US1347683A - Slot vending-machine - Google Patents

Description

S. CLAPERS.

SLOT VENDING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED MAYZZ, 19I9. v 1, 347,683. Patented July 27, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Jaw W azm s. CLA'PERS.

SLOT VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZZ, 1919.

1,347, 683 Patented July 27, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. Y'\

S. CLAPERS.

SLOT VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZZ I9|9 I 1,347,683. ate t d uly 27, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q/MW g W UNITED STATES SALVADOR CLAPERS, or BALTIMSREQMARYLANDH I sLoT VENDING-MACHINE.

' Specification of Letters Patent." Patntea July 2!? 192() Application filed May 22, 1919. Serial No. 298,951.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, SALVADOR CLArnRs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Slot Vending-Machines, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to coin-controlled vending machines, and more particularly a machine which delivers an article the price of which is less than the coin whichis required to operate the machine, and which automatically throws out with the article the correct change. Thus, if the price of the article is, say, nine cents, and a ten-cent piece is required to operate the 'IIlftClllIlB, then one cent will be thrown out with the article delivered. It will be understood of course, that the machine is not limited to these particular coin values and the parts may be arranged for various other com values.

The invention has for its object to provide a novel and improved machineof the kind stated, which is perfectly reliable in operation, and to this end,.-the-1nvent1on consists in a combination and arrangement ofparts to. be hereinafter described and claimed.

Inorder that the invention may be better understood, reference is had to. the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of certain parts of the mechanism viewed from the side opposite to that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isra horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; r

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevation showing a coin rest orsupport, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the parts in another position, with some of the parts appearing in Fig. 4 left off.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 denotes a cabinet in which the coin-controlled delivery mechanism is housed. The cabinet also contains a shelf 11' on which rests the supply of merchandise or articles 12 to be delivered, the same being arranged in a'stackf' or pile in an upright magazine 13 rising from the shelf. There is an open ing between the bottom of the magazine and the shelfto permit the articles to be ejected, this being done by a slidable pusher 14 working on top of the shelf and adapted to be carried forwardly against the package or article at the bottom of the stack to slide the samerearwardly from beneath the latter, whereupon it drops on an incline 15 in the cabinet, beneath the shelf, and leading to a delivery opening in-the front wall of the cabinet, and slides down the incline to said opening.

The cabinet 10 also incloses an upright magazine 16 containing a supply 17 of coins of a certain denomination. This magazine rises from a shelf 18, and at the rear of the shelf and the bottom of the magazine is a coin discharge opening 19 normally closed by a hinged gate 20. The coins are ejected singly from the magazine by a slidable pusher 21 operating on the shelf 18 and adapted, when advanced, to push the coin at the bottom of the stack through the open- 2 which work pins 23 extending from the sides of the pusher. Across the guide plates, above the pusher, extends a plate 24 which supports a frame carrying a spring motor, said frame being of suitable design to support the motor and its associate parts. The frame includes three laterally spaced upright plates 25, 26 and 27, respectively.

Between the frame plates 25 and 26 is located aspiral spring 28 made fast at its inner end to a shaft 29 journalcd in said plates and in the plate27, and anchored at its outer end to a cross pin 30 carried'by the plates 25 and 26. On the shaft 29 is loosely mounted a spur gear 31 adapted-to receive motion from the shaft in one direction through a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism, a ratchet wheel 32 being fast on the shaft and having its} teeth engageable by a pivoted, spring-pressed pawl 33 mounted on one side of the gear.

' The gear 31 is connected by a train of 7 gears to a shaft 34 journaled the plates at 26 and 27, and having a ratchet wheel, 35. which is engageable by a pivoted detent'36,

pin 52 on the former.

the latter extending from a rock shaft journaled in the plates 26 and 27. From the rock shaft extends an actuating arm 38 the swing of which in a direction to disengage the detent being limited by a stop 39.

, On the shaft 29, outside the plate 25, is

made fast an angle lever the two arms or tened vto one side of the slidable article pusher 14 by one of the pins23. This abutment extends outward far enough to come behind a post 43 rising from the'top of the pusher 2 1, to actuate the latter, upon striking the post; The pusher 21 is retracted by a spring 44 anchoredat one end-to the post 43 and at the other end to a post 45 rising from the shelf 18. A stop pin 46 rising from the shelf 18 limits the rerward or return movement of the pusher 21, A. spring 47 is also connected to the pusher 14 for retracting the same, and this movement of the pusher is limited by the pins and slots 22.

Above the mechanism hereinbefore described is a shelf 48 which extends from the front wall of the cabinet 10 and supports a slide bar 49 for carrying into the machine the coin by which it is controlled, said bar having an aperture 50 of the samediameter, as the coin by which the machine is designed to be controlled. WVhen the slide bar is extended in its normal coin-receiving position, the aperture 50 is in line with an aperture 51 in the shelf 48 and of smaller diameter, so that a coin or a check smaller than the proper coin will drop through and thus pre vent the machine from being fraudulently operated. Complete withdrawal of the slide bar from the cabinet is prevented by a stop Inside the cabinet 10, the shelf 48 has a coin aperture 53 through which the coin is adapted to drop, and beneath the shelf, in line with the aperture is a coin chute 54 leading to a receptacle 55. .In the rear wall 54F of this chute is an aperture 56 through which is adapted to be projected a pusher finger 57 pivotally carried by a shaft 58 supported by the plate 26 and the side walls of the cabinet. A spring 59 connected to the finger 57 tends to swing the same in 1 the direction of the aperture 56.

In the chute 54, in front of the aperture 56, is mounted agate 60 the same being pivoted at the top, as shown at 61, to the side walls of the chute. This gate normally extends with a downward inclination across the chute, its lower free edge resting on spaced flanges or ribs 62 on the rear wall 54*, said ribs being located on opposite sides of the aperture 56, and being spaced apart 7 ing 56, the gate 60 has an aperture 63 which is in line with the finger 57.

The gate '60 has an arm 64 extending lat-' erally from one of its side edges and the outer end of this arm has a bend 65 which is positioned to engage the arm 38 for tripping v the detent 36. A spring 66 connectedto the arm-"64 tends-to swing the gate in the dire-etion of the chute wall 54% 5 l V 7 On the end of the gate 60 oppositethe end from which the arm 64 extends is an outstanding finger 67 which is-in the pathof the lever arm 41, the outerend of'the latter being cam-shaped, as shown'at 68 so that V whenit engages the pin it forces the same in a direction to swing the gate away from the opening 56.

On the shaft 29 is alsofixed an arm 69 plate 7 2 carried by the shelf 48, lifts the dog and trips it out'of engagement with the rear edge of the slide bar 49 for a purpose to be presently described; 1 r g The operation of the machine may be summarized as follows: i T

In the normal 'positionof the parts, the slide bar 49 is projecting from the cabinet so that a coin may be placed in the aperture 50. The gate 60 is extending across the coin chute 54 with its free end resting on the ribs 62, and the finger 57 is extending through the aperture 56 and also through the gate aperture 63 as shown in Fig. 4. Upon pushing the slide bar'49 inward, the coin in the aperture '50 is carried into the cabinet and when it comes over the aperture 53 it drops through the same into the chute and against the gate 60, and its progress: down the chute, is stopped. The coin is now seating over the-aperture 56' and between the ribs 62 which latter are spaced to admit the coin' therebetween. As shown in Fig. 5, the space between the ribs narrows downwardly to such an extent that the coin cannot slide further when the finger 57 is retracted and it is then held between the ribs and by resting against the gate: On its inward movement, the rear end of the slide bar 49 pushes against the finger 57 and retracts it against the tension of the spring 59, leaving the coin over the opening and supported solely by the ribs 62 and the gate 60. This movementof the finger 5-7 is simultaneous withthe drop of the coin to the gate 60. Shortly after the finger 57 swings back as described, therear end of the slide engages the dog andthrough the arm 69 turns the shaft 29 in a directionv to wind the spring 28. The slide bar 49 is now released, whereupon the finger 57 is swung forwardly by the spring 59 through the opening 56, and upon striking the coinrover the latter it presses the coin againstthe gate 60 causing the latter to swing back. This movement of the gate carries thebend 65 in a direction to disengage the arm 38 and release the detent 36. The train of gears being now released, the shaft 29 is freed to be rotated by the spring 28, and the lever arm 40 swings in a direction to engage the abutment 42 and advance the pushers l4 and 21 to eject the lowermost article from the stack 12 and a coin from the magazine 16. More than one coin may be ejected by increasing the thickness of the pusher 21 to correspond to the combined thickness of the number of coins to be ejected simultaneously.- When the shaft 29 is turning to effect the ejecting operation, the arm 69 swings forward, and the dog 70 is tripped off the rear edge of the slide bar 49 by the pin 71 riding up the incline 72. This is for the purpose of preventing the slide bar from being thrown forwardly with such force as to injure the operator. When the lever arm 40 swings to operate the article pushers, the lever arm 41 swings forwardly and its cam edge 64 engages the finger 67 to'hold the gate 60 open, and when the slide bar 49 is again pushed in for another operation, the lever arm leaves the finger and allows the gate to be pulled back to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 by the spring 66.

The spring 28 is rewound after each delivery stroke, and hence after being in itially wound, it remains under sufiicient tension to operate the article pushers. After the gate 60 is forced back by the advancing finger 5'7 pushing the coin thereagainst, the latter is pushed into the chute and drops down .the same into the box 55.

The pushers 14 and 21 are normally advanced, and they are retracted into position for ejecting the article and the coin, by the springs 47 and 44 when the slide bar 49 is pushed inwardly, the lever arm 40 then swinging back through the movement imparted by the dog 70 and arm 69 to the shaft 29 in a direction to wind the spring 28 as hereinbefore described.

In order that the number of coins to be ejected from the magazine 16 may be varied, the side walls of the latter are carried a short distance below the shelf, and have their inner faces provided with guide grooves 16 in which is adapted to be supported a plate 20 having slots 20. This plate forms abottom for the magazine and the stack of coins rests thereon. When the plate is positioned as shown in Fig. 1, its top is flush with the bottom of the pusher 21, and hence if the thickness of the latter corresponds to actuated it ejects the two coins with which it comes directly into contact, and also the coin or coins below thesame. The pusher has depending pins 21 *.to engage the aforementioned coin or coins below the same, and these pins work inrthe slots 20, of the plate 2W. The gate20 is behind the plate 20*, and swings open as hereinbefore described to allow the coins to pass. r

1 claim: I

1. In. a coin-controlled vending machine, an article ejector, ejector operating means, a detent for locking the ejector operating means, a coin-chut'e, means for delivering a coin into the chute,'a pivoted member in the chute and having an opening, means carried by said member for operating the detent to release. the ejector operating means, means in the chute for supporting a coin over the opening in the pivoted member,.and means controlled by the aforesaid. coin-delivery means for pushing the coin against the pivoted member for swinging the same to operate the detent.

2. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article ejector, ejector operating means, a detent for locking the ejector operating means, a coin-chute having an opening in its wall, means for delivering a coin into the chute, a pivoted member in the chute opposite the opening in the wall thereof, said member also having an opening and normally extending across the chute to act as a barrier for the coin, means carried by said member for operating the detent, and means controlled by the aforesaid coin-delivery means for pushing the coin against the pivoted member for swinging the same to operate the detent. V

3. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article ejector, a spring motor, .a shaft operated by said motor, lever arms extending from the shaft, one of said arms operating the ejector and the other arm being adapted to turn the motor shaft in a direction to wind the motor spring, a detent for locking the motor, coin-controlled means for opcrating the detent to release the motor, and

locking: the motor, ooin-eontrolled means for operatingithedetent to-release the motor, a eiitie; bdliifOB delivering 21,100111111130 the ma 'chine, andia pivoteddogcarried by theiaioresaid spring avlndang arm; and engageable by the slide bar:fon-aetuating saiderm to Wind thezsprlng. I

In. a :couroontrolled: Vending: machine,

an. article; ej ector, 1a spring motor, a shaft lee in the motor, coin-controlled means for operating the detenteto release themotor, a slide bar for'delivering a coin into the machine; a pivoted dog carried by the afore- Said spring-Winding arm 'and engegeable hythe slide billffOIEiICtlliltlIlg-StLlCl arm to WlIlCl the .s.pr1ng, and means for tripping the dog iawayfrom the slide bar on the return stroke thereof. t

6.111 a OOIIL GOIliZIOllBCl Vending machine,

an article ejector, ejector operating means,

a :detent ior lockingi the ejector operating means, a coin-chute, arpivoted member in the ohuteian'd havlng'an openlng, meansoer memes ri ed by said memherfonoperating the detent. to release the: ej eotoroperating means, means ingthe' chute for supportingja coin ever the opening inithe pivotedmember, a slide jfiOIfldQliVQIiHgi a coing-into the-chute, ZilltlgIllQghIlSCOIllJrOHGCl by the slide for pushinga coin against the, :pivotedmeinheriol inging 111165 31116 to-operate the detent J7. In a coin-controlled Vending machine, enartiole-ej ector, ej eotonopemtillg. means, a detent "for hlooking the ejector operating means, a coin-chute, a pivoted member in the chute and having anopening, means 'carried by .saidtmembervifor operating-the de-v tent torelease-j the ejector; operating means, means in theichute fory-snpp.orting-;-a"coin over the OJDGJiiDg; in the pivoted member, a glide fo zclelivering a ooininto the chute, (11 fl {av pivotedspring-actuated finger control led ,hythe slide for pushing a 'ooinagainst the pivoted member for; swinging the same toiiopel'ate the detent. J

In testimony whereof I :afliX my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

a SALVADQR CLAPERS.

:lVitnesses 7 E.WALTON BREWI-NGTON, \HOTWARD D. AnAMs.

Images