US1141557A - Vending-machine. - Google Patents

Description

J. F. KRCMA.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21. 1911.

1,141,557. Patented June 1, 1915. i

4 SHEETSSHEET I- a W q N W" WI] 1! H I] I um-numrgug- I I 3 R Y Mum" IX d5 H W M". I

J. F. KRCMA.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. 1911. 1,141,557, Patented June 1, 1915.

' .4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

- .1. k 'lflm J. F. KRCMA.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIEATION FILED NOV. 21. 19H.

1,141,557. PatentedJune 1, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- THE NORRIS PETERS 60., FHO'RJ-LITHO, WASHINGTON. D. C.

J. F. KRCMA.

VENDING MACHINE I APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. 19H. I 1,141,557. Patented June 1, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. FHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON. D. C

I JOHN F. KBCMA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Application filed November 27, 1911. Serial No. 662,673.

To all whom it may concern V Be it known that I, JOHN F. KRcMA, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numbersof reference marked thereon, which form a part. of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in coin operated vending machines, of that class in which the operating or discharging mechanism is normally locked from movement, and in which the payment coin acts to release the same to operative position.

. Vending machines as heretofore constructed, have usually consisted of many parts, so connected and combined as to render it difficult to keep the machine in order, and the frequent failures of such machines to operate tends to greatly lessen the patronage of the public and the consequent revenue to be derived from such machines.

The object of this invention is to afford an exceedingly simple construction adapted to operate very positively, and so constructed as to prevent efi'ectually the discharge of more than one-of the articles or packages sold. 7

The invention also has for its object an ejecting means whereby the vended article is. mechanically and positively discharged from the machine, simultaneously positioning another of said articles preparatory to discharge. 7

It is also an object of the invention to afford an improved locking mechanism,

whereby operation of the machine. cannot be effected except through cotiperation with a coin of the proper denomination.

It is a further object of the invention to afiord a construction in which unauthorized interference with the machine is prevented, and in which a plurality of compartments for the articles to-be dispensed are provided, from which said articles are dispensed successively.

It is, of course, an object of the invention to greatly simplify, strengthen and increase durability and reliability of the machine.

A preferred form of the invention is hereinafter more fully described.

mentary section taken on line 10-10 In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken through the case only on line 22 of Fig. 1, and showing the mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a section taken through the case on line 33 of Fig. 2, and showing the mechanism in rear elevation. Fig. 4 is a central section on line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the front plate, and a face view of the coin operated mechanism attached thereto. Fig. 8 is an enlarged rear elevation thereof. Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail illustrating the release of the locking mechanism by the coin. Fig. 10 is a fragof Fig. 3, with parts omitted.

As shown in the drawings: The mechanism is contained within a case constructed of any suitable material and comprising a bottom 1,'a top 2, side Walls 3, and a removable front plate 4, the latter of which is conveniently of cast or stamped metal and is provided in its upper part with an en larged opening. therethrough, in which is set, a glass plate 5, permitting a View of the interior commodity compartments to be plainly seen by the would-be purchaser. Mounted upon the base or bottom of the case is a suitable base frame 6, having legs 7 and 8, afi'ording'a support and engagement therefor in the bottom of the case. Journaled transversely the machine on the end members of said frame, is a cam shaft 9, having as many throws thereon as there are vertical compartments for the commodities to be dispensed (in the construction shown in the drawings, there are four). Said frame, as shown, affords at its top a succession of slide recesses extending from front to rear thereof,and slidably engaged in each is a flat cam plate 10, the rear end of which is provided with an enlarged head 11, which is inserted through a suitable slot in a levered striking plate 12, secured integrally to the upper end of which is a rearwardly directed plate 13. The lower end of the levered striking plate extends through suitable slots in said frame shown in Fig. 6, and said levered striking plates extend upwardly through an upper frame or table 14, supported on, and secured to the frame 6, and provided with rear- 3;

wardly-openi'ng slots, one for-the headhof each of said levered striking plates, as shown 7 in Fig. 5.

As shown, a shoulder 14* is provided at the upper end on each levered striking plate,

and at each side thereof, which slides on said table at each side the slot to hold said plate in operative positiom'and a strong pulling spring 15, is secured at the end. of theplate 13, and extends forwardly through a slot or opening in the levered striking plate 12, and is engaged to said table 14, toeXert tension at all times thereon, acting to draw the same forwardly when released.

Each of the sliding cam plates isprovided with an upstanding finger 16, thereon, and thethrows or projections on said shaft for V actuating the levered striking plate rearwardly are arranged to successively engage said fingers in actuating the machine, that is to say, there beingfour compartments and four levered striking plates for the machine to be actuated, the four throws =or projections a, a, a and a on the shaft are arrangedat ninety degrees apart thereon.

"Rigidly secured at its rear end .on the tableor frame before described, is an upright casing affording four vertical compartments, the front wall of which is afforded by the glass inthe :front-wall of the .machine, and the bottom of which is afforded by the plates 13, integrally connected with;the lev'ered striking plates, as shown in Fig. 4, or by thetable when the same are retracted, and, as shown, relatively weak springdetents .17, are provided in front of 'each of said compartments and act to prevent ejection :of the article to be vended therefrom until positively impelled. by the striking plate as the mac ineis actuated Secured onone'end of the shaft 9 is a ratchet wheel .18, having four teeth or ratchets thereon arranged ninety degrees apart, or to correspond with the number of throws on said shaft (whatsoever the numberl) and the numberof compartments for the articles to bevended. Said teeth are directed rearwardly.

Y -Pivot ally engaged on said frame 6, as

shown 1n Figs. .2 and 6, is a pawl 19, having a notched or ratcheted head adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 18,.t'o hold the same from movement after each actuation thereof. 'As shown, a pulling sprin'g'20, is secured to said detent and to a suitable part of the frame and acts to hold said pawlat all times in engagement with theratchet wheel. a

Said'front plate .4, at a point sufficiently above the table to permit the ready discharge of the articles to be vended, extends outwardly and downwardly, as indicated at 21, and is cut: awayat the bottom to permit the articles vended, to .be withdrawn from beneath the same, and secured to and-extending upwardly substantiallyin the plane plate,*is a plate 22, which extendsto'a sufficient-height to prevent unauthorized interference or manipulation with the'mechanism of' the machine by the insertion of any instrument upwardly into the machine. Said front plate is provided near the side thereof, corresponding with the position of said ratchet wheel 18, withv a coin; slot 23, and, as shown, with an elongated slot below the same through which protrudes. the lever 24, for actuating the machine. Slidably supported on the inner face of saidfront plate 4, is a slide bar 25', with whichthe lever 24,

is rigidly connected and which is provided on its inner side with ratchet-teeth 26, adapted to; be engagedby a pawl 27, pivotally supported on said frame and controlled :by a spring 28, atall timesto hold said pawl in position to engage-said ratchet bar at any position in the movement of the slide bar, whether upwardly or downwardly, less than of the upper portion' of the'front 1 frame the full limit of travel thereof. Integrally' secured on said slidebar onthe outer and inner s1de thereof respectively, are outstanding lugsi30 and 31. Pivotally engaged. near its upper end at 32 on the innerside of the lug 30, is a lever 32, flanged inwardly to aflord apart of the coin chuteyand at its lower or free -end1provided with an -:out-

wardly directed finger or detent 33, adapted to engage in the teeth or ratohets 34 and 35, on the inner side of the front plate,'and a pulling spring 36,.is engaged at thelower end of said lever 32,.and at itsupperendzis engaged on saidlug 30, and acts to hold the said leveredchute section normally elevated withthe detent;33, thereon'in position toengage the ratchet tooth or shoulder 35, should an attempt be made to actuatethe slide bar 7 without the insertion of a coin. As shown,

Any

ing rearwardlydirected parallel side walls V or plates 39and40, of brass or other non magnetic .metal, spaced a distance apart to permit a coin inserted in the coin slot, to fall downwardly therebetweengand into the channel :aflorded between the frontplate and the movable or levere'dqcoin fchut'e section V 32. As shown, a small permanent magnet 41, is secured in anin'clined position, as;

shown in Figs. 2 and 7, in position to be a push rodor pivoted lever 42, which extends into position to engage the successive ratchet teeth therebeneath to rotate said ratchet wheel and consequently the cam shaft, with each full actuation of the slide bar 25. 7

As shown, a strong pulling spring 43, is

.engaged at the upper end thereof and to any convenient point on the front plate or one of the walls, for example 39, of the station ary coin chute, and acts by its tension to hold said push bar at all times in position to engage the ratchet teeth beneath the same, but permits the same to swing sufficiently with the rotation of said ratchet wheel to insure full actuation or rotation for ninety degrees of the cam shaft.

The inner face of the front plate 4 opposite the fiange 37 or lever 32 is recessed angularly at 45 in such manner that the vertical face of said recess lies substantially parallel with the face of said flange 37, so that upon the introduction of a coin or token of the proper size therebetween and a downward movement of the slide bar 25 carrying said lever 32, said coin will roll on said angular wall of recess 45, and thus will force out said lever 32 on its pivot 32, for a purpose hereinafter to be described. By reference to Fig. 9 it will be observed that the lower projecting end of said recess 45 normally forms a stop for the coin 38 so that the latter will be retained until it is rolled past said end by the downward movement of the slide bar 25.

The operation is as follows: The magazines or vertical compartments are filled with the commodities to be vended, for example, matches in boxes or other suitable receptacles or containers, which are stacked one upon another to fill the respective compartments and resting upon the table or upon the plates 13, integrally secured at the top of each of the levered striking plates 12. If now a coin be inserted in the coin slot, it falls therefrom past the magnet, which is positioned to engage any slug of magnetic material and divert the same from the chute. The coin, however, falls from the stationary chute into the levered chute section and into a pocket formed by the flange 37 on the lever and the recess 45 on the frame or front plate, as shown in Fig. 9, and with the first preliminary downward movement of the lever 24, for actuating the machine, the coin rolls downwardly on the inclined wall of said pocket, and if the coin be of the proper denomination forces inwardly the lever 32 and with it the detent 33, on the end thereof sufliciently to permit the same to pass the tooth 35, thereby permitting free downward movement of the slide bar to the full limit of its travel. The coin now falls from the chute and into any suitable receptacle therefor and at about the moment that the coin is discharged, the push bar 42, which engaged the forward upper tooth on the ratchet wheel at the beginning of the downward movement of the slide bar, completes the rotation of the ratchet wheel for ninety degrees or sufficient to release the previously retracted levered striking plate by the rotation of the cam shaft, and permitting said striking plate to be projected violently forward under the impulse of its spring, thus striking the package, box or receptacle of the article to be vended, from the table and into the discharge space in front of the machine, from which it may be removed by the purchaser. Of course, the rotation of the ratchet wheel and consequent rotation of the cam shaft, retracts a succeeding striking plate preparatory to the next delivery of an article from the machine with the delivery of the next coin thereinto, and in this manner the articles are delivered successively from the various receptacles therefor until the entire contents of the machine have been discharged as purchased. Should the purchaser attempt to secure more than one article for a single coin, the machine immediately looks with the slightest reverse movement of the slide bar, the detent or pawl 27, engaging the ratchet tooth on the slide bar and acting to prevent the return movement thereof until the completion of the full travel and consequent release of one striking plate. Should a coin of smaller size or a slug be inserted, even though but very slightly smaller than the required coin, the machine locks by engagement of the finger 33, against the tooth 35, the coin or slug dropping to the bottom of the box when the actuating lever is released.

Of course, numerous details and modifications in the construction and operation may be varied, but I have shown and described but one (and that the preferred) form of my construction, and I therefore do not purpose limiting myself otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention 1.jIn a device of the class described, a frame recessed angularly, a slidable bar thereon, a lever pivoted on said bar and adapted, together with said frame, to form a coin slot, said recess acting normally to check the passage of a coin, means for actuating said sliding bar causing the coin to roll in said angular recess and thrust said pivoted lever outwardly to permit passage of the coin, and means on said lever adapted to-engage said "frame to preventactuation of said sliding bar without the coaction of a proper coin.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame recessed angularly, a "slidable bar thereon, a lever pivoted on said bar and adapted, together with said frame, to form a coin slot, said recess acting normally to check the passage of a coin, .a flange on said lever forming a part of said slot, means for actuating said sliding bar causing the coin to roll in said angular recess and thrust said pivoted lever outwardly to permit passage'of the coin, a spring to hold said levernormally toward said frame, and a tooth on said lever adapted to engage a notch in said frame to prevent actuation of said sliding bar Without the coaction of a proper coin.

8. In a device of the class described, an angularly recessed frame, a slidable bar action of a proper coin.

subscribing Witnesses.

thereon, a lever pivoted on saidbar adapted a coin in said slot, means for actuating said sliding bar causing the coin to roll'in said recess and thrust said pivoted lever out- 1 wardly to permit passage of the coin,and a l tooth on saidflanged lever adapted to engage a notch in said frame to prevent actuation ofv said sliding bar without the co- In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two JOHN F. KRCMA.

Witnesses: 1

' LAWRENCE 'REIBsTEIN,

CHAR ES W. HILLS, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,-by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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