US2678251A - Coin-controlled vending machine - Google Patents

Description

M y 11, 1954 w. M. STEWART 2,678,251

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 9, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 3/ 5 WILSON MARKS STEWART '3 BY ATTORN EY y 1, 1954 w. M. STEWART COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE .3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 9, 1950 Fig. 6

. INVENTOR WILSON MARKS STEWART 5&4

ATTORN EY Patented May 11, 1954 UNITED STATES ?TENT OFFICE COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Wilson Marks Stewart, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Application November 9, 1950, Serial No. 194,763

My invention relates to a coin-controlled vending machine.

"I he principal object of the invention is to provide a coin-controlled, refrigerated vending machine designed to give the maximum storage capacity for a chosen over-all size of machine.

While the machine has been designed to vend bottled wares such as soft drinksthe liquid contents being in a sealed bottle-the machine may serve for the purpose of vending other commodities suchas packaged wares.

Inthe preferred form of a machine made according to the invention, a drum formed with superposed tiers or trays of radially-directed open-mouthed compartments or pockets for the wares is rotated on a vertical axis successively to bring the wares in one row, and successively to bring the wares in the lower rows, successively, into register with a window the eiiective opening of which increases from time to time, through which access is gained to the ware then presented to the opening for manual removal thereof from the drum.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate correspondng parts in the various figures,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a vending machine made according to this invention, partly broken away; i

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale, with the front door removed;-

Figure 3 is a part-plan, part-sectional view of the drum, as on line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a more or less diagrammatic and isometric, fragmentary view of the drum;

Figure 5 shows thewiring diagram of the electrical circuit used for starting and stopping the motor actuating the drum;

Figure 6 isa more or less diagrammatic view of the drum-controlled switch;

Figure 7' is a more or less diagrammatic view of the coin chute; and,

Figure 8 is a more or less diagrammatic view of the switch arrangement for returning a coin when the drum is empty.

Referring now by numerals to the drawings, I!) shows a cabinet or casing suitably insulated, and refrigerated as by suitable apparatus generally designated by the numeral ll, part of which may be below a horizontal transverse partition l2.

l3 shows the drum, which is supported by a vertically disposed shaft l4 rotated by'an elec triomotor -l5.- The diameter of the lower per-- 3 Claims. (01. 3129'7.1)

tion of the shaft may be reduced to form a shoulder bearing upon suitable roller hearings in ahousing 16 supported by the horizontal partition H2. The shaft is operatively connected to the motor through suitable reduction gearing. The upper end of the shaft is journalled in a suitable bearing l9 secured to the top of the cabinet.

As already stated, the drum I3 is formed to provide a plurality of superposed tiers or layers of radially-directed, open-mouthed compartments. The number of compartments in each tier is, of course, a matter of choice, such numher being dictated by the vending or storing capacity required of the machine.

As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, the drum comprises a plurality of horizontal walls or shelves 20, in the form of discs; radiallydirected, equally-angularly spaced vertical partitions or walls 2! and a vertical hollow cylindrical portion 22 in efiect forming a hub from which the vertical walls radiate. The shelves 20, the partitions 2 I, and the cylindrical portion 22 define the several compartments, the cylindrical portion 22 defining the inner end or bottom of the several compartments. Bottles thus may be inserted lengthwise into the respective compartments, the bottles being exposed at the periphery of the drum.

The compartments are indicated by the numerals PD, Pl, P2 PIG, being disposed in superposed horizontal rows RI, R2 One such compartment in each row, designated as P9, is closed or sealed at the periphery of the drum, as by a wall 46, to prevent the entry of a bottle I thereinto or otherwise to render such compartment ineffective to receive a bottle. The closed compartments Pi) in the superposed rows, successively, are in staggered relationship, that is, relatively-angularly spaced in the rows, successively, to the extent of one compartment. In other words, the compartment P0 in any one row is angularly spaced relatively to the compartment P0 of the immediately-higher row, a

distance equal to the width of one compartment,

such lower compartment being displaced relatively to the'upper one in the direction of rotation of the drum. For instance, if the drum rotates clockwise, or from 'right to left as seen in Figure 2, the compartment P6 of the third row R3 from the top will be to the left of the compartment P0 of the second row, and the compartment'Pt of the second row will be to the left of thecomp'artment P9 of the top row.

The horizontal shelves 20of the drum, more particularly, the shelves, respectively, defining the roofs or tops of the rows of compartments, respectively, extend beyond the outer ends of the vertical partitions 2|, in efiect to provide an annular surface ii on each shelf 2i) outwardly of the compartments (see particularly Figures 3 and 4). Each such horizontal shelf, however, except the top and bottom shelves, is notched in or recessed inwardly as at 23, the recess extending over an are equal to the width of one compartment, as measured at its outer end, that is, between the two vertical partitions defining such compartment. The recesses, respectively,- in their successive upper shelves, respectively, say from top to bottom, are also in Staggered relationship, such recesses being =made inethetop walls, respectively, of thecompartments P0,.

respectively, of all the rows except the top and For a better understanding Dfz'thfi relative position of the compartment P and of the recesses 23, reference may bemade :to Fig-.

bottom rows.

ure 4..

The front of the cabinet is-provided with a main door 25 hingedas at 21 to the cabinet; The cabinet forms with the door, when-closed, a casing in which the drum is enclosed: The doorislocked closed by a suitable lock 28.- The'main door 2'5 is formed with a vertical elongated windowor opening .30 which-is closedbya door-3| supported on one side and normally urged to closed position i by spring hinges 32. The opening is so positioned that its vertical medial or longer axis is in alignmentwith the. axis of the-shaft 14, that is, both the axis of the shaft and that of the opening 30 are in a common plane directedat right anglesto the plane of .the main door 26 when closed. Access to the drum is .thus gained through the smaller which part of the periphery of thedrum isreceived, so that the door-31 may be mounted torise and lowerclose-to the drum.

Preferably, as shown only -in-Fig:ure 3, vertical baffles 42' are secured to the insideof the main door adjacent each'siderof the opening 30:" The I bafiles are slotted horizontally to define slots (not shown) receiving the horizontal-shelves Zflof the drum whenrthe main door is closed, theubaiilesextending a distance just short of the, outer end or edge'of any of the vertical partitions 2L of the drum. These bafiles will serve effectively to seal-the compartments lying oneither side, of' thecompartments thenpresented to the window or opening 30;

The door 3? is formed atthe top with a horizon, tal-ledge or lip M (see Figure 3) which is adapted, whenthe main door 'is closed, to ride onaand be supportedby one ofthe horizontal shelves-20.01. the drum, more particularly, on the annular surface i? aforesaid; but, is of such length'thatit will pass through any-of the recesses Hand thus will allow the door 31 to drop by gravity. As .the

door 3?; lowers,- it -increases the effective area (the-effective length) of the opening 353:. If,.for, instance, the door is supported'by the roof of" the row R2, it will drop a distance equal-tothe depth of one row to become'supported bytheroof Zi of the rowRt when the drumnhasrotated sure 75 sired,,thaswitch;beingeconnected across one side ficiently to-bring-the pocket P0 of row R2 in'reg- 4 ister with the opening (the lip 4| passing through the recess 23) When the drum has again been rotated to bring the pocket P0 of row R3 in register with the opening, the door will drop a distance of one row to become supported by the roof of row R4; and so on.

Where the drum is rotated by an electric motor (the machine has been designed to be electrically, and not manually operated), the circuit to the motor is controlled by a conventional.coin-operated switch. The motor is intermittently operated each time a coin is dropped into the coin box, to rotate the drum through an angle equal to 360 divided by-the-number of pockets, say, N degrees. When the drum has rotated N degrees, =thetcircuitisbroken and the motor, which is a.conventional, self-braking motor, comes to a stop, stopping the drum in a position such that one yertic'alrow of pockets is in register with the longer axis of the opening 30 as aforesaid.

Anysuitable circuittmaybeusedto start and stop the motor [5. the-circuit now used is shown inFigure 5.-

Thecoil C of a conventional relay switch .SR is connected across the line LL as by wires WI and W2. In series with the switch SR is a conventional coineoperated switch SC, that. is, a normally-opens switch. which. is momentarily machines. is ,a "switch 5D (to be referred to later) which is controlled by the drum- ML. The switch SD is normally closed but is periodically opened (by the: drum. When the switch SCis momentarily closed,

an impulse is sent through thecoilC of-the relay switch, closing the relay switch .SR; The bridge-member B2 of the. relay switch, nowelectrically 'COI'lIlBCliBdfiO a jumperJpconnects the coil '0 acrossthe line through W2, the jumper. J,

becomes a holding coil,-and the switch SRrremains closed even after theswitchSO opens fol lowing the passage therethrough of a coin: While -13, .therswitch SR is closed, the motor I5 is connected across the line through W2, W3, the bridge member B! of the relay switch, and-W5.- The :motor now-startsand the drum rotates until the switch SD is opened by the drum. The circuit-through 50. the coil is; now broken, and the relay switch. re-

can only be started again by another coin.-.

The switch SD and I the operatingmechanism switch device which is normally closed is opened by a leven LE disposed adjacent the shaft J4 mounting the drum so as topresent-the end of the lever (more particularly, a, roller LR) 'in the. path of a cam (rotating withtheshaft-idyintheiforni q y-of a disc- M0 having equally angularly" spaced rounded projections-Ml, onevforeach,pocket of the drum ii in number in the-present-instance) Thus, the roller LR of the lever LEiwill be instantaneously engaged and'rnoved (lowered) to .-break the oircuit'to the motor-as each of the successive projections Ml rideszby, the-roller." The lever will. again'rise so soon as the roller :is

free of theprojection. The motor will stop as often as-a compartment in eachrow is in regiseterwith the opening or window 30. The motor will -start against as soon as the-switch SC is momentaril closed by a coin.

A normally open manually-operated switch"! til is preferablyprovided'to rotate the drum dc By way of illustration-only,

turns toiits normally open position. The; motor" therefor may be asshown inFigure 6. Any suitable 5 of the line and one side of the relay switch as by a wire W6.

Preferably, suitable means are provided by which a coin will be rejected or returned when the machine is empty of all bottles, that is, after the bottle in the last pocket Pl 6 (of the lowermost row) to be presented to the window has been removed.

By way of example only, there is shown in Figure 8', more or less diagrammatically, a device adapted to accomplish this purpose. As shown, a suitable switch, shown in its entirety as 50, controls an electromagnet-operated plunger or ai mature 46 associated with the slug rejector. The rejector, of conventional design, as already stated, includes a coin channel l! which leads or directs the coin to impinge on a rebounding edge 48. If the coin be'a legal one, that is, not counterfeit or a so called slug, it bounces back away from the edge to fall into a channel 49 and thence into the coin receptacle. On the other hand, if the coin be counterfeit, it more or less slides off the edge 48 and falls upon a bevelled edge 52, to be directed thereby into a reject slot. The electromagnet-controlled plunger 46 is normally clear of the channel 49, but is operated by the action of the switch 50 to enter or project into and block the coin passage 49, thereby causing the coin rebounding from the edge 48 to drop back upon the edge 52 and fall into the reject slot.

The switch, 50, which may be of the same kind as the switch SD aforesaid, and connected across the line, operates to energize and de-energize a coil 55 in which the plunger (or armature) 46 is movable. The coil is held in a suitable bracket 62 secured to a wall W of the coin-rejecting mechanism of the coin chute aforesaid. The plunger includes a rigid collar 56. A coil spring 58, tensioned between the collar 56 and the coil serves to move the plunger away from the coil (from left to right as seen in Figure 8) to cause the plunger to be projected into the channel 49 when the coil is de-energized. Thus, when the switch is operated to break the circuit through the coil, the plunger is moved by the spring 53 to cause the rejection of a coin. On the other hand, when the coil is energized, the plunger is withdrawn from the channel.

To operate the switch by the drum I3, to reject a coin when the drum is empty, the switch is i positioned so that the roller LR of the lever LE rides on the underface of the drum, the lever being under tension and the switch being closed. A slot 59 (see Figure 8) is formed through the lower wall or disc 26 constituting the floor of the lowermost tier of pockets, being positioned under the pocket adjacent the closed pocket P0, namely, the pocket PIE. When the drum has rotated to bring the pocket Pl 5 in register with the window, to vend the last bottle in the drum, the roller will rise in the slot 59 and open the switch.

Operation rotate to render other empty pockets readily accessible, and the motor is stopped; and so on until all the pockets have been filled. The motor is once more operated, if need be, to bring the blank or sealed pocket P0 of the uppermost row Rl to the front, that is, in a position such that it presented to the window above the door 31.

would be in register with the window were the main door closed. This is the initial vending position of the drum after it has been completely filled as aforesaid. The door 3'! is now lifted upwardly to slightly above the roof of the second uppermost row R2 as with, say, the right hand, and the main door closed, conveniently with the other hand, and locked. The ledge or lip M is now supported by the roof 2B of the row R2. Should the door 3| be opened, no bottle will be exposed to view, since a closed pocket P0 is now To purchase a bottle, a coin is dropped into the coin chute, momentarily causing the switch SC to energize the coil C and operate the relay switch SE to close the circuit W2, W3, th bridge contact BI and W5, and therefore start the motor. The switch will remain closed because of the holding circuit now established. As the drum about completes its angular movement of N degrees, the roller LR at the end of the lever LE of the switch SD is slightly, instantaneously lowered to out 01? the holding circuit, and therefore break the circuit to the motor, the motor coming to a stop.

To purchase the second bottle, a second coin is inserted. The drum will rotate N degrees to bring the succeeding pocket P2 of the top row opposite the window above the door 31; and so on until the bottle in the (last) pocket Pl 6 has been vended, whereupon the door 37 drops the equivalent of one row, the lip 4| now resting upon the roof of the third row, below the pocket P0 of the second row. With the door in that position, no bottle is exposed. To purchase the first bottle of the sec 0nd row R2, a coin is inserted, the drum rotating N degrees to present the pocket Pi to the window. The operation continues, the door dropping from an upper to a lower row after the bottles in such upper row have all been vended. After the last bottle in the lowermost row has been vended and the drum is empty, the switch 50 operates to return any coin which may be inserted into the coin chute.

What I claim is:

1. In a coin-controlled vending machine, in combination; a casing; a generally drum shaped member mounted within said casing for rotation on a vertical axis, said member being formed with a series of similar com artments open to the periphery thereof and disposed in a plurality of superposed horizontal rows with said compartments being in vertically aligned columns; a door in said casing of substantially the height of said member and of a width corresponding to that of one of said columns of compartments; a vertically slidable shield mounted within said casing and arranged when in an upper position to mask the opening presented by said door to limit access therethrough to all but the top row of said horizontal rows of compartments; circular tracks extending around said generally drumshaped member clear of the open ends of said compartments and corresponding to each said horizontal rows of compartments, at least all of said tracks, except the lowermost, being formed with an interruption; means on said shield for riding upon one of said circular tracks to support said shield, said means being arranged, upon encountering one of said interruptions, to permit said shield to drop vertically until the shield is supported by said means riding upon the next lower of saidtracks to permit exposure of a further row of said compartments to said door,

said interruption in each of said tracks being,

the width of one compartment in advance, in

the direction" ofrrotationiof said drunL-shaped 1 memben-ofthe interruption "in the track nextabove, and coin-controlled means for "rotating:

said drum-shaped member progressively to pre sent successive compartments behind said door to permitaccess therethrough to a fresh compartment each time correct coinage is deposited therein.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 inwhicha the lowermost track is also formed with can .in-:

terruption and means for rendering the vending machine inoperative are disposed beneath said shieldin position for actuation by downward movement thereof when -said means for riding upon' said" tracks encounters the interruptionin said: lowermost track. 7

3. In a vending machine, thecombination'of a casing, a member mounted for rotationwithin saidcasing on a vertical axis and having circular shelves mounted thereinin a horizontal plane-in tical alignment for the wares to be-vended; a

windowin said casing forgaining accessto said member, means for intermittently rotatingsaid member .a predetermined amount to'present to said window, and a movable closure for said Window having an inwardly-directed flange ar-,

ranged for resting engagement upon the upper surface of one of said shelves; each of said shelves havinga cutaway portion in the peripherythereof of a size sufiicient to allow said flange to drop therethrough; each of said cutaway portions being spaced from the cutaway-portion in the shelf immediately therebelow a horizontal distance substantially equal to the distance a point on the periphery of said member will move during' said predetermined amount of said intermittent rotation in the direction of said rotation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,505,:41 Smith Aug. 19, 1924 1,616,085 Heath Feb. 1, 1927 1,820,671 McCormick et a1. Aug. 25, 1931 1,833,815 Beilgard Nov. 24, 1931 1,905,180 Lowther Apr. 25, 1933 2,488,798 Bouralier Nov. 22, 1940 2,371,316 Rice et a1. M21113, 1945

Images