US1351590A - Vending-machine - Google Patents

Description

L VONS.

vswmm; MACHINE. v APPLICATION FILED MINE 5,1919. 1,351,590. Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

fzzyezziaz Jomv Von s .I. VONS.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 5,1919.

1,351,590. Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

5 SHEETSSH'EET 2.

2 a I r 56 15. H4 :s in. 5340 1 74 l. VONS.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNES, I919.

Patentd Aug. 31, 192

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- J. VONS.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 5,1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

Patented Aug. 31,

J. VONS.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FiLED JUNE 5, 1919.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

fzzzrezzior fig, 15

JOHN VON'S, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

Application filed June 5, 1919." Serial No. 301,983.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN VoNs, a citizen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained'and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to Vending machines and particularly to machines of this character adapted to hold a plurality of circular cans or similar containers and dispense the same one at a time as required. Particularly does the invention relate to a vending machine of this character in which apparatus economically manufactured and assembled shall with certainty discharge the contents only upon the machine being played by a perfect coin of the proper denomination.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, the disclosed means, however, constituting but one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention maybe employed.

In said annexed drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the apparatus, parts being shown in section,

the operating lever being shown in normal position; 7 r

Fig. 1 represents a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line i, Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 represents a view similar to that shown in Fig. 1, the operating lever being shown in the extreme forward position and a can being shown as delivered;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section,

taken in the plane indicated by the line IIL-III', Fig.12;

Fig. 4 represents a vertical longitudinal section taken in the planes indicated by the line IVIV,-Fig.-12; a

Fig. 5 represents a vertical longitudinal section taken in the planes indicated by the line VV, Fig. 12, all parts in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 being shown in those positions which respectively occupy when the operatng lever 1s 1n itsnormal position;

- F igs.,-6, 7 and 8 represent, respefit ively,

Views similar to those shown in Figs. 3, 4

' and 5, except that, in said Figs. ,6, 7 and8,

the parts are shown in those positions which they respectively occupy when a coin has been inserted into the machine and has dropped through and from a coin chute and into a slot in a longitudinally reciprocable member hereinafter more fully described;

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 represent, respectively, views similar to those shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, except that the several parts are shown in the respective positions which they occupy when the operating lever has been moved to its extreme forward position;

Figs. '12 and 13 represent, respectively longitudinal horizontal sections, taken in the planes indicated respectively ,by the lines XII-XII and XIII-XIII, Fig. 3;

Figs 14 and .15 indicate vertical transverse sections taken in therespective planes indicated by the. lines XIV-XIV and XVXV, Fig. 8. v f

Referring to the annexed drawings,there is therein disclosed a mainframe 1 constructed in any suitable manner and in which are mounted any desired number of communicating inclined planes upon which, thro'ugha suitable door memberl, a plurality of containers 4 are adapted to be positioned and down which ,planes they are fed in the manner hereinafter fully described. 'For the purposes of illustration, 1

haveshown in the accompanying drawings two of said communicating inclined planes, indicated by the ordinals 2 and 3, respectively. These planes or tracks are each formed by a pair of channels 22 and 3,3, respectively, secured to the side membersof the main frame 1 and upon the projecting flanges of which the containers 4 ride." The sides of they frame 1 with the ported by and, for the most part, in a cas ing 5 suitably mounted in the lower righthand corner of the main frame 1, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper surface 7 of said casing 5 also being formed to provide an inclined plane. The inclined plane 3 does not feed directly to the inclined plane formed by the casing 5, but there is provided intermediately of said inclined planes 3 and 5 an auxiliary track section 6 suitably pivoted upon a pin 7 suitably mounted in the bracket 8 supported by the casing 5. Said track section 6 consists of an upper track section proper 6 and a lower arm 6 respectively. The pivotalaction of the track 6 is adapted to transfer the foremost container 4 from the inclined plane 3 to the uppermost point 9 of the inclined plane 5, all as hereinafter described in detail. The normal position of the pivoted track 6 is that plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and is maintained by means of a suitable spring 10.

Upon the floor 1 1. of the casing 5 a longitudinally reciprocable plunger 12 is positioned and provided with suitable guides 63' and 51 The normal position of said plunger 12 is that plainly shown in Figs. 3,4 and 5 and the same is maintained by a spring 13 fastened at its respective ends to a pin .17 extending downwardly from the forward end of the plunger 12 and to a bracket 18 secured to the fioor 11 of the casing 5. Laterally extending from the plunger 12 and intermediately of the ends thereof, are two pins '19, Figs. 12 and 13, the purpose of which will be hereinafter fully explained. Secured .to the side of the plunger 12 opposite that from which the pins 19 project, is a frame 14 whose design and plan is plainly shown inFig. 13 and which is provided with a coin slot 15. This frame 14 is provided with surfaces in three horizontal planes, the lowermost of which is indicated by the ordinal 14, the intermediate of which is indicated by the ordinal 14 and the highest of which is indicated by the ordinal 20. Secured upon the upper surface of the'plunger 12 adjacently the frame 14-is a projection 16. The purposes of theseseveral features centered about the frame 14 will be -hereinafter fullydescribed. It is designed that by means not yet described,'a coin 21 shall be delivered intothe slot 15,.but not therethrough in the first instance, the bot-' tom of the slot being closed by means ofthe I floor 11 of the casing 5 in the normal positionof the arts as lainl shown in Fi s.

3 and 4. It is also designed that if a' bogus coin or an imperfect coin, too heavy or too.

light,'is fed into the-machine, it shallnot reach the slot 15. The position of a genuine com 21 which is now being described, is

plainly illustratediin Fig. 7. V

Mounted in suitable brackets in the casing 5: is the crankshaft 23, tothe outer end of which a suitable crank arm 24. is secured,

suitable stops 26 and25 being'providedto limit the respective forward and rearward its upper end in a bracket 33 secured to the under face of a plate 62 which in turn is secured to the underface of the inclined plane 5. The lower end of said pivoted arm 32 extends through the space between the pins 19 hereinbefore described as extended laterally from the reciprocable plunger 12.

Also secured to the under face of the plate 62 are members forming a coin chute 34, having an open side 34', and rear face openings 34 plainly shown in Figs; 7 and 14. An obliquely, longitudinally disposed arm 36, provided with a front face portion 37, extended through and forwardly of the casing 5, is pivotally secured at its inner end to a downwardly extending member 38 pivotally supported by the plate 62 by a pin 38 and adapted to clear the coin slot 29 in the segment 27 and the coin slot 34, if the weight of a container 4 or containers is bearing against the face portion 37, as plainly shown in Fig. 3. If no such pressure is being exerted upon the face portion 37 of the arm 36, then the shutter 38 is closed over the coin slot 29 and the coin slots 29 and 34 do not communicate and no coin can be put into the machine. This obviates any chance of playing the machine, when no containers are therein. V A

Disposed adjacently the lower parts of the sides of the coin chute'34 and the bottom thereof is a pivoted coin retaining frame 39 provided with a depending lip portion 40, said frame 39 being pivotally supported upon the outer end of a resiliently held arm 41- pivotally mounted in a bracket 68 depending from the plate 62, by means of a pin 68', the exact normal position of the swinging frame 39 being determined by the strength of a spring 67 secured at one end to the arm 41 and at the other end to arm 68 threaded at one end upon a pin 69 mounted in the upper end of the walls of the coin chute 34. It will be readily understood 7 that the actuation of a nut 70 will determine the position of the threaded arm 68 upon.

the pin 69 and hence the strength with which the spring 67 holds the swinging frame 39. Theobject of this lastrdescribed construction is that when a proper coin is inframe an amount sufiicient to efiect the proper functioning of the machine in the manner hereinafter fully described. It might be stated here that if too light a coin is inserted, the frame 39 will be depressed too slight an amount, and if too heavy a coin is inserted, said frame will be depressed too great an amount, with the results hereinafter fully described. It might also be stated that the three different levels hereinbefore described obtaining to the reciprocable frame 14, cotiperate with the several amounts of depression imparted to the coin retaining frame 39 by too light, perfect, and too heavy coins, respectively, in themanner hereinafter fully described.

Mounted upon a pin 42 suitably supported in a member 48 and retained in a normal position by means of a spring 43, is a pivoted frame provided with a rearwardly extending bent arm 45, said arm extending laterally through a slot 47 inter secting the bottom of the member 43, said frame 44 being adapted to be pivotally swung, in a manner hereinafter fully described, against the action of the spring 43, so that said outward extending portion of the arm 45 shall be depressed and the bent portion thereof shall contact with the rear wall 46 of the slot 47, and the main portion thereof shall lie in the path of the projection 16, for the purpose hereinafter fully described. Said pivoted frame 44 is disposed in the longitudinal vertical planes passing through the coin slot 15, for a purpose hereinafter fully described. The bottom rear corner of the member 48 is clownwardly extended and then outwardly bent to form a hook 49 adapted to slide under a guide 63 formed upon a hood 63 hereinafter more fully mentioned and an upwardly extended bridge portion of which forms the guide 63 for the reciprocable plunger 12 hereinbefore fully described. A downwardly extending portion 48 of the member 48 bears upon the floor 11. The forward end of the member 48 is formed to receive a pin 50 upon which is pivotally supported the lower arm 6 of the pivoted track section 6 which has been hereinbefore described and is pivoted upon the pin 7.

.Pivoted upon a pin 51, a roller portion of which 51 forms the rear guide for the reciprocable plunger 12, is a frame 51, to the outer end of which is pivoted, by means of a pin 53, a frame 52 in turn pivoted intermediately its ends to an outwardly extending arm 54 also pivoted upon the pin 7. The upper end of the arm 52 is adapted, in certain positions of the mechanism, to extend up between the adjacent sections of the inclined plane 3 and the pivoted track 6, to prevent the containers 4 from rolling by gravity from said plane 3 onto the plane normally occupied by said track 6, as plainly shown in Fig. 9.

Formed in the floor 11 of the casing 5 is a coin slot 55, Fig. 13, leading to a coin box 56. Two comparatively large openings 61 and 61, respectively, disposed forwardly and rearwardly of the transverse planes passing through said coin box 56, are also formed in said floor 11 for a purpose hereinafter fully described.

Suitably pivotally supported upon a pin 59 from the'bracket 60, secured to the plate 62, is a swinging frame 58 of non-magnetic material to which is secured a horse-shoe magnet 57 normally held adjacently the slots 34 of the coin chute 34. The walls of said coin chute are also made of nonmagnetic metal. This magnet is forthe usual purpose of holding a bogus coin or slug if the same is inserted through the coin openings 29 and 34' into the chute 34. At a suitable point in the operation, the swinging hanger 58 is pulled away from the coin chute 34 to release the slug by the means now to be described. One side of the swinging hanger 58 is formed with an extending arm 58' which lies in the path of movement of the pivoted arm 32 and is intersected by the latter to withdraw the swinging frame 58 from the coin chute 34, at a certain point of the movement of the lever 32 to be hereinafter fully described. Secured to the forward portion of the floor 11 of the casing 5 is the bridge 63 hereinbefore mentioned, and of the general design and plan plainly shown in Fig. 13. This bridge is in reality a cover or hood for certain parts of the mechanism and is provided with the lip 63 hereinbefore mentioned, the under surface of which forms a guide for the extending hook portion 49 of the member 48. Pivotally mounted upon the axis 23 and adjacentlly the far end thereof, as seen in Fig. 3, is a swinging frame 65, Figs. 5, 8 and 11, formed at the bottom with two laterally extending, outwardly turned lips 65'. This frame is for the purpose of positively insuring the return of the several mechanisms to normal positions, after the machine has been played and the crank handle is moved from right to left, Fig. 2. The several positions of this swinging frame 65 are plainly shown in said Figs. 5, 8 and 11, the same in the normal position of the apparatus being held by the arm 30 and lip 65' in the position shown in Fig. 5, swinging freely in the osition shown in Fig. 9, and carried by the arm 32 to the position shown in Fig. 11, when the parts are in their extreme forward positions.

It will be evident that the operation of the afore-described mechanism is as follows:

Assuming that the parts are in the several normal positions indicated in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14 and 15, a perfect coin is inserted through the coin slots 29 and 34 which register because they are designed to register when a container or containers are bearing against the face portion 37 of the plate 36,-as shown in Fig. 3, said coin being intended to deliverto a forwardly disposed accessible pocket 66, the container 4, of

'which a full end view is shown in Fig. 3.

Said coinfalls to the bottom of the chute 34 and depresses a proper amount the swingmg frame 39, as plainly shown in Fig. 4.

The actuation of the crank arm 24 results,

bottom side of which the coin is being held Just so soon as the level 14 of the frame 14 intersects the lip 40 of the frame 39, the pivotec frame 89 is carried rearwardly and, inasmuch as the upper part of the coin 21 is still retained by the side walls of the chute 34, said coin cannot be carried rearwardly by said swinging frame 39, and consequently falls into the slot 15 which, at that proper moment, is disposed directly underneath the chute 34, which slot 15 has its lower end closed by the floor 11 of the casing 5, as plainly shown in Fig. 7. The continued actuation of the crank handle 24 results in the continued rearward movement of the plunger 12 and consequently the member 14 cars rying the coin 31. he upper part of said coin intersectsthe depending and forwardly extending pivoted member 44 and carries same rearwardly for its limited pivotal movement, 2'. 6., until the laterally extending bent portion ,45 thereof meets the rear side wall 46 of the slot 47. Then the member 48 including the pivoted frame 44 which can be 1 swung no further, is carried rearwardly by sitioned thereon up over the forward upper point '9 of the inclined track 5, whence said container 4 rolls down into the pocket 66. This continued rearward movement of the frame' 14 has carried the 00111 21 contained in the slot 15 to a point where said slot 15 registers with the slot formed in the rear portion of the floor 11 of the casing 5 and the coin drops through said slot 55 into the coin chamber 56, as plainly shown in Fig. 10. At the same time the rearward movement of the plunger 12 has resulted in the rear beveled face 12 of the same cooperating with a bevel face 51 formed in the lower surface of the pivoted member 51, thus lifting said member 51 and consequently lifting the pivoted frame 52, the upper end of which extends up forwardly of the subsequent can 4 and prevents the same from rolling into the open space normally occupied by the pivoted track section 6. The release of the crank arm 24 results, through the action of the spring 13, in the movement of all of the parts to their normal positions, "this consequent withdrawing of the barrier formed by the upper end of the frame 52 resulting in a rolling of the next can 4 upon the pivoted track section 6 which, in common with the other parts of the mechanism, has retaken its normal position.

In the event that a bogus coin 22 is inserted through the coin slots 29 and 38, the same is held in the upper part of the coin chute by the magnet 5'7. This magnet is not withdrawn by the action of the lip 58 and arm 32 until the coin slot 15 has passed beyond the vertical plane containing the coin chute 34, so that said bogus coin 22 falls upon the floor 11 of the casing 5 and is swept from said casing through the opening 61 out of the machine by the frame 14 when the same is coming back to its normal position, as plainly shown in Fig. 10. In the event that a coin too light is put into the machine, the same will not depress the pivoted frame 39 sufficiently to allow the lip 40 to be intersected by the surface 14 of the frame 14, but the highest point or surface of said frame, which is indicated by the ordinal 20, will intersect said lip 40 to release'the coin from the frame 39 and from the chute 34. This, of course, happens after the coin chute 15 has passed beyond the vertical plane containing the chute 34, so that the light coin falls upon the floor 11 of the casing 5 and is swept out through the opening 61 upon the return movement of the frame 14. In the event that a 'coin too heavy is put into the machine, the same depresses the frame 39 to an extent sufficient to allow the lowermost surface 14 of the frame 14 to intersect the swinging frame 39, so that the heavy coinris released from the frame 39 and the chute 34 before the coin slot 15 registers with the chute 34, the result being that the heavy coin falls upon the floor ll rearwardly of the frame 14 and is swept by the frame 14 over the narrow slot 55 and out of the machine through the open ing 61, as will be readily understood. lVhat I claim is: c 1. In a vending machine, a coin operated mechanism, comprising a coin chute, a pivoted coin retaining frame disposed adjac'ei ...y to the lower p of the sides of the coin chute. an opera i plunger shiftable D ransvcrsely across the lower end of the chute, and a frame carried by said plunger pi'ovid with a plurality of horizontally disposed levels adapted to cooperate with said retaining frame to release coins therefrom at different positions of the plunger.

ln a vending machine, a coin operated mechanism, comprising a coin chute, a pivoted coin retaining frame resiliently disposed adjacently the lower parts of the sides of the chute, an operating plunger shiftable transversely across the lower end of the chute, and frai is mounted on said plunger at one side thereof having a plurality of horizontally disposed levels adapted to cooperate with said retaining frame to properly dispose of the coins.

3. In a vending machine, the combination of a main frame, a casing mounted in said frame by which the operating parts are sup ported, a coin chute mounted in said casing, a pivoted coin retaining frame resiliently disposed adjacently the lower parts of the sides of the chute, a longitudinally reciprocable plunger mounted in said casing, and a frame carried by said plunger provided with surfaces disposed in three iorizontal planes and adapted to contact with said retaining frame to release coins therefrom at three different positions of said plunger.

4. In a vending machine, the combination of a main frame, a casing mounted in said frame by which the operating parts are supported, a coin chute mounted in. said casing, a pivoted coin-retaining frame disposed beneath said chute and close enough to be depressed by the weight of the coin, means for adjusting the resiliency of said pivoted frame, a longitudinally reciprocable plunger mounted in said casing, and a frame carried by said plunger in the path of the pivoted frame provided with surfaces disposed in three horizontal planes and adapted to contact with said pivoted frame to release coins therefrom at three different positions of said plunger.

5. in a vending machine, a coin operated mechanism, comprising a coin chute, a pivoted resiliently. supported coin retaining frame disposed beneath said chute and close enough to be depressed by the weight of the coin, means for regulating the resiliency of said frame, an operating plunger shiftable across the lower end of the chute, and a frame carried by said chute provided with a plurality of horizontal levels adapted to assert and properly distribute the genuine coins from the spurious coins by the shifting movements of said plunger.

6. In a vending machine, a coin operated mechanism, comprising a coin chute, a pivoted resiliently supported coin retaining frame disposed beneath said chute and close enough to be depressedby the weight of the 00111, a lip depending from said frame,

means for adjusting the resiliency of said frame, an operating plunger shiftable across the lower end of the chute, a frame mounted atone side of said plunger in the path of said pivoted frame provided with three horizontally disposed levels, said levels being so neath said chute close enough to be depressed by the weight of a coin, means for regulating the resiliency of said frame, an operating plunger shiftable transversely across the lower end of the chute, a frame carried by said plunger and mounted at one side thereof in the path of said pivoted retaining frame, said last-named frame having surfaces disposedin a plurality of different levels, said levels being so arranged that a coin too heavy will depress the coin retaining frame into contact with the lowermost level during its rearward movement whereby the spurious coin is released and swept out of the machine by the continued rearward movement.

8. In a vending machine, a coin operated mechanism, comprising a coin chute, a pivoted resiliently supported coin-retaining frame provided with a depending lip and disposed beneath said chute close enough to be depressed by the weight of a coin, means for regulating the resiliency of said frame, an operating plunger shiftable transversely across the lower end of the coin chute, a frame mounted on said plunger in the path of the pivoted frame and provided with a plurality of iorizontally disposed levels adapted to cooperate with said coin retaining frame to release coins therefrom at different positions of the plunger.

9. In a vending machine, acoin operated mechanism comprising a coin chute, a pivoted resiliently supported coin-retaining frame disposed beneath said chute, an operating plungershiftable across the lower end of the coin chute, and means carried by said plunger and adapted to contact with said pivoted frame at three different positions of the plunger for releasing the coins, and

swinging resiliently supported frame disposed beneath said chute. means for varying the resiliency of said frame, an operating plunger shiftable across the lower end of the chute, a frame secured to said plunger providedwith a coin slot, said last mentioned frame being provided with surfaces disposed in three horizontal planes and adapted to contact Withsaid swinging frame to release coins therefrom at three different 10,

positions of the plunger, and means operated direct by a genuine coin for assuring the delivery of an object Signed by me, this 31st day of May, 1919.

JOHN voNs.

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