US2974829A - Dispensing machines for cans and other cylindrically shaped packages - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 1961 L. STEINER DISPENSING MACHINES FOR CANS AND OTHER CYLINDRICALLY SHAPED PACKAGES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8, 1958 mu QWH FL PR m m R INVENTOR. IOU/5 STE/NEQ ATTOQNEX March 14, 1961 L. STEINER 2,974,829

DISPENSING MACHINES FOR CANS AND OTHER CYLINDRICALLY SHAPED PACKAGES Filed April 8, 1958 3 $heets$heet 2 Pint.

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VIII 4Z7$llllllllllllllllflll INVENTOR. LOUIS STE/NEE 7'7'02/VEX March 14, 1961 STEINER 2,974,829

DISPENSING MACHINES FOR CANS AND OTHER CYLINDRICALLY SHAPED PACKAGES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 8, 1958 W ll INVENTOR. LOU/5 STE/NEE 'lllllllllllt ,4 7' TORNEX United States Patent DISPENSING MACHINES FOR CANS AND OTHER CYLINDRICALLY SHAPED PACKAGES Louis Steiner, 812 E. Park St., Long Beach, N.Y.

Filed Apr. 8, 1958, Ser. No. 727,166

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 221-451) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dispensing machines, and is particularly directed to an apparatus for dispensing merchandise packed in cans, such as cans of soup, or other cylindrically shaped packages.

Previous devices representing the mechanical dispensing art have provided a chute to contain a stack of articles to be dispensed, and means of pushing out the bottom article of the stack upon pulling a handle and then releasing it. In dispensing cans stacked horizontally on their sides in a chute, difficulty has been encountered in that, in sliding the bottom can out of the stack, the edge seam rims of the lowermost can will catch on the edge seam rims of the next higher can in the stack. Another difiiculty in such operation is that the weight of the entire stack of cans, and their contents is supported on the lowermost can which must be pushed out with the weight of the stack thereon.

One major object of this invention is to provide a novel, improved, and highly efficient dispensing machine of the character described provided with a chute of stacked cans, means for supporting all of the cans in the stack above the lowermost can, while the lowermost can is allowed to drop, and means for then moving the dropped, lowermost can out of the chute.

A further object of this invention is to provide, in a dispensing machine of the character described, a pivoted member having fingers movable into engagement with the underside of the second lowest can of the stack and supporting the stack of cans while the lowest can is removed from the chute, and movable out of engagement after the lowermost can has been removed, to permit the stack to drop in the chute.

Another important object of this invention is to provide in a dispensing machine as described, a movable pull handle having a platform which is operationally interconnected with the pivoted member, and which will serve to support the column of cans and to push the lowest can of the stack out of the chute, and which will move the pivoted member out of engagement with respect to the stack of cans, as the dropped lowermost can is being pushed out and dispensed.

A further object of this invention is to provide, in a machine as described above, a pull handle controlled platform mounted on a support plate, said platform operable to push the lowest can of a stack out of the chute, and to cause the pivoted member to disengage the remaining cans as the platform is moved in one direction, and said platform being operable to support the stack of cans releasedby the pivoted member and which is further operable to allow the pivoted member to re-engage the second highest can of the stack as the platform is moved forwardly, whereupon the platform will move out from under the bottom can of the stack, allowing the stack of cans to fall onto the supporting plate and thus recreating the original position of the parts of the machine.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a dispensing machine of the type described, which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple in design, few in parts, smooth and positive in operation, and dependable in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown various illustrative embodiments of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a partially cut away side view of a dispensing device embodying the invention, showing some of the parts in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional fragmentary view of the device of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a partly sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the device; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end plan view of a portion of the device.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a dispensing device 16 embodying the invention. Said device 1t comprises a housing 11. The housing 11 consists of a bottom wall 12, a pair of side walls 13 extending upwardly therefrom, a rear wall 14, and a short front wall 15. The front wall 15 of the housing is provided with a row of spaced openings 16, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described. A supporting shelf or support plate 17 extends rearwardly from the front wall 15 just underneath openings 16 and between the side walls 13. Shelf :17 terminates short of rear wall 14. The walls of the enclosure may be made of steel or any other suitable material. A length of channel section rolled steel 18 extends between the side walls 13 at a position spaced forwardly of the rear wall 14 and above the mounting shelf 17, somewhat rearwardly of the rear edge 17a thereof. A row of chutes 19 are formed in vertical position extending between the side walls 13. The chutes are each comprised of a pair of similar symmetrical channel shaped steel side members 20, which have parallel elongated central webs 21 and parallel rear flanges 22a and front flanges 2212 which are perpendicular to the webs and extend inwardly. The rear flanges 22a of the channel are fastened to the web 18a of the channel 18, as by welding, the outer channel member of each end chute may be fastened to an adjacent side wall 13. The central sections 21 of the channel members of each pair of adjacent chutes are also fastened together by welding or by any other suitable means. The central sections or webs 21 of the channel members 20 making up the chutes, must be of a width, from front to rear, at least as great as the horizontal or axial length of the articles to be dispensed. A horizontal bar 25 extends between the side walls 13 at the lower front end of the chutes 19. Bar 25 is formed with a forwardly turned ear 26 at each end thereof. The ears 26 may be welded to the inner surfaces of side walls 13 of the enclosure 11. The rear flanges 22a of the chutes are foreshortened and terminate at points 24 spaced above the shelf 17 and below channel 18. The front flanges 22b are similarly foreshortened, forming lower edges 24a above lower edges 24.

A rod 27 extends horizontally between the ears 26 of bar 25 in parallel spaced relation in front of said bar.

3 Pivotally mounted on the rod 27 in front of each chute 19 is a rocker member 28. The rockers are each constructed of a channel shaped body portion 29, having end fianges 29a at each side of a central portion 29b. The rod 27 passes through holes 30 in the flanges .29 1. Webs 29b are locatedbetween the bar 25 and rod 27. Thus, each channel body 29 is mounted for limited oscillation about the rod 27. At the upper corners of the channel body 29 are a pair of spaced support members 31 attached thereto by spot welding and formed with rearwardly extending fingers 32. i

Attached to each channel body 29, is a downwardly extending guide bar 33. A coil spring 34 is attached to the web portion 29 of the rocker .at the lower end thereof adjacent the guide bar '33. The opposite end of each coil spring member 34 is attached to the inside of the front wall just above the openings 16 or to any other suitable anchor or support.

The horizontal bar is formed with an upstanding guide plate 25a at the center of each chute 19. The guide plates 25a may be welded to the horizontal bar 25 at the lower ends thereof and extend upwardly above the lower edges 24a of the front flanges 22b of the chute side members 20. The purpose of the guide plates 25a is to hold the merchandise in place in the chutes as it passes below the lower edges 24a of the chute flanges. The lower edges of the chute are above fingers 32 in order to permit the fingers to move into the chutes 19, as will appear hereinafter. The guide plates 25a will also limit the rocking movement of the rockers 28.

The mounting shelf 17 is formed with a slot 17a parallel to the side walls 13 of the case, directly beneath each chute 19. Spaced from each slot 17a and parallel to said slot, are a pair of parallel elongated shim strips 35, which are mounted on the top surface of the mounting shelf 17. A pair of guide strips 36 are fixed to the top of the shims 35 by belts or rivets 37. The guide strips 36 are wider than the shims 35, thus overhang the shims in the direction of theslots 17a.

A platform 38 rests on the mounting plate over each slots 17a. The platforms seen in Fig. l are constructed of sheet metal. Each platform is formed with a top wall 39, a pair of side walls 40 extending downwardly from the top wall, and a pair of outwardly facing lower end flange walls 41 at the lower ends of the side walls. At the front end of each platform, the top wall 39 is formed with a downwardly extending tab 42 and the side walls are formed at their front ends with inwardly facing tabs 43. One side wall 40 is provided with an L-shaped engaging member 44 which has a straight portion 45 fixed to the side wall 40 of the platform and an outwardly extending tab portion 46 for a purpose which will be later described.

The side walls'4t) of the platform 38 fit between the guide members 36 on the mounting plate 17. The outwardly extending lower end flanges 41 of the platform fit under the guide members 36 so as to be slidable along and on the mounting plate =17 over a slot 17a and in alignment with said slot as guided by the shims 35 and guide members 36. The tab portions 46 of the bracket 44 are always to be positioned on the same side of the slots 17a as the downwardly extending bars 33 of the rockers 28. The bars 33 of the claw rockers normally pass along one side wall 40 of the platforms in close relation thereto to be engaged by a flange or finger 45.

Located within each platform 38 is a block 47. Extending downwardly from block 47 is a hook 48 which passes through a slot 17a. The block 47 is formed with an opening 49 in the front end thereof. 'A rod 50 is fixedly received within opening 49. By means of rod 50 a handle is attached to the block 47. The platform tabs 43 cover the front end of block 47 so thatit cannot be pulled out ofthe platform 38. The reciprocating handle 51 is formed with a flat end portion .52 which engages rod 50. The outer ends of 'flat portion 52 impinge upon tabs 43 of the platform so that the handle 51 can push the movable platform 38 directly and can pull the platform by means of rod 50 attached to block 47. -The forward end of handle 51 extends through opening 16 in the front wall of the case and curves downwardly at the front end to form a handle grip 53. The top wall 39 of platform 38 is spaced above block 47.

When handle 51 is in its rearward position as shown in Fig. 1, the platform 38 will underlie a chute 19. Tab 46 of bracket 44 on the platform will engage in front of lever arm 33, thus rotating the rocker 28 against the action of spring 34 so as to withdraw the fingers 32 from the chute. In the illustrations, the chutes are shown loaded with a number of tin cans 55 to be dispensed. The tin cans are in horizontal position and are Supported by platform 38. Each tin can 55 is formed with a usual edge seam rim 56 which projects slightly from the body of the tin can.

As the handle grip 53 is pulled forwardly towards the operator, the platform 38 will move forwardly towards the position of Fig. 4. As the platform moves toward the front wall 15 of the case, the tab 46 on the platform will release the lever arm 33 because it moves away from said lever arm. Spring 34 will then pull on the body of the rocker and rotate the rocker body so that the projections 32 extend into the chute 19. The rocker will move beneath the second lowest can in the stack on opposite sides of the center thereof, as shown in Fig. 8. As the platform is finally moved to its extreme forward position, limited by hook 48 abutting the end of slot 17a, the lowermost can supported by the platform will be dropped onto the mounting plate 17, while the remaining cans in the stack drop onto the fingers 32. The lowermost can cannot move forwardly with the plate form because its movement is limited by bar 25. Bar 18, at the rear of the chute and edges 24 are high enough so that the can can be pushed rearwardly out underneath it. A rotary arm 58 may be mounted on a rod 59 within the lower portion of the case 11. A torsion spring 60 is wound around rod 59 and has one end resting on the bottom wall 12 of the case. The other end 61 of the spring engages a rod 62 which presses on book 48 and forces the hook rearwardly, when the handle is released, after it has been fully pulled forwardly and the lowermost can has dropped onto the platform, and the remainder of stack has been caught by fingers 32. As the hook 48 moves rearwardly, the platform 38 moves rearwardly therewith, pushing with its rearward end against the lowermost can 55 and sliding the can out from under the chute and off the back of the mounting plate 17 so that it drops to the bottom wall 12 from where it can be taken by the operator.

It should be noted that while the platform 38 is pushing the lowermost can, the rest of the stack of cans is supported by the projection 32 of the rocker 28. As the platform is moved rearwardly, however, the tab 46 attached to the platform, will engage lever arm 33. As the platform passes under the chute 19, the lever arm 33 will rock the rocker against tension of the spring 34 to move projections 32 forwardly out of the chute, thus disengaging the stack of cans, and the stack of cans will then fall downwardly onto the top wall 39 of the platform 38, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 1. Thus the parts have returned to their original position with the exception of the one can which has been removed from the stack and dispensed by the machine.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that the matter set forth above or shown in the accompanying drawings is merely illustrative and is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being delineated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a casing having a bottom wall, side walls, and a rear wall, a front wall and a shelf extending rearwardly from the front wall and terminating short of rear wall, a vertical chute supported in the casing and above the shelf, a platform slidable on the shelf from beneath said chute, forwardly thereof, a pull handle connected to said platform, a rocker mounted for pivotal movement on a horizontal axis in front of said chute and located above the handle, said rocker having at its upper end, a pair of fingers extending rearwardly on opposite sides of the middle of the chute, said platform having a lug, a bar fixed to said rocker and engaging in back of the lug, spring pull means connected to the lower end of the rocker, tending to move the fingers on the rocker rearwardly into the chute, said platform, when it is beneath the chute, having its lug engaging the bar to swing the rocker against the pull of the spring, for keeping said fingers out of said chute.

2. The combination of claim I, in combination with means on the shelf for guiding the platform for reciprocating movement on the shelf.

3. The combination of claim 2, said pull handle having a portion located within the platform, and said platform having a top wall spaced above the portion of the handle located therein.

4. The combination of claim 3, said platform having a slot, a hook on the handle projecting through said slot, and spring means engaging said hook to retract the handle and platform after the handle is pulled and released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 427,509 Hayden May 6, 1890 984,223 Jones Feb. 14, 1911 1,416,219 Litchfield May 16, 1922 1,758,390 Curtis May 13, 1930 2,432,561 De Mott Dec. 16, 1947 2,552,481 Eberhardt et a1. May 8, 1951 2,585,872 Steiner Feb. 12, 1952

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