US2247575A - Dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

y T. DE STEFAN! 2,247,575

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed March 25, 1938 4 Sheets-sheaf l 1975 ATTORNEY.

y 1941- T. DE STEFAN! 2,247,575

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed March 25, 1938 4 Shee'ts-Sheet z 50 July Jestefww INVENT OR.

A715 ATTORNEY.

July 1, 1941. 1- DE STEFAN] 2,247,575

DISPENSING APPARATUS H15 ATTORNEY.

DE STEFAN] DI SPEN S ING APPARATUS Filed March '25; 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WW .7 Y

flefiefalw INVENTOR.

HJ.$ ATTORNEY, w

Patented July 1 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT FFI E- DISPENSING APPARATUS Tully De Stefani, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Bastian-Blessing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 25, 1938, Serial No. 198,155

8 Claims.

This invention pertains to improvements in dispensing apparatus, particularly of the coincontrolled variety, and includes'among its important objects the provision of a dispensing machine adapted particularly to dispense a wide" variety of packaged items, including merchan- (rise in containers, such for example as packaged ice cream and various kinds of bottled goods ineluding beverages, milk and the like, there being, practically speaking, no restriction as to the nature of the merchandise or article to be vended other than that such article be of a unitary 'nature so that individual units, packages or conwith cooling means arranged closely adjacent an axial end of the magazine drum and the drum being of an improved open-work or skeletonized construction providing passage therethrough for cold air to be distributed to the storage compartment for the purpose of precooling commodities in the latter. The construction of the magazine drum is further particularly adapted to distribute the cooling medium or air from the refrigerating system about the articles in the magazine in a most eificient manner. I

A further object of the invention is the provision of article-feeding means cooperable with the improved magazine drum for feeding articles from the drum into position for movement toward a dispensing station or outlet.

A further object is the provision of improved article ejecting or dispensing means cooperable with the drum magazine for automatically releasing an article for dispensing movement into a discharge chute when such article reaches the aforesaid station or dispensing outlet,

Still another object resides in the arrangement of a magazine dispensing drum of the type heretofore characterized for movement about a vertical axis, with drive means arranged peripherally of the drum and adapted for driving engagement with a manually operable control for advancing the drum either freely, or in steps in a particular direction. v

Another object is the provision of a drum with a peripheral drive of the type hereinbefore' characterized and means arranged at the'axial ends of the drum and mounting'the same for rotation in a manner to leave the region at the axial ends of the drum substantially unobstructed, whereby storage and refrigerating compartments may be provided adjacent opposite ends of the drum for the particular purpose and in the manner hereinafter to be described.

Yet another object is the-arrangement-of a magazine drum in a dispensing cabinet with compartments at the axial ends of the drum, in the manner hereinbefore characterized, a compartment at the lower end of the drum constituting a precooling chamber and having removable deflecting means positioned above or on vendible articles therein, whereby to limit the rate of heat transfer between said articles and the cooling medium.

A still further object is the provision of dispensing apparatus and cabinet means housing the same for the accomplishment of the objects .heretofore recited, and wherein there is additionally provided a heat exchange unit in a removable cabinetsection constituting a part of the housing and removably seated above an axial nd of the magazine drum.

Certain details of the drum structure are described and claimed in applicants copending U. S. application, Serial No. 198,157, while certain details of the dispensing structure cooperable with the drum are described and claimed in my copending U. S. application, Serial No. 198,156.

Additional objects include the provision of a cabinet or housing structure especially adapted for cooperation with means for accomplishing the several objects such as heretofore character ized, and in which there is a door structure providing access to the dispensing mechanism and having an open section through which an operating control unit is arranged to project when the door is in .closed conditiomthere being a panel on the door movable into alignment with the control unit when the door is closed and including a novel discharge or dispensing chute and other means such as a cap puller and receiver or like means facilitating the immediate use or utilization of the article dispensed.

Other objects and novel aspects of the invention reside in certain details of construction, form, location and operation of the various parts and arrangements hereinafter to be described.

' of one of the dispensing dollies;

of the shelf or tray If by bolt and.

2 such for example, as the construction and assembly of the parts constituting the magazine drum and the means employed for mounting the same; the particular arrangement of the heat exchange means relative to the drum; the automatically tripping dolly means constituting a dis- Mounted above the shelf casting i8 isa canister it of semicylindrical shape, also forming part pensing support at the bottom of the drum for articles stacked about the periphery of the latter; together with means for automatically feeding articles from higher levels of the stack onto the dolly means, all of which'will appear more particularly as the following description develops in view of the annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevati paratus;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the cabinet and dispensing mechanism, as viewed along line 3-4 of Fig. 1 v

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec tion complementary to the section of Fig. -3, showing the lower part of the cabinet structure and dispensing mechanism, omitted in Fig. 3, as

' the same would be viewed in the direction of line 4-4 of Fig. 11'

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the magazine drum with the dollydispensing and peripheral drive means shown in plan, looking down along line H of Fig, 1

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a spiderhanger or mountingbracket for the magazine drum;

Fig. I is an enlarged vertical sectional detail Fig. 8.is a fragmentary front perspective of the dolly tripping means opposite the dispensing through a portion ofthe magazine drum and the article sustaining ledge and ramp means down from above the flange I in Fig. 8; and

Fig. ll is'a perspective view of a temporary bridging strap to be placed on the dolly or car- 'riage trackway.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, there is provided upstanding cabinet member I! surmounted by a removable dome section I! having a plurality of ventilating bellies ll arranged on its sides and communicating with the interior of the dome.

Mounted by suitable hinge means on the front wall of the cabinet is a closure or doorili providlng access to the dispensing'mechanism and also constituting a control panel. :Mounted in the lower region of the door is a delivery panel section in the form of a casting bolted to the door and having a horizontally extending shelf on of the dispensing apstation or discharge chute and also showing a bers I9.

of-a casting which is bolted to the door, and in which there is provided an opening ll into which the neck of a bottle or the like may be inserted for engagement with a de-capping device '28 (or other instrumentality facilitating the immediate use of the dispensed article), so that the cap of a carbonated beverage, for example, may be conveniently removed, the cap remaining in the canister and the latter having a bottom trap door 2] through which accumulated caps may be removed (Fig. 4)

Above the canister I6 is a rectangular opening, the margins of which are trimmed by a bezel or frame casting secured by any suitable means to a stationary, vertically hanging faceplate i ll secured to the door frame within the cabinet behind the door (see .also Figs. 3 and 5).

Projecting from behind the door through the frame-or bezel is a coin control unit 24, also having a semi-cylindrical front cover plate to conform the overall design to that of the canister It. In the top of the control cover plate is a coin depository 29, there being a coin return extended into respective door or gate members a and embracing the pintles to urge the doors into closed position. Each door is also provided with an integral boss 22 adJacent its pivotal mounting and ehgageable with the adjoining body portions of the basket structure to ease of! the springurged closing movement of the individual door or gate members. As seen in Figs. 4 and 9, the foremost end portion of the receiving basket I8 is provided with yieldable builer means 23 constructed of some resilient material, such as sponge rubber or the like, and adapted to soften the stopping engagement of the end of a. discharged" article or bottle descending thereagainst down the discharge chute and past the gate mem- The cabinet structure l2 of the present embodiment of the invention is designed particularly for use with refrigerating apparatus and is therefore constructed in accordance with approved heat-insulating practices employed in the construction ofv refrigerator cabinets and the like.

The upper end of thecabinet It, as seen particularly in Fig. 3, is open and provided-with a m top ledge'porti'on- 36 onto which is fitted thebotor tray ll (see also Figs. 4 and 9) which is hollow and which extends outwardly from a discharge opening communicating from within the cabinet and normally closed by a pair of gates ordoors an annulus 23 of sponge rubber or the like secured to the ou ermost vertical surfs ce portion 9 means 38 secured from within the shelf cast nsr tom panel portion 30 of .a refrigerating mechanism unit 31. there being a sealing gasket 88 interposed between the bottom support 36 and the ledge 38. r i

' The construction of the bottom support I. for the refrigerating unit 31 is suchas to insulate the transfer of heat from one side of the same to the other to prevent the heat developed by the refrigerating mechanism from being-communicated to the main interior of the cabinet. The dome shell or removable top structure It is placed over the refrigerating unit 31 and rests along. edge portions 13' upon uppermost edge portions of the open top of the cabinet I! adjacent the ledge portions ll, suitable'i'astening means being applied, where desired, to prevent unauthorized removal of the dome cover. the-weight the cover, however. being entirely adequate ,to main.

tain the same in mounted position. The baflles |4 supply adequate quantities of cooling air for the refrigerating mechanism, the latter being equipped with the customary cooling fan arrangement for effecting forced draft.

The refrigerating unit 31 may be of a type employing the usual compressor 39 with a compression line 4|) communicating with a condenser 4| discharging condensed refrigerant into a receiver 42. The refrigerant is fed into a delivery line 43 with a set of cooling or expansion coils 44 arranged below the mounting base or bottom 36 centrally in the upper portion of the main cabinet chamber. a

Mounted by suitable means on the refrigerating unit base 38 is amotor -45 having a shaft 46 extending downwardly through the base with a circulating fan 41 rotatable thereby immediately above the cooling coils 44 and adapted to circulate air downwardly into the cabinet.

The invention provides an improved drum type article magazine shown in part in Fig. 3 and ineluding a plurality of circumferentially arranged vertically extending magazine compartments 50 (see also Fig. formed by a plurality of adjacently positioned Y-shaped partition members 5| of elongated'form' and preferably constructed of drawn metal so as to have a main partition portion 52 provided along its outer edge with aretaining flange 53, and along its opposite edge with divergently curved projections 54, each of which terminates in an offset mounting flange 55.

The simplified construction of the magazine drum provides for assembling the Y-shaped partition members 5| between a pair of annular end castings each having a hub portion 56 (see also Fig. 3) with radial spoke elements 51 (Fig. 5) extending therefrom, the spokes of the upper bracket being offset upwardly near their respective end portions 58 for integral engagement with a raised annular rim or flange 59, the spokes of the lower end plate terminating in an annular- Disposed in circumferentially spaced relation about the flange portions 59 and 59 of the drum end plate casting are a plurality of stud formations 60 having slots cut therein to receivethe offset lug formations 55 of adjoining pairs of partition-elements 5| at the opposite extremities of the latter, so that the several partition members are held in assembled relation as viewed in Figs. 3 or 5, for example, between the opposite axial end plates or castings, the latter .-being clamped togetherby a plurality of tie rods 8| threaded or otherwise mounted at their respecportion of the upper end casting of the drum below the annular flange or rim portion 59 thereof, the arm 69 having upwardly offset portions 10 with lateral feet or projections 1| terminating in apertured flanges 12, the latter resting upon brackets 1-3 (Fig.- 3) secured to the inner wall portions of the cabinet adjacent the upper 'ledge portion therein, the brackets 13 having lugs (not shown) which project into the apertures or slots in the flange portions 12 on the hanger .or spider to prevent the latter from shifting on its mounting.

The axle or shaft for the magazine drum extends downwardly through the latter and is provided with a bearing member 16 secured v thereto by pin means -11 substantially at the level of the hub portion 56 of the lower drum mounting spider or casting, in such manner that the latter rides freely on the'bearing 16. (Observe that the reference character 56 in Fig. 3 indicates the hub of the upper end plate casting;- while the hub of the lower casting is indicated at 56 in Figs. 4 and 5.)

At its lowermost extremity, the vertical shaft 65 rests in a stanchion 18 secured in the bottom portion of the cabinet l2. Thus, the shaft 65 is held stationary by the upper hanger or spider, the magazine drum rotating thereabou-t on the bearing means 56 and 16.

Below the lower drum end casting (Fig. 4), i

there is a stationary spoked track casting having a hub portion 8| embracing the shaft 55 and secured thereto by pin means 82 so as to be im'- movable, its weight resting on a collar 82 shrunk on the shaft. The track casting 80 is of annular shape and has an annularly extending horizontal track portion 83 (see also lower part of Fig. 8)

tive opposite ends in spoke portions 51 of the castings, these tie rods being drawn up so as to clamp the partition members securely in position as aforesaid.

The novel magazine drum is rotatably mounted or journaled at its upper end on a vertical shaft 65 (Fig. 3) which extends upwardly through a roller bearing element 66 seated in the hub portion 56 of the upper end casting or spider, so that the latter may turn freely upon the shaft, the

shaft extending a short distance upwardly of the bearing 66 and projecting into the bore of the hub portion 61 of the hanger or mounting spider,

there being a set screw 68 in the hub portion 61 interrupted through a short discharge portion 84 through its peripheral extent at a position substanti'ally behind the inner mouth 85 of a discharge chute 86 communicating-with, the discharge basket l-6 through the door escutcheon panel heretofore described.

The track flange 83 is oifset at its terminal discharge portion 84 to provide a resetting track portion 81 arranged in part of its length in a substantially vertical plane and having a gradua ly curved portion 88 descending back into a horizontal'plane inthe region 89 thereof, the track thereafter continuing in'its horizontally extending disposition through the remainder of its circumferential length The several vertical magazine pockets or com-- 9|! with depending spaced legs 9| (see a so the dotted line representation of Fig. 8) between which are mounted rollers 92 providedwith roller bearing means 93. Each dolly has a laterally projecting arm 94 (Figs. 4 and 8) pivotally con-.

nected as at 95 between opposite flange portions of individual mounting brackets 96 secured by screw means 91 to the under side of the annular flange portion 59 of the bottom drum castin at a position substantially corresponding to the vertical juncture line between adjoining magazine partitions 5|, so that the platform portions 98 of the several dollies provide bottoms for the several magazine compartments.

Each of the dolly platform portions 90 is provided with a resilient cover preferably in the form of a rubber cap 88 stretched over the same and having an annular internal flange portion 89 securing the same to the under side of the platform. In addition, each rubber cap or bufier has a diametric groove across its top surface, in which is seated a metal sliding strap lllll extendmg in a radial sense beneath the corresponding magazine compartment. This arrangement provides a relatively soft landing for the descending bottle, yet the metal strap also provides a smooth gliding surface which facilitates the sliding discharge of the bottle ofl of the rubber cap to speed up the release of the merchandise.

The several pivoted bottom travelers or dollies 90 turn with the magazine drum, with their roller or wheel elements 82 riding .on the track flange 88 and as each magazine column or vertical magazine section 50 approaches the dispensing station or position opposite the mouth of the discharge chute 85 (Figs. 4 and 8), moving in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 8, the roller 8 portion 92 of the corresponding dolly will ride oil! the end 84 of the main track section 83, thereby permitting the dolly to drop or pivot into the dotted line position seen in Figs. 4 and 8 so that any article of merchandise thereon will gravitate into the discharge chute 85 past the doors l9, and

ultimately into the delivery tray l8.

It may be observed (Fig. 9) that the discharge chute is a casting having opposite pairs of yokelike flanges 85a supportably embracing portions of the door structure.

dolly to be restored to a normal horizontal riding position, by virtue of the fact that the roller 82 of the tilted dolly will ride onto the curved portion 88 of the track and thus pivot the dolly back into its normal position for continuedtravel through another cycle around to the tripping or discharging position.

Driving means for rotating the drum in steps includes (Fig. 5) a peripheral driving element or gear I85 and comprised of'a plurality of cast Also, the chute casting has a sidewing or flange 85b (Figs. 4 and 9) arincludes a driving member or pinion m (Figs. 3

and 5) rotatable about a vertical shaft 5 in the control unit and having coin-operated means for coupling or interconnecting the pinion Ill with the oscillable control handle and drum 25-26, whereby the pinion Ill-is advanced in unidirectional steps, in the present instance in an anticlockwise direction (it being necessary to oscillate the handle 28 from and back to the position shown in Fig. 5), whereby'the ring gear or peripheral driving element I88 .on the magazine drum is correspondingly moved in steps in a clockwise direction. Each oscillation of the control handle 85' is eflective to advance the drum a distance sufllcient to position the next succeeding magazine column 88 and its'traveling bottom element or dolly 88 before the dispensing station or position on the track 83 in front of the discharge chute 85, whereby to trip the dolly and discharge a vendible object supported thereon mechanism has been particularly designed to accommodate vendible articles in thenature of bot tled beverages provided with'the customary crown cap, and it is a feature of the invention to provide for stacking the vendible articles, whether they be bottles or other package units, one upon another in the several magazine compartments or tiers, the lowermost bottle or article resting upon the platform 90 of the corresponding dolly in all compartments or tiers save the one oppositethe dispensing position, the latter exception being hereafter particularly explained. The coin control unit 8 is provided with a releasing detent (not shown herein-for details see the aforesaid application, Serial No. 198,105) which is manually operable by the attendant to release the pinion Ill for 'free .movement so that the magazine drum may be turned directly to permit stacking the bottled .or other goods in the several compartments. I

vided the auxiliary track bridge shown in Fig. 11, which is an arcuate plate constituting a section of track 8 long enough to bridge the interrupted discharge portion of the dollytrack 83. The opposite ends of the track bridge are turned vdown to provide clamping fingers III which fit over the dolly track to hold the bridge in place. By this means, the drum may be freely rotated to inspect and replenish the magazines, without segments divided at convenient circumferentially spaced points, as for example at I06, each gear segment being attached by a plurality of screws ll'l extended therethrough into threaded engagement with opposite flange portions 53 of the magazine partitions, the gear assembly being dimensioned to flt flush against these flange portions or around the drum. The gear segments are preferably cast with arcuate cut-out portions I88 opposite'each magazine compartment so as to accommodate a circular article in the com- .partment in the region behind the inner periphcry of the gear assembly. I

Mounted upon a face plate I I! behind the door in the cabinet I! is a coin control unit H3 preferably of a type such as described and claimed in the United States application of one Joseph Srodulski, Serial No. 198,105. Such a control unit any danger of bottles being discharged, since the dollies will simply ride over the gap in the track on the bridge 0.

Means for automatically ti'cles from a higher level to a lower level onto the dolly or carriage corresponding to the compartment in which the article is situated and from which the lowermost article has been dispensed, includes (Fig. 8) a short segmental sustaining flange I28 forming a horizontally offset ledge on the lower part of the face plate casting or bracket 2, which is secured to the door frame behind the door. 1

The sustaining flange I28 slopes out as at I20 from the vertical part of the plate 2 so that the bottles glide onto the ledge instead of dropping abruptly, and is positioned at a level above the dolly track 88 so as to be engaged by the bottoms of articles or bottles B (e. g., B and C, 1

Fig. 8) at the second level above the track 83, thatis to say, at a level corresponding to the in the present embodiment of theinvention, V the magazine drum and cooperating dispensing To facilitate loading ofthe drum, there is prolowering vendible ary tops of the bottles A resting upon the several dollies.

As the magazine drum is rotated in steps toward the left, (Figs. 8 and 10) the retaining flange I projects beneath the bottoms of those bot-v tles at the second level opposite the discharge position, the flange having acurved leading edge II6 (Fig. 10) over which the bottles ease onto the ledge, the flange being of a length adequate to support the second-level bottles during that portion of their travel across the interrupted part or tripping section 84 of the track 83 until such bottles reach a position corresponding to that indicated by the bottle D. By this means, the bottles situated at next higher levels are pre- I vented from suddenly dropping down or out of the compartments due to" the tripping of corresponding dollies and the discharge of the supporting bottles from beneath them. 4

Attention is also directed to the fact that the curved leading edge portion IIB of the sustaining flange I20 is sov proportioned that it is en- 4 gaged' by the tops or necks of the bottles riding into discharge'position, and is effective to tilt mounted as at I23 to a boss I24 on an end of;

the bracket flange I I2. Downward movement'of the ramp is limited by hearing of the upper pivoted end of the ramp against the endof flange II2. Thus, as the drum is advanced'and the temporarilysupported bottles B, C and D approach the ramp arm I22, the several bottles (e. g., the bottle D) ride down the ramp and onto the previously tripped dolly which has been restored to upright position by movement across the'curved restoring portion 88 of the track. In this manner, all of the second level bottles are temporarily-supported during a part of their cycle of travel by the offset flange means I20until they have passed over the tripping section of the dolly track, so as to permit the dollies to be restored to normal bottle-supporting position, the temporarily sustained bottles thereafter being lowered one by one down the ramp I22 and onto the restored dollies.

Pivotally mounted on the underside of the ramp I22 is a spring-urged bottle guiding fln which has a gently scooped or curved surface 125a (Fig. 10) providing a means for positively -the marginal-flange portions 53 of the compartment partitions has a cut-away portion or slot I21 formed therein at the level of the retaining flange I20 to provide clearance for the latter I when the drum rotates.

It will be observed that the foregoing arrangement provides for successively dispensing the articles at the lowermost level and represented, for example, by the bottle.A in Fig. 8; with the bottles or articles at the second level and represented, for example, by the bottle B, automatically transferred to lower level positions to replace dispensed bottles, while the bottles or articles at the higher levels and represented, for example, by the bottles E and F in Fig. 3 are successively lowered for replacement of the bottles in the second and first levels in the order named.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be observed that the lower region of the cabinet provides a lower compartment space I30 between the bottom side of the drum and track plate and the bottommost part of the cabinet in the region surrounding the lower end of the vertical shaft 65. This compartment provides a precooling chamber into which vendibl'e objects or bottles may be stored in addition to'those loaded into the magazine so that a stack of refrigerated goods will be im-- mediately available for reloading the magazine at such time as may be necessary.

It is contemplated that whenever the reserve stock of goods in the precooling compartment is transferred to the magazine, replacement objects or bottles are to be inserted in the precooling compartment at once, and since these replacement objects or bottles are invariably at room temperature, it is necessary to prevent too rapid a transfer of heat between the cooled articles in the magazine and the relatively warm articles inserted in the precooling compartment. To this end there is provided a simplebut very effective heat energy reflecting means in the form of a pair of complementary metal reflector panels I32 adapted to be positioned edge to edge along a center line extending through the shaft 65, the confronting edge portion of each reflector panel having a semicircular out near its midpoint adapted to fit closely around the shaft 65 in order to permit the confronting edge portions to fit flush.

In the embodiment of Fig. 4, the objects in the precoolin-g compartment are illustrated in dotted lineas bottles, and the heat reflecting means or panels I32 rest upon the tops of these bottles, it being apparent that very few bottles are necessary to support these panels so that should less than the whole number be removed for any reason prior to a complete precooling of the bottles, the panels would nevertheless be'maintained in effective position.

Attention is also called to the fact that the precooling compartment may be of a size adequate to accommodate stacks of bottles or the like arranged oneupon another, each level of bottles resting on a deflecting panel means I32 cabinet, the latter being provided with a remov- ,able dome structure permitting easy access to the refrigerating mechanism and at the same time lending a finished appearance to the cabinet structure or housing. The invention further provides improved dispensing mechanism including a rotatable magazine of novel construction, characterized in part by circumferentially spaced vertical compartments formed by partition members of a specialconstruction clamped between spoked or skeletonized end castingsto permit circulation of air through and around the magazine. The magazine structure further provides novel hanger means mounting the same for ro tation about a vertical axis so as to minimize the obstructions at the axial open end portions.

thereof to facilitate the circulation of coolin .air and accommodate coolingmeans at one end of the magazine and the collection of vendible objects to be precooled at the other end of the magazine.

Other objects accomplished by the invention herein disclosed include the provision of tiltable bottom sections for the magazine compartments arranged to ride on a stationary track structure beneath the magazine for movement successively over interrupted track portions to effect a tilting of the bottom members so as to discharge a vendible object therefrom.

These and other objects of the invention are preferably accomplished by the means and in the manner herein specified; however, various modifications and rearrangements of the illustrative embodiment set forth herein may be effected without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, and it is therefore a condition of the present disclosure that the invention is not to be restricted to any details of form, location or operation except asmay be expressly provided hereinafter in the appended claims.

Having thus; described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dispensing machine having a cabinet with refrigerating heat exchange means suspended from its top and a fan above-the heat exchange means for directing air downwardly therepast, the combination with said cabinet and heat exchange means of a dispensing drum of 'skeletonized construction with means for retaining articles about its outer periphery and mounted in said cabinet for rotation about a vertical axisby journal means situated near the opposite axial ends of the drum, the journal means near the upper end of the drum being attached to said cabinet at a point offset from said heat exchange means and the axis of the drum and being further oifsetinwardly of the drum so as not to obstruct the upper end of the latter with respect to the heat exchange means,

said upper end of the drum being mounted in close proximity to said heat exchange means.

2'. In a refrigerated dispensing machine of the type including cooling means depending from an upper portion of a cabinet adapted to house a magazinedrum and dispensing mechanism coacting therewith, the combination with said cooling means of a magazine drum and means supportably engaging the same for rotation about a vertical axis at points adjacent the upper and lower axial. ends thereof, said means being in turn supported by said cabinet and the supporting means at the upper end of the drum fitting down into the drum without substantially obstructing passage of air for cooling purposes,

said upper supportingmeans projecting axially out of the end of the drum near the periphery thereof and projecting in a direction away from the axis of the drum for supporting engagement with the cabinet as' aforesaid, whereby to leave 'said upper end of the drum unobstructed for the purpose aforesaid, said upper end of the drum being mounted with respect to said cooling means so that the latter is disposed close above said portion of the upper' supporting means, which fits down into the drum as aforesaid.

3. In a dispensing machine, the combination with a cabinet having cooling means suspended drum being situated close to said refrigerating open-work or skeletoniz'ed construction at its ends and sides, and means mounting the same for rotation about a vertical axis withm said cabinet below said cooling means, said drum having an upper end situated close to said cooling means and bracket means attached to a side por-.

.with a refrigerating coil suspended from the top of a cabinet, of a magazine drum of skeletonized construction and means mounting the same at top and bottom for rotation about a vertical axis, said means mounting the drum at the top being offset inwardly of the upper end of the drum and having a portion projecting toward and beyond for attachment to said cabinet toward the periphery of the drum, and said upper end of the coil, and blower means arranged above said coil for operation to direct air past the same down- I wardlythrough said drum. v

5. The combination, with a refrigerated dispensing machine of the type including a cooling coil mounted near the top of a cabinet and adapted to cool a magazine, of a magazine in the form of a drum of open-work or skeletonized construction at its ends and sides and adapted to carry merchandise on said sides, and means joumaling said drum for rotation about a vertie cal axis in the cabinet'and comprising a vertical shaft mounted at its lower end on' a floor portion in the cabinet, the upper end of the shaft being supportably engaged in a mounting spider supported by the cabinet and having an offset part disposed below andin close proximity to said cooling coils, said oflsetpart extendinginto the upper end of said drum and supportably engaging an upper part of said shaft, fitting over the portion of said spider bracket which is below said foiotleing coils so as to lie in close proximity to the e. In a dispensing apparatus or the type ineluding a cabinet with refrigerating coils arranged beneath a horizontal support therein,

the combination of a magazine drum and means mounting the same for rotationabout a vertical axis beneath said support, said means comprising .a stationary vertical shaft supported at' its lower end in said cabinet-and supportably engaged near its upper end by an open-work spider bracket having a depending hub portion embracing said upper end of the shaft and divergent arm por- [tions attached to the cabinet in a region offset from the axisand periphery of the drum, said drum including open-work axial end castings at its opposite ends arranged to rotate about said shaft with the drum, the upper end casting being recessed inwardly of the drum to fit around the depending hub portion of said spider bracket whereby to provide an unobstructed upper end region for the drum, said upper end region being 1 spaced in close proximity to said coils.

from the top thereof, of a magazine drum of 7. In a refrigerated v dispensing machine, a magazine drum and means mounting the same for operation relative to heat exchange means arranged axially opposite an end of the drum, said mounting means comprising a stanchion fixed in upright position beneath said heat exchange means and extending upwardly with said drum disposed thereabove and having an upper axial end situated above the upper end of the stanchion immediately beneath said heat exchange means, means spaced relative to the ends of the drum and journalling the 'same for rotation on said stanchion, said means at the end of the drum near the upper end of the stanchion being disposed substantially within the upper end part of the drum, and a spider bracket extending into said upper end of the drum and supportably engaging the upper end of said stanchion beneath said heat exchange means without materially obstructing passage of air between the latter and said drum.

8. In a dispensing machine, in combination, an

open-top cabinet, a heat insulating closure for said top and adapted to support refrigerating mechanism on its upper side, heat exchange means cooperable with said refrigerating apparatus and mounted on the underside of said closure, and a magazine drum mounted for rotation about a vertical shaft in said cabinet and having an open upper end disposed close beneath said heat exchange means, and skeletonized bracket means attached to sidewall portions of said cabinet beneath said top and offset to extend into said upper end of the drum in substantially unobstructing condition with respect to passage of heat exchange air into the drum, said drum being of open-work construction in its sides as well as ends, and said bracket means supportably engaging said shaft.

TULLY DE STEFANI.

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