US1706657A - Coin-controlled vending machine - Google Patents

Description

D. C. CULBREATH COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE March 26,. 1929.

Filed Nov. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet t rro R/vey March 26, 1929.. o. c. CULBREATH 1,706,657

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 20, 1926. 2 Sheets- Sheet Fig.4. 6

HTTORNQ/ Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

1,706,657 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID GHALMERS GULBREATH, OF I LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOE 'lQ WALTER E, RANDALL AND CHARLES I. MCFARLAND, BOTH 0 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

COIN- CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed November 20, 1926. Serial No. 149,626.

The general nature of my present invention being indicated by the above title, I may state, at the outset, that this invention, in preferred embodiments, is suitable for use in the vending of several varieties of stlck gum, or 116 like; and it is an object of this invention to provide a simple and rugged co ncontrolled gun'i vending machine in which a plurality of stacks of sticks of gum, or the like, are so supported relatively to a gum chute as to permit of lateral delivery of successive lowermost sticks of gum from said stacks inwardly toward said chute. In preferred embodiments of my invention, the coin slots are provided near said respective stacks of gum sticks, and the manipulation of a horizontal shaft, subsequently to the introduction ofa coin or-coins into one or more of said slots, is effective to occasion the delivery into said gum chute of a number of sticks of gum corresponding with the number of coins used, and assorted, in variety according to the slots in which coins were inserted.

It is an object of my invention to provide a gum vending machine, of the general character referred to, in which the mentioned. parts, and additional fixed and movable parts, may be supported mainly or entirely from a front plate in which the mentioned coin slots are provided; and, in preferred embodiments of my invention, the mentioned shaft being provided with a so-called oscillator, fixed thereon, and with one or more rotors, separately movable thereon, a bearing element for said shaft may be supported directly or indirectly from a fixed part such as said gum chute. i

It is a further object of my invention to provide means, including the mentioned oscillator and one or more rotors, whereby the insertion of a coin throughthe mentioned slot, and its downward delivery through a coin guide (preferably secured to an external surface of the mentioned gum chute) is ef fective to assure the advance of such rotor, through a predetermined angle, upon the oscillation of the mentionedshaft; and, in pre ferrcd embodiments of my invention, the mentioned advance of a rotor being effective to operate, by cam means, a so-called kickout lever delivering a single stick of gum at each movement into the mentioned gum chute (or delivering a plurality of sticks of gum thereto, in one operation, in case coins are inserted through different slots) the mentioned oscillator may be provided with means assuring theejection of a coin therefrom and/or with a full-stroke mechanism serving as a ratchet dog constantly pressed toward a corresponding rotor.

It is a further object of my invention to provide, in conjunctionwith the described parts 01' independently thereof, means whereby, upon the delivery of a last stick of gum, or the like, from the mentioned supporting means therefore, any subsequent oscillation of the mentioned shaft, or its equivalent, is effective to advance a coin-excluding finger, or the like, across a corresponding coin slot, in such manner as to prevent the insertion of coins after the supply of said sticks be comes exhausted.

Further objects and advantageous structural features of my invention, including novel details of construction which enables many of the mentioned parts to be formed from sheet-metal and to be supported from the front plate of a vending machine, and. including an advantageous use of pins upon the mentioned rotors, to occasion not only a reciprocation of the mentioned kick-out levers but to hold the same, between operations, in positions favorable to the reception.

of additional coins, and including also a full-stroke mechanism and means for 1imltmg the movement of the mentioned oscillatorto a predetermined arc, and including also advantageous means for holding men tioned parts in or returning the same to intended normal position of rest, may be best appreciated from the following description of an illustrated embodiment of my invention, taken in connection with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 may be referred to as a front-to back and median vertical section, taken substantially asindicated by the line l1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, amounting to a rear view with a back plate removed, this view, being taken substantially in the plane. indicated byline 22 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section comparable with the lower portion of Fig. 2 but taken from an opposite direction,-substantially as indicated by the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, amounting to The kick-out lever 40, being pivoted on an axis 42' extending through cars 43 analogous to the mentioned cars 43, and

being provided not only, with a stick-eject ing upper portion 44 but with a cam foot 45, the last mentioned lever may be'operated' (by the pins 37) in a manner essentially similar to that described in connection with the lever 38; and said levers may be respec-' insertion of a suitable coin through a slot or slots, such as may be provided in the front plate 14, or its equivalent (as, at 49,-

49, opposite the upper ends of- coin guides 50, 50, shown as secured tothe respective side plates 19, 19 of the gum chute 20) the lower portions 51, 51 of said guides may be respectively disposed directly opposite a slot 34 in the rotor 32 and opposite a slot 35 in 1'otor33, the respective notches 31 vand 31 being invariably returned to a position suchthat an inserted coin,-held partially within a notch 34 or a not-ch 35, is

effective temporarily to key the rotor 32 and/or the rotor33 (accordingly as a coin 'may be inserted into the slot 49 or the slot 49) to the oscillator 29, or its equivalent.

The notches 31 and 31' in the oscillator 29 are so formed as to assure the outward removal of a coin from a slot 34 or slot 35 in a rotor, by engagement of cylindrical or other cam face (53 and 53), assuming the rotors to beheld stationary, in the indicated manner, during the return ofthe oscillator 29 to its normal position of rest, in readiness for the reception of an additional coin; and bot-h the shaft 27 and the fixed end of the spring 52 may advantageously be supported by means such as an arm 55, shown as secured to the side plate 19' of the gum chute 20-and as comprising both bearing exten SlOIlS 56, for said shaft, and a -spring-carrying finger 57,'whose lower end 58 may be laterally deflected, in a manner-favorable to the retention of the spring 52 thereon.

In order positively'to limit the rotative movementof the oscillator 29, or its equivalent, I show a notch 59, into which the bearing extension 56 extends, as limited by surfaces 60, 60, disposed atright angles to one another; but it will be obvious that an" equivalent effect might be obtained by the use of any suitable stop means.

In order that, after a coin is inserted, the

said coin shall not be permittedto drop into the bottom of the described housing, or into a receptacle optionally provided therein (not shown) except upon the completion of such a manipulation of the handle 28 as assures the delivery of a stick of gum, I may employ, in connection with a describedrotor or rotors, any suitable full stroke mechanism. For ex ample, I may provide such a mechanism in the form of ratchet dogs such as are shown at 61 and at 62,.these dogs being shown as provided withcoin engaging teeth 63, upon the lower surfaces thereof,said surfaces having an arcuate configuration substantially concentric with the shaft 27 and being respectively provided with tension springs 64 and 65, tending to hold the same in'coin-engaging posit-ion.

If formed of sheet metal the levers 44, 44' may be reinforced by means such as fins 66, 66; and, in order to assure descent-of the stacks 39'and 41 of' gum, and also to prevent insertion of coinssubsequent to the exhaus- 7 tion of said stacks, the kick- out levers 44 and 44 being shown as respectively provided with slot closing fingers 67, 67, I may dispose upon the receptive uppermost sticks of gum constituting stacks 39 and 41 followers 68, of the general character best shown in Fig. 7. As best indicatedin Fig. 6, a notch 69 in each of said followers may be so disposed that, when a follower descends to and rests upon a supporting surface 18 or 18, although the corresponding kick-out lever (44 or 44') isprevented from moving completely inward, it may be inwardly advanced sufliciently to throw its slot-closing finger (67 or 67) across the corresponding coin slot,thereby preventing subsequent insertion of a coin. v 7

It will beseen that each manipulation of the handle 28, or its equivalent, after the insertion of a coin and coins, must be effective under the described conditions, to deliver one or more sticks of gum into the chute 20 or its equivalent; and, in view :of the shape of the coin guides 50, 50, including the downward extensions 51 thereof; and it is an lmportant merit of the descrlbed organization that, if several pennies are inserted v The general mode of operation of my coinv controlled vending machine having been indicated so far, as the same is unique, in connection with the foregoing description and summary, I emphasize in conclusion, the fact that various features of my invention might be independently employed; and also the fact that numerous modifications thereof might be devised, by those skilled in the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a coin-controlled machine suitable for use in the vending of fiat sticks of gum, or the like: a main housing which comprises a front plate provided with coin-receiving slots; coin guides extending downwardly therefrom; a chute secured between a pair of said coin guides; means for supporting a stack of sticks relatively to each of said coin slots; a shaft rotatively mounted relatively to said guides; and means whereby rotation of said shaft subsequently to the descent of an inserted coin through one of said guides is effective to deliver a stick from a corresponding stack to said chute.

2. An organization of the general character defined in claim 1 in which said stacksupporting means comprises pairs of vertical stack guides secured to said housing and confining said sticks in end-on arrangement.

3. An organization of the general character defined in claim 1 in which said stack supporting means comprises inner and outer stack guides spaced apart, lower ends of said inner guides being so formed as to permit either simultaneous or successive inward deliveries of sticks from said stacks into said chute.

4. An organization of the. general character defined in claim 1 in which said stacksupporting means comprises inner and outer stack guides spaced apart, lower ends of said inner guides being so formed as to permit either simultaneous or successive inward deliveries of sticks from said stacks into said chute, and in which said delivery means is effective simultaneously to remove a stick from each stack in case a suitable coin has been inserted in each slot.

5. An organization of the general character defined in claim 1 in which said chute con'lprises convergent side walls to which coin-guides are secured.

6. An organization of the general character defined in claim 1 in which said chute comprises convergent side walls to which coin-guides are secured, said side walls being respectively continuations of elements of said stack supporting means.

7. Means for supporting a stack of sticks to be vended; a chute; an oscillator disposed on a shaft and provided with a eoin-receiv ing notch; a rotor movable on said shaft and provided with coin-receiving slots adapted to receive and to hold a coin in a position which renders the same engageable by said notch; means for oscillating said shaft; and means rendering rotation of said rotor, subsequently to the positioning of a coin in one of said slots, effective to cause delivery of a stick into said chute,said notches in said oscillator being so shaped as to cam said coin therefrom during a restorative movement of said oscillator. i

8. Means for supporting a stack of sticks to be vended; a chute; an oscillator disposed on a shaft and provided with a coin-receiving notch; a rotor movable on said shaft and provided with coin-receiving slots adapted to receive and to hold a coin in a position which renders the same engageable by said notch; means for oscillating said shaft; and means rendering rotation of said rotor, subsequently to the insertion of a coin in one of said slots, effective to cause delivery of a stick into said chute,said last-mentioned means comprising cam members, on said rotor, and a lever which is movable by said cam members and is provided with means for engaging a lower-most stick to remove the same laterally from said stack into said chute.

9. An organization of the general character defined in claim 8, in which said lever is provided with means normally holding said rotor in a coin-receiving position.

10. An organization of the general character defined in claim 8 in which said lever is provided with means whereby, upon the removal of the last stick from said stack, further insertion of a coin is prevented.

11. A coin-controlled vending machine comprising: a rotor; a lever movable by said rotorto deliver a vended article; an oscillator, adjacent said rotor and secured on a shaft carrying said rotor; means rendering a limited rotation of said oscillator, subsequently to the insertion of a coin, effective to advance said rotor; and means rendering a restorative movement of said oscillator effective to eject said coin therefrom.

12. Means within a housing for supporting a plurality of stacks of sticks to bevended; a single chute disposed between said supporting means; C0111 guides respectively provided with coin-receiving slots disposed below said supporting means; an oscillator disposed on a shaft toward which said coin guides converge and provided with coinreceiving notches therebel'ow; separate rotors disposed, on said shaft, below said coin guides and respectively provided with coinreceiving slots adapted to hold coins in positions rendering the same engageable by said notches; means for oscillating said shaft subsequently to the insertion of said coins; and means rendering consequent rotations of said rotors effective to deliver sticks from said stacks into said chute.

In testimony whereof, I havehereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 15th day of October, 1926.

DAVID CHALMERS CULBREATH.

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