US2297360A - Coin controlled pump - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 29, 17942.v A A. R, MCKAY 2,297,360

COIN CONTROLLED PUMP- A Harney A. R. MCKAY 2,297,360

COIN CONTROLLED PUMPv Sept. 29, 1942'.

Filed Aug. 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 my, Z n

Attorney Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN CONTROLLED `PUMP Albert R. McKay, Portland, Oreg.

Application August 14, 1941, Serial No. 406,887

l Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in pumps particularly for dispensing motor fuel and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an apparatus of this character wherein a predetermined quantity of fuel will be dispensed upon the insertion of a coin of a given denomination.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a coin controlled liquid dispensing pump of the aforementioned character which comprises novel fraud preventing means.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a coin controlled liquid dispensing pump of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly emcient and reliable in operation, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

VFigure l is a view in front elevation of a portion of a pump which embodies the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section through the coin mechanism.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken at right angles to Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail View in elevation of the circuit opening means.

Figure 6 is a detail view in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 6-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a View in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 'I-l of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a detail view in end elevation of the swinging coin rejector.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit.

Figure 10 is a detail view in vertical section, showing the coin controlled means for releasably securing the switch in open position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a casing I of suitable material. The upper portion of the front 2 of the casing l has formed therein a vertical coin slot 3. Mounted in the lower portion of the casing I is a removable tray or receptacle 4 for the reception of coins.

Mounted on the front 2 in the upper portion of the casing I vand aligned with the slot 3 is a substantially U-shaped guide 5. On one side oi the guide 5 is a bracket 6. Mounted on the bracket 6 is a slug detector l. The detector 1 includes a dog 8 which is pivotally and movably mounted on the bracket I5 through the medium of a pin and slot connection 9. Ihe'pivotedv end of the dog 8 is provided with a tail IG. In Figure 6 of the drawings a coin entering the machine through the slot 3 is indicated at II. Coil springs I2 yieldingly resist actuation of the dog 8 by the coin II.

Mounted beneath the guide 5 in the casing I and adapted to receive from said guide the coins which clear the rejector 'l is a fraud preventing device which is designated generally by reference numeral I3. The device i3 includes a rockable shaft I4 which is journaled, at an intermediate point, in a bearing I5 in the casing I. Fixed on one end portion of the shaft I4 is a laterally projecting balance weight or arm I6. Mounted on the opposite side of the other yend portion of the shaft I4 and depending therefrom is a coin guide I'i. The guide I'I is adapted to receive coins from the guide 5.

The guide Il includes depending stationary and pivoted coin retaining fingers I8 and I9, respectively. Mounted adjacent the pivoted coin retaining finger I9 is a dash pot 2. rIhe dash pot 20 comprises a cylinder 2l for reception of a suitable fluid, together with a piston 22 opere able in said cylinder. The upper end of the cylinder 2| is apertured for communication with a chamber 23 on said cylinder. The piston 22 is operatively connected to the pivoted iinger I9 through the medium of a bell crank lever 24.

The device I3 further includes a hanger 25 which depends from the shaft I4 adjacent the guide I'I. Mounted horizontally on the lower end of the hanger 25 is a rejector 26 of substantially segmental cross-section. The rejector 26 has formed therein a slot 21 for receiving coins which are released from the guide Il. Rejected coins are returned to the outside of the machine through troughs 28.

Mounted in the casing I for receiving coins which clear the device I3 is a motor control switch 29. The switch 29 includes a guide 35 for receiving coins from the rejector 26. Depending from the guide 35 are stationary and pivoted coin retaining Contact lingers 3l and 32, respectively. As best seen in Figure 9 of the drawings, the contact fingers 3| and 32 are in an electric circuit 33 to the motor 34 of the Dump- Pivotally mounted for swinging movement in a horizontal plane only on the contact finger 32 is a spring returned arm 35. The free end portion of the arm 35 is provided with a thread 35 (see Fig. 5) which is engageable with an adjacent threaded portion 37 of the pump shaft 38. Ad-

jacent one end of the threaded portion 31 ofl the pump shaft 38 is a cam 39.

It is thought that the operation of the invert-.- tion will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, a coin of the correct denomination is inserted through the slot 3 and enters the guide 5. When the coin is thus inserted it engages the inner end of thedog 3 and swings the outer end of said dog toward the coin. Thus, if a slug having a hole in it is inserted the tail I of the dog 8 will enter said hole and prevent the further insertion of the slug. When the coin passes the rejector I it drops by gravity from the guide into the guide I'I of the device I3. The construction, arrangement and balance of the device I3 is such that the rejector 26 is normally swung laterally out of vertical alignment with the guide 5. The coin passes from the guide 5 through the guide Il and is arrested by the fingers I8 and I9. If the coin is of the correct weight the device I3 is swung by said coin to a true vertical position, as seen in Figure 3 of the drawings. Under the control of the dash pot the pivoted finger I9 slowly releases the coin which passes through the slot 2'I of the rejector 26 and continues on to the switch 29. If the coin is light the weight thereof will not be sufficient to swing the device I 3 to a true vertical position. If the coin is too heavy the device I3 is swung thereby beyond a true vertical position. Thus, in either case the coin, when released by the fingers I8 and I9, will drop to either side of the slot 2l and be deflected by the rejector 26 into one of the troughs 28.

A. coin actuated latch 46 (see Fig. 10) releasably secures the contact nger 32 of the switch .4

29 :ln open position, as suggested by the dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawings. When a coin clears the rejector 26 of the device I3 it drops by gravity into the guide 36 of the control switch 29. When this coin enters the guide 39 it swings the latch 49 in a direction to release the contact finger 32. When thus released the nger 32 swings downwardly to the full line position in Figure 2 where it coacts with the finger 3I for arresting and retaining the coin. The coin electrically connects the contact fingers 3| and 32 thereby closing the circuit to the pump motor 34.

When the contact nger 32 is released and swings to the full line position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the arm 35 is swung downwardly into engagement with the threaded portion 3l of the pump shaft 38. With the electric circuit to the motor 34 closed, it will be understood that,

the pump is now in operation, driving the shaft 38. The arm 35 is swung laterally by reason of its threaded connection with the shaft 38 until said arm engages the cam 39. When this occurs the arm 35 is swung upwardly out of engagement with the shaft 33 thereby returning the pivoted contact finger 32 to open position as seen in dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawings. This opens the circuit 33 for de-energizing the electric motor 34 and releases the coin which drops into the tray 4. It will thus be seen that the pump has been actuated for a predetermined length of time for dispensing the desired quantity of liquid. This length of time is governed by the length of the threaded portion 3l of the shaft 38. In Figure 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 4I designates the upper portion of a pump housing. This housing is provided with a plurality of the coin control units for coins of different denominations. It will accordingly be seen that the pump is capable of dispensing different quantities of liquid'. The several units are indicated at 42. As seen in Figure 5 of the drawings, the pump shaft 33 is provided with a plurality of threaded portions 31, one for each of the units 42.

It is believed that the many advantages of a coin controlled liquid dispensing pump constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the apparatus is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. Y

What is claimed is:

In an electric motor driven liquid dispensing pump including a threaded shaft, a switch for controlling the motor comprising a pair of contact fingers for receiving and retaining a coin therebetween for closing an electric circuit to the motor, one of said contact fingers being pivoted for swinging movement, an arm pivotally mounted on the swinging contact finger and engageable with the threaded shaft for swinging movement thereby, a cam on the shaft for disengaging the arm from said shaft and for actuating the pivoted contact for releasing the coin, and coin controlled means for releasably securiizng the pivoted contact finger in operative posiion.

ALBERT R. MCKAY.

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