is prevented from over-travel in one direction by a stop 11 attached to the quadrant gear 6C and' in the other direction by a oneway weight-controlled stop 12. A full-stroke pawl 14 is provided and a spring-loaded blocking pin prevents operation when an empty magazine is being removed. More than one coin may be necessary to operate the machine by providing additional coin slots, shoots and compartments in the coin hopper. Specification 616,524 is referred to.