US2382576A - Dispensing unit - Google Patents

Description

Aug1 14, 1945. C. F` PEASE 2,382,576

DISPENSING UNIT Aug. 14, 1945. C, F, PEASE 1 K 2,382,576

DISPENS ING UNIT 'Filed Nov. Y; 1942 2 sheets-sheet 2 t I forngy.:

Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES*y PATENT FIICIEIV DISPENSING UNIT Charles F. Pease, Long Beach, Calif. Application November 7, 1942, Serial No. 464,838

(Cl. S12-56) 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in vending machines of that type which is particularly adapted for dispensing picture post cards, stamped envelopes and articles of similar type, and which is further adapted, when desired to be operatedl through the medium of any suitable coin controlled actuating means. This application is a continuation in part of my companion applications, Serial Number 364,621, filed November '7, 1940 which has issued as Patent No. 2,309,008 on January 19, 1943, and Serial Number 370,272, led December 16, 1940 which has issued as Patent No. 2,353,496 on July 11, 1944.

A particular feature in the present application which is broadly incorporated into the construction disclosed in said companion yapplications is that olf displaying the article about to be discharged by the machine in full View so that the vendee can see before operating the machine what is next to be dispensed.

Among objects of the invention is maximum simplicity and eiective construction which permits ready fabrication, co-upled with dependability in operation, whereby the machine will successively dispense articles of the types above stated. Among further objects is the production of a vending machine ofthe type stated which can be easily and successfully incorporated into a multiple unit vending apparatus to be operated by one or more coin controlled instrumentalities.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specication, Fig. 1 is a fron-t elevation ofv my improved vending machine when disasseciated from the actuator by which the machine is manually operated; Fig.. 2 is a back elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig.. 3 1s ak bottom plan of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on line 4 4. of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing an actuator applied for operating my improved vending machine, the actuator being suitably coin controlled and a portion only of the vending machine being shown.

My improved vending machine has an up- K wardly and rearwardly slightly inclining skeleton frame A, in which there is a sight opening I closed by an upwardly and rearwardly reclining glass or other transparent plate II, said frame being adapted to: lbe incorporatedinto a panel indicated by i2 in` Fig. 3,y of a multiple vending machine structure, whereby a number of difierent articles, each dispensed by a separate unit can be: controlled from a single or aplurality of coin operated elements. The sight opening is of such shape and size as will displaythe article tol be dispensed, the structure shown having a rectangular opening and being adapted to dispense articles such as picture post cards, indicated by B. The side edges of the face frame have laterally extending flanges I3, by which said frame is supported on the panel structure. Said frame also. has upwardly and rearwardly extending flanges [dat the opposite sides of the sight opening, merging downwardly into an upwardly and rearwardly extending supporting lip I5, which has a pair ci rearwardly extending sto'p shoulders I6 on its rearward end. The lip I5 movably supports a downwardly and' `forwardly slanting gate Il back of the sight opening upon which a stack of the cards o-r other articles to be dispensed are supported while standing on edge with. the face ofthe forward and bottom member restingl against` the transparent plate II.. The gate is fastened to the lip piece I5 and is adjusted longitudinally relative to the Iback of the transparent plate by the sets of screws I8 and I9 and lock screws I9. By adjustingthe gate the width of thev gate or slot opening betweenthe lower end of. the gate and transparent plate II can be varied to dispense post cards or other sheets of vfirm material of different thicknesses.

The screws I9 have slotted connections upwardly through the stop shoulder I6 as ,shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and have threaded connection with the lower side of the gate (lso as to assist in guiding the gate longitudinally and retaining the latter upon the surface of the upwardly and rearwardly slanting' lip l5.v The gate I'I is adjusted longitudinally in a iorward direction upon the lip I5 to contract thejgate- Y way D by the screws I8, the Shanks of which engage freely through the hanged rearwardend I1 of the gate andlare threadedlyengaged with the shoulder elements I6 as indicated in Fig. 3. Thus when the screws I8 are tightened the gate is adjusted to regulate the width of the gateway D. The screws I9 are threadedly engaged through the flanged rearward end I'T' of the gate and the forward ends of their. Shanks bear against the rearward` faces ofthe shoulder elements so as to either withdraw the gate and widen the gate opening D or tighten the hold of the adjusting screws` I8 and prevent. the` latter from loosening. To. cause rearward adjustment of the, gate the screws I8 are loosened' and the Icompanion screws i9 aretightened.

The gate is adapted to sl-ide longitudinally von' said lip when adjustedl and is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly extending back stop 20 by which the follower C to be hereinafter described is removably held. A pair of vertical side guard plates 2| between which the follower slides are secured rigidly to the supporting flanges I4 by screws 22 and lugs I6 or other suitable means. The gate I1 is slidably held below the lower ends of the guard plates 2| on the supporting li I5.

pThe vertical side plates 2|, gate I1, follower C and transparent plate I I in the sight opening, form amagazine in which a pack of post cards or other articles of a similar type such as B are l closely packed against the inner face of the transparent plate while resting by their lower edges upon the surface of the slanting gate I1. The lower edge of the gate cooperates with the inner face of the transparent plate I I to produce a gateway D, of a width suitable to permit a single post card or other article being dispensed from the machine at a time. As each article is dispensed it is projected downwardly below the machine so that the vendee can grasp and remove the same.

The follower C is guided and manually manipulated by the sharft 25 which extends rearwardlyA and slides in the longitudinal hole 26 in the upper end of the support 2D. while it is retained in parallel relation to the back of the transparent plate I I. A helical expansion spring 21, threaded loosely over the shaft 25 and interposed between the support and the follower, presses the, follower plate lightly toward the transparent vplate I I and holds the pack of cards or other articles stacked in the-magazine in readiness to be dispensed one at a time through the gateway D. The rearward end of shaft has a handle 28'by which the follower can be removed or adjusted to place a fresh supply of cards or other articles to be dispensed in the magazine. The back of thefollower C has engaging lugs 29 by which the inner end of spring 21 is fastened thereto and held in operative position.

The means by which the cards are successively ejectedfrom the stack of cards held in the machine consists` of an ejector E, resembling a thin flat plunger removably mounted upon a recipro-y catingvcarriage v3l by the clip 3|. This carriage slides vertically upon a pair of depending guide rods 32 iand 33 which are rigidly secured to the inwardly projecting bosses 34 on the upper portion of the face frame A. One end of the carriage has a depending yoke 35 which is guided on rod 33 and contains an expansion spring 36,

threaded oversaid rod. The lower end of the expansion -spring is attached at 31 to said rod and its upper end presses against the upper portion of the yoke to raise the carriage and the ejector E into superior position above the pack of cards retained in the holding means as shown in Figs. 2 land 4, coincident with the sight opening. The bosses 34 function as back stops for limiting the upward 'movement of the carriage and its ejector. In raised position the ejector is poised above the upper edge of the innermost post card or other articleto be dispensed on the bottom of the pack and being of a thickness substantially corresponding with the thickness of said card and the stroke thereof being relatively short it is adapted to project the card partway down through the gateway. Y

The forwardly and downwardly slanting floor of the gate assists in feeding the stack of cards forwardly without sticking together or jamming the machine. Also slightly slanting the transparent plate and follower C upwardly and rearwardly also assists in the same manner to prevent the cards from sticking together or jamming the machine.

The carriage is driven `downwardly to reciprocate the ejector E by the operating rod 40, upon the lower end of which is the drive antifriction pinion 4I. To drive the operating rod 40 a suitable actuator such as F (see Fig. 5) is provided. This actuator is adapted to be controlled by suit- 1able coin controlled operating mechanism, the pull rod 42 of which is shown. The actuator consists of a suitable frame 43, which may be mounted upon a portion of the cabinet such as I2, containing the vending apparatus. Reciprocable in and out of the frame 43 is a hand operable pull rod 44, which fixedly supports a collet block 45, on the lower side of which is a boss 46 and on the upper side a longitudinal series of ratchet teeth 41. The frame 43 has a rigid depending inner arm 48 to the lower extending portion of which is pivoted at 49 a. forwardly extending swinging lever 50, the free end of which is linked to the boss 46 so that as the hand operable pull rod 44 is reciprocated longitudinally, the drive lever is swung up and down. An expansion spring 5| is threaded over the shank of pull rod 44, between the outer portion of the frame 43 and the collet block 45. This spring permits the pull rod 44 to be drawn outwardly and to swing the lever 50 downwardly and serves to return the pull rod inwardly and swing the lever 50 back into raised position. The lever 50 is provided with a pair of shoulders 52 spaced apart suiciently to admit and engage the antifriction pinion roller 4| on the operating thrust arm 40. In mounting the parts on the cabinet the actuator F is positioned so that the shoulders 52 cooperate with the pinion 4| and cause functioning of the vending apparatus in the manner stated. The drive lever 50 is shown connected by a link 53 and pivoted clamp block 54 to the coin control rod 42, by which the operation of the dispensing unit actuator F may be controlled in the usual manner by depositing acoin in aslot. i i

To produce a complete forward and return stroke during each complete operation of the machine a'double acting spring controlled pawl 55 is ffreely pivoted at 56 on the frame 43 so as to cooperate with the ratchet teeth 41 on the sliding collet block 45 as the pull rod 44 is reciprocated in either direction. This pawl is retained in normal position out of contact with the ratchet teeth 41 when the pull rod 44 is in receded position by the vertically poised helical retractlle spring 51. As the pull rod is drawn outwardly the pawl sweeps over the teeth and automatically acts as a ratchet stop to prevent any return movement until a complete stroke has been made and vice versa, after complete withdrawal movement has been made and the pull rod retracts into the machine the pawl again sweeps over the teeth and prevents reverse movement until a complete backward stroke has been completed. In this manner, jamming by improper operation and milking of the machine are prevented. The forwardly and downwardly slanting gate in cooperation with the slanting follower and transparent `plate assists in automatically feeding the pack of post cards or other articles being dispensed, downwardly, partly by gravity and by the aid of the spring 21 from the magazine into a position whereby the lowtmost card of the stack and cooperating with said.

ermost card coincides with the gate opening and the ejector engages its upper edge without disturbing the card or cards immediately following in the magazine, thus eectively feeding the cards successively from the machine. 'Ihe gate also being adjustable to regulate the width of the gate opening enables the machine to be set to feed post cards or other articles of any desired thickness. The ejector E also being replaceable upon the carriage 30 by removing the clip 3|, permits the application of another ejector of a thickness corresponding with the thickness of yany card or article being dispensed'. By holding the stack of cards with the lowermost card flat against the transparent plate Il, and directly above thegate opening, the cards are discharged successively without jamming or mutilating by the ejector when the latter is reciprocated. This result is partly due to the smooth anti-friction surface offered by the transparent plate and the absence of corners `and sharp edges which might otherwise tend to obstruct smooth operation.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider t represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the spirit thereof and within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A dispensing unit, comprising, a face frame having an upwardly extending sight opening through which an article about to be dispensed is displayed, upwardly extending side guards at the sides of said sight opening and a support extending upwardiy and rearwardly from near the lower portion of said frame and spaced below the lower ends of said guards, a transparent plate in said sight opening, a forwardly and do-wnwardly inclined gate for supporting a stack of cards to be dispensed while standing on edge with the face of the lowermost card pressed against said plate, said gate being slidably disposed below the lower ends of said side guards upon said support with its lower inner end spaced back of the inner surface of said transparent plate to provide a gate opening for the downward discharge of the lowermost card of said stack, a carriage reciprocable downwardly against spring tensionon the back of said face frame, an ejector blade depending from said carriage, substantially corresponding with the thickness of the cards, normally poised above the innergate opening to discharge the lowermost card from the stack downwardly through the gate Iopening, and actuating means by which the carriage and said ejector are reciprocated.

2. In a structure as defined in claim 1, the gate having an upwardly extending back stop, a spring pressed follower plate forward of said stop and urged against the stack of cards to hold the cards against the transparent plate, and a supporting shaft extending rearwardly from said follower and movably held by said back stop.

3. In a structure as defined in claim 1, the gate having an upwardly extending back stop on its rearward end, a, follower plate forward of said stop adapted to urge the stack of cards against the transparent plate, a supporting shaft extending rearwardly from the follower plate and movably held by said stop and a helical expansion spring encircling said shaft and compressed between said stop and plate to urge the latter forwardly against the stack of cards, said follower plate having means for engaging the inner end of said spring to hold the latter in place thereon.

4. A dispensing unit, comprising, a face frame having an upwardly extending sight opening, a supporting member extending upwardly and rearwardly from its lower portion and a pair of side guards spaced laterally apart and having their lower ends terminating above said supporting member, a transparent plate in said sight opening, a gate reciprocably disposed upon said supporting member, said gate being adapted to support a stack of cards to be dispensed while standing on edge with the face of the lowermost card resting against said transparent plate and said gate having its lower end juxtaposed to and cooperating directly with the inner surface of said transparent plate tol produce a smooth gate passageway for the uninterrupted discharge of the lower end of each of the lowermost cards of said stack, adjusters between said supporting member and the opposite ends of said gate for regulating the size of the gate opening, downwardly extending guides on the opposite ends of said face frame, a carriage having limited reciproc-able movement downwardly upon said guides, an ejector blade mounted upon said carriage above said gate opening substantially corresponding with the thickness of the cards to be dispensed and having limited movement to engage the lowermost card and discharge its lower end from the stack downwardly through the gate opening, and means for imparting limited reciprocable movement to said carriage.

CHARLES F. PEASE.

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