US2144807A - Control mechanism for coin actuated machines - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 24, 1939. A. K. NORTON 2,144,807

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR COIN ACTUATED MACHINES Filed Dec. 28, 1936 j fraa/ve Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES CONTROL MECHANISM FOR GOIN ACTU- ATED MACHINES Alvin K. Norton, Portland, Oreg. Application December 28, 1936, Serial No. 117,802

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to vending machines, and particularly to a control mechanism for coin actuated machines.

The main object of this invention is to protect coin controlled vending machines against the improper operation thereof.

The second object is to increase the difllculty of producing an improper operation without adding to the original cost of the machine or to the complication of its mechanism.

I accomplish these and other objects in the manner set forth in the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the principal element in the device.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the latch pawl.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through the mechanism directly connected to my improved device showing the parts with no coin or the wrong coin being used.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the position of the parts when a correct coin has been used. I

25 Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Similar numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Before entering into an explanation of this 00 invention, it will be understood that it relates to that class of inventions commonly known to the trade as Mills vending machines, of such class the machine described in the U. S. Patent No. 1,706,896 is an example, although the mech- 35 anism herein described does not apply to the mechanism of this particular patent.

In this class of machines a coin, such as a five cent piece, is inserted and a hand lever is operated for the purpose of delivering merchan-' 40 dise to a customer. A common fault of such machines resides in the fact that it is easily possible to operate these machines in a manner to make several deliveries of merchandise upon the making of one payment in money, this usually 45 being accomplished by drilling a small hole in the case of the machine and inserting a wire by means of which the machine can be made to function improperly.

In order that the object of the present inven- 0 tion and its relation to existing machines may be better understood, it is stated that the coin controlled bar Ill is identical with those now in use on the machines referred to and the movability of this bar is determined by the inser- 56 tion of a proper coin in a slot and the operation of certain gaging and value determining mechanism, not shown, since they do not form a part of the present invention, it being sufficient for the present purpose to know that the bar In is normally in a position shown in Fig. 3, but 5 if a proper coin is inserted, it can be manually moved to the position shown in Fig. 4.

On the frame H is mounted a pivot |2 which carries a. bell crank lever |3 whose upper end I4 is connected by means of a link l5 to the bar W. A spring It returns the bar ID to the rest position shown in Fig. 3. The lower end I! of the bell crank lever |3 has a laterally turned flange l8 above which is disposed the hook IQ of a manually operated lever 20. 1

A downward movement of the lever from the position shown in Fig. 3 will cause the underside 2| of the hook l9 to engage the flange l8 and rock the lever l3 and if the proper coin has been inserted, to move the bar In to the 20 position shown in Fig. 4.

Disposed on the frame H is a screw 22 upon which is pivotally mounted a latch pawl 23 whose book 24 is'adapted to engage a lug 25 projecting from the bar l0 when the parts are in the 25 position shown in Fig. 4. The pawl 23 is provided with a downturned stop arm 26 adapted to engage the stop lug 21. Also formed on the pawl 23 is a trip lug 2|! which extends downwardly. The pawl 23 has its hook 24 normally urged in 30 a downward direction by means of a spring 29.

A cover 30 and side wall 3| form a part of the machine casing.

Referring more particularly to my invention, same will be seen to consist of a rock lever 32 which is pivotally mounted on the screw 33 which is mounted on the frame The lever 32 is urged downwardly by means of a spring 34 whose lower end is attached to the frame The end .35 of the lever 32 has a downwardly extending portion 36 which has an inturned portion 31 whose underside is adapted to engage the hook l9 and whose upper side is adapted to engage the trip lug 28. One side 38 is curled upwardly to facilitate the assembling of the parts and has no other bearing on the present invention. The same is true of the downturned portion 39.

It will be understood that in the operation of machines of this type a coin is first inserted, as stated, and if it is a proper coin permits the bar It! to be moved, or if it is an improper coin or a slug prevents the bar H! from being moved. The lever 20 is then depressed and when the underside 2| of the hook I9 engages the flange I 3 and moves the bell crank lever l3, an efiort is made to move the bar I 0. If it is permitted to move by the proper coin, it moves to the position shown in Fig. 4, that is, in a latched position. During this movement of the lever 20, certain other operations have been occurring elsewhere in the machine, among which are the selection of the number of articles to be delivered and the ejection thereof, that is, the actual delivery of the articles to the purchaser.

It is the purpose of the present device to prevent a repetition of the delivering operation, that is, to limit it to one delivery operation to each selecting operation, since an attempt to repeat the delivery operation involves a return or upward movement of the lever 20.

It can be seen that with my device when the lever 20 is raised to a point where the member 31 engages the trip lug 28, there is an almost instantaneous release of the bar In which returns to its rest position which in turn prevents any further manipulation of the machine until another coin is inserted. In other words, I have constructed my device in a manner as to eliminate the period during which the mechanism can be juggled for the purpose of making incorrect deliveries.

I claim:

In a machine of the class described, a rock lever having a pivotal opening formed between the ends thereof, both of said ends being turned laterally in the same direction and one of said laterally turned ends being turned downwardly and then inwardly toward the pivotal opening, said last mentioned end having a curved shoe formed transversely with the body of said lever and extending upwardly on the side opposite said first mentioned inturned ends.

ALVIN K. NORTON.

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