US1573181A

US1573181A - Coin-control mechanism

Info

Publication number: US1573181A
Application number: US326640A
Authority: US
Inventors: George H Matchett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1919-09-26
Filing date: 1919-09-26
Publication date: 1926-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 1943-02-16

Description

Feb. 16,1926. 4 1,573,181

G. H. MATCHETT COIN CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Sept. 26, 1919 'Y Patented Feb. 16, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. MATCHETT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COIN-CONTROL MECHANISM.

Application filed. September 26, 1919. Serial No. 326,640.

To all whom tv may concern.'

:Be it known that I, Gnon'cn H. Mn'roiiirr'r,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certa-in new and useful Improvement in CoiiiCo1iti'ol Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

.The present invention relates to a coin controlled mechanism, which is particularly adapted for use inconnection with machines for vending various articles or commodities. The invention is particularly directed to a construction which may be so adjusted as to be operable upon the insertion of one or more coins.

A further object is to provide a coin guide or trackway, having a portion thereof which forms a coin receiving well, together with means whereby the depth ofthe well may bej adjusted, or in other words, its coin receiving and retaining depth and capacity may be lvaried so as to make the mechanism operable upon the .insertion of one, two or more coins. l

A further object of the invention is to v provide a construction of the character described, vwhich is robust in nature and not Y easily broken or put out of order by the repeated using and rough usage to which mechanism of this kind is subjected when in use.

: Other objects of the invention will appear i more at vlarge as the description proceeds and generally speaking, the invention may be said to comprise the elements and the combinations thereof set forth in the accompanying claims.

Reference shouldi be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specilication in which Fig. l is a front elevation ofthe mechanism forming the subject matter of this invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation; Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

45. Fig. al is a plan view partly in section showing a detail of construction; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a part of the mechanism.

The mechanism which is shown and described herein is of that class which is intended to be used in connection with the vending of various commodities and articles wherein the operating mechanism of the vending machine itself is retained in inoperative position, until by the insertion. of

a proper coin or coins, the vending mechanism is in position for ope ation j In many instances, a vending machine may be operated by the insertion of a single coin, but it frequently is necessary in vend ing an article or commodity, to require the insertion of more than one coin, :is for instance where the article being vended is sold at two, three or four cents, or at twenty oi' thirty cents. Under these circumstances the mechanism which operates the vending inachine should not be in operative position until the proper number of coins of the necessary denoniination have been deposited in the slot.

Furthermore, a mechanism of this character, in order to be of its greatest use should be so constructed that the number of coins required to operate the mechanism iii-ay be changed, thereby permitting an adj ustability in this respect, which permits the same mechanism to be used in connection with a varying number of coins.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a suitable support which may conveniently be a portion of the casing or other construction of the vending device in connection with which the coin controlled mechanism is used. This support or wall has a shaft Q journaled therein, which shaft is connected with the operating mechanism of the vending machine proper. Upon this shaft there is a tooth wheel indicated at 3. rl`he teeth of this wheel 3 being engaged by a dog il, which prevents the rotation of thc wheel 3 in one direction. The shaft 2 may conveniently be operated by the handle 5 which extends upon the outside of the casing of the vending machine. In the present instance a handle is merely suggestive of an operating means for the shaft 2, and as will be apparent, other means of operating the Shaft 2 may be employed than that herein described and shown.

Upon the saine shaft 2 is an annular meniber 6, this annular membei lying adjacent the wheel 3. This annular member is provided with a notch 7 on the peripheral surface thereof, which notch is adapted to be engaged by the nose of a latch member 8. The direction in which the notch T is formed in the member 6 is such as to oppose rotary motion iii the direction opposite to that opposed by the dog 4 so that when the dog i CTI f CII and the latch 8 are in theirI engaging positions, the shaft 2 is locked against rotation.

The wall member 1 carries

brackets

9 and 10, and in these brackets there are slidably supported the

rods

10 and 11. rlhe rod 10 carries ythe latch 8 and movement of therrod 10 moves the latch 8. This rod is normally under the retractive force of a springt 12, the pull of the spring being in a direction to hold the latch 8 in its engaging position with respect to the notch Y Mounted upon and secured to the shaft 10 is a housing 13, through which extends a rod. o rshaft 14, as will be later explained. This housing Carried. by the rod 10 extends rearwardly from the shaft and the rear portion thereof forms an abutment, such as indicated at 15, adapted to be engaged by a coin' 'as will be later described.

Upon the rod 11 Atherel is a spring 16, which at one end bears against the bracket portion 9 and at its opposite end engages with a 'pin 17, whioh'is carried by the rod 11. This' spring normally urges therod 11 awaytrom the bracket 9. The rod 11 adjacent the opposite end is provided with a member 18, which is secured to the rod and normally underthe action ot the spring 16, the member 1 8 abuts against the bracket member' 10u. rThe coin chute or guide way, is indicated at 20; r1`he chute may be formed in any desired manner, but in any event there is a portion such as indicated at'20, which extends at substantially right angles with respect to the

rods

10 and 11. rlhe chute at the portion adjacent to the stop 1S is open at the front and rear thereof, so that the stop 18' may move transverselyr of the chute and push the coin which may be in Viront oi the stop 18, against the abutment 15 formed on the member 13.V

The portion 20a of the coin chute or track Way, may be extended to any. desired extent so that it will be available to hold substan; tially any desired number oi" coins.

VThe portion ot' the track way 20ar is provided with a series of aligned' notches', such as indicated at 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 2G and 27. These notches extend intov the track way sol that in the event any one of these notches is occupied by a projection or obstruction ot any character, thel coinwhich ei'igages the stop orobstruction will. be held and coins subsequently inserted will build up within the portion 2()a of the coin chute, and ivi" there are a sutlicient number of coins to build up, so that there is a coin lying between the stop 18 and the abutment 15', then the mechanism may be operated, but not otherwise'. y

For instance, if there is a projection inserted in the opening 21, it. would require but one coin to place the mechanism in operative condition. 1f a stop be placed in the opening 22, as shown in the drawing in Fig. 1, two coins would be necessary, if a stop be vvision which will adapt the placed in the opening 23, three coins would be necessary, and so on. Evidently the length of the Vmember 20a may be extended as desired, and there may be as many notches as desired.

It will be apparent that if it be desired to manufacture a mechanism which shall be operated upon iixed number of coins and without any features ot' adjustability, the length ot the chute 2Ov need not be greater than the required length to accommodate the inserted coins, and in this case the notch and projection can be placed at the lower part ot the chute.

However, in thc presentinstance, -itis desired to malte the chute ot' proper length to orovide a niuralit i oi" openings in thevtube l 1 i L b toethervith a plurality ot stops for co operation with the openings in the chute, so that at will the relationship between the stops and the coin chute may vbe altered thereby in the same machine, making proma'chin-eto be usedwith one or more coins.

l'zn the present instance, upon the shaft 11V there are provided a number ot projections, such as indicated at 145k 1n the present instance, there are 8 such projections, and they arespa ed apart an equal angular amount; however, .the stops are distribute-:l along the sha'tt'111'sothat in eiiicct the members 11 are in spiralarrangement. rod 14 to the desireddegree, lany desired stop' 1-151 may be brought into registry with its opening in the coin chute, at which time all other stop incmbersare all ontotl registry. rihe rod 141 at its upper cnd is provided with a pin or index member, such asl indicatedat 28, which in the present instancel is made so that it may engage in notches such as indicated at 13 in Fig. 1 inthe upper surface ot the member 13. The member 13 may be provided with a dial plate, such as indicated at 29,' and is shown in Fig. 5, so vthat when the pin'28l is positioned properlyl with respect to the dial plate, the proper stop on the shaft 14- is inserted in the slotz oit' the coin chute.

Extending inwardly from the member ti is a pin 30, which pin lies adjacent the pin 1?, carried by the rod 10; therefore when the member G is tree toturn, the pi1r30 will engage with the pin 17 :and so move the rod 10 Vina*forward direction. The rod 10 is under the circumstances, coupled to the rod 11, due to the tact oi the coin lying between the stop land the abutment 15,'so

thatvboth rods

10 and 11 move forward at thesame time. As the rod 10 moves torward, it carries with it the lat-ch member 8, so that the member C is tree to rotate. 1n a' very short interval of time, after the pins'V l1'? and 30 have engaged, they are released from engagement, dueto the rotative movement of the member 6, whereupon therod 11 is By rotating the llO CTI

released and under the action of the spring 16 is returned to initial position. The latch member 8 engages with the periphery of the member 6, but in the period of time just elapsed, the latch has released the member 6, and engages with the annular periph` the shaft 14 which was in proper relation to extend into the coin chute is carried forward, and the coins which had been retained by the stop are released and they drop through the coin chute into some suitable receptacle not shown. VTherefore it will be seen that at each operation of the machine the coin chute clears itselll and even it there be an excess of coins over that necessary to operate the machine, all these coins vpass through the coin chute.

Having described my invention, I claim: A 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with an actuating member, a locking member therefor, a movable meml ber adapted to be operatively connected with said locking member by the interposition of a coin, a coin traclrway, a portion of said trackway being provided with a plurality of openings, a member provided with a plurality of stops, said member mounted so that any one of said stops may be presented to a corresponding` opening in the coin trachway, said member carrying the stops being movably `mounted and movable when the aforesaid movable member is moved.

2. In a device of the character described, an actuating;` member, a movable member associated with said actuating member, a stop carried by said movable member, a second mo 'able member, a latchcarried by said second movable member adapted in one position to restrain movement of the actuating member, an abutment carried by the said second movable member, a coin traclrway positioned to conduct a coin between the said stop and the said abutment, said tracliway having` a portion which depends below the said stop and abut-ment, the said depending portion of the trackwayhaving a movable stop member associated therev-Jith, thereby limiting the passage of a coin through said traclway, the said stop member being movable with the aforesaid movable member.

3. In a device of the character described, an actuating member, a movable member associated with said actuating' member, a stop carried by said movable member, a second movable member, a latch carried by said second movable member, an abut-ment carried by said second movable member, a coin tracliway positioned to conduct a coin between the said stop and the said abutment, said traclrway having a portion which depends below said stop, a plurality of stops associated with said traclway, said stops being located throughout1 the length of said depending; portion of the trz'xclmvay whereby a suitable stop may be positioned in the trackway to vary the coin receiving depth thereof, said stops beingren'lovable as a unit with the aforesaid movable member.

it. In a device of the character described, an actuating member, a movable member associated with said actuating member, a stop carried by said movable member, second niovable member, a. latch carried by said second movable member, an abutment carried by the said second movable menlber, a coin trackway positioned to conduct a coin between the said stop and the said abutment, said traclrway having a portion which depends below the position of the stop meinber and the abutment, a plurality of openings arranged in said trackway and extending throughout the length of the depending portion thereof, a shaft mounted adjacent said trachway, stop niembers carried by the shaft and positioned to selectively engage with the openings in the traeltway, thereby to vary the coin receiving; depth o't said trackway, and means for positioning the said shaft, said shaft and stops being movable as a. unit with the' aforesaid movable member.

5. In a device of the character described, an actuating member, said actuating meniber having a. portion which has an annular surface with a notch formed therein, a latch adapted to cooperate with the said portion having' the annular surface and normally engaging said notch, a slidable member upon which said latch is mounted, an abutment associated with said movable member, a second movable member, a stop associated with said second movable member, the stop beine positioned adjacent the said abutment and adapted to be operatively connected therewith by an interposed coin, a pin carried by the second movable member, a second pin carried by the actuating member, said pins being adapted to engage duringa portion oit the movement of the actuating member.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto atlix my signature.

GEORGE I-I. MATCHETT.