US1839843A - Slot-closing means - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5, 1932. B. FRY 1,839,843

SLOT CLOSING MEANS Original Filed Jah. 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 'l Jan. 5, 1932. s. FRY

SLOT CLOSING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 16, 1930 Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED. TAT S PATENT OFFICE i BENJAMIN L. FRY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL SALES MACHINE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A GORPORATION OF MISSOURI,

snor-onosme MEANS Original application filed January 16, 1930, Serial No. 421,295, and in Canada February 24, 1930. Divided and this application filed ()ctober 14, 1930. Serial No. 488,667.

' column of compartments This. application is a division of an application filed by me January 16, 1930, Serial No. 421,295. r

The present invention has for its object the provision of simple andefficient means Whereby, when all the merchandise in a column of merchandise-containing compartments of a vending machine has been sold, the coin tube associated with the column will be closed and the insertion of coins to effect further sales from the same column "will be prevented until the compartments have been refilled and the closure returned to itsinitial position. The

invention is illustratedinthe accompanying drawings and consists in certain novel features which will be hereinafter first fully described and then more particularly defined in the appended claim.

In the drawings: I

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of. so much of a Vending machine as is necessary to an understanding of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 83-of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a portion of a cabinet which encloses the operating mechanism and the articles which are to be vended. At 2 is shown one column of compartments in which articles to be vended are placed, said column containing compartments 3 each of proper dimensions to receive the particular package or article which is to be vended. It will be understood that the cabinet may be constructed in any desired size to contain any desired number of columns and that adjoining columns will be separated by partitions so that each column will be entirely independent of all the other columns, the partitions being omitted in the accompanying drawings. The

is formed from sheet metal providing a back Wall 4 and side walls 5, the front of the column being open and having outturned flanges 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. A door or vertically slidable closure 7 extends thefull height of the column and rests against the preferably front faces of the flanges 6, saiddoor or slidmg plate being provided with a reentrant' flange 8 along one edge which fits around the adjacent flange 6 of the column so as to be guided and held thereby. At the opposite side, the plate has a rearwardly extending flange 9 which extends past the adjacent flange 6 and has a cleat or guide striplO secured'thereto at the rear of'the flange so as to engage behind the same and guide the closure in its. movements. On its outer side, the flange or lip9is provided with a plurality of studs or projections 11 which are spaced apart distances corresponding to the heightsofthe several compartments in the column. Secured to the framework of the cabinet at the front of the closure are bars or vertical strips 12 which coverthe side ,edges offthe closure and thereby effectually frustrate attempts to pry the closure from its guides and thereby obtain unauthorized access to the article-containing compartments. 'Adjacent the upper extremity of the door or'closure is aforwardly projecting lip or fingerpiece 13 whereby the 'door may be drawn upwardly into its initial position after the several; compartments have beenfilledwith merchandise.

Immediately in advance of the columns of compartments, the cabinet is formed with a shelfv 14 projecting forwardly from the. compartments and in said shelf immediately in front of. each column is formed a coin Slot 15 through which coins of the proper denomination may. be inserted to effect release of a desired article. The several coin slots are so disposed that a coin-inserted therein will drop at once into a coin chute 16 which will guide the coin to an operating, plunger, 17 and wliichisprovided with means whereby slugs,

, impropercoins or otherspurious devices'wil'l 9 be ejected, the ejected device being directed into a hopper1'9 in the lowerportion of the cabinet while the good coins will be delivered" into another hopper disposed at the rear of the hopper 19. and separatedtherefronrby a partition 21. These hoppers extend from side to side of the cabinetso that all the deposited coins will be received by the hoppers and directed into separate boxes or-other re ceptacles in which they willzcollect until re:

moved by the owner or custodian of the machine. The particular construction of the coin chute is immaterial in the present case and, therefore, a detailed description and illustration of the same is unnecessary.

In the operation of the machine, the closure 7 is moved downwardly with a step by step movement so as to successively uncover the compartments in-the column to which it is fitted. On one edge of the door or closure, at the upper end thereof and extending vertically, there is a fin 22 which projects laterally from the door or closure behind the adjacent guard strip 12 and is tapered downwardly, as

shown in Fig. 2. Immediately below the shelf 14, there is a transverse angle bar 23 which provides a support for some of the parts and also'braces the,cabinet. Pivoted upon this cross bar 23 is a valve orstop plate 24 which extends forwardly from the bar and is of such form and dimensions that it may extend across the area of the coin slot 15 below the same and thereby prevent the insertion of a coin when the associated column is empty. The valve or stop plate is provided with a depending lug 25 disposed eccentric to its pivot and a spring 26 is attached to said lug and to some adjacent fixed part of the structure so that its tendency is to swing the valve into a position away from the coin slot 15 and out of the path of an inserted coin. The valve is also constructed with a tooth 26' which projects rearwardly from the pivot into the path of the fin 22, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby, when the closure approaches the lower limit of its movement and uncovers the lowermost compartment, the stop plate will be rocked so as to be projected across the coin slot 15. When the closure is restored to its initial position, the spring 26 at once swings the valve away from the coin slot.

Below the column, an angle bar 27 extends across the cabinet and to said angle bar, adj acent the side of the column, is secured an upstanding guide plate 28 having a vertical slot therein through which is fitted a slide bar 30. Said slide bar extends forwardly and passes through a front guide bracket32 which is secured upon a cross bar 33 in the cabinet in advance of the column and over the hopper. On that side of the slide which is presented to the column, there is secured a bracket or plate 34 and a block or cam 36 which cooperates therewith and with a hook or tongue 38 thereon overhanging. the cam block 36. Pivoted The front extremity of the slide is connected with the plunger 17 but the plunger is nor mally locked against movement and a retractile spring 53 yieldably holds the plunger and slide retracted. A deposited coin of proper denomination releases the locking mechanism, the coin being ejected during the movement of the plunger and the slide and the locking mechanism being automatically reset;

when the plunger and the slide return to initial position.

In front of the column of compartments, an opening 68 is provided in the top of the cabinet which is glazed', as shown at 68, and below which is secured a box 64: containing a sample of the merchandise offered for sale.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: I

In a vending machine, the combination of a vertical column of compartments, a door extending across the front ends of all the compartments to cover the same and operable to successively uncover the compartments, a shelf in front of the lower end of the column having a slot therein for the insertion of a controlling element, a valve pivoted on the under side of the shelf in position to extend across the slot and close the same, means to yieldably hold the valve from across the slot, a tooth projecting from said valve toward the vertical movable closure, and a vertically extending fin on theclosure at the upper end thereof adapted to ride across said tooth and actuate the valve to project the sameacross the slot. I

In testimony'whereof I afiix my signature.

BENJAMIN L. FRY. [L. s.]

upon the side of the slide is a dog 40, said v dog, the bracket34 and cam 36 cooperatively engaging the projections to effect descent of the closure 7, when the slide is reciprocated.

' The slide, of course, cannot be actuated until a coin has been inserted, and the operation permits the closure ;to descend only far enough to uncover one compartment, whereupon it is locked against further movement until another. coin is deposited.

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