US1722313A

US1722313A - Coin-controlled mechanism

Info

Publication number: US1722313A
Application number: US176848A
Authority: US
Inventors: William H Rowe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1927-03-21
Filing date: 1927-03-21
Publication date: 1929-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 1946-07-30

Description

July I"30, 1929. w. H. RowE 1,722,313

COIN GONTROLLED MECHANISM Filed March 21, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 TIE-'"'-QLL IAN July 30, 1929. 2 w. H. RowE 1,122,313

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM ATTORNEY.

July 30, 1929. w. H. Rows COIN CONTROLLED MECANISH Filed March 21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

W.H. RVVE A TTORNE Y.

Patente'd July 30, '1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM ROWE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

Application mea March 21, 1927. serial No. 176,848.

This invention relates to a coin freed mechanism for vending machines.

The general object of this invention is to provide 'an improved coin actuated plunger for vending machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin actuated plunger having a novel form of fraud prevention mechanism there- Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

' Fig. lis a front view o f a vending machine embodying the features of 'my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section through the cabinet taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing one* of A my improved coin actuated plungers.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with portions broken away to more clearly show the plunger mechanisms.

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary section through the cabinet showing a single plunger mechanism in elevation in a normal locked position, the plunger housing being vin section.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the plunger unlocked by a coinand partly actuated.l

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section through the cabinet showing a side elevation of one of the plungers in two positions: fully extended in the dotted line position and in a returning position in full lines.

Fig. 7 is a section of the plunger mechanism partly in' elevation taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 4. l

Fig. 8 is a top plan view, partly insection, of the plunger showing it moved to eject a package and to eject the coins into the, coin receptacle.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing a perforated slug caught by one of the fraud prevention devices.

Fig. 10 is a Vfragmentary top plan view partly in section of a single plunger showing a perforated slug being extracted by another fraud prevention device.

Fig. 11 is a section of the plunger mechanism taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 12 is a rear view of the plunger mechanism taken on line 12-12of Fig. 4, and

Fig. l13,.is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the fraud prevention bell ringing'mechanism, the be l, battery, and wiring being shown diagrammatically.

VReferring to the drawings by reference characters I have shown a vending machine cabinet at 10 embodying the features of my invention. This cabinet includes L-shaped side members 11 joined at the rearby aback 12 and in the front by a plate 13 and an angular bar 14. Above the plate 13 the cabinet is provided with a shelf l5 which has a plurality of coin slots 16 therein. Above the shelf 15 there is a door 17 hinged as at 18 to one of the sides 11 and provided with locking means 19 at the other side of the cabinet.

The closure 17 allows access to the storage I compartments 20 in which the packages to be vended, shown as packages of cigarettes 21, are* arranged.v 'Ihe compartments are defined by partitions 22 which have horizontal base flanges 23 extending part of the length thereof. These base flanges serve as supports for the cigarette packages. Although in the following speciicationI refer to my invention as used for vending cigarettes it will be understood that the invention may be used for other purposes or for vending other articles.

'Arranged below the shelf 15 I provide a coin receptacle 25 secured to each of the sides 11. 'lhe bottom of the coin receptacle` is closed by a trap door 26 which is hinged at the rear thereof at 27 and provided on its front edge with an extending tongue 28. rlhe door 26 is adapted to be normally held in a closed position by a spring 29.

'lo allowof the removal of the contents of the coin receptacle 25 I provide in the front plate 13 a removable closure 30 adapted t0 be locked in position by a lock 31 and adapted to hold the, trap door 26 in a closed positionwhen in place by retaining the tongue 28 of the door between' the lower edge of the lock 31 and a rearwardlyextending lug 32 formed on the rear of the closure 30.

The coin actuated plungers for ejecting the packages of cigarettes 21 are indicated generally at 35. These plungers have cylindrical end portions 36 which pass through apertures 37 in the front plate 13. The plungers are provided with rectangular portions 38 which are notched as at 39. Each plunger is mounted in a case 40 which has flanges 41 thereon shown as" removably engaging Aundercut notches on lugs 42 arranged on the underside of the shelf 15. Lugs 43 on the rear face of the .front plate 13 serves to position the case 40. Each case 40 is adapted to be supported 48 of the dogs 49.

Each plunger adjacent the shoulder 47 is provided on each side ace with a notch 5l which in conjunction with the adjacent wall ot the casing 4U roi-nis a coin slot. Each coin slot is normally disposed directly below one or a pair oi' slots 52 in the end 515 of the casing. .Each slot 52 in the casing is disposed directly beneath a coin slotll in the shelf l5.

My improved coin actuated plungers are particularly applicable `for use where it is necessary to insert two coins which may be or' dii- Ierent value in order to eiiect operation of tne machine, and tiie sizes oi the slots l and 52 and the notcli 5l will be determined by the size oi the coin required to operate the ina- Chine.

lach of the dogs 49 is provided with a cutaway portion 54 which has an inclined lower suriace 55.? When the proper coin is inserted in each slot and the plunger 35 is pressed inwardly tne coins wili engage and ride up the surfaces 55 and rock the dogs 49 upwardly as the plunger moves in so that the end face 48 will clear the shoulder 47 whereby the plunger may advance (see Fig. 5).

lhe locking dogs 49 are also provided with outwardly and rearwardly inclined lugs 56. As the coin advances rearwardly from the position shown in Fig. 5 it will pass the inclined surface 55 and allow the dogs 49 to swing downwardly on its pivot until the inclined lug 56 engages the coin. As the plunger moves@ rearwardly the coins ride up the lugs 56 andare forced out of the notches'or slots 5l.

'lhe case 40 is provided with an aperture 58 in each side and through these apertures the coins are discharged into the coin receptacle 25. In Fig. 8 at 59 I show coins which are being ejected from the plunger mechanism into the coin receptacle 25. 'Ihe pivoted dogs 49 are each adapted to be normally retainedin contact with the upper face of the plunger by flat spring members 60.

At the rear end of each plunger I provide a pawl 6l (see Fig". 12) pivoted at 62 to a reduced lip v63 formed on the plunger bar 38.l

This Vpawl 61/isprovided with a slot 64 for mounting it on the' lip 63 and is so pivoted to the lip that it normally'assumes a vertical position so that when the plunger is moved rearwardly as shown-in Fig. 5 the tip 65 ofthe pawl will engage the lowermost package'of a compartment and push it oil of the flanges 23. On a return of the'plunger the pawl is adapted to assume an inclined position and ride under the new lowermost package as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The plunger mechanism is normally adapted to assume a locked position as shown in Fig. 4 by Yproviding a coiled spring 66 which is secured at one end to a downwardlytexten-ding lug 67 on the plunger bar 38, and anchored .to another downwardly extending lug 68 on the case 40. The spring 66 passes through a slot 68 in the rear wall of the coin receptacle 25 while the lug 68 is positioned in a slot 68". The slots 68 and `68 are merelyV notches in the bottom wall of the recesses 44.

To prevent surreptitious use and particularl y for. extracting aperturedslugs from the plunger mechanism I provide a device .com sisting of dogs 70 pivoted at 71 to lugs 72 on cach side of the casing 40 as clearly shown in Fig. l1. Each dog 70 includes a curved spur 73 adapted to normally rest against the back wall of a slot 74 provided in the bar 38. l/Vhen an apertured slug as shown at 75 in Fig. l0 is inserted in a coin slot and the plunger is moved rearwardly the point ofthe Spur will pass into the aperture in the slug and on a A further rearward movement of the plunger mechanism the point of the spur will be raised by the inclined portion 7 5 of the plunger and the coin will be forced out of the notch 51 of the plunger, thus preventing the slug from actuating one of the dogs 49. As the plunger mechanism is released and moved forward the rear wall of notch 5l willi strike the slug causing the pivoted dog 70 to swing outwardly Kand thus due to the curved formation of the spur 7 3 the slug will be swung outwardly and allowed to drop free of the plunger mechanisni.

To further prevent apertured slugs from actuating the plunger mechanism, if they should for any reason happen to pass by the dogs 70 I may provide an additional safety device mounted on either side of the case 40 'and indicated generally at 77. A single device 77 consists of a bolt 78 mounted in an aperture of a downwardly extending tongue 79 integral with the case 40 and in an aperture 8O in the side wall of the case. The bolt 78 has a washer 81 securedtheretoand is adapted to be normally pressed inwardly by a coil spring 82 interposed between the washerand the tongue 79. A coin will force the bolts 78 outward and will glide under the bolt 78 b ut when an apertured slug is used the bolt 78 will move into the aperture of the slug .and prevent any further movement as shown in Fig. 9. I preferably round olf therear side of the inner end of the bolt 7 8'as at 84 so that the slug may move forward again with the plunger mechanism to give the dbg 70 another chance to extract the slug from the plunger mechanism.

I also prefer to provide an audible signal which will give a warningwhen an apertured slug is being used. -.This device includes a' of theshelf adjacent to the rear end of each of the plunger mechanisms. The

contacts

85 and 86 are-mounted on an insulated block- 87 which is secured to the shelf 15 by screws 88 and the contacts 85 are all connected together as by a bar 89 and all of the contacts 86 are similarly connected by a bar 90 (see Fi .13). The bar 90 is/ connected to a bell 91 a wire 92 and the bar 89 is connected to the bell by a wire 93 through 'a battery or\ v other source of power94.

For forming contact between a set of contacts85 and 86 I provide a contact bar 95 mounted in and adjacent the end of the plunger bar` 38 and insulated therefrom. When the plunger mechanism is stopped by the safety device 77 as'shown in Fig. 9 the. contact bar 95 will bridge the

contacts

85 and 86 and cause the bell 91 to actuate. When thel plunger mechanism is actuated roperly by coins of the right denomination t ere will be onl a momentary jingle of the bell 91.

lyrom 'the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have invented a coin actuated mechanism which is highly eliicient and which can`be economically manufactured and that my mechanism is provided with novel means for preventing fraudulent use of the mech anism.

AIVhat I claim is Y 1. In combination with a vending machine 'including a cabinet, a coin actuated mechanism comprising a casing,.a plunger in said casing, means to prevent actuation of said plunger said means including a ycoin "freed member, meanswhereby insertion of an apertured slug will prevent movement of the plunger, means for sounding an alarm when said plunger is operated after insertion of. an

, apertured slug said alarm soundingmeans of said plunger.

comprising a transverse bar mounted on and insulated from said plunger, and a pair of contacts insulated from Aone 'another and mounted on and insulated from said cabinet, one of said contacts being electrically connectedto an alarm means, and the other of said contacts being electrically connected. to said alarm through a source of electric energy.

l2. A coin actuated plunger' comprising a housing, a plunger in said housing, a coin slot in said housing and a coin slot in the side of said plunger and a fraud prevention device comprising a dog pivoted tosaid housing, said ldog having a spur thereon, said-spur being adapted to enter the aperture of an apertured slug in said coin slot of said plung-v er when said plunger is actuated and remove said slug from said vcoin slot upon actuation 3. A coin actuated plun er comprising a' housing, 'a plunger in"-sa1 housing, a 'coin slotl in .said housing and a. coin slot the side of said plunger, a fraud prevention device comprising a dog dpivoted at its upper end pair of

contacts

85 and 86 on the under sideC to said housing, said og having a spur thereon; said 'spur being curved forwardly and having its `free end pointed, said dog being normally adapted to hang in a vertical osi-r ti'on so that the pointed end of said spur a uts the side ofv said plunger, said spur being adapted to enter-the aperture of an aperture slug in said coin slot of said plunger when.

said plunger is'actuated thereby causing the slug to ride uponthe curved spur and be removed from said coin slot of said plunger,

. said dog being adapted to swing upon its pivhousing and a coin slot in the side of said plunger, a fraud prevention device comprising a pivoted do said dog having a spur thereon, said spur eing curved forwardl and having its free end pointed, said dog ing normally adapted to hang in a vertical posi- V tion so that thefpbinted end of said spur abuts the side of saidplunger, said spur being adapted to enter the aperture of an apertured slu in the coin slot of said plunger when sai plunger" is actuated, thereby causing the slu to ride u on the curved s ur and be remove from sai coin'slot of sai plunger, said dog being adapted to swing upon its pivot to allow said slug to drop from said spur, catching means associated with said housing whereby ,an apertured `slug passing 10o said fraud prevention device will coact with .said catching means to prevent further rearvward movementof said plunger, said catching means comprising a sprin pressed member, said nember being adapte to enter the aperture `f an apertured slug in said coin slot of said plunger whereb the rearward movement .of said plunger will e arrested, means on said member to free said apertured slug from said plunger upon a forward movement of said plunger so that said plunger may be movedto a position wheresaid previously mentioned Y dog may again act to remove said slug from said coin slot of\,said plunger.

5. A coin actuated plunger comprising a housing, a plunger in said housing, a'coin slot in said housing and a coin slot in the side of said plunger, fraud prevention means v associated with said plunger and operable to extract an apertured slug from said plunger coin slot upon actuation ofV said plunger, other -fraud prevention means associated with said housing whereby... an apertured slug unex- 'tracted from said plunger by said rst fraud prevention means will coact with said second fraud prevention :means to. prevent full rearward movement of said plunger. v l i In -testimony whereof,I Iv hereunto Aaffix 'ny signature.

n. sown,