GB929037A - Improvements in or relating to vending machines - Google Patents

Abstract

929,037. Coin-freed apparatus. W. HARTING, [trading as W. HARTING WERK FUR ELEKTROTECHNIK UND MECHANIK]. Nov. 1, 1961 [Oct. 4, 1961], No. 39049/61. Class 27. [Also in Group XXX] A vending machine has a displaceable slide 8 carrying a number of pushers 9 which can be selectively locked in a position to discharge an article 5 from one of several magazines 1 and yielding means are provided so that, if the selected pusher meets an article jammed in one of the magazines, the ejection force exerted by the pusher on the article does not increase or increases only slightly whereas a driving part of the pusher either continues to perform its operative movement until reaching an initial position of readiness for a new selection or interrupts its operative movement and returns to the initial position. As shown in Fig. 2, the slide 8 is displaceable by a motor-driven crank 21 and connecting rod 12 and the selected pusher 9 is made operative by a solenoid plunger 17. The pusher is in two parts 9<SP>1</SP>, 9<SP>11</SP>, both pivoted at 13 and interconnected by an over-centre spring 14; if a jammed article is encountered, the part 9<SP>11</SP> moves over centre to an inoperative position. In Fig. 3, the pusher 9 is in one piece and a block 26 engaging the crank-pin 21 is slidable within the connecting rod 20 to operate the rod through a tension or compression spring 27 which yields if undue resistance is met. In two similar embodiments, the -slide block is coupled to the connecting rod by a breakable magnetic coupling or the rod is in the form of two levers, each with a recess embracing the crankpin and held there by a spring on their free ends until a jammed article causes the levers to move apart and the crank-pin to move idly along between them. As shown in Fig. 5a, a lever 30 pivoted at 29 has a slot 30<SP>1</SP> in which the crank-pin 21<SP>1</SP> is guided and the lever is connected to a operating lever 31, also pivoted at 29 by an arm 33 having a roller 32 pressed into a recess 30<SP>111</SP> by a spring 34; if high resistance is encountered, the roller 32 moves out of the recess and rolls idly along the curved face 30<SP>11</SP> of the lever 30. In Fig. 6, a selection switch 53, holding switch 52 and thermal switch 51 are in circuit with the motor winding 10<SP>1</SP> and overload causes the switch 51 to stop the motor and allow return of the drive to initial position by means of a spring 50 stressed during the forward stroke ; to facilitate return, an over-run coupling may be provided in the drive. The drive of the motor may be reversed at the end of a forward stroke by a changeover switch operated by abutments on the slide or the thermal switch may operate a reversing switch or the motor may be stopped at the end of its forward stroke by opening of a switch whose closing is delayed until a spring has returned the drive to initial position. Fig. 8 shows a carriage 73 for the pusher 9 mounted on rollers 74 on the slide 72 and connected to a reversing switch 75 loaded by a strong spring. The slide is driven by the motor 70 through one or more pinions 71. Movement of the carriage relative to the slide changes over the switch 75 when undue resistance is encountered or when the carriage meets abutments 80, 81.