US2623622A - Coin-controlled dispensing machine - Google Patents

Description

' Dec. 30, 1952 n. NEIDIG COIN-CONTROLLED DISPENSING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1950 I as 27 25 a In are)? 07' Dan J ez'dzy 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 30, 1952 D. NEIDIG COIN-CONTROLLED DISPENSING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 2, 1950 Invenfar' I D. NEIDIG COIN-CONTROLLED DISPENSING MACHINE Dec. 30, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 2, 1950 1r"; llllllllll "11111111," 'IIIIII.

Ive/en???" n ezdzy y W w Patented Dec. 30, 1952 Dan Neidig, Chicago, Ill., assignor to James H. Martin, ChicagoJll.

Application May 2, 1950, Serial No. 159,513

"The present invention relates generally to coinoperated dispensing machines, and inparticular.

to-that type of dispensing: machine having aplurality of selectable elements to bc operated after insertion of-oneor more coins of predetermined value. In particular, the present-invention relates-to those parts of the mechanism' related to the coin control andthe seleotability forth-e release of the merchandise being dispensed.

Dispensingmachines of one certain type have one-"or more vertical magazines containinga ver tical plural'ityof articles to be dispensed. Some dispense from the bottom of sta'cked 'materialin the magazine. thers have the magazine divided into compartments one of whichemptiesat each selective operation "for that magazine. Thecompartments may empty upwardly or downwardly, arid the mechanism for delivery varies. The present; invention is applicable A to all-these types of machines, but forthe purpose of 'showinga complete'mechanisin, there is chosen for illustration a'ina'chine having a horizontal pluralityof selectable magazines, and in each magazine a vertical plurality of "compartments which empty upwardly.

In the machine hereinill-ustrated, oneor-more articles to be dispensed singlyor'as a group is charged into a compartment for dispensingupon controlled. release. Each compartment i is -c'onstructed so as to effect discharge of its contents oy action of some releasing rriechanismwhioh-requires a mechanical operation or tripping tothat end.

The release element is commonl'y'onewhich moves step by step-in the direction inwhichreleasingprogre'sses,"andin moving one step the described mechanical release is effected. The illustrative machine has a releasingmechanism for each magazine which operates in apathalong the'maga'zine to effect progressive release.

't Forselectabl-e merchandise in as'ingle machine, it"is conventional to expose tothe customer a plurality of' manual controls, of which one is selected for operation, which one is released'for operation only after the propercoinage'is inserted. "It is conventional'that the selectedc'ontrol isblocked if its magazine is empty, and in this blocked'condition it isconVentionaI to offer the customer the choice of selecting another manual control'or of operating'a money-return control to have the machinedispense the money inserted. Additionally, it is'conventional in'such machines that onlyone manual control maybe selected and operated "on a single coin'eipermit. Furthermore, "in machines which *ofier manual 6 Claims. (01. 194---57) controls, which must be mechanically "moved in an -operating direction (as distinguished 7 from electrical push buttons or equivalent mechanical push buttonreleases), it is conventionalto provide mechanism compelling movement ofthe'control through a complete operating cycle, and to.

prevent anybacking in a started cycle.

It is the general object'ofthe invention to provide mechanism providing the above mentioned conventional features, which mechanism may be usedin coin-operateddispensing machines having one or more magazines forchoice or selection.

It is a particular object to provide a coin control providing-a resting station for a coin whereat it mayiunction to permit dispensing, or*wherefrom it may be recovered, at the will of th customer.

It is also a general object of theinvention to provide improved mechanism for receiving a coin, and either for utilizing it for a dispensing operation, or for discharging it without use by a suitable return.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and explanation of the invention as it is illustrated by an embodiment thereof suitable for dispensing machines, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front view of a dispensing machine showing five magazines having supports "for articles to be dispensed, releasing mechanisms therefor, and at the bottom a portion of the master control mechanism connectingaselected magazine of the machine with the coin control.

Fig. la is a fragmentary side view of one ofthe release units.

Fig. 2-is a view of thelowerportion of Fig. 1 taken from the reverse side showing mechanical connections for eii'ecting and limiting selection of the operating bars, and in particular a master control member in normal position.

"Fig.3 is a fragmentary portion of the structure shown inFig. 2 with the master control member at its innermost position, as moved from itsouter- 'mostposition shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the limitation of selection to one operating bar.

Fig.4 is a fragmentary side view of the machine in the position shown in Fig. 1, in'particular showing the master control member in an "end view-as related to coin controlmechanisms.

3 control mechanism taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. showing certain of the parts moved to a position to discharge a coin as a return to the purchaser.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-section taken on the lin 9-9 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section through the master slide, taken on the line |0l 0 of Fig. 1.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to or by the illustrations of it shown in the drawings for the purpose of description and explanation of the invention in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 shows a front view of the interior of a dispensing machine having a horizontal plurality of vertical magazines. Each magazine is filled from the illustrated face with merchandise, and at this face are made available practically all of the moving parts. Each magazine may be as long as desired by increasing vertically the number of units or compartments therein. The five magazines shown are limited in size in the drawings to eight compartments only to facilitate the illustration and explanation, and any number may be horizontally alined.

The body portion of the machine includes a back wall Hi to which are secured four spaced partition walls ll between parallel end walls [2 and I3 forming the magazines designated l4, l5, l6, l7 and I8. Each vertical magazine has a number of article-supports vertically alined, one for each compartment. Description of one compartment describes them all.

Each compartment has an article support pivoting on a horizontal axis in order to dump an article stationed thereon upon release of the support from its article-holding position. The support has at least a part of itself, or even the entire support, movable with respect to the body portion, which latter is provided appropriately with a detent structure to hold the support against dumping. Means is provided to move said part, or otherwise the entire support itself, away from said detent structure, thereby to permit pivotal movement on the horizontal axis with resulting dumping of the article supported thereby. The article support is normally biased to move into the position it assumes after dispensing, and the detent normally holds the support from biased movement into said position. Thereby after having dispensed an article, each support is normally located out of the path which is traveled by the next article to be dispensed from the magazine in a machine having release of articles progressing upwardly in the magazine.

The means to release each support for dispensing movement may vary widely in structure and operation, according to other features with which it is associated. Commonly, dispensing machines are designed for insertion of one or more coins to condition the machine for a single release, effected electrically or mechanically by operating some selective control where there must be a choice when numerous vertical magazines are involved. As illustrated, the releasing means is a structure which climbs upwardly step by step along the length of the magazine, thereby in its motion to move the article support from its holding detent. For picturesqueness in description, this particular form of release structure is herein called a monkey.

4 Various forms of monkeys are used in machines of the type illustrated. A known form is a guided monkey movable in one direction from end to end of a vertical magazine by a one-way sliding relation between the monkey and the machine body, and by a second one-way sliding relation between the monkey and a vertically reciprocable operating bar. Thus, movement of the operating bar in a half cycle of reciprocation, properly limited, moves the monkey a distance equal to the height of a compartment, and movement of the operating bar in the other half of its cycle is permitted while the monkey is held stationary for the one way connection with the machine body or casing. The mentioned sequence of the half cycles is not material and may be reversed. By this means, step by step movement of the monkey is effected by repeated reciprocations of the operating bar, and each movement of the monkey effects a dispensing release of a loaded support.

In the preferred illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing, there is a vertical series of axle rods 2| across the front face of the magazines M to 18 passing through the side walls I2 and I3 and fixed by heads 22 at wall l2 and by hooks 23 at wall I3. The axles 2| are equally spaced when there are identically sized compartments throughout the magazine. At each compartment on its axle 2| there is provided an article-support in the form of a platform 25 (top of magazine I8) having a flat article-holding main portion 26 inclined downwardly in the article-holding position toward rear wall l0, and thereby forming a shallow pocket for article A indicated thereon. The support is inclined to prevent forward sliding of article A during mischievous shakingv of the machine as sometimes occurs in the hope of dislodging an article for free delivery. A front portion 21 of the support 25 lies above its axle 2|, on which it bears through a channel-form piece secured beneath it, which piece has flat face 28in contact with support section 21, and also has bearing ear 29 and 30.- Said flat face 28 has a functioning edge designated 28' upon which acts a cam carried by the monkey to move the support horizontally as will be described. The support proper may be of light-weight metal and the channel part 28 is specifically provided to permit the bearing ears and edge 28' to be of harder metal.

To hold the support 25 in article-holding position, the forward portion 2'! is held in said position by the face 28 resting under a fixed detent. The normal weight of the rear supporting section 26 acts by gravity to bias the support 25 to move into the dropped position designated 25a at the lower part of magazine l4. Each compartment has such a detent, and there is, therefore, a vertical plurality of such detents, each indicated by numeral 32 in magazine l8, under which lie the plates 28 of the forward support sections 21. The detents 32 are formed by cutting into a right angular flange 33 integral with partition wall I l or side wall I2 on the left sides of the magazines as viewed in Fig. 1.

.To release the support 25, the part thereof which is indicated under and held by detent 32 is movable with respect to the body portion of the machine, this being locally the adjacent wall II or l2 or its flange 33, or a detent 32 thereof, in order to escape the holding action of the detent.

One way to provide for such releasing movement is to slide the whole support 25 on'its axle 2| to the right in Fig. l. rower than the magazine width to permit such The support is nar- 5. sliding to thepoint of release. Spring means in the formof a coiled compression spring 35 about the axle 2| presses between the bearing ear 30 of the support and the adjacent right hand magazine wall II or |'3. It is noted that the detnts 32 have a functioning -cam edge or face 34 inclined upwardly to the left in Fig. 1. This cam *e'dg'e alsofunctions on the edge 28 ofthe support to move the support'to the right when resetting the machine -by moving the support from its dropped position 2 a back to'its articleholding position.

The several releasing means eifective for disengaging each support or :part thereof from its detent 32 are shown in different positions vertic'all'y in Fig. 1. The preferred releasing means or inonkey of the illustrated machine is now described. There'is a vertically reciprocable operating bar for each vertical magazine, upwardly of whichthe monkey climbs. The bar illustrated is'a rightangle bar 4| (Fig.2) having a-flange 42 mounted to slide facewise along the forward portionof magazine side walls H and |2,-and another flange 43 spaced forward of and parallel to'the wall "flange 33 whichhas the detents 32. The flange 42 of the operating bar'4l is slidably mounted on an adjacent side wall II or |2 by oneormore headed pins 44 fixed in a wall II or l2, and by a corresponding elongated slot 45 (Fig. 9) in theflange 42 about such pin, of ample length to permitthe desired extent of reciprocation. The monkey is 'slidably mounted on bar 4| and has a one-way sliding engagement therewith. The monkey also has a one-way sliding engagement with the body portion of the machinejparticularly with flange 33 having the detents 32. These sliding engagements ar effected by two pawl and ratchet means with one ratchet element on the bar 4| and one on the flange 33, and with the two pawls on the monkey. The pawls are-preferably arranged for independent operation in the'act of dispensing, but arerelated for simultaneous disengaging movements ofthepawls from their ratchets by a single control to facilitate lowering the monkey and resetting the machine on reloading.

The monkey is designated generally by the numeral 5|, and is illustrated in full fr'ont view in Fig. 1. As shown, it is carried solely'by the vertical reciprocatingbar 4| on which it is vertically slid'able i'n'both directions asmentone'd above. 'Inone drection it is freely movable on the bar 41 upwardly relative "to the-bar. Upwardmovement of themonkey along the magazine is permitted by moving the reciprocating bar upwardly, with the monkey at this time stationary with respect to the operating bar 4|.

A single "control means is provided on the monkey-to disengage both pawls from their normal relation to their ratchets, thereby to permit free sliding of the monkey relative to the two ratchets. Each pawl has a normal range of movement with respectto its ratchet. The preferred control means is effected by extending the normarrange of movement of one pawl, and causihgmc'vefnent of said pawl in its extended range, tornove the other pawl'away from its ratchet.

The'rnonkey is of simplified structure in the presentinstance consisting of a'face or body portion with two pawls pivoted tothe face portion,and 'a' spring for each pawl. The face portion of the monkey is designated by the numerarsa (see magazine Hi). It isa metal plate aercrmed "to provide an angularslot into which 6. fits theangular reciprocating-barM with a*re sul-ting 'sliding mounti'ng of the monkey 5| on the bar4 The facepor'tio'n has deformed-parts which bear slidingly on both faces of the flanges 42 and 43 of the reciprocating bar t Looking at the monkey as illustratedin Fig. 1 one sees a vertical face portion partly coveredby a bell crank meinb'er pivoted to said'fa'ce 53. nt-the top of the face 53 there is a rearward integral flange 54 with a portion of it cut away to receive the "edge of flange '13 of the bar 4|, and with an end p'ortion'of the flange 54 positioned to engage on the inner face of flange "42 of the bar Al. Said flange 54 is also extended upwardly at its rear to form a vertical lug 55 as a dog for releasing the article-supports one at a time. The dog55 has an inclined edge serving as a cam face 55, which in riding upwardly engages each edge 28 of an artic1e-support 25, thereby to urge the whole support 25 laterally -on itsaxle 2| against the spring 55, thereby to release an article.

Monkey face 53 is extendedon the lower side by a rearward flange t? suitably recessed to receive the edge of flange (i3 slidingly as a bearing against the'rear face of the flange 52 of bar 4|. The left end of the monkey face has a rearward vertical flange 58 positioned to lie slidingly against the outer face of reciprocating flange42. ihe three flanges 5t, 5'! and 53, together with the monkey face53, form an L- 'shaped slot through the monkey of suitable size to receive the right angular reciprocating bar 54 for the desired sliding relationship.

The pawl and ratchet structures may beveriously arranged between the pertinent parts. The following is a description of the arrangement shown in the drawings. Alug a9 is struck forwardly at right angles from the monkey face 53 as a support for a horizontal pivot-rivet 5|! for a depending vertical pawl tl having an engaging tooth 62 at its end positioned to ride on thefront face of the reciprocating flange 43. The pawl 6| is biased toward said flange by spring 63 (Fig. 1a). The flange 43 constitutes the ratchet for the pawl 6: by the p-rovisionof a'v'ertical series of holes't'a (Fig. 1) spaced apart the same distance as theaXles 2|, which distance defines the vertical height of each. conipartment. The tooth 62 (Fig. la) has a cam edge or face 65 permitting vertical movement of the monkey upwardly of the bar 4| by the edge of a hole 64 camming the pawl 6| away from its ratchet. The tooth 82 also ha's an engaging edge or face 66 which prevents the monkey moving downwardly of the bar at by the tooth engaging a ratchet hole t l. Additionally, the pawl 6| has an inclined face 6? on its rear vertical edge such that a downwardly noving cam (later described) will. cam the pawl 6| forward and move tooth 62 into non-engaging relationship with its ratchet holes 54.

Monkey face 53 has a manual control in the form of a crank member 63 pivoted to it by horizontal pin H3. The crank member as a pawl structure functions automatically in the dispensing action of the machine, but it is additionally constructed and arranged to facilitate manual control for disengaging both pawls from their ratchets. The crank member (E9 has a manual control arm normally biased by spring '52 into an acute angular relationship with the top flange 54 of the monkey, as shown generally in '1- M y queezing the control arin and the flange 54 together against spring 3'2 efiects the desired disengaging operations, directly with respect to the crank member as a part of one pawl, and indirectly by reason of a camming finger 1 carried by the other arm I5 of the crank member. It is said finger 14 which moves vertically downwardly (Fig. 1a) upon the inclined edge or face 61 of the pawl 8|, as mentioned above, to disengage both pawls at once.

The downwardly directed arm 15 of the manual crank member 89 functions as a pawl by reason of an integral wide tooth indicated at 18 (see magazine I1), the same being biased to move to the left by action of tension spring 12. Tooth I6 is a piece of sheet metal integral with the arm 15 of the crank 88, bent backward at right angles from the arm 15. The tooth It lies approximately at a 45 angle to the vertical so that as the monkey 5| moves upwardly the tooth 76 is cammed to move against the force of spring 12 by contact with the edge of flange 33 having the detents 32, in the particular embodiment illustrated. However, this camming movement by said detents 32 is merely incidental and not functional. It is incidental to the provision of a ratchet structure along the same edge of flange 33 which contains the detents 82. The ratchet function is performed not by the detents 32 but by recesses 18 located just above the detents 32 as seen in Fig. 1. The ratchet is such that the monkey 5| may ride upwardly alongside the flange 33, but not downwardly of it unless the pawl tooth i6 is withdrawn from its ratchet. B'y pinching the crank arm II toward a flange 5d at the top of the monkey, the monkey 5| is liberated from both of its pawl and ratchet connections for free sliding movement on the bar 4|. The finger 14 on arm 15 is so located that during normal pawl-and-ratchet action by tooth 15 over the edge of flange 43 (its ratchet), there is no camming action on the other pawl 6|.

At the top of each reciprocating bar 4| there is a stop 80 indicated in Fig. 1, in the form of a lug struck from the flange 43. The stop 88 is so positioned that after the topmost support of a magazine has discharged its article, and when the reciprocating bar ll has last returned to its uppermost normal position, the monkey is held stationary relative to the machine by the pawl tooth 16 being engaged in the uppermost notch I8 of its ratchet on flange 83. Normally the bar 4| could be lowered if the monkey were in a similar but lower position, but the location of stop 88 prevents an effective downward movement of the bar 4|.

In Fig. 1 the operating bar 4| is connected to means for operating it. At the lower portion of Fig. 1 there is a horizontal slide 8'! which moves to the left at each dispensing operation. The slide is so moved by manual depression of a push bar 88 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 9) which presents a horizontal flat platform to the public for operating it, as for example, when there is a coin inserted to operate the machine. The platform 88 engages the bottom end of the reciprocating bar 4| by insertion of the platform member 89 into a lateral slot 88 in a forward extension member 98' secured to each operating bar 4| (see Fig. 9). The operators downward push on platform 88 operates the reciprocating bar 4| when and if the push bar 88 is liberated for downward movement, as by the insertion of a coin, through control means about to be described.

Means is provided to connect slide 81 with but one of the push bars 88 so that a purchaser after inserting a coin may push any selected one of the bars 88 and move slide bar 81, which is tied into the coin control. Slide bar 81 in Figs. 1 and 2 is in its rest position. In use it is moved from rest position to the position shown in Fig. 3, against a tension spring 9| mounted between the bar and wall I3.

To compel the bar to move through a half cycle before it may return to its position of rest, there is a fixed ratchet 92 on the casing and a reversible pawl 83 pivotally carried by the bar and normally biased into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by a spring 93.

Each bar 88 has a tension spring 88' from its lower end to a casing wall 94 to force the operating bars 4| and 88 into their uppermost positions. The lower end 98 of each bar 88 is narrower than the upper part to provide for two downwardly tapering shoulders 91, which act as cams to free a space for downward movement of but one bar 88 and at the same time indirectly to block like spaces for downward movement of any other bar 88. This is effected by an endwise chain of horizontal bars 98 shown in Figs. 1 and 9 mounted on a vertical casing wall 89 for horizontal sliding over a limited range as mounted under retaining channel strips I secured to said wall 99. Each bar has near each end a roller I8! to be cammed by a shoulder 9'! on the nearest adjacent bar 88. The rollers extend through and move in slots I82 in wall 99. Each bar 88 moves downwardly between two such rollers |0| carried by each pair of adjacent bars 98, and in downward movement a selected bar 88 spreads the bars of the pair 98 if the latter are free to move. In case that an operation of bar 88 follows an operation of the same bar 88, the rollers |0I will already be spread to permit the second operation. Each bar 98 is free to move a limited distance suitable only to permit one of its rollers to move out of the path of one shoulder 81 while the roller on its opposite end is in the path of a shoulder'a'i of its corresponding bar 88. Thus, only one bar 88 may be depressed, as shown in Fig. 3.

The slide 8'! is slidably mounted on the inner face of front wall 99 by a pin and slot connection 99'. To move the slide 81 by a selected bar 88 there is provided a pin I03 on each bar 88 and an inclined slot I04 in which the pin rides, thus to move the bar 81 in a cycle of horizontal e pr cation for each cycle of vertical reciprocation of a bar 83. The pawl and ratchet 92-93 is thus effective to compel each bar 88 to move through a full cycle. The slot I84 is extended horizontally at the top by a slot I to permit the slide 8? to move through its cycle, by each such slot I85 riding along the stationary pins I03 of unselected bars. Slots I84 and I85 together form a 'l-shaped slot as seen in Fig. 2, wherein each pin I83 is normally in a position to ride either down the slot I04 or relatively along the slot I05.

Means is provided to block movement of slide 81 except when a coin is inserted in the machine as a permit. This means is shown in the form of a fingerlike member pivoted to the slide for vertical movement and biased to a downward position in which it strikes a stop as the slide 81 attempts to carry it. This arrangement is such that a received coin in the machine is effective to lift the finger, as when it lies in the path of means connected to this finger to act as a cam andmove the finger away from its stop.

In Fig. 1 is a finger I II! is pivoted at I II to the slide and it lies normally in the. horizontal position shown. It has a free end II2 entered into a hole IE3 in casing wall I3 (Figs. 1 and 7). The bottom edge I Id of hole I I3 is a stop for a shoulder II on said finger. Tension spring IIIi forces the free end I I2 of the finger onto said edge H4, and permits the finger III) to be raised so that shoulder II5 clears its stop II I for movement of the slide 87 through its cycle. In Fig. 3 the finger shown is in raised position. A second finger II! is rigidly connected to said finger I III for movement therewith through pivot I I I, as shown in Fig. 6. Finger II! has an inclined tip H8 which rides up on the edge of a coin C as illustrated in Fig. 8.

The remainder of the mechanism pertains to handling the coin in relation to slide 81. On the right hand side of the machine (as viewed in Fig. 1) there is a coin selector box I of standard construction (see Fig. 4) for rejecting slugs and the like, and for dropping an accepted and proper coin C into a thin vertical chamber I2I therefor (see Figs. 4 and 5). Chamber IZI is defined laterally by walls spaced apart approximately the same distance as the thickness of a coin C. One wall is a cover plate I22 shown in Figs. 4 and 6, and removed in Fig. 5. The plate I22 has a hole II8 therein for entry of finger II'II IS. The opposite wall of the chamber is a plate I23 of channel form mounted on wall I3, as shown in Fig. 6. Between these two walls of chamber IZI there is a vertical spacer strip I24 to confine one edge of coin C (Fig. 5) and opposite that is a triangular spacer plate I25 having vertical edge I25 for confining the coin edge, and an inclined edge I21 down which to roll the coin C when it is lifted for rolling as shown in Fig. 7. Inclined edge I21 leads to a chute I 28 through which the coin is returned to the operator.

In coin chamber I 2I there is a coin rest I30 on which the coin lies to position it for lifting the fingers II'I and III) as mentioned above. The coin rest I30 extends across the chamber I2! and is movable in two directions. It may be withdrawn from its cross position in the chamher in order to drop the coin C into the treasury via the lower part of chamber IZI, or it may rise in the chamber I2I to lift coin G into position for rolling down the incline I21.

To impart these movements to the coin rest I33, the latter is carried on an arm which pivots in a vertical plane for the lifting movement and which svings laterally for the dropping movement. The main arm is designated I3I and is pivoted. for vertical swinging at a point intermediate its ends by pivot I32 entered in wall I23. The rear end of the arm I3I has a lateral pin or stud I33 in the path of means (later described) for depressing it to lift the coin rest for return of the coin as illustrated in Fig. 7. The arm I3! is held by spring I3I normally horizontally as shown in Fig. 5. So positioned, it carries a vertical pivot I34 offset in ears I 35 for an extension I36 of the arm which may swing on said pivot; into position 35m shown in Fig. 6. A leaf spring I36 urges the arm I36 against wall I23 as shown in Fig. 6. It is the arm I35 which carries the coin rest I559, which pulls the coin rest out from under the coin, and which lifts the coin rest for eturn of the coin. An arcuate slot I23 is provided in plate 23 as a path (Ill TII

for the coin rest I 30. The upper part of-said arcuate slot I23 is extended vertically to accommodate entry of the finger II'I'-I I3 when it rides on the coin before the coin is dropped. The forward end I3? of arm I36 extends well beyond the coin rest I30 and toward slide 81 (see Figs. 6 and 8) into the path of a lug I38 carried by the slide 81. When there is a coin C on the rest I30, it raises finger II'II II] to permit the slide 81 to move in its cycle. This carries the lug I33 against the arm I 37 and swings it laterally to the position I31a (Fig. 6) against spring I36, thus to move the coin rest I39 from under the coin to drop the coin into the treasury.

The means for action to return the coin is arranged to lift the coin as described and at the same time to lock the machine. Secured to the wall I3 there are two bars at right angles to each other, each of which slides longitudinally. One is a bolt bar indicated at MI in Fig. 7 mounted under straps I52 and drawn horizontally to the rear by spring I43. The bolt bar functions as a lock in its forward position, with its front end I lt entered in a hole Hi5 (Fig. 6) in the slide 81 when the latter is in its position of rest. When a coin on the coin rest is to be returned, this bolt bar locks the slide against possibility of movement. The inner end of the bolt I 4| is beveled as shown at I41, and it lies normally in a similarly shaped recess I53 (Fig. 4 and Fig. 7) of a second and vertical sliding bar I54 connected by pin I55 and slot l ifi to the wall I3. The upper end of the bar I he is connected by a pivot I51 to a manual control lever I58 pivoted at I59 and extending to the external front face of the machine for manual depression to return a coin. On such depression the downward movement of bar 154 acts upon the beveled edge It! of the bolt Id! to move it into locking position, and then the bar I55 continues its downward movement against a tension spring IfiI to bring its foot Im on to the said pin thus to move the pin down. Thereby the arm I3! is tilted to raise the coin rest I 3!) for return of the coin as described.

It is noted that the lowermost position of coin C is such that if another coin is introduced into chamber I2 I, it will roll down the incline I2! and be returned.

From the foregoing. it is clear that the it?! has numerous functions, in combination with a coin, and without a coin. When there is no coin on the coin rest I355, the machine is locked by the normal position of the finger unit IIiI-I Ii. Any attempt to raise the coin-rest by operating lever I53, possibly to raise the finger unit, is preceded by action of bolt-bar MI to lock the machine, The same locking occurs in a bona fide manipulation of return lever I58 to return a coin. A coin to be utilized functions on coin rest I to unlock the machine for operation, and the ensuing operation is efiective to remove the coin rest and take the coin.

It is to be understood that numerous changes modifications are contemplated as falling ithin the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In coin-operated vending machine having member movable in a complete cycle of motion. for: each vending operation, a coin-contrcl comprising means providing a pathway for glavity movement of the coin, a movable coin rest positioned normally to arrest said coin in said pathway, a movable lock normally locking said master member against motion beyond a slight movement at the beginning of a cycle, said lock having a part arranged to move with said master member and located in said movement to make contact with a coin on said rest and be thereby moved into unlocking position to free the master member for its full cycle of movement, said coin rest being movable out from and back to coin-arresting position to permit dropping the coin past the normal position of the coin rest, means operated by the master member in that portion of its cycle of movement after the unlocking thereof to move the coin rest out of and back to coin-arresting position, means above said coin-rest providing a second pathway in which to return the coin to an operator, said coin rest also being movable to raise the coin thereon in said first pathway against gravity into position to enter said second pathway, and a manual control so to move the coin rest.

2. In a coin-operated vending machine, means providin a passageway for gravity movement of a coin edgewise into a treasury in the machine, a by-pass from said passageway for diverting the coin from entry into the treasury, a movable coin-rest below said by-pass normally positioned to arrest a coin in said passageway on its way to the treasury, said coin rest being movable from the passageway to pass the coin to the treasury and being movable in said passageway to raise the coin into position to roll into the by-pass, movable locking means associated with a coin on the coin rest to unlock the machine for operation and to lock the machine against operation in the absence of a coin on said coin rest, and means effective in the operation of the machine to move the coin rest from the passageway and back again in the meantime to pass the coin to the treasury, and manual means operable to raise the coin rest for discharging the coin into the by-pass.

3. In a coin-operated vending machine, means providing a passageway for gravity movement of a coin edgewise into a treasury in the machine, a by-pass from said passageway for diverting the coin from entry into the treasury, a movable coin rest below said by-pass normally positioned to arrest a coin in said passageway on its way to the treasury, said coin rest being movable from the passageway to pass the coin to the treasury and being movable in said passageway to raise the coin into position to roll into the by-pass, a lock to prevent operation of the machine, the combination of the coin rest with a coin thereon being arranged to unlock said lock and the lock being arranged normally to lock the machine in the absence of a coin on said coin rest, and means movable in the operation of the unlockedmachine to move th coin rest from the passageway and back again, in the meantime to pass the coin to the treasury, a second look to prevent dispensing operation of the machine, said second lock being normally unlocked, and manual means operable first to lock said second lock and then to raise the coin rest for discharging the coin into the by-pass.

4. In a coin-operated dispensin machine, means providing a coin chamber with one entry, with a treasury exit and with a return exit all arranged for normal gravity edgewise movement of the coin from the entry to the treasury exit, a coin rest normally positioned to arrest a coin thereon in its movement from the entry to the treasury exit, said rest being movable out from under the arrested coin for delivering the coin to the treasury, and said coin rest being movable upwardly in the chamber to move the arrested coin into position for entering the return exit, means rendered active by a coin on said coin rest to move the coin rest temporarily out of the chamber by operation of the machine thereby to deliver the coin to the treasury, a lock to lock the machine against operation, and a manual control to move the coin rest upwardly in the chamber for delivering the coin to the return exit, said manual control being arranged first to move said lock to lock the machine and next to move said coin rest in the chamber.

5. In a coin-operated dispensin machine, means providing a coin chamber having one entry, having a treasury exit and having a return exit all. arranged for normal gravity edgewise movement of the coin from the entry to the treasury exit, a coin rest normally positioned to arrest a coin thereon in its movement in said chamber from th entry to the treasury exit, said coin rest being movable out from under the arr rested coin for delivering the coin to the treasury,

and said coin rest being movable upwardly in the chamber to move the arrested coin into position for entering the return exit, locking means against operation of the machine having a part moved by a coin on said coin rest to unlock the machine for operation, means actuated by the machine in operation to move the coin rest temporarily out of the chamber, thereby to deliver the coin to the treasury, a second look to lock the machine against operation, and a manual control to move the coin rest upwardly in the chamber for delivering the coin to the return exit, said manual control being arranged first to move said second look to lock the machine and next to move said coin rest in the chamber,

6. In a coin-operated machine a movable member movable in one direction, a coin-rest pivoted on said member and movable with respect thereto in a different direction and movable with said member in motion of the latter in said one direction, said coin rest being located in the path of a coin inserted in the machine, said member being movable to move the coin rest in said one direction for moving the coin in one of two directions, means to move said member in said one direction, and means to move said coin rest relative to said member in static-nary position for moving the coin in the second direction.

DAN NEIDIG.

REFERENCES CITED The folio 'ing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,891,640 Gottfried Dec. 20, 1932 1,970,006 Gilchrist Aug. 14, 1934 2,037,462 Du Grenier Apr. 14:. 1936 2,156,531 Geer May 2, 1939 2,389,442 Latimore Nov. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 325,413 Great Britain Feb. 20, 1930 6G5A69 Germany Nov. 10, 1934

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