US2026636A - Coin controlled vending machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1936. s, NY HOPE Er AL COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Original Filed July 19, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l Srmentors Jan. 7, 1936. s, N, HOPE ETAL 6 2,026,636

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHIE original Filed Julylsa. 1935 3 sheets-sheet 2 Jan. 7, 1936. s. N. HOPE ET AL COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE I5 Sheets-(Sheet 5 Original Filed July 19, 1933 16, FIG.

Snventors FIG. 8

Wf@ l 6.067%@ Patented Jan. 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Samuel N. Hope, Wauwatcsa, and Paul Drath, West Allis, Wis., assignors to Griffith-Hope Company, West Allis, Wis., a corporation ol.'

Wisconsin Original application July 19, 1933, Serial No. 681,118. Divided and this application March 16,1934, Serial No. 715,794

4 Claims.

The invention relates to coin-controlled apparatus suitable for use in vending machines and other devices.

An object of the invention is to provide a coincontrolled mechanism of durable and compact construction and of such character as to permit economical manufacture and easy assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin-controlled mechanism which is so constructed as to prevent repeatedoperation of the mechanism by the same coin.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a vending machine embodying the invention, the operating parts being in retractedposition;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 1 but showing more parts in section, the operating parts being in advanced position ready to release the coin;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the operating parts in a partially retracted position after incomplete operation;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a guard member for the article-delivery passage, and

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View of a cover for `the article magazine.

In these drawings, a rectangular casing is constructed of two sheet metal parts suitably bent to shape, one of which is of inverted U-shape to form parallel side walls I5 and a top wall I6, and the other of which forms a bottom I'I having upturned side flanges I8 secured by rivets I9 to the inner faces of the side walls I5. Card holders 28 are here shown to be secured to the outer faces of the side walls I5. The opposite edge portions of the upper sheet metal parts are bent to form an inturned top flange 2| and inturned side flanges 23, and the front end of the bottom I'I has an upturned flange 25. The corner portions of the bottom I1 are preferably cut away, as seen in Fig. 4. Rubber feet 2l are fastened to the bottom I'I.

The device shown in the drawings is adapted for use in restaurants, and provision is made for dispensing napkins, and also for dispensing other articles, such as sticks of chewing gum G. The dispensing of the latter articles is effected by coinor check-controlled mechanism hereinafter described.

An upright channel-shaped sheet metal frame '28 is mounted within the casing and has a web 29 and opposite parallel side flanges 3d, which 5 latter are spaced inwardly from the side walls I5 of the casing. The front edges of the flanges 38 lie adjacent the inner edges of the inturned casing flanges 23. The web 29 has a base flange 3I which is secured by one or more rivets 32 to the 10 bottom Il, and the side flanges 30 have respective embossments 33 at their lower front corners secured to the inner faces of the bottom flanges I8 by a pair of the rivets I9, as best seen in Fig 5.

An upright channel-shaped gum magazine 3l 15 of sheet metal is `mounted within the channel frame 28 and has a web 38 parallel to and spaced forwardly from thechannel frame web 29. The opposite side flanges 39 of the magazine are parallel to and spaced inwardly from the side fianges 20 38 of the channel frame and are secured thereto by rivets 40 which pass through abutting embossments 4I and 42 formed respectively on the frame flanges and magazine flanges. The side flanges 39 of the magazine are lprovided along their front 25 edges with inturned lips 43 spaced downwardly from the upper end of the magazine to facilitate loading.

The upper end of the magazine is closed while the lower end is open and is spaced a short dis- 30 tance above a sheet metal platform 44. Downwardly projecting ears 48 are formed on the lower edges of the magazine side walls 39 to fit in apertures 4i formed in the platform. The platform has a down-turned front flange 45 sub- 35 stantially flush with the casing flanges 23. Downturned side ears 46 on the platform are secured by rivets 41 to the side flanges 30 of the channel frame 28, and a down-turned rear flange 48 is secured to the web 29 of the channel frame by one or 40 more rivets 49.V

A stack of gum sticks G in the magazine 31 is supported on the platform 44 and is surmounted by a hollow sheet metal follower 50 of rectangular cross-section loosely fitting in the 45 magazine against relative rotation to prevent disarrangement of the gum sticks when the casing is tilted, as during the operation of loading napkins. The front face of the follower may bear a suitable advertising legend. The follower 50 may be removed from the magazine during the loading operation.

The front of the casing adjacent the gum magazine is closed by a removable sheet metal cover or front plate 5I having a suitable key- 55 operated lock 52 at its upper end with a bolt engageable behind the upper casing flange 2 I. The lower edge of the cover is spaced from the platform 44 to form a delivery slot 53. At its opposite lower corners,` the cover is provided with rearwardly and downwardly projecting ears 54 (Fig. 8) to rest on the platform 44, the ears having downwardly projecting lugs 55 entering notches 58 formed in the platform (Fig. 4) The cover has an inspection opening 51 defined by an inturned lip 58. A gasket 59 surrounds the opening at the inner face of the cover and has a glass plate 68 bearing thereagainst and retained by flanged side tracks 5| secured to the inner face of the cover, the lower endsof the track flanges being bent to form stops. The lower edge of the cover has an inturned flange 62.

A coin drawer 63 is slidably mounted in the casing below the platform 44 and has a key-operated lock 64 in its front wall with a bolt engageable behind the down-turned front flange 45 of the platform. The drawer slidably rests on parallel rails 'l' formed on the bottom The platform 44 slidably supports thereon an ejector or feeder 65 in the form of a horizontal plate confined against upward movement by rearwardly projecting flanges (S8 on the bottom of the rear wall 38 of the gum magazine. The ejector has lugs 61 at opposite ends (Fig. 4) extending through horizontal slots 68 formed in the side flanges 30 of the frame 28. The fro-nt edges of the lugs 61 have notches 69 to receive the upwardly projecting arms of wire springs '10, each spring having an intermediate portion coiled about a headed pin 1| secured to the side flange 30 and having a rearwardly projecting arm anchored in a notch 12 (Fig. 2) formed in the lower edge of the sideY ilange. The bottom flanges I8 have notches I8 to provide clearance for the pins 'l The springs 'l0 urge the ejector rearwardly against the frame wall 29, out of register with the lower end of the gum magazine. 'Ihe follower 50 in the gum magazine has a beveled lower rear corner 50 so as to be lifted by the advancing ejector when the magazine is empty, thus avoiding blocking of the ejector.

The upper casing wall I6 has formed therein a coin slot 13 which registers with a coin chute carried on the gum magazine and consisting of angles 14 spot welded or otherwise secured to the rear wall V38 of the magazine and having spaced parallel chute-forming flanges joined by spot welded connections at their rear edges to an interposed vertical strip l5. Another slot '|6 is formed in the upper casing wall i6 at right-angles to the coin slot 73, and receives therethrough a plunger metal and having parallel ears 83 at oppposite ends pivotallyrmounted on aligned pins 84 secured to embossments 85 formed on the side walls or flanges 30 of the frame 28. The embossments extend downwardly tothe slots 68 and form the upper edges of these slots. The central part of the upper wall of the coin-driving member 82 is cut away to provide clearance for the coin chute 14, 15, as seen in Fig. 3, the coin chute having a converging lower end extending below the member 82. The coin-driving member is urged upwardly by a tensioned coiled spring 86 having its lower end secured theretoA and having its upper end anchored to a lug 8l on the plunger guide or strap '|9. The spring-urged coin-driving member lifts with it the plunger T1, the loop 8| on the plunger striking the lower edge of the strap to limit the upward movement of the plunger and coin-driving member.

The ejector 85 is displaceable forwardly by a rocker frame consisting of a pair o-f side arms 88 joined by a coin-engaging cross plate 89. The upper ends of the arms are pivotally mounted on the pins 84, and the lower ends are curved and bear in notches 90 (Fig. 4) formed in the rear edges of the lugs 6l on the ejector 85, thus preventing endwise displacement of the ejector.

A coin guide or chute is mounted on the rear wall 29 of the frame 28 in alignment with the chute 14, 'l5 to receive the coins at the lower portion of their travel, and consists of a pair of angles 9| secured as by spot welding to the wall 29 and having spaced parallel flanges forming a coin passage. A cam track or abutment 92 is secured between the parallel flanges and adjacent the wall 29 to effect the downward release of the coins after reaching a certain point in their travel. Below the lower coin guide, the ejector 65 and platform 44 are provided with respective openings 93 and 94 to permit released coins'to drop into the coin drawer 63.

In order to prevent repeated operation of the coin ejectorby a single coin or check, means are provided to prevent a complete stroke of the plunger 'I1 unless an introduced coin is released into the coin drawer. An angle bracket 95 is secured to the rear wall 29 of the frame 28 and has a forwardly projecting flange adjacent the coin chute 14, 15. A bell-crank 96 is pivotally secured to the bracket flange by a rivet 91, and has a downwardly projecting stop-forming arm which is urged forwardly by a coiled spring 98 attached to the bracket. A shorter forwardly projecting arm on the bell-crank is urged downwardly by a coiled spring 99 secured at its lower end to the cross plate 89 of the ejector-displacing arms 88. The downwardly projecting bell-crank arm is movable rearwardly into the path of the plunger loop 8| to prevent a complete upward stroke of the plunger unless an introduced coin ls passed in the coin drawer, as hereinafter described.

A guard |00 of sheet metal has a body portion below the platform 44 and provided with trunnions |0| at opposite side edges rockably supported in ears |02 projecting downwardly from the platform. At its front portion the guard has a pair of upstanding flanges |03 which pass through slots |04 in the front portion of the platform to block the delivery passage 53. At its rear portion the guard |00 has a pair of upwardly bent side fingers |05 which are movable through openings |06 formed in the platform and bear against the bottom surface of the ejector 65 when the latter is in its retracted position, thus holding the stop flanges |03 in their upper blocking positions to prevent withdrawal of gum sticks. The guard |00 is also urged to such position by one or more leaf springs |01 secured at their front ends to the upper surface of the guard by rivets |08 and bearing at their rear ends against the bottom surface of the platform 44 rearwardly of the trunnions |0|. The blocking movement of the guard |00 is limited by the abutment oi the front portion of the guard against the bottom surface of the platform. The guard carries upstanding cam projections |09 at opposite side edges forwardly of the trunnions |0| and movable through slots I0 formed in the platform 44. The cam projections |09 are depressed by the notched front edge of the ejector as the ejector is moved on an advancing stroke, thus rocking the guard and moving the front flanges |03 thereon downwardly to unblock the delivery passage 53 for the discharge of a stick of gum. The ejector 55 has parallel slots therein spaced from the front edge of the plate to permit the cam projections |09 to rise therein after the stick of gum is removed and while the plate is advanced, thus discouraging tampering.

In operation, a coin C is introduced into the coin slot '|3 in the top wall l0 of the casing and drops through the chute 14, 15 to the position seen in Fig. 1, where it rests on edge on the cross plate 89 of the ejector arms 88 and on the upper portion of the cam track 92 of the lower guide or chute. The plunger 11 is then depressed by the nger to rock the coin-driving member 82 downwardly against the action of the spring 88. The member 82 pushes the coin downwardly and forwardly along the cam track 92, and the descending coin pushes the cross plate 89 forwardly, as seen in Fig. 2, to swing the ejector arms 88 forwardly. 'I'he ejector 05 is thus advanced along the platform 44 and in the irst part of its movement depresses `the cam projections |09 on the guard |00 to swing the latter to unblocking position, the rear guard'ngers |05 being free to rise behind the advancing ejector. The ejector in its further movement pushes the lowermost stick of gum through the delivery opening 53 in position either to fall out or to readily be withdrawn by the lingers. The plunger I1 is depressed further from the passing position shown in Fig. 2 to cause the coin to move over the hump of the cam track 92 and to drop into the coin drawer 93, whereupon the ejector is moved by the springs l0 to its retracted position, the arms 88 being also movable rearwardly with the ejector. The plunger 'l1 is thereupon released to the elevated position of Fig. 1. As soon as the ejector is retracted, the stack of gum sticks G drops to the platform 44 in readiness for another operation.

If the plunger is released from the position of Fig. 2 in an attempt to effect repeated operation with a single coin, the coin will not drop to the coin drawer but will rise a short distance along the cam track 92 under the urge of the springpressed ejector. The upward movement of the plunger is limited, however, by the bell-crank 98, as seen in Fig. 6, which is urged to stopping position by the spring 99 attached to the cross plate 89 of the ejector arms 88, thereby limiting the retraction of the ejector and preventing its Vwithdrawal from beneath the stack of gum sticks, so as to prevent unauthorized removal of the articles. In this condition of the device the anges |03 of the guard |00 are in their upper position, blocking the delivery passage 53. In the normal operation of the device when the coin is released into the coin drawer, the tension on the spring 99 is lessened by the complete retraction of the ejector arms 88, whereupon the spring 98 moves the bell-crank 96 out of stopping position to permit full release of the plunger to its 10 Fig. 1 position.

In assembling the device, the gum magazine 31 with its attached coin chute is fastened to the frame 28 by the rivets 40, and the frame 28 is attached to the bottom by the rivet 32. The 15 upper casing member l5, I6 is then mounted in place, a pair of the rivets 9 securing together the frame 28, the bottom ilanges |8 and the side walls I5. n

What we claim as new and desire to secure by 20 Letters Patent is:

1. In a dispenser, the combination of articledelivery means including a swingably mounted member having a coin abutment, a movably mounted coin-driver, a second coin abutment be- 25 tween which and said first-named abutment a coin is urged and passed by said coin-driver to rock said swingably mounted member on an article-delivery stroke, and means controlled by the article-delivery means to prevent repeated 30 operation of said article-delivery means by the same coin.

2. In a dispenser, the combination of articledelivery means including a swingably mounted member having a coin abutment, a swingably 35 mounted coin-driver, an actuator for swinging said coin driver, a second coin abutment between which and said first-named abutment a coin is urged and passed by said coin-driver to rock said first-named swingably mounted member on an article-delivery stroke, and a movably mounted stop member shiftable to stopping position by the coin-displaced member to limit the retracting movement of the coin-driver.

Cil

3. The combination of a shiftably mounted 45 member, a movably mounted ,moin-driver, an abutment between which and said member a coin is urged by said driver to displace said shiftably mounted member, an actuating plunger for moving said coin-driver, and spring means 50 for retracting said coin driver and holding it in engagement with said plunger.

4. The combination of a shiftably mounted member, coin-operated means for displacing said member including a coin-driver, a stop.for limit- 55 ing the retraction of said coin-driver, anda resilient connection between said stop and member for moving said stop to stopping position when said member is in an advanced position.

60 SAMUEL N. HOPE. PAUL DRATH.

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