US1344769A - Coin-controlled mechanism - Google Patents

Description

W. MILLARD.

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 191?.

1,344,769. Patented June 29, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2, 1917- 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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Patented June 29,

3 SHEETSSHEE W. MILLARD.

COIN CONTR D MECHANISM.

'APPLICATION JUNE 12. 1917.

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UNITED STATES WILLIAM mm, or NEW YORK, 11. Y.

, ASSIGNOR TO MILLARDS GUM VENDING CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILLARD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at the boron h of Manhattan, city, county, and State of ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in coin-controlled mechanism and particularly to improvements in that type of coin-controlled mechanism in which the coin performs the functions of a connecting element between the power or driving shaft and the feed-shaft commonly found in coincontrolled vending-machines; and an object of this invention is to provide a coin-controlled mechanism of the character just referred to which will prove simple in construction, comparatively cheap in manufacture and efiicient and susceptible of ready repair in operation and use.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a coin-controlled vending-machine embodying this invention in its construction; Fig. 2 is a like view in which the front casing-plate has been removed in order to illustrate the interior mechanism; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 3-3, 4-1 and 55, respectively, of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail illustrating the power shaft;Fig. 7 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow A of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an end view of the feedsha'ft; Fig. 9. is a front'elevation, and Fig. 10 is an end elevation, of a modified form of feed-shaft; Fig. 11 is a sectionlon the line 11-11 of Fig. 9; Fig.12 is a front elevation of a second modified formof feedshaft; and Fig. "13 is a section on the line The casing a isof theusual formcomand'is closed by a front casing-'plate 'or] cover-plate; the lower edge of which is formed with a pair of downwardly-projecting studs thatjfit int'o holes or sockets I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J une 29 1920 Application filed June 12,

1917. Serial No. 17 L179.

er-plate 1) consists of a window 6' through which the packaged goods 7 may be viewed. Below the window 6 the cover-plate b is formed with a guard-fiange or shield b that curves downwardly and outwardly and shields from view the discharge opening I)" through which fall the goods 7, when the machine is operated (Figs. 3 and 4.). The goods f are arranged vertically in columns separated by the partition-walls 9 that project forwardly from the back-plate g. The cover-plate b is formed with a coin-slot k that admits the coin h to a downwardlyinclined coin-chute h (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) formed in the side j of the casing 72.

The operating or driving-shaft 2' extends from side to side of the casing b at about the height of the discharge-opening b and its ends are journaled in the sides 9', j of the casing 71. This driving-shaft or powershaft 2' is a rock-shaft and, in the form herein shown, is provided at one end with a wheel is the cylindrical face 70' of which is milled to enable it to be grasped firmly by the operator, in order that he ma turn the operating-shaft i with ease; but desire it tobe understood that I do not intend to limit this invention to a manually-operated driving-shaft 2'. projects inwardly, through a semi-circular slot j formed in the side 7' of the casing b, a curved flange m that extends through an arc of about ninety degrees (Figs. 5, 6 and 7). The swing, back and forth, of the opcrating-shaft i is determined by the limits 'of travel of the arcuate flange m in the From the wheel is, there .is about ninety degrees.

The feed-shaft k is loosely mounted on 1 v, the power-shafti and is formed with four mon in coin-controlled vending-machines collars or feed-rolls n upo'n each of which rests a column of the packaged goods 7 and 1 plane bottoms n". Against one end of the feed-shaft is presses the free upper end of a leaf-spring 0 the base of which is fastened to the side-wall y" of the casing Z) (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) and, from the other end 70* of the feed shaft 70'', there project lengthwise of the same, and toward the opposite side-wall j, four lugs or fingers p which are spaced equidistantly around the feedshaft is and a pair of which lie, in the working position of the latter, directly below the lower end of the coin-chute h" (Figs. 2, 5 and 8).

The operation of the coin-controlled mechanism may be briefly described, as follows: A coin it allowed to drop through the coin-slot h and coin-chute h falls between a pair of the coin-lugs or coin-fingers 29 between which the coin hfits somewhat snugly with its lower half resting on'the operating shaft 2' (Fig. 5). If themilled wheel k be now turned in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5, the arcuate flange m is brought into engagement with the coin h and continued turning of the wheel 70 in the same direction results in the simultaneous turning of the feed-shaft 7a". The turning of the latter turns with it the feed-rolls n; and that feed-roll in the recess 12 of which there has fallen one of the packages 7 will discharge the package (Fig. 3) and another of the feed-rolls n will be brought into position to receive-a package 7, which will be discharged when the machine is next oper ated.

By merely varying the form of the feeding collars, the machine may be adapted to vend commodities of difi'erent kinds. Thus, in Figs. 12 and 13, the feeding collar 1' is rectangular in shape and, in each of its faces, except the two end faces, there is formed a hemispherical recess 7' shaped to receive a gum-ball or like round article. In the form illustrated in Figs. 9 to 11, inclusive, the discharging shaft is" is formed with wings or vanes s and is adapted to feed peanuts or the like.

As will be readily understood by all skilled in the art, it is utterly immaterial to the invention described hereinbefore whether the operating shaft i be rocked intermittently by hand or continuously by mechanical power.

I am aware of the United States Patent, No. 924928, granted Henry Pein on the 15th June, 1909. But, in the mechanism hereinbefore described, the arcuate slot j" permits the purchaser to look inside the ma chine and, should the flange m have been left by the previous user thereof at the end of its forward travel, even a purchaser of immature age, such as a young child, will quickly learn to throw the feed-shaft back andallow the coin to fall into place for engagement by the flange m. Peins spring 23 may therefore be dis ensed with. By mounting the feed-shaft on the operating-shaft z, the two shafts are automatically maintained in alinement with each other and the proper operation of the machine is insured.

I claim:

1. In a coin controlledmechanism, a casing, an operating shaft extending through the casing, said casing having a curved slot partly surrounding the shaft, a wheel secured to one end of the operating shaft and having an arcuate flange extending inwardly through the curved slot to project into-the casing, a tubular feed-shaft loosely mounted upon the operating shaft and provided with article feeding members. an extension secured to one end of the tubular feed-shaft and provided with spaced lugs which slidably contact with the casing, a coin chute carried by the casing to deliver a coin between the lugs, the coin held between the lugs being arranged in the path of travel of said flange, and a spring slidably engaging one feed member of the tubular feed shaft and serving to shift the same longitudinally toward the exposed end of the operating shaft.

2. A coin-controlled mechanism of the type wherein there are provided a casing; a feed-shaft and an operating-shaft mounted therein and normally free to be rotated independently of each other, said operatingshaft being accessible to the purchaser; coinintercepting means mounted on said feedshaft; a coin-chute for guiding the coin to said means; and an interlocking device mounted on said operating shaft and arranged to engage the coin held b said means and thereby to interlock the s afts; characterized in that the casing is formed with an arcuate slot through which the purchaser may see the coin held by said means and within which said interlocking device travels and the ends of which limit the travel of the latter and the throw of the shaft upon which the same is mounted.

3. A coin-controlled mechanism of the type wherein there are provided a casing; a feed-shaft and an operating-shaft mounted therein and normally free to be rotated independently of each other said operating-shaft being accessible to the purchaser; coin-intercepting means mounted on said feed-shaft; a coin-chute for guiding the coin to said means; and an interlocking device mounted on said operating shaft and arranged to engage the coin held by said means and thereby to interlock the shafts; the easing being formed with an arcuate slot through which the purchaser may see the coin held by said means and within which said interlocking device travels and the ends of which limit the travel of the latter and the city, county and State of New York this throw of the shaft upon which the same eleventh day of June, 1917, in the presence is mounted; characterized in that the feedof the two undersigned witnesses. shaft is hollow and is loosel mounted on WILLIAM MILLARD. 5 and automatically kept in a inement with Witnesses:

the operating-shaft. GEORGE E. BROWN,

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, JAMES HAMILTON.

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