US2599913A - Vending apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 10, 1952 D. HANCOCK, .JR 2,599,913

VENDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 29, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet l ff? Ve/z for' a /fz'a/ Han cock z/f Je 1&0,` 1952`l y D; HANCOCK, JR

VENDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 29, 1946 June l0, 1952 D. HANCOCK, JR 2,599,913

VENDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 29, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WJ. M4 ,4h75

June 10, 1952 D. HANCOCK, JR 2,599,913

VENDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 29, 194e 5 SheetsfsheyL 4 52 I mi Il! f/PI/Jf? for @and Hancock Jh 5f r y.)

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`)lune 10, 1952 D.- HANcocK, JR 2,599,913

f/ VENDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 29, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 10, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDING APPARATUS David Hancock, Jr., Elmhurst, Ill., assigner, by

mesne assignments, to Vendall Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 29, 1946, Serial No. 712,914

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to coin-operated vending apparatus and is concerned more particularly with mechanism manipulated to effect selective release of merchandise.

Vending mechanisms are Classifiable in several different respects as to selective operation, merchandise storage, as well as other fundamental contrasts. In this respect the present invention concerns itself, characteristically, with apparatus adapted to serve in the selective release of a series or tier of items supported in an inert alinement of storage bins or compartments. These compartments are inclined spaces which are periodically refilled with merchandise by an attendant. The mechanism herewith disclosed is such as will insure of the discharge of merchandise stored in said alinemenl; of compartments under a succession of operations which constitute a continuous cycle towards the end of insuring that the stored merchandise is released in accordance with a predetermined plan. This plan contemplates that the oldest merchandise be released in advance of a newer supply, thereby eliminating the contingency of spoilage or deterioration resulting from aging through oversight of occasional items placed in extreme storage positions.

The problem of insuring freshness by discharging the older merchandise first is not so aggravated in those classes of vending apparatus where the merchandise is supported on a conveyor, the components of which must periodically pass a discharge point. In the case of stationary storage compartments as is herewith contemplated, however, special means must be provided to insure against inadvertent aging of the merchandise through oversight. This is done by having provided with each tier of storage compartments a release mechanism which follows a predetermined cycle or course in its operations. In conjunction with this mechanism there is also provided a settable storage counter as well as a sales operation counter affording to the attendant a visible index of accounting and inventory information.

In addition to these features, the instant ap- L para-tus is provided with safeguards against dishonesty, breakage and operational miscarriages, such as might otherwise result from careless or improper customer operation.

Accordingly a principal object of the present invention is to provide an automatic vending machine apparatus in which a plurality of tiers of merchandise storage compartments is made alternatively selectable, and in which each tier undergoes a predetermined sequence or order` of operation towards the end of assuring against improper functional responses, against inadvertent breakage such as might result from overpowering the mechanism, and of safeguarding the turnover of merchandise on the basis of its storage priority.

For a more comprehensive understanding of how these and other safeguards and precautions are effectuated, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings and to the following detailed specification in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of a merchandise vending mechanism featuring the coin chute and common enabling apparatus;

Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, are views similar to Fig. 1 of the common enabling apparatus or interfering member in various stages of operation;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view looking in the same direction as Fig. 1, but taken through an individual storage tier and customer operating mechanism as indicated by the line 6-6 on Fig. 7

Fig. 7 is a plan View of a fragmentary portion of the manipulator assembly with the storage bin units removed, showing by detailed breakouts various features of the counter apparatus;

Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, are similar fragmentary sectional views taken approximately on line 8-8 of Fig. 7 and illustrate various conditions of operation of a manual release rod in conjunction with a common control bail which serves an entire alinement of such mechanism; l

Fig, 12 is a fragmentary detail sectional view somewhat enlarged of the inventory and storage counters shown on a reduced scale in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 13 is a sectional detail view taken approximately on line |3-I3 of Fig. 6.

For a general understanding, attention will be directed rst to Figures 1 and 6, which illustrate the vending machine mechanism as consisting primarily of a storage unit generally designated Il, a base unit generally designated by the numeral I2, it being understood that the units are integrated and are enclosed within an enveloping housing (not shown) so as to expose to public view only the operating handles I3, and the discharge compartment I4 to which access is obtained through the lowermost frontal opening l5, Fig. 6.

Storage is obtained by providing a plurality of individual tiers of inclined storage compartments It, which are open at their forward end, Fig. 6, but which are substantially closed so as to prevent the discharge of contained merchandise by the individual pivoted door elements I1, see also Fig. 1, each one of which is formed with a pair of straddling portions, the foremost ones designated I8 in Fig. l, and the rearmost ones in dotted outlines and designated I9 in Fig. 6. The rearmost pivot elements I9 are provided with camming surfaces 2l. In Fig. 6 but one of the portions i9 has been illustrated and this in two positions corresponding to the open and closed positions of the door I1. Each door element I1 is spring tensioned into its closed position and its opening is eiected when the seeker cam 22, two of which are carried upon the flexible conveyor 23, encounters the cam surface 2 I, rotating the latter counterclockwise about its pivot 24. As the seeker 22 passes beyond each camming surface 2|, the door together with its appurtenant components, snaps clockwise back to its closed position.

In this way there is `assured a succession of release operations of each one of the doors I1 as each seeker 22 travels downwardly, it 'being recalled that there are two seekers 22 located equidistant on the flexible conveyor for the purpose of assuring continuous cyclic operation, notwithstanding the idle return travel of each seeker 22 on the upward leg of its journey.

The flexible element 23 may be a chain belt traveling over the sprocket wheels 25 and 25, the upper one of which is an idler, but the lower one, 25, is preferably carried upon a shaft 21 and integrally associated with a driven pinion 28 which meshes with a driving gear 25 integrally associated With the shaft 3l. Counterclockwise rotation is imparted to shaft I by the return movement of an actuator arm 32, clearly shown in Fig. 6 in its extreme counterclockwise position. Arm 32 is rst rotated in a clockwise direction about its pivotal center 3I by the action of its associated racking pin 33, whose movement leftwardly is incidental to a customer operation, as vwill later be described. On its return movement, arm 32 carrying a spring-urged pawl engages a ratchet Wheel integrally associated With the driving gear 29. This imparts a degree of movement to the pinion 28, the sprocket 25 and the link belt 23 such as will advance the seeker cams 22 from engaging one of the cam surfaces 2I of a door I1 to a succeeding one. E'ach movement of the arm clockwise and counterclockwise in response to its associated pin 33 is a reciprocal movement and causes the advancement of one ratchet tooth in the aforesaid ratchet mechanism.

Pin 33 is held securely in a pair of sheet metal side flanges 311, see also Figs. 8 to 1l, integral with a yoke structure, the rear of which provides a saddle 35 for nesting a guy pin 35. The periphery of each guy pin 35 is recessed in its center as at 31, Fig. '1, and at opposite ends 38. The center recess affords an anchor for the terminal loop 39, Fig. 6, of a restoration spring 4I. The end recesses 38 afford a seat 42, Fig. 10, to each of the side walls 35, as Well as to niches 43, Fig. 6, of the draw bar 44 which is confined for longitudinal movement between the side Walls 34 by reason of the overturned lips 35 as well as the underturned portion 51, Fig. 13. Plunger 44 has a substantially U-shaped cross section as best indicated in Fig. 13, and at its forward end carries secured to it the spherical manipulator I3. At this end also plunger M is boxed in by reason of the insert plate 43 which is provided with a latching opening 45 for a purpose which will be more detailedly described hereinafter.

Spring 4I which has been described as a restoration member is looped at its other end 5I around an anchor pin 52 which is shaped similarly to the aforedescribed anchor pin 35. In this case, however, the extreme recesses nest in the niches 520, Eig. ll, of the side walls 311 and 53, of the side channel walls of bar 1M. When the handle I3 is pulled forward under circumstances which will later be described, drawing bar 44 forward of the yoke generally designated 55, Figs. 10 and 11, the pin 52 and its corresponding end of spring 4I will travel with the bar 44 while pin 35 and its corresponding end 33 of the spring 34 will remain with the yoke 55, the spring 4I being thereby distended so as to exert a restorative force tending to bring the elements 44 and 55 together again.

Calling attention now again to the yoke 55, Figs. 8 to 13, it will be observed that the underturned portions 41 are bent downwardly and form two similarly profiled plate sections designated 56 spaced one from the other and housing therebetween a trigger lever 51 pivoted at 55, Fig. 6, in a short pin that is supported in the side walls or elements 55. The contour of elements 56 is best indicated in Figs. 8 to 11, and includes a projection 510 to which is anchored one end of the trigger spring 585 whose other end is looped around the extremity of an arm 59 of trigger 51. Beyond the projection 518 the contour turns inwardly around the extremity 5I, Fig. 9, describing the yoke straddling recess 52 which is also formed in the trigger lever 51, but which ares somewhat wider as at 53 in the case of the side walls 55. Within this recess 52 there resides a bail rod 64 that extends across the full width of the apparatus and is common to all of the mechanisms of the several merchandise dispensing units of which a plurality are shown in Fig. '7.

Bail 54 is carried by two arms 65, Figs. 8 to 11, and 56, Fig. 1. Arm 55 is pivoted in a trunnion pivot 61 at one end of the base structure I2, and arm 65 is correspondingly pivoted in a trunnion shaft 68 in the other end of the base structure I2. The foremost portion of trunnion shaft 53 is made rectangular as at 55 where it passes through the segment plate 1I and is held secure thereto by a face Washer 12 and securement screw 13. Accordingly the segment plate 1I moves integrally with the other elements associated with the bail rod 64.

Segment plate 1I is provided with a series of peripheral serrations 14, see also Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, which are adapted to be engaged by a detenting dog 15, spring-urged as at 16, to maintain the position indicated in Fig. 1. When the plate 1I rotates counterclockwise, the tooth 11 of dog 15 engages the serrations 111 successively so as to prevent the return movement in a clock- Wise direction of plate II until all of the serrations 14 have passed beyond the tooth 11 as indicated in Fig. 4. On the return movement thereafter, dog 15 is rotated counterclockwise to a su'cient extent that tooth 11 clears the serrations 14 whereupon dog 15 functions as an idling ratchet pawl. Plate 1I performs therefore as an operational safeguard to assure the completion of the full stroke in a counterclockwise direction about its pivots 51 and 68 before the clockwise rotation is enabled.

Plate 1I is provided with an internal cam slot of an irregular contour as best indicated in Figs. l to 5, extending from an upper and right-hand extremity, designated 8 I, coursing leftwardly and downwardly to an opposite extremity designated 82. The outer periphery of this'cam vslot is of compounded curvature varying in angularity, but the internal contour thereof is significantly provided with a shoulder projection 83 and a locking recess 84. A follower pin 85 is conned within this cam slot and is carried lupon one end of a lever 86 pivoted at 81 and having a probe shoulder 88 opposed to a probe shoulder 89 of a lever arm 9|, pivoted at 92. Between the probe shoulders 88 and 89 there might be received a coin 93 which has successfully passed the various test barriers of a coin testing mechanism generally designated 94, Fig. 1. Any coin which is rejected by the test mechanism fails to attain the position designated at 93 and is rejected in a manner which forms no part of the present invention.

. Also associatedwith plate 1| is a link 95 which is pivoted to the lever 1| at 96 and which is provided with an elongated slot as at 91. At its lowermost edge the link 95 is provided with a cam surface 98 which rides upon the periphery of a roller 99 freely carried on a stud |0| of a lever |02, Fig. 1. The lever arm |02 is pivoted at |03 and is urged by a spring |04 in a counterclockwise direction so as to act conjointly with a link |05 which advances the coin test mechanism. Y

There will now be described a cycle of operation which will interrelate the aforediscussed detailed descriptions in order to follow through a complete sequence of performance. It is to be assumed that a coin has successfully passed the test barrier 94 and is positioned at 93 as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The customer will then grasp one of the operating knobs |3 and pull the bar 44 outwardly. Since a proper coin has assumed the position 93 this operation will be a successful one, bar 44 moving forward or leftwardly as viewed in Figs. 2 to 6 and 8` to 11, and downwardly as viewed in Fig. '7. At |06, Fig. 6, the shoulder of bar 44 will engage the tooth |01 of trigger lever 51 which because it is pivoted at 58 will carry alongV as an integral part of the assembly yoke 55 in the same direction. As a consequence of the leftward movement of yoke 55, bail bar 64 will be engaged in the slot 82 and will be rocked countercloekwise about the pivot pintles 61 and 68. The side of rod 64 will slide upwardly on the surface |08 from a point indicated in Fig. 6, to the point indicated in Fig. 8. At this time the trigger 51 which is urged in a clockwise direction about its pivot 58 by spring 580 will fail to be rotated counterclockwise in opposition to spring 580 because bail bar 64 and its associated apparatus is not sufficiently resistant to overcome the spring 580. Further movement will cause rod 64 to ride farther into the slot 62, as indicated in Fig. 9, and thereafter as indicated in Fig. 10.

The rotation on the part of bail 64 causes a corresponding rotation of the segment plate 1|, Fig. 1, which thereupon describes the successive steps of movement illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4, correspondingly.

Here it will be noted that the movement of plate 1| is not impaired because probing lever 86 is held in its counterclockwise position Vdue to the intervention of coil 93, whereby the probing pin 85 thereof is prevented from becoming seated within the recess 84. Further movement on the part of plate 1| pulls the link 95 leftwardly as viewed in Figs. 2` to 5, causing its cam surface 98 to depress the roller 99 and to rotate lever |02 clockwise about its pivot |03.

Meanwhile, due to the shape of the internal cam slot in plate 1 lever 86 is rotated sufficiently to by-pass the coin 93 which drops into the collection receptacle augmented by lever arm 9| which moves counterclockwise about its pivot 92 for this purpose.

As a further result of the leftward'movement of link 95, in addition to rotating lever |02 clockwise, a follower roller |09 carried by lever 9| and confined within the elongated slot 91, is raised slightly as a consequence of the motion transmitted to it and thereby lever 9| is rocked counterclockwise under the resilient force originating with the spring and counterclockwise torque of lever |02.

During the movement of plate 1|, restoration is prevented because of the intervention of the dog 15 and is latching tooth 11 which engages the serrations 14. This prevention is effective until the last serration has passed the tooth 11 at which time the elements have assumed the position indicated in Figs. 4 and 10, and are ready to be returned. The return engagement of the serrations 14 with the tooth 11 is idle or slip-ratcheting in nature, and the elements resume a position such as that indicated in Fig. 5 shortly before complete reinstatement, as indicated in Fig. 1.

Meanwhile, the forward motion of the bar 33 of yoke 55 has permitted the sequence chain 23 to advance its seeker cam 22 to a succeeding door opening position. This releases the contents of one of the compartments I6 which will then precipitate through the opening I, striking the curved baille plate ||2 to repose on the floor plate ||3, Fig. 6, where it will be accessible to the customer by reaching through the frontal opening I5. From the foregoing it is to be noted that as the seeker cam 22 proceeds downwardly it will open each of the doors I1 successively until it has attained the lowermost compartment I6, after which the cam 22 on the other flight of the belt 23 will enter upon the first door |1 at the top to describe another cycle of successive door opening operations. If, meanwhile, the stock replenishing attendant wishes to refill the empty compartments I6 which have not as yet been attended by the functioning one of the seeker cams 22, the new merchandise thus placed into stock will not be released until the old merchandise has been sold or dispensed.

Now if, on thel other hand, no coin has been deposited in the test apparatus 94, or if an improper coin has been so deposited and rejected, there will not be attained the position 93 by such coin or lack of coin and instead, such improper coin will be discharged through a coin release channel which does not form part of the present invention.

It is to be observed that failure of a coin to achieve position 93, followed by an attempted operation of one of the knobs I3, will result in its movement forward to an extent only represented by Figs. 8 and 5. Any further movement on the part of knob |3 will be resisted by a sequence of occurrences which will now be described. A spring 2|2, Fig. l, which at all times exerts a counterclockwise torque upon lever 88, causes said lever to assume the position shown in Fig. 5 because no coin is present to abut against the surface 88, whereupon pin will seat itself into the curved recess 84 and will prevent the quadrant plate 11 from being rocked counterclockwise beyond the position indicated in this gure. As a consequence, bail 64 may not be rotated in a counterclockwise direction beyond the position indicated in Fig. 11. Accordingly, instead of riding fully into the notch 62 bail 64 will instead impinge against arm 2|3 of trigger 51 rocking the latter member counterclockwise about its pivot 58, Fig. 6, and withdrawing shoulder |01 from the notched opening |66, whereupon further movement of slide 44 will stretch the restoration spring 4|, but will not carry with it yoke 34. The forward motion of slide 44 opposing the spring 4| as it does will eventually be barred when pin 52, Fig. 6, strikes against the plate ||5. Meanwhile it is to be observed that the described attempt at operating the merchandise release mechanism will be frustrated without incurring any harzard to the common operating bail 64 which might otherwise cause rupture or distortion to it or to other vital mechanism of the unit.

When the customer releases the knob I3, spring 4| will restore the slide 44 to its normal position as indicated in Figs. l, 6 and 8 and the trigger 51 will thereafter resume its normal position as shown in Fig. 6 because the pressure against rod 64 will have been released.

Attention will now be directed to the inventory and accounting apparatus which is particularly disclosed in Figs. 6, '1 and l2. will be noted that a supporting shelf |2| appropriately secured at its opposite ends in the principal framework, one edge of which constitutes the aforedescribed abutment to the forward progress of pin 52, carries a plurality of pivotal stud pins |22, one each serving the merchandise release mechanisms just described. Each stud pin |22 may be riveted as at |23 to the shelf |2|, and affords pivotal support to an index wheel generally designated |24. The index wheel |24 is shown to be a cast element shaped with a peripheral flange |25 which supports an inventory counting ring |26.

The index wheel |24 carries a series of numerical designations |21, while the ring |26 carries a similar series of designations |28, Fig. '7. The ring |26 is provided with a number of internal detent notches |29, Fig. 12, into one or another of which there may be received the spring-pressed detent ball |3 I. In this way each inventory ring |26 may be rotated for adjustment in relation to its associated index wheel |24. A compression spring |32 asserts a thrust between the recessed shoulder |33 and a retainer washer |340 so as to tension the wheel |24 against free rotation about its pivot stud |22. Beneath the flange |25 the detent wheel |24 is provided with a number ratchet teeth |34 with which there engages a retention pawl |35 and a feed pawl |36, both of said pawls being urged into engagement by a spring element secured as at |31 to the oor panel |38.

Feed pawl |36 is pivoted at |39 to a function lever |4| which in turn is pivoted at |42, Fig.7. The free end of function lever |4| carries a box cam following pin |43 which is confined within an irregularly shaped slot formed in a plate |44 integrally associated with the aforedescribed yoke member 34. The irregularly shaped slot includes in each instance a short foremost parallel section |45, an inclned foremost section |46, an intermediate parallel section |41, an inclined rearmost setcion |48, and a parallel rearmost section |49.

When the yoke 34 is disposed in its normal I-Iere it position, as indicated by the leftmost mechanism in Fig. 7 and in Fig. 6, the follower pin |43 resides within the box cam portion |45. Then as the yoke 34 is moved forward when the customer pulls the operating knob |3, pin |43 occupies successively the ensuing portions |46, |41, |48 and |49. Conversely, on the return movement the cam follower |43 reverses the aforedescribed succession of occupancy so that the complete cycle constitutes the motion imparted to the lever |4| by the cam follower pin |43 during a forward and return movement of the plate |44.

In terms of the resultant motion of the actuator pawl |36, the aforedescribed movement constitutes a brief advancement of the pawl which is idle because of the normal spacing between its extremity and the awaiting ratchet tooth of ratchet wheel |34, as indicated at |51, Fig. 7, followed by a full retroaction, at which time pawl |36 engages a succeeding tooth of ratchet wheel |34, and, finally, during the concluding portion of the restoration movement, while the follower pin |43 is returning in the inclined cam space |48, there is imparted the feed movement which rotates the ratchet wheel |34. Each advance of the ratchet wheel is retained in position by the holding pawl |35, and it is to be observed that at the conclusion of the Vcycle of operation the pawl |36 is withdrawn l manual adjustment of the index wheel |24 until the full customer purchase operation has been completed.

The principal object of positively engaging the pawl |36 during the final portion of its feed movement is, of course, one of preventing a violent thrust operation of the slide 44 from causing the ratchet |34 to spin and over-travel its one-tooth-step operation. In this way there is insured constantly the proper correspondence between the index wheel |24 and the associated storage compartment tier as established by the zeroizing of the index wheel |24, a function of the stock replenishing attendant.

For the purpose of constituting a visible index Wheel |24 and the inventory ring |26 are positioned so that an index pointer |52 which relates to the index wheel |24, and another index pointer |53 which relates to the ring |26, indicate respectively the number of customer purchase operations completed since the zeroizing adjustments have been effected.

Index wheel |24 is provided with a vertical opening within which is carried a locking rod |55, urged by a spring |56 downwardly and retroactable by a manipulation thumb piece |51. When the index wheel reaches its ultimate counterclockwise position corresponding to a depletion of all of the stock in its associated storage tier Il, the locking plunger |55 reaches a point of registry with an opening |58 in the supporting shelf |2|, see also Fig. 6, and thereupon the spring |56 thrusts the locking plunger |55 not only through the opening |58, but also through the opening |49 in the above described complementary slide plate 48. As a consequence, there is prevented any movement thereafter of the slide 44 so that the purchaser may not operate the vending mechanism whatsoever after depletion of the stock thereof. In the event that a coin has been deposited when one or more of the tiers of stock is depleted, the purchaser thereby has the alternative of selecting from another tier or of discharging the coin from its position 93 by the actuation of a coin release position bar I6 l Fig. 1.

Position bar 6 I is a horizontal slidable member spring urged leftwardly as viewed in Fig. 1. It is provided with a pair of sidewardly extending lugs |50 and |60 of which lug |50 is normally disposed to support a coin 93 when it has successfully passed the coin test apparatus 94 and becomes interposed between levers 9| and 86. If the operator should desire to have his coin released before a transaction is completed he pushes bar |6| forward against its spring influence withdrawing the supporting lug |50 and pushing the coin 93 downwardly by a camming action on the part of lug |60.

While the present invention has been explained and described with reference to the particular embodiments disclosed in the hereunto appended drawings and described in the foregoing detailed specification, it is to be understood, nevertheless, that various modifications may be incorporated without departing from the essential spirit or scope thereof. It is intended therefore not to be limited by these disclosures, except within the tenor of the following claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a merchandise vending machine, a tier of inclined stationary merchandise storage compartments, a withdrawal barrier door at the rear of each of said compartments whereby merchandise stored therein is held, an itinerant release member for successively opening and permitting to close all of said barrier doors successively from any starting point, an operating slide including means for actuating said release member, an operations counter and index device comprising a rotary hub carried upon a vertical stub shaft above said operating slide, an actuating pawl reciprocated by said slide during the latters operation, and a ring detentably carried by and rotatable upon said hub bearing ordinal markings indicative of said storage compartments and apparatus comprising a restriction cam for said operating pawl, for positively preventing the overrunning of said index by reason of violent manipulation of its said operating slide.

2. In a merchandise vending machine, a plurality of manual operating slides, a yoke carried by each of said slides for performing a merchandise release operation, a coil spring connecting each of said slides with its yoke, a coin testing mechanism, an interfering member conditionally released by said coin testing mechanism and common to all of said operating slide yokes, a locking lever operated by said coin testing mechanism 10 said interfering member when not conditionally released by said coin testing mechanism for disassociating any of said manual slides from its carried yoke.

3. In a pull-out type merchandise vending apparatus a plurality of pull-out slides each associated with an individual tier of storage compartments, a series of barriers for each tier of compartments, a conveyor associated with each tier carrying an operator for opening said barriers of its tier successively, a yoke identied with each of said slides for advancing said conveyor to move its said operator from one barrier to another in each tier, a yield spring for connecting each slide with its yoke and for returning its slide after actuation, a rigid connecting link between each slide and its said yoke, and a common disabling device responsive to the presence or absence of a purchase coin in a test zone for correspondingly presenting or withdrawing the connecting links of all of said slides in their yoke engaging position.

4. In a merchandise vending machine, a plurality of manipulation slides arrayed in horizontal alignment, a plurality of tiers of merchandise compartments in corresponding alignment, merchandise release mechanisms between each of said slides and its related one of said tiers for causing to be discharged an article of merchandise from its tier, yieldable means connecting each of said slides with its related mechanism, positive means comprising a spring loaded latch lever normally withheld by a common test apparatus for coupling each of said slides with its related mechanism, and a common test apparatus acting upon all of said positive coupling means in response to a successful coin test for releasing said latch levers and for permitting a manipulated slide to remain positively coupled to its mechanism or in response to an unsuccessful coin test to maintain withdrawn its said positive coupling means and thereupon permit each slide to pull against its said yieldable connecting means.

DAVID HANCOCK, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 21,451 Woodward May 14, 1940 771,634 Knapp Oct. 21, 1902 1,110,771 Grimes Sept. 15, 1914 1,254,541 Saulnier Jan. 22, 1918 1,255,868 Folmer Feb. 12, 1918 1,648,734 Kelly Nov. 8, 1927 1,683,519 Blair Sept. 4, 1928 2,137,013 Bradley Nov. 15, 1938 2,241,489 Steiner May 13, 1941 2,320,378 Neidig June 1, 1943

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