US2919168A

US2919168A - Dispenser with suspended carrier

Info

Publication number: US2919168A
Application number: US642116A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert L Shivek
Original assignee: SERV O LIFT CORP
Current assignee: SERV O LIFT CORP
Priority date: 1957-02-25
Filing date: 1957-02-25
Publication date: 1959-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 1976-12-29

Description

1959 H. L. SHIVEK DISPENSER WITH SUSPENDED CARRIER Filed Feb. 25, 1957 INVENTOR. 744m) A UM.

BY W /W M2? WW2? W/w.

United States Patent DISPENSER WITH SUSPENDED CARRIER Herbert L. Shivek, Brookliue, Mass., assignor to Serv-O- Lift Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 25, 1957, Serial No. 642,116

5 Claims. (Cl. 31271) This invention comprises a new and improved dispenser for storing a varying load of trays, plates or other articles and automatically advancing the whole load to present one of such articles at a predetermined position for convenient removal.

The dispenser of this invention is characterized by a novel and simplified system of suspension for its carrier plate by the employment of which it is possible to do away with the elaborate sprocket chain mechanism required in dispensers heretofore widely used. In accordance with the present invention I employ a continuous cord or cable trained over a system of pulleys located above and below the carrier plate so as to span its whole range of travel, fastened to the plate between each pair of vertically arranged pulleys and with inclined or diagonal connecting portions that maintain the plate in level position throughout its travel. It has been found that in practice this suspension system maintains a carrier plate level in all positions thereof and regardless of the load.

The dispenser of this invention is further characterized by having elevating mechanism operatively connected to the carrier plate independently of the suspension system above outlined. The elevating mechanism includes an arm having at one end a hoisting connection with the carrier plate, a spring biasing the arm in a direction to lift the plate in combination with a worm and rack carried by the arm for adjusting the point of spring connection.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective shown with parts of the casing broken away, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of one section of the suspension system.

In the specific form herein shown the dispenser comprises a rectangular outer casing which includes a bottom and four

upright wall panels

10, 11, 12 and 13. The casing is shown as square in cross-section but may be of any desired shape. Within the casing a square platform or carrier plate M is mounted for free vertical movement.

The suspension system for the carrier plate includes a series of

upper pulleys

15, 16, 17 and 18 mounted respectively near one upper corner of the

panels

10, 11, 12 and 13, and a series of

lower pulleys

19, 20, 21 and 22 mounted respectively in the same panels and adjacent to the lower diametrically opposite corner from the corresponding upper pulley.

A continuous cable or cord 23, including in its length a tension clamp or turnbuckle 24, is trained over these pulleys and permanently fixed to the carrier plate 14 at each of its corners at a point below the upper pulleys of the system. The upper and lower pulleys limit the vertical travel of the carrier plate 14 and accordingly span its entire range of travel. One section of the system is shown in Fig. 2 from which it will be apparent that when the carrier plate 14 is depressed a distance A, the right Patented Dec. 29, 1959 hand vertical section of the cord 23 will give up a length exactly equal to the distance B by which the left hand section of the cord moves downwardly. In other words, the length of the cordbetween any two consecutive points of attachment to the carrier plate 14 remains constant in all four panels of the casing. The function of the clamp 24 is that of maintaining the cord always in taut condition. It will be noted that the suspension system is complete and self-contained.

It will be seen that in passing over the upper pulley '16 and the lower pulley 21 the cord 23 is directed in a right angular path, that is to say, one diagonal portion of the cord moves in a path parallel to the panel 11 and this'is connected to another diagonal portion moving in a path parallel to the panel 12. The same change in direction occurs four times in the circuit of the casing.

The elevating mechanism which, as already noted, is entirely independent of the suspension system comprises a tension spring 26 secured at its lower end by a bracket to the bottom of the casing and at its upper end to an adjustable slide 28 movable longitudinally upon an arm 29. The arm is supported for oscillation about a universal joint 30 located at its right hand end as seen in Fig. 1 and carried by the inner end of a short rod mounted in the panel 10 and provided with a hand wheel 31. The arm 29 carries the inner member of the universal joint which terminates in a worm 33 meshing with a rack 32 slidable in the arm 29 and connected to the slide 28. Accordingly, by rotating the hand wheel 31 the rack and the slide 28 may be moved toward or from the fulcrum of the arm 29 and the effect of the spring 26 thus increased or decreased.

At its free end the arm 29 carries a pulley 34 and this is movable as the arm 29 swings beneath a pair of pulleys 35 and 36 mounted adjacent to the upper edge of the panel 11 in spaced relation. A cord or cable 37, fast at one end to the carrier plate 14, passes upwardly over the pulley 35, then downwardly and about the pulley 34, and upwardly about the pulley 36. From there it passes to an adjustable rod 38 to which its other end is fastened. The rod 38 is mounted in a bracket secured to the panel 11 and is threaded for convenient adjustment which, in cooperation with adjustment of the spring 26, determines the path of the carrier plate 14. It will be apparent that tension of the spring 26 is effective always to increase the length of the vertical loop in the cord 23 and thus to elevate the carrier plate.

Where loads to be handled are heavy I find it advisable to duplicate the spring assembly on the opposite side of the unit and thus improve the action of the platform assembly under those conditions.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail a preferred embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A dispenser having an outer casing of upright walls forming a three-dimensional enclosure with a carrier plate movable therein, and a suspension system comprising a. series of upper pulleys mounted in the upper portion of the walls, a series of lower pulleys mounted in the lower portion of the walls, and a cord leading continuously over said pulleys one after another and being fixed to the plate at a point above each of the lower pulleys and below each of the upper pulleys, the plane of the cord located on any one wall being perpendicular to the plane of the cord on either adjacent upright wall, together with enclosed elevating mechanism including a spring-actuated arm having a hoisting connection with the carrier plate independent of the suspension system.

2. A dispenser as described in claim 1 in which the carrier plate is substantially square and the cord is fixed thereto adjacent each of its corners.

3. A dispenser comprising an outer rectangular casing plate, the plane of the cord located on any one wall panel being perpendicular to the plane of the cord located in either adjacent upright panel, together with elevating -mechanism including a spring-actuated arm having a hoisting connection with the carrier plate independent of said cord.

' 4. A dispenser comprising an enclosure of upright panels disposed at right angles to each other, a carrier plate movable vertically therein in a limited path of travel, pulleys mounted in each panel at points above and below the range of carrier plate travel, and a cord trained over said pulleys and connected to the carrier plate at points below each of the pulleys which are located above the range of carrier travel and having diagonal connecting portions that cross each panel, ,the plane of the cord located on any one panel being perpendicular to the plane of the cord located in either adjacent upright panel, together with elevating mechanism including a spring and connections with the carrier plate independent of the connections of said cord therewith.

- 4 5. A dispenser comprising a rectangular enclosure of upright panels disposed at right angles to each other, a

carrier'plate movable vertically therein in a limited path of travel, upper and lower pulleys mounted on each of the panels at points spanning the range of carrier plate travel, and a cord having a portion leading in a substantially vertical direction from each of the upper pulleys and another portion extending 'at'; an angle of about 45 to thenext lower pulley, said vertical portions being'connected to the carrier plate at points between each of 'said pairs of pulleys, whereby in the vertical movement of the' plate, the length of cord given up below one point of connection is equal to the increase in cord length above an adjacent point of connection with the carrier plate, together with elevator mechanism including a'spring-actuated arm having an adjustable hoisting connection with the carrier plate that is independent of the connections of said cord therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 195,915 Bergner Oct. 9, 1877 1,710,442 Warshaw Apr. 23, 1929 2,601,295 Jensen June 24, 1952 25 2,647,030' Fitz Patrick July 28, 1953