US1831249A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 10, 1931. L. A. HURLBURT VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Place 0? in slot and turn crank 10 the right.

Nova 10, 1931. L. A. HURLBURT VENDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 27. 1928 Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES LEW A. HURLBURT, or PERRY, Iowa (VENDING MACHINE Application filed February 27,. 1928. Serial No. 257,370.

The object of my invention is to provide a vending machine of simple, durable, and comparatively inexpensive construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a vending machine in the form of a stand or support with a plurality of containers rotatably supported on this stand and adapted to contain various articles such as bars of candy to be vended;

Still a further object of my invention is to provide in connection with each of thecontainers a coin operated trip mechanism for opening the container for removing the bar of candy therefrom.

Still a further object is to so construct the machine that the coins inserted in each of the mechanisms will be conducted to a common tray and deposited therein.

Still a further objectis to provide means of access to the tray which means consists of a pair of locks one of which can be opened by a key held by the manufacturer of the machine and the otherto be opened by a key held by the operator of a restaurant. or drug store 1n which the machine is placed so that in order to open the device and obtain the coins from the tray, both these keys must be used.

Still a further object is to provide a pointer on the machine with the instructions that any jbar desired can be obtained by rotating the vending machine .so that the container for that bar is in line withthe pointer, the coin operated mechanism for the container being arranged to receive a coin only when moved to such position. a a A With these and other objects invview my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Although the invention is susceptible of a variety of embodiments, it is'unnecessary to fully describe and illustrate more than one in order to give a full understanding of the invention both from its structural and functional standpoints. Accordingly, I have illustrated a preferred and desirable embodi ment of the invention in the accompanying drawings in which: 1 a

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofja vending machine embodying my invention and illus-' trating a p'luralityof thecontainers assem bledonadrum. I

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the vending machine on the line 2'-2 of Figure '1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sec-- 1 tional View on the line 33-of Figure 2 illustrating the coin receiving and operating mechanism of one of the vending units;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4:

of Figure 2 illustrating the drum in section and,

Figure Figure 1. v

On the accompanying drawings I have used the reference character A to indicate gener ally a supporting stand. The stand A is 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of provided with a'plurality of legs 10 whereby the device may be supported on the floor. Extending through a squared opening 12 formed in the upper end of the: stand A is a bolt 14. A nut 16 is positioned on the bolt 14 and against the stand A for rigidly mounting the bolt relative to the stand.

Beyond the nut 16 the bolt 14 is round as. indicated at 14a and a drum 18 is rotatably mounted thereon. The drum 18 is provided with an integrally formed head'20 and aremovable head 22 having a peripheral flange 24. At two points on the flange 2 L lock devices 26 are provided, each of which maybe unlocked by a key. I

My device is primarily designed to be placed in restaurants, drug stores,etc., by a manufacturer who takes care of filling the vending machine and collecting the coin therefrom. The restaurant or drug store in which the device'is mounted participates in Figure 7 is a View of he instruction card,

sharing the coin received in the machine and therefore the owner of the store and the owner of the machine each have a key so that the drum 18 cannot be open except by-both keys at once.

A nut 28 is provided on the portion 14a of the bolt 14. for preventing end play of the drum: 18. Beyond the nut 28 the bolt 14 is squared as indicated at 14?). On the portion 147) I mount a disk 30 having thereon an arrow 32 and directions 34 for manipulating supporting pipe 46.- The supporting pipe 46 is also screw threaded into one of the openings36 of the drum18. Lock nuts 48 may be provided for insuringa rigid connection between the unit B and the supporting drum 18.

Slidably mounted in guideways 50 formed inv the casing 38 is a plate 52.- The plate 52 has secured to the bottom thereof a rod 54 extending. into. aspring. casing 56.. The casing 56may be screwed into the casing 38 or otherwise supported thereon. Mounted on the rod 54 and extending from the bottom of theca'sing 56 to-a pin 58 is a spring 60 which normally tends to move the plate 52in the direction of the arrow 62.

Supported on. the casing 38 is a cage 64 made of woven wire or similar material whereby a eandybar 66 therein may be seen by an operator of the vending machine. The endsof the casing 66 are normally formed by apair of end members 68 secured to the plate 52;. In whatI shall term as a normal position, the members 68 are in alignment with the ends of the cage 64 whereby access to the bar 66 therein may not be normally had.

For holding the: plate 52 in such normal position I providea latch bar 70 whiclrcoacts with a notch 72 formed in the lower surface of the plate 52. The latch bar 70 is constrained to engage the notch 72 by being mounted on spring. arms 74 which have their ends secured to the casing 38. The arms 74 extend beyond the latch' bar 7 0 to form a loop 76. The loop 76 is normally'positioned adjacent a' cylinder 80 mountedon a shaft 82. The shaft 82 is rotatably'mounted relative to the casing 38 and terminates outside of the casing; in a: crank portion 84. The cylinder 80 is provided with a coin receiving slot 86 adapted to receive, for instance, a nickel. The slot 86 is shaped as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 5. of the drawings whereby a nickel. 80' received. therein will project beyond the surface of the cylinder as illustrated. In case a penny or dime is inserted in the slot 86 it will fall through the opening instead of projecting beyond the surface of the cylinder.

The lid 40 is provided with a lip 90 adapted to prevent rotation of the crank 84 in the wrong direction. After a nickel has been placed in the slot 86 the crank 84 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 92 whereby the pro jecti'ng portion of the nickel engages the loop 76 for moving the latch bar 70 downwardly and causing its disengagement from the notch 72. Further rotation of the cylinder 80 will drop the nickel into the casing 38.

Assoon as the latch bar 7 0 disengages-from the notch 72 the spring 60 will move the plate 52 to the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 6 of. the drawings so that the candy bar 66 may be easily removed from between the members 68 which are now, clear of the cage 64. The cage 64 may be refilled by placing another bar between the member 68 and pushing the plate 52 in a direction opposite to the arrow 62 whereupon the spring arms 74 cause the latch bar 7 O to engage the notch 72 inthe plate.

Since the cylinder 80 is free to rotate, the crank 84, due to gravity, will always assume a position hanging downwardly. Since the drum 80 rotates, it is necessary to have the crank 84 in a predeterminedposition in order that the proper end of the slot 86 will be in alignment with the slot 94 formed in the lid 40 of the casing 38. I therefore provide the pointer 32 on the disk 30 so that when any particular candy bar-in any of the vending units is to be sold, that unit may be brought to position indicated by the head of the arrow. The cylinder 80 on that particular unit will then be in proper coin receiving position due to the force of gravity acting on the handle 84. v 7

If desired, the sides of the units B may have advertising matter printed thereon whereby the device may act as an advertising stand; As the drum 18 is rotated by various operators to obtain the candy bars which they desire the coins deposited in the various casings 38 will travel by gravity through:

the pipes 46 to the inside of the drum 18. To catch these coins I provide a tray '96, depending from the-portion 14a of the bolt 14. In this manner the coin from all the various units B may be conducted to one reception point. from which they may be removed by the removal of the disk 30 and nut 28 and the unlocking and removal of the head 22 of" the drum 18.

In the'ven ding machine illustrated I have vided for the display of each of the candy bars so that the operator of the vending machine can choose which one he wants and obtain it by rotating the drum 18 to the proper position and then inserting a nickel 1n the slot 94 and rotating the crank 84 to release the plate 52' and thereby gain access to the bar between the end members 68.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention,' and it is my intention to cover by my claim any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

A vending machine comprising a drum rotatably mounted, a plurality of tubes extending therefrom, containers mounted on the outer ends of said tubes and means op-' eratively associated with each container for opening the same upon the reception of a coin in said means, said means including aspring, said tubes serving to space said containers from said drum whereby said spring may have room to function properly when mounted to extend from said container toward said drum. Des Moines, Iowa, February 20,, 1928.

LEW A. HURLBURT.

Images