US2639961A

US2639961A - Vending machine cabinet

Info

Publication number: US2639961A
Application number: US788525A
Authority: US
Inventors: Burgess C Case
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-11-28
Filing date: 1947-11-28
Publication date: 1953-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1970-05-26

Description

y 6, 1953 B. c. CASE 2,639,961

VENDING MACHINE CABINET Filed Nov. 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INYENTOR Buryess C Case BY ATTORNEY May" 26, 1953 Filed Nov. 28, 1947 B. C. CASE VENDING MACHINE CABINET It{so s W '1 r T? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "1'93 V lNVENTO gurgess C Cage ATTORNEY chine.

Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to the construction of vending machine cabinets, and more particularly, to the construction of the cabinet looking mechanism for coin operated vending machines requiring periodic restocking, preferably from a location at the front of the machine.

In coin operated vending machines, such as the automatic corn poppin machine disclosed in my copending joint application Serial No. 786,190, filed November 15, 1947, the machine is preferably operated by a customer inserting a coin through a coin slot in the front of the machine. that reason, such machines are often positioned in locations at the points of use where they are readily accessible only from the front of the ma- Accordingly it is advantageous to provide also for access to the coin receptacle within the machine and to the internal tanks containing the raw corn and cooking compound through closures operable from the front of the machine. Repair and replacement of the machine operating me hanism is occasionally necessary and for this purpose a door is provided in the rear of the machine, through which the mechanism can be withdrawn.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a vending machine cabinet of the character described having an improved closure locking system operable only from the front of the machine. A more specific object is the provision of a cabinet hinged top and front door construction which prevents opening of the top while the door is closed. A further specific object is the provision of a cabinet having a plurality of closures controlled by a single key-operated lock.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a coin-operated vending machine cabinet constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the front door locking system;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the inside of the rear wall of the cabinet;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of one of the rear door locking devices; and

Figs. 8, 9 and are sections taken on the lines 8-8, 9--9, and Ill-Io respectively of Fig. 7.

For

The automatic coin operated corn popping machine illustrated in the drawings as one embodiment of the invention has a sheet metal cabinet 20 of general rectangular vertical and horizontal cross-section, provided with a front door 2|, 2. rear door 22 and a hinged top 23. A coin slot 24 is located in the front of the cabinet. The front door has a piano type hinge 25 along one vertical side and cut outs for windows 26 and 21, a bag receiving compartment 28, and a bag slot 29. The front door is rearwardly inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, so that its front side projects beyond the adjacent front wall portions of the cabinet. The door sides 2 l extend rearwardly to the plane of the cabinet. The rear door 22 has a vertical piano hinge 3! along one vertical side and is arranged in the plane of the cabinet rear Wall. The cabinet top 23 has a horizontal hinge 32 on its rear side.

In the machine described, the front door 2|, rear door 22, and top 23 constitute all of the movable closures permitting access to the interior of the machine, the front door permitting front access to the coin receptacle and operating mechanism, the top permitting access to the raw corn and cooking compound tanks which have removable top covers, and the rear door used for rear access to and removal of the operating mechanism.

For the purpose of sanitation and safety, it is important that unauthorized persons be prevented from having access to the interior of the machine. In accordance with the invention, the cabinet is provided with closure locking provisions controlled from a single key-operated barrel type lock 35 on the free side of the front door. The lock controls a locking mechanism on the inner side of the front door side 2i consisting of an arm 36 secured to the lock barrel and having a hook-shaped end 31 engaging a stud 38 On the upper end of a vertically movable lock slide bar 40. As shown in Figs. 2-4, the slide bar 49 is slideably mounted on an inverted vertical channel member 4| secured to the door side 2 l The channel member has three

vertical slots

42, 43 and 44 therein through which project studs 45, 46 and l! respectively carried by the slide bar. The

studs

45 and 41 are mounted as shown in Fig. 4 so as to extend on opposite sides of the slide bar 40, the outer portion of the studs extending through the channel member slot having a washer 49 thereon to hold the slide bar in position. The inner portions of the

studs

45 and 41 are arranged to fit into grooves 50 formed in the upper edges of the brackets 5| and 52 respectively mounted on the side Walls of the cabinet adjacent the bottom and top of the front door :respectively, as shown in Figs. 2-4. The inner portion of the center stud 4-6 terminates at the .slide bar and this stud serves as a guide only. FWith the described arrangement the front door can be firmly locked to the cabinet and readily opened when access is desired.

The locking mechanism for the rear door 22 is mounted at the inner side thereof and is operable only if the front door is first opened. As shown in Figs. 5-10, the rear door locking mechanism consists of a pair of lift latches '66 and BI pivoted on guide brackets E2 and 63. respectively mounted on the cabinet rear wall adjacent the upper and lower ends respectively of the door. The latches '60, 6| are bent to engage grooved

brackets

65 and 66 respectively secured to the rear door adjacent the guide brackets '62 and 63. The latches are simultaneously actuated by aconnecting link 68- and anextension of theupper latch SQ-to form a handle "69.

The hinged top is locked in its closed position by means of an L-shaped metal strip 10 extending along and secured to the front edge of the top. The strip has a downwardly curved forwardly projecting portion H arranged to fit snugly, within the curved upper edge of the front door '21, so that the top cannot be raised until the front door is opened. The top can be held in its open position when desired by an arm-I4 pivoted on one lower side edge of the top. IThe arm is arranged to ride on a bracket 15 projecting from the side wall of the cabinet, and a notch, 16 inv the arm hooks in the bracketlE when the .top is raised, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2.

The locking system described provides a simple, but effective, protective construction for the movable closures of the vending machine, insuring access to the interior of the machine only by an authorized person. It also permits the daily servicing of the machine to be readily carried out from the front of the machine, adding to the convenience and speed of servicing.

Whilein accordancewith the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and described herein the best form of the invention now known to me, those skilled in the art-will understand that changes may be made inthe formof the apparatus disclosedwithout departing from the spirit of theinvention coveredbymy claims, and that certain features of my invention may'sometimes be usedto advantage without a, corresponding use of other features.

I claim:

1. A vending machine cabinet having front, rear and side walls, a side-hinged'bulging front door mounted on and projecting beyond the cabinet front wall, a stationary bracket within said cabinet and having a grooved portion projecting beyond the cabinet front wall, a locking bar vertically slideable on the inner side of the projecting portion of said front door and having a, projecting stud. arranged to fit into said grooved bracket, and a rotary lock in said front door having an operative connection with said locking bar.

2. A vending machine cabinet having front, rear and side walls, a side-hinged bulging front door mounted on and projecting beyond the cabinet front. wall, a pair of, vertically spaced stationary brackets mounted on a cabinet side wall and having a grooved portion projecting beyond the cabinet front wall, a locking bar vertically slideable on, the inner side of the projecting portion of said front door and having a pair of projecting studs arranged to fit into corresponding grooved brackets, and a rotary lock in said front door having an operative connection with said locking bar.

3. A vending machine cabinet, having front, rear and side walls, aside-hinged, bulging front door mounted on and projecting beyond the cabinet front wall, a pair of vertically spaced stationary brackets mounted on a cabinet side wall and having a grooved portion projecting beyond the cabinet front wall, a locking bar vertically slideable on the inner face of the free side of the projecting portion of said front door and having a pair of projecting studs arranged to fit into corresponding grooved brackets, and a rotary lock in said front door having an operative connectionwith said locking bar.

4. A vending machine cabinet having front, rear and side walls, a side-hinged bulging front door mounted on and projecting beyond the cabinet front wall, a top, closure for said cabinet hinged at its rear end and having its front end projecting intothe upper end of said frontdoor, a stationary bracket within said cabinet and having a grooved portion projectingbeyond the cabinet front wall, a locking bar vertically sildable on theinner side of the projecting portion of said front door and having a, projecting studarranged to fit into said grooved, bracket, and a rotary lock in said front, door having an operative connection. with said locking bar.

5. A vending. machine cabinet having front, rear andside walls, a side-hinged. bulging front door mounted on. and projecting, beyond the cabinet front wall, a top, closure for said cabinet hinged at its rear end and having. its, front end projecting into the upper end of said front door, anpair of vertically spaced stationary brackets mounted. on a cabinet side wall and having a grooved portion projecting, beyond the cabinet front wall, a locking bar vertically slideable of the inner face of, the freeside of the projecting portion of said front door andhavinga pair of projecting studsarranged to fit into corresponding grooved brackets,,and a rotary lock in, saidfront door having an. operative connection with said locking bar.

6. A front accessible vending machine cabinet having front, rear, andside walls, a side hinged bulging front door mounted on and, projecting beyond said front wall, a, doorin saidrear wall, a rearwardly hingedtop, alockinglever, forv said rear door operable only from theinner side of said rear. door, the rear upper edge of said front door being arranged in overlapping contact with the front edge of said top when closed, a. pairv of vertically,spaced'stationary brackets mounted on the side wall of the cabinet at the free side of said front door and, having a grooved portion projecting beyond the cabinet front wall, a lockingbar vertically slideable on.the inner face of the free side of the projecting portion of said front door and having a pair of projecting studs arranged to fit into corresponding groovedbrackets, and a rotating lock on the free side of said front door and having an offset portion operatively connected to said locking bar.

BURGESS C. CASE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATE-SVPA'I'ENTS 4 Number Name Date 1,219,360 Storms Mar. 13, 1917 1,531,321 Vance Mar. 31, 1925 1,607,099 OConnor Nov. 16, 1926 136111391 Teich Dec. 21, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15,874. GreatrBritain, July 7, 1909