US2193239A - Bottled beverage dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 12,' 1940.

C. A. ROPP BOTTLED BEVERAGE DIsPENsING APPARATUS LFiled April 17. 1957 4 sheets-snapt 1l INVENTQR. C//f TER ROPP BY ,(0

ATTORNEY.

C. A. ROPP BOTTLED BEVERAGE DlISPENSINGr APPARATUS Marh 12, 1940f 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 rFiled April 17, 1937 INVENT OR. c//fs 729,@ fi. A20/0p 9(214. Ww

ATTORNEY.

Marchmlz, 1940. c, A, RQPP I 2,193,239

BOTTLED BEVERAGE DISPESING APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY.

March 12, 1940. C. A. ROPP 2,193,239 I BOTTLED BEVERAGE DISPENSING APPA'ATus Filed April 17, -1937 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Mar. 12, 194i] Mrap BOTTLED BEVERAGE 'DISPENSING APPARATUS Chester A. Ropp, Bloomington, Ill., assignor to Williams Oil-O-Matic Heating Corporation,

Bloomington, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 17, r1937, Serial No. 137,460

ll Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in dispensing apparatus and more particularly to an improved device of this character for cooling and 4dispensingl bottled beverages or other bottled goods.

It is an object of this invention to provide a closed cabinet for containing, and cooling if desired, bottled goods contained in bottles of uniform size so arranged therein as to be successively removable upon the depositing of a coin to release a manually operable closure to allow the removal of a bottle. y

With these and other objects in view, reference is made to the accompanying sheets of drawings which illustrate a preferred form of this invention, with'the understanding that detail changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of cabinet and dispensing apparatus constructed in. accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in central vertical section taken on the line 2 2, Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing gie dispensing apparatus and bottles in eleva- Figure 3 is an enlarged detailview in vertical section of the dispensing apparatus taken on the line 3 3, Figure 1, with the exterior cover for the dispensing opening removed.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the cover of Figure 1 mounting the coincontrolled operating mechanism, with parts broken away.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailplan view of the operating mechanism shown in Figure 4, with parts broken away, partly in section and with parts removed, illustrating the position assumed by the elements after the mechanism has operated to allow the removal of a bottle and the stepbystep movement is in locked position.

Figure 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of Figure 5, with parts removed, and indicated in dot and dash lines.

Figure l is a view similar to Figure 5 illustrating in full lines the position assumed by the elements of the step-by-.step mechanism when the operating handle has been released and rotated to the left to allow the movement dog to be retracted and in dotted lines the position assumed by the mechanism in reciprocating the movement dog to be in position to impart the next movement step upon further rotation of the handle to the right.

Figure 8 is a view in elevation of Figure 7, with parts removed, illustrating the progressive positions assumed by the elements of the stepby-step mechanism in dotted lines'.

The embodiment of this invention illustrated includes a rectangular cabinet I open at the top and provided with a rectangular closure 2 which may be secured thereto in any desired manner, as by a ldepending flange 3 engaging the inner walls, of the cabinet. VThe top of the closure 2 is provided with a circular opening concentric with vertical axis oi the cabinet, which opening terminates in a depending annular flange 4. The bottom of the rectangular closure includes a plate 5 having a plurality of perforations of sufficient size for the passage of a bottle therethrough. The perforations are arranged in three circular rows with the outer peripheries of the outer row of perforations 6 arranged in line with the inner circumference of the annular ange 4 of the top closure 2. An intermediate row of perforations 'i is arranged upon equally spaced-apart centers between every other pair of perforations of the outer row, and an inner row ofperforations Si is formed upon equally spaced-apart centers on each side of the perforations forming the intermediate row, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. The relation and purpose of the three rows of perforations will be hereinafter explained.

The means for successively allowing of the removal of a bottle from the cabinet is contained within a cylindrical dispenser turn-table 9 concentric with the opening in the top of the closure 2. The circular top I of the rotatable turntable 9 is provided with an upstanding flange Il adapted to slidably engage the inner surface of the depending ange 4 of the circular opening of the closure 2 to position the casing. The bottom I2 of the turn-table is provided with a central cylindrical perforated bearing member I3 adapted to rotatably engage a stud I4 mounted upon the perforated plate whereby the cylindrical tum-table is rotatably mounted and closes the circular opening in the top of the closure 2.

'Ihe bottles to be dispensed are supported upon a shelf I5 within the cabinet I with their tops adjacent the under side of the rectangular perforated plate 5, and are arranged in a bottle rack or containers composed of circular discs I6 having a plurality of perforations arranged in circular rows, supported by studs IIa and secured to the shelf I5 to lie directly below each perforation in each of the three rows in the plate 5.

vThe bottom I2 of the rotatable cylindrical turntable mounted in the closure 2 is provided with a radial opening I1 extending from the outer pe-A riphery of the outer row of perforations to the inner periphery of the inner row of perforations 8 and of a width equal to the ldiameter of said perforations in the plate 5. The circular top III tatable turn-table is in the position shown in Figure 4, the opening I1 completely uncovers one perforation 6 of the outer row on plate 5, while the bottom I2 of the rotatable turn-table 9 partially covers the adjacent perforation 1 in the intermediate row and the adjacent perforations 8 in the inner row, so that the bottle below the perforation 6 may be withdrawn from the cabinet while the others are covered or partially covered by the rotatable turn-table. If a step-by-step movement is imparted to the rotatable turntable, the contiguous perforation 1 to the right in the intermediate row will be completely uncovered while the adjacent perforations inthe outer and inner rows will be partially covered, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, and upon the next step of the movement to the right, the contiguous perforation 6 in the outer row will be completely uncovered, while the adjacent perforations'in the other rows will be partially covered, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, and upon the next step in the movement, the contiguous perforations 8 in the inner row will be uncovered while the adjacent perforations in the outer intermediate rows will be partially covered. This cycle repeats itself upon continued rotation in the same direction.

From the above description it is seen that by the arrangement of the perforations 6, 1 and 8 in the plate 5 of the closure 2 and by imparting a continuous step-by-step movement to the rotatable turn-table contained in the closure thereabove, 'the bottles may be successively removed from the cabinet through the opening l1 in the closure, It is to be noted in this arrangement that two bottles in the outer row are removed to every one in the intermediate row and inner row. If desired, the opening I1 and beveled walls I8 may be provided with a spring-pressed' cover I9, preferably hinged at one side as shown in Figure l. This is especially desirable when the cabinet contains ice'or other bottle-cooling medium, and in such an event it is preferable to provide the rotatable turn-table 9 with insulation material 20 between the top I6 and bottom I2 thereof, as shown in Figure 3. A step-by-step movement, hereinafter to be described, is arranged to advance the opening I1 of the closure to uncover the bottles as hereinafter described. It is desirable to prevent further rotation of the rotatable turn-table of the closure 2 after the last bottle has been removed, and to accomplish this, one perforation 6 of the outer row is omitted in plate 5 and as the opening I1 passes over this continuous solid portion 2| in uncovering the last bottle in the inner row, the plate 5 will coact with means forming a part of the step-by-step movement to lock the mechanism against further movement.

The step-by-step movement is mounted in a casing 22 and is provided with a reciprocating slide 23 having an outstanding dog or lug 24 at one end thereof adapted to engage and disengage equally spaced-apart apertures 25 in the vcylindrical sides of the turn-table 9, as shown in dotted lines'in Figures 3 to 8 inclusive. The casing 22 passes through-an aperture provided therefor in the top of the closure I and is secured upon the perforated plate 5 and the bottom of the casing 22 1s secured to a rectangular base 26 tangential to the circumference of the rotatable turn-table 9. The reciprocating slide 23 is pivoted at one end upon a stud 21 which is mounted to reciprocate .in a slot 28 larranged longitudinally in the base 26. The length of this slot 28 is such that when the slide 23 is at one end of its movement with the dog 24 in engagement with the slot 25 in the rotatable turn-table 9, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, it will allow the slide, when the dog 24 has been removed from engagement with the turn-table, to becaused to travel to the right a suflicient distance to allow the dog 24 to engage the next aperture 25 to the right, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 7. The slide 23 is provided with'an upstanding post 29 in approximate transverse alignment with the dog 24. A spring 38 anchored at one end to the stud 21 engagesthe post 29 and normally exerts a pressure to retract the dog 24 from engagement with the turn-table 9. In order to withdraw the dog 24 of the slide 28 from engagement with the turn-table 9 as shown in Figure 7, reciprocate the slide 23 to the other end of its movement and allow the dog 24 to engage the next aperture 25 in the turn-table 9, and then impart the next step of the step-by-step movement to the turn-table 9, an operating disc 3l is mounted upon an operating shaft 32 extending through the casing 22 to engage an operating lever 33 provided with an operating handle 34, as shown in Figures 4 to 8, inclusive. The operating disc 3| is provided with a projecting stop 35 adapted to engage the post 29 when the slide 23 is at the end of its movement, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the operating handle 34 has rotated the operating shaft 32 to the end of its movement to the right. The operating disc is provided with another projecting stop 36 adapted upon rotation of the handle 34 to the left to engage the other side of the post 29, as the handle 34 is rotated to the left to reciprocate the slide to the other end of its movement, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 8, when the handle 34 has reached the end of its movement to the left. The operating disc 3i is cut away between the stops 35 and 36 on the arc of a circle concentric with the disc and its edge is provided with an arcuate fiange 3l projecting in the same direction as the stops and adapted to engage the adjacent side of the post 29 and rotate the slide 23 against the tension of the spring 3i) to cause the dog 2li to enter an aperture 25 in the turn-table 3, as shown in Figure 6, and maintain its engagement therewith. To allow the dog 24 to be retracted from engagement with the turn-table 9, the flange 31 is terminated short of the stop 36 so that when the disc 3i has been rotated to the left. as shown in full lines in Figure 8, the post 29 is freed from contact with the flange 31 and the pressure of the spring 30 will move the post 29 to be in the path of the stop 36, and at the same time Withdraw the dog 24 so that further .rotation of the disc to the left will move the slide 23 to the right end of its reciprocatory movement, so that as the handle 34 is again rotated to the right, the flange 3,1 will engage the post 29 and cause the dog 24 to engage within the aperture 25 in the rotatable turn-table 9 and upon continuing the rotation of the handle 34 to the end of its travel in that direction the slide 23 will be reciprocated and impartone step in the movement to the turn-table 9. This cycle is repeated to impart tii'e step-by-step movement to the casdog 2d will lock the casing while the latch 38 is reciprocated to impart a rotation step to the tum-table 9 at the end of its movement, as shown in Figure 5. The latch 38 is provided with a. spring 4| secured at one end to the post 39 with its free end in engagement with the body of the latch opposite the lug 40 `to normally urge the lug against the side of the turn-table 9 and enter an aperture 25 when aligned therewith. To free the latch 38, the slide 23 is provided with a prolongation 42 extending from the rear of the post 29 and a suilicient distance in the direction of the latch 38, so that when the slide 23 has been withdrawn from engagement with the turn-table and moved in the direction of the latch 3S, the under side of the projectionl 42 will engage over the portion of the latch extending in that direction from its pivotal point. The rear of the projection 12 is provided with a curved surface d3 adapted to engage the free end of a leaf-spring i i4 bent back upon itself and secured to a lug d5 extending upward from the. base 26, so that as the movement of the slide 23 continues, the prolongation 52 travels between the spring M and latch 38, and as the pressure of the` spring td increases as it travels up the curved surface e3, the dog 4B of the latch 38 will be completely withdrawn from engagement with the turn-table 9 as the'slide 23 reaches the end of its movement in that direction. As the slide 23 reaches the'end of its movement toward the right, the dog 2d is brought opposite the next aperture 25 in the turn-table 9 at the same time the lug di! of the latch 38 is withdrawn and the pressure of the leaf-spring llt causes the ,end of the prolongation t2 to rotate the latch about its pivotal point to cause the dog 2t to engage the registering aperture 25, as shown in dotted lines in Figure '1. When the operating handle is rotated in the opposite direction, the flange 3l upon the operating disc 3i engages the post 22 and holds the dog 241 in engagement with the turn-table 9, so that the removed, and whenthe stop :it engages the post 29 to impart a movement to the slide, the withdrawal of the prolongation 42 frees the latch. 3B so that it will ride over the wall of the turn-table Si until opposite the next aperture 2 5 is reached as the slide, 22 reaches the other end of its-travel to again lock the turn-table against rotation. A

After the last bottle has been removed from the perforation il in the inner row of bottles, the further rotation of the turn-table d is prevented by an additional mechanism. a bell-crank lever is pivotally mounted at its apex Se upon the upper end of a post d'5 extending upwardly from the base 26 within tine casing 22, as shown in Figure 6. The upper arm t2 oi the bell-crank lever is provided with a stop d@ adapted upon rotation to enter the path ci the stop 36 upon the operating disc 3l, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 8, and prevent the stop 36 from. engaging the post 2t to reciprocate the slide 23 to limpart the next step-by-step movement ofthe turn-table El. The end of the other arm' 5&3 oi the bell-crank lever is connected by the pivoted link l passing through the plate t to one end oi a cross-head 52 pivotably mounted at its center upon a bracket 53 secured upon the under side ci the plate d. The other end of the cross-head 52 pivotally mounts a pin ed, the free end of which is adapted to pass through an aperture 55 provided therefor in the plate 5 to normally engage the under side of the bottom plate I2 of the turn-table 2 and t0 hold the bell-crank lever with its stop 49 out of the path of the stop 36, as shown in Figure 6. A spring 56 secured at one end to the pivotal point of the cross-head 52 exerts an upward pressure upon the ,free end of the pin 54. A perforation or aperture 51 is provided in the solid portion 2l of the base plate I2 formed by the omission of the perforation 5. As the last bottle in the inner row is uncovered, the aperture 57 is brought 1n register with the end of the pin 54, so that the spring 5E will operate the cross-head 52 to rotate the bell-crank lever through the link 5l to bring the stop 49 into the path of the stop 36 of the operating disc, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 8. When the closure 2 s removed from the cabinet l to refill, the lpin 5t is manually withdrawn and the mechanism operated to the-next step which normally would uncover the omitted perforation 6 in the outer row, and when replaced over 'the filled cabinet the adjacent perforations 'l and 8 will be partially covered by the casing 9.

It is desirable to have a dispensing apparatus of this character provided with a coin-controlled mechanism preventing the operation of the stepby-step mechanism until after the deposit of a coin for thel purchase of a bottle of the beverage contained within the cabinet. The rear of the casing 22 is therefore provided with a coin-controlled mechanism of commercial form mounted within a casing 58 through which the operating shaft 32 passes. This coin-controlled mechanism may be of anyforrn desired which will operate upon the deposit of a coin in the slot 59 to either free the operating lever 3i for manual operation or connect the operating lever 3i with the operating shaft 32 upon manual operation to reciprocate the step-by-step movement as the coin passes through the mechanism, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 8. This particular coincontrolled mechanism forms no part of this invention and as above said may be oi any typedesired.

What I claim is:

A bottle dispensing apparatus including a cabinet, means for supporting a plurality of bottles therein in concentric circular inner, outer and intermediate rows, said means adapted to support the bottles of said intermediate row between ever other pair ot bottles of said outer row and to support the bottles `of said inner row between each pair of bottles of said intermediate row, a cover therefor including a stationary plate and a turntable rotatably mounted thereon and thereover, said plate being provided with a plurality of perforations of substantially the size and shape of the greatest cross section of said bottles and arranged in alignment thereabove, said turntable having a radial opening therein of a width approximating the greatest cross section of a bottle and of a length to register with the outer limits of the rows'of perforations, and means for imparting a movement to said turntable to uncover one bottle at a time successively from the outer row, the intermediate row, the outer row and the inner row.

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