US2827200A - Vending apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 18, 1958 E. J. LUX 2,827,200

VENDING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 12, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVEN TOR. fZ/af/v-Jlax Mal-ch18, 1958 E. JJLUX 2,327,200

VENDING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 12, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z gr4.

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March I8, 1958 E. J. LUX 2,827,200

VENDING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 12, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 "M; F123 12 /0; II

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INVENTOR. imam-flux United States VENDING APPARATUS Eugene J. Lux, Atlanta, Ga.

Application October 12, 1956, Serial No. 615,6 4?

Claims. (Cl. 221-90) This invention relates to vending machines, and more particularly to those of the type in which the vended articles are supported upon shelves located one above the other and which shelves are successively lowered, starting from the lowermost shelf to the uppermost, to cause dispensing of the supported articles.

Various articles sold by vending machines, such as soft packaged goods like bags of candy, peanuts, etc. cannot be readily piled one upon the other in the machine and hence it has been found more desirable to place each package upon a pivotally-mounted shelf and drop or lower each shelf for each purchase. It is an object of the present invention to provide a shelf-mounting construction, and means by which the shelves can be successively lowered, beginning with the lowermost shelf, to thereby dispense the articles borne by the shelves.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simplified mechanism for the above purpose; which mechanism shall be capable of ready repair and which will stand up under hard use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mechanism of the above-mentioned character and by which the shelves in superimposed relation may be arranged in one or more tiers, and to provide means by which said shelves can be successively lowered by reciprocation of a lever or other member that can be readily coin-controlled.

With these, and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of elements to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, the view being taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat similar vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of a part of the apparatus, with parts in section, showing how the lowermost shelf is engaged preparatory to being lifted into a position to enable it to swingably descend to lowered position;

Fig. 5 is a similar View, showing the lower shelf in raised position and starting its downward swing;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the structure shown in Fig. 6, showing the manner in which a shelf is lifted preparatory to swinging down to lowered position;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view through a modified multi-tier construction;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 99 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the 2,8212% Patented Mar. 18, 1 958 line 10-10 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates generally a portion of the housing in which the improved apparatus is contained. The same is preferably made of sheet metal and in the form shown is provided with a rear wall 2, and the side walls 3 and 4 arranged substantially parallel to one another. The housing is normally closed at the top and bottom as well as at the front, by suitable closure panels which are not shown for simplicity of illustration and any or all of which may be removable for access to the mechanism contained within the housing and for loading the shelves with the merchandise to be dispensed.

Secured by rivets 6 or other suitable fastening elements to the wall 2 of the housing is a channel-shaped casing 5, having opposite parallel side walls 7 and 8. Pivotally mounted in superimposed relation between said walls 7 and 8 is a plurality or tier of shelves 10, with the lowermost shelf in the tier indicated at 10a. Each of these shelves is provided adjacent to its rear edge, with a pair of downwardly directed lugs 9 and 11 connected by a headed pivot rod 12, which rod is pivotally mounted in slots 22 formed in the side walls 7 and 8 of the channelshaped casing 5. Each of the lugs 11 is formed adjacent to its lower edge with a shoulder 14, forwardly of which is provided a nose 15, and when each of the shelves 10, 10a is in its raised or horizontal, merchandisesupporting position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the pivot rods 12 are located at the lower limits of the slots 22 so that the shoulder 14 rests on top of an ear 45 projecting laterally from the wall 8 of the casing 5. it will be observed that there is one of these ears 45 located directly below each shelf 10, 10a and when each shelf is in its raised or horizontal position it is maintained horizontally by the shoulder 14 resting on the top edge of the ear 45 and by the nose 15 engaging against the front surface of said ear. This will be apparent from Fig. 4.

The shelves 10, 10a are normally maintained in their raised or horizontal positions by means of coil springs 16, each of said springs being fastened at one end to a lug 37 provided on or struckfrom the side wall 8, and secured at its other end to the pivot rod 12. When in its raised or horizontal position, each of the shelves will support an article of merchandise 18, such as goods contained in a bag or package. As each shelf is swung downwardly to its lowered position, the article 18 resting upon it will drop downwardly to fall upon an inclined plate or chute 20 communicating with an outlet in the housing 1 and will slide forwardly to a support where it will be picked up by the purchaser.

Mounted for vertical reciprocating movement within the casing 5, is a lifter bar21 which may be angle-shaped in cross section, and which is provided with slots 13 through which headed pins or rivets 23, projecting from wall 2, extend, the vertical movements of the lifter bar 21 being limited by these slots. A coil spring 25, has one end attached to a pin as indicated at 26, said pin extending from the lifter bar near the upper end of the same, and the second end of the spring is attached at 27 to a pin extending from the wall 2 of the housing 1. This spring 25 is eflfective to normally hold the lifter bar in its raised position,at which time the various parts of the apparatus appear as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Pivotally mounted on the lifter bar 21 by the pivot pins 28, are fingers 29 which constitute pivoted gravity latches or pawls by means of which the shelves 10 are successively lifted, starting from the bottom shelf that, and are caused to be successively swung down to lowered position. These fingers or latches 29 are pivoted alternately on the opposite faces of the forwardly-projecting web of the lifter bar.

At its lower end, the lifter bar 21 is bent forwardly as indicated a and th n beat do nwa dly s indica ed at 31, which downwardly-bent part 31 is pivotally attached at 34 to an operating bar or lever 32 extending throu a slot 3. in he nslinssl q esn te .1- Ba 's; is connected to or forms a part of suitable coin-controlled me a m nfknown'char cter and wh h i effec iv when a oin ha been dep ed; to e ther e use or pen init lever 32 to be dr wn down ardly t draw down the lifter bar 21 for a' relatively short distant? and to the extent p'er'mittedby the slots'13, and then raised under the impulse of the spring'2 5.

Prom' theforegoing, the operation of the apparatus will be readily understood. In Figs; 1, .2 and 3 the apparatus is shown in its merchandiserfilled condition, each of the shelves being in its raised or horizontal position, and each supporting a bag 1801' other article of merchandise. When a coinis deposited, this will cause or permit the lever 32' to be. drawn downwardly, and such movementof the lever 32 will draw down the lifter bar Zito an extent'permitted by the upperlimits of the slots 7 13. When this loweringmovement of the lifter bar 21 occurs, and the same is in its lowered position as shown in Fig. 4, the lowermost finger or gravity latch 29awill swing forwardly or to the right as'viewed in Fig. 4, to an extent as to permit its upper end38 totalte under the rear edge of the lowermost shelf 10a. It will be noted that when this occurs,-none of the otherfingers or latches 29 will swing forwardly because they are prevented from doing so by their contact withfthe rear edges of the several shelves 10, including the rear edge of the shelf 104 that prevents the finger or latch 29 located second from the bottom finger from swinging forwardly. When the lever 32 moves upwardly, under the pull of spring and possibly under other force applied to the lever, the lifter bar 21 will rise and upon doing so'it will raise the back end of the lowermost shelf ltlauntil the lug 11 thereon is located above or has cleared the. lowermost ear 45, as shown in Fig. 5. When the shelf 10:: reaches a point wherein its pivot rod 12 reaches the upper end of the slot 13, further pressure of the'upper end of the finger or latch'29a on the rear portion of the shelf, will swing the shelf downwardly to lowered or dropped position, causing the article 18 held by it to slide off the shelf and fall down on the chute plate 20 to move to the outlet for securement by the purchaser.

When the lowermost shelf has been swung down to its lowered position it will remain in that position until it is subsequently raised preparatory to the machinev being re-. filled. It will be apparent that the rear edge of the same will no longer be'eifective to prevent forward swing of the finger 29 that is located next above lowermost finger 2%. i As a result, upon the next lowering movementof the lifter bar 21 following the deposit of a coin, the second finger from the bottom one will take under the rear edge portion of the second shelf from that indicated at 1931 and upon raising movement of the lifter bar, will raise said second shelf to cause its lug 11 to clear the adiacent ear .5., n h n c e sw of s id second shelf to lowered position with resultant delivery of its article orpackagef18 to, the slide plate 20.

l, 2 and 3 l have shown a single row or tier of the shelves, but it will be apparent that a number of rows or tiers might be contained within a single outer housing. For example, in Figs. 8 to 10 inclusive, four tiers are shown, said'tiers being indicated respectively at 50, 51, 52 and 53. The elements embodied in each of these tiers are similar to those described in conjunction with Figs. 1

take under the parts of the U-shaped extensions 54 as shown in Fig. 10, acting to lift such extensions to cause the lugs 11 to clear the cars 45 and then causing the shelves to be swung downwardly.

The arrangement disclosed permits the shelves to be effectively lowered, starting with the bottom shelfland working upwardly until all of the shelves are lowered, and

results in a mechanism easily operated by coin-controlled means. a 7

Having described an embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scopeof theannexed claims. w i

What I claim is:

1. In a vending apparatus, a pivoted merchandise-supporting shelf, means for supporting the shelf inan extended position, a lifter bar mounted for limited vertical reciprocating movement and means for moving the lifter. bar within the limits of such movement, a pivoted, gravity-controlled finger carried by said bar at the rear of the shelf and gravity;controlled in a manner tocause it to normally swing in a direction towardthe shelf and. rest against the rear portion of said shelf while the lifter bar is in its elevated position, said finger being operative being moved by said finger to lowered position.

. 2,. In a vending apparatus ,a vertical tier of shelves in i h h h l re a ng d one a o e heotllcneach shelf having a pivot pin adjacent to its rear end, a casing having slots i which a d piv t p nsja e ertica ly mo able, each shelf having a lug formed with a shoulder;

e rs pr j c ing r h s n nd upon whi h the lug rest h n he shelves e'i h zonta m rchandiseppo Po ns. a i ly-rec procated litter. bar

carrying a plurality of pivoted fingers, with one of said fingers arranged adjacent to the rear of, each, shelfand no m y el g i f rwa d pi otal movementby its contact with the rear of its adjacent shelf, means by which the lowermost finger will take under the lowermost shelf on lowering movement of the lifter bar and upon raising movement of the lifter bar willbe caused to raise said shelf at the rear thereof and elevate its lug above. the.

adjacent ear and then cause downward swing of said shelf, the positioning of the fingers above said lowermost.

' finger being such as to cause said fingers to be restrained the shelves have been swung down to lowered'position and thegoocls have been sold. The housing is then opened; the shelves are manually. raised to their hori-v zontal positions and bags or packages 18 areplacedthere- 7 on in readiness, for-a repeat of the vending operations herein described' As will be observed in Fig. 'Z, the lifting movement of the several shelves is required at one against forward pivotal movement by the rear portions" of all of the shelves until the lowermost shelf is lowered whereupon the finger above said lowermost shelf will be rendered effective to take under the shelf abovethe able pivot for each of the shelves, each pivot being mounted for lost motion means adapted to maintain the shelves. i a ended hori ontal, merc andise-suppor n as tion, a lifter bar carrying a plurality of eccentricallyaseaaoe pivoted shelf-pivoting elements, said elements being disposed at the rear of the shelves and arranged one above the other and normally held against forward pivotal movement by their contact with the rear ends of the respective shelves, each of said shelf-pivoting elements having an end adapted for engagement under its adjacent shelf, means by which the lowermost element engages under the lowermost shelf on lowering movement of the lifter bar and upon raising movement of the lifter bar is caused to bodily raise the engaged shelf at the rear thereof together with its pivot and then cause downward swing of said shelf, the location of the shelf-pivoting elements above said lowermost shelf-pivoting element being such as to cause said elements to be restrained from extending under their adjacent shelves by engagement of said elements against the backs of said shelves until the lowermost shelf is lowered, whereupon the finger above the lowered shelf will be rendered effective to engage under the shelf next above the lowered one on the next raising movement of the lifter bar.

4. In a vending apparatus, a plurality of merchandisesupporting shelves arranged in superimposed relation, each of said shelves being pivoted on a movable pivot and being capable of movement on said pivot to a lowered position, each of said pivots being mounted for lost motion means adapted to maintain the shelves in an extended horizontal merchandise-supporting position, a reciprocable lifter bar located behind the pivots of the shelves, a plurality of eccentrically-pivoted fingers mounted one above the other on the lifter bar and bodily carried thereby, the fingers being shaped so as to be caused by gravity to normally contact with rear portions of the shelves behind the shelf pivots, means by which a lowering movement of the lifter bar permits the lowermost finger to pivotally move to cause it to engage directly under a portion of the lowermost shelf at the rear of the pivot of said shelf, and a raising movement of the lifter bar causes said shelf-engaging finger to lift the shelf pivot because of its lost motion mounting and then swing the engaged shelf on its pivot to lowered position thereby shifting the shelf from its extended position and causing discharge of the article of merchandise supported by it, said lowermost shelf being so positioned as to constantly maintain the finger above that engaged in causing lowering movement of the shelf, in a retracted position at the back of the shelves until the lowermost shelf is moved to its lowered position.

5. In a vending machine, a shelf support, means for mounting a shelf on the support to enable the shelf to be both pivotally and bodily movable relatively to the support, means on the shelf for engaging the support in a manner to locate the shelf in an extended mechandisesupporting position, a reciprocable lifter bar located adjacent to the shelf, a latch pivoted on the lifter bar, the latch having an end engageable under the shelf to one side of the pivot thereof when the lifter bar is in a lowered position and to bodily lift the rear end of the shelf from its support to release the shelf from its ex- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Klineline Nov. 4, 1890 Settecasi Sept. 27, 1949

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