US3087592A - Article dispenser with reciprocating ejector - Google Patents

Description

w. L. BILGER April 30, 1963 ARTICLE DISPENSER WITH RECIPROCATING EJECTOR Filed Jan. 4, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1/11! I III/III IV 1111! I I INVENTOR.

I April 30, 1963 w. QBILGER ARTICLE DISPENSER WITH RECIPROCATING EJECTOR Filed Jan. 4, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 1953 w. L. BILGER 3,087,592

ARTICLE DISPENSER WITH RECIPROCATING EJECTOR Filed Jan. 4, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV EN TOR. Ma czv bzgw BY r? ce 3,087,592 ARTICLE DISPENSERWITH RECIPROCATING I EJECTOR Walter L. Bilger, 719 Grant St., Downers Grove, Ill. Filed Jan. 4, 1960, Ser. N0. 117 3 Clain'is- (Cl. 194-85) My inventionrela-tes to vending equipment and includes among its objects and advantages a vending unit embodying a radical simplification and reduction in cost and a unit constructed substantially entirely of plastic, with the parts so arranged that they can be produced by standardized mass-production plastic procedures, without letting the necessary taper in some of the parts impair the operat'ion of the finished product.

It is also convenient to have such a large portion of the unit of transparent plastic that the operation of the mechanism can be observed by the user, as well as the presence or absence of merchandise in the magazine. This eliminates the need of any special indicator mechanism to show when the magazine is empty.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a single unit according to'the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective indicating three units assembled in a single structure;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of FIG- URE 1 FIGURE 4 is a section-on line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5' is a detailon line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 isa fragmentary section as on line 33, indicating the parts inan intermediate position;

. FIGURE 7 is a section on the same plane as FIGURE 6, indicating the parts in final, or discharge, position;

FIGURE 8 is a rear view ofthe dispenser mechanism as-a whole;

FIGURE 9 is a partial view of the housing, seen from the rear, with the contents removed; and

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary view of the parts in FIG- URE '8, with the frame illustrated and most of the moving parts removed.

Overall Structure In the embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, each unit comprises three unitary sub-assemblies; the housing 10, the dispenser unit 12, and the rear closure 14.

Thehousing comprises a floor 16, a vertical side wall 18 on the side wherethe operating linkage is arranged, and a plain opposite side wall 20. The upper front panel 22 is integrally-united along side its vertical side edges with front edges of the side walls 18 and 20' and all three are integrally united with the edges of a rectangular top 24. The lower edge of the front panel 22 is integral with a forwardly extending shelf 26, which is integral with a downwardly extending apron 28.

Adjacent to the side wall 18, the shelf 26 and apron 28 are terminated at the opposite side of a smaller concave hoiising portion 30 adapted to house segmentalportions of the main parts of the movable dispensing mechanism, and slotted at 32 to receive a coin and at 34 to permit passage and to and fro movement for-a manual operating lever 26 having a terminal head 38'for the convenience of the user. 7

The dispenser unit 12 may beinserted in the housing and easily removed therefrom as a unit for inspection or repair. It comprises a rigid stationary frame having an upper front panel 40 anda lower front panel 42 separated by an-exit slot at 44. To bridge this gap and complete an integral unitary structure, I provide triangular brackets 46 (see FIG. 3) on the upper portion of the lower panel 42, and the horizontal shelf 48 is supported States atent on these brackets, and along its frontedge on the panel 42. From the shelf 48, side walls 50 and 52 rise vertically, with their front edges integrally united with the upper front panel 40. The side wall 50 constitutes the right wall of the merchandise chamber 51, when viewed from the rear, but the side wall 52 has a companion side wall 54 spaced away from it to house certain movable members of the ejector mechanism. The inner wall 54, together with the opposite wall 50 and the front wall 40, completes three of the vertical walls of the merchandise chamber 51. The walls 40 and 54 have their lower edges spaced above the shelf 48.-

The housing side walls, 18 and 20', are each provided with an inwardly extending ledge cleat 56, and each cleat has a rear end hook at 58 (see FIGURE 4). 'It will be apparent that the supporting frame for the dispensing mechanism can be inserted from the rear of the housing; The upper edge of the front panel, 40, terminates below the roof, 24, to leave a clearance space at 60 (see FIG- URE 3), just great enough to let the lower edge of the panel 42 slide into the position of FIGURE 3 above a pair of corner rails, 62, and drop down onto the floor 1'6, in front of the corner rails. This lets the ends of the shelf 48, come to rest on the cleats 56, restrained from backward movement by the hooks 58, unless an operator lifts the entire assembly to raise the lower edge of the panel 42, above the level of the tracks 62, and withdraw the entire dispensing mechanism and its frame.

The fourth, and rear, wall of the merchandise compartment 51 is a vertical panel 64, constituting an integral rigid part of the rear closure 14. The panel 64 terminates above the top of the shelf 48, with a clearance defining an entry way to permit the ejector mechanism to come in. This wall is then continued rearwardly and upwardly at 66, and downwardly at 63 with an inset, or shoulder, at for convenient engagement with the thumb or finger of an operator for removing the rear closure. It is then continued vertically downward at 72 and its lower edge slides in over a plastic button 74, molded in the floor 16.

It is convenient and efiective to design the parts so that the operator can set the upper edge of the panel 64 just inside a retaining lug 76, having a square end facing forward, and the distance from the lug 76 to the button 74 is a small fraction less than the undistorted length of the rear closure so that the operator distorts the housing and the rear closure, and especially that portion of the rear closure extending down from the rear edge of the portion "66, enough to let the closure snap into position. Similarly, when it is desired to remove the closure, a gentle pull on the same parts will distort them, and the lower edge of the bottom panel 72 will snap out over the button 74. It will be apparent that the stationary structure described provides a magazine, or storage space, having the shape of a rectangular parallelepipedon, adapted to hold a stack of articles, such as the piece of gum indicat'ed at 77 in FIGURE 4, resting on the shelf 48, with the rear edge of the piece registering with the slot below the rear wall 64 and the front edge of the piece registering with the slot 44 in front, so that the piece may be pushed forward and fall out of its position and into the space behind the apron 28, where it will fall downwardly and rearwardly and come to rest on the floor 16 in front of the panel 42. A cleat 17 guards against having the article fall olf the floor 16 prematurely.

The ejector proper, includes a reciprocating plate 78 normally lying just behind the bottom article in the magazine, as indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4. There is also a front retainer arm '80. This is rigid with and moves in unison with the plate 78, so far as contact with the articles is concerned. The plate is guided in rotation about the axis of a pivot 81, located remote from the plate and near the top of the magazine. This means that its path to and fro is one of such slight curvature that the deviation from a straight path does not interfere with effective action on the bottom article. Reference to FIGURE 3 will make it apparent that an article lying between the plate 78 and the guide 80 will travel forward when those parts move to the dotted line position indicated in the same figure until it falls by gravity in the direction of the arrow 82, and comes to rest on the floor 16, between the partition 42 .and the cleat 17.

The connection from the plate 78 to the pivot 81 is through a rear beam 84, integral with a dog-leg arm 86, which extends upon between the stationary walls 52 and 54 and is in contact with them over a substantial area, so that its movement is guided by them. The lower twothirds of the arm 86 is made narrower to leave a clearance at 88, which clearance receives an arm 90 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) pivoted about the main pivot 92. The arm 90 carries a pin 93 lying in a slot 94 in the arm 86. It will be apparent that the rotation of arm 90 around pivot 92 will cause the pin 93 to force the long arm 86 to the forward position indicated in the dash and dot lines in FIGURE 3. The position of rest is also indicated in ordinary dotted lines in the same figure and in full lines at the bottom of the arm, where it can be seen.

For convenience in both manufacture and assembly, the plate 78 is removable from the beam 84. The plate 78 has an integral flange 96 extending downward and having contact with front of the beam 84. It also has a central rearward projection 98 lying over the top of the beam 84, but this projection occupies only a little more than the central half of the transverse extent of the plate. Just beyond either end of the extension 98 the flange 96 is provided with end hooks each comprising a bottom reach 100, underlying the beam 84, and a rear upwardly extending reach 102 engaging the rear of the beam 84. These parts are made with enough clearance to permit the plate to slide on to the exposed right end of the beam 84 into assembled relationship.

To provide a little additional resilience and improve the tolerances in manufacture, the plate 78 includes end wings 164. Each end wing is integrally united near its rear end with the flange 96 and lies in the same plane with the body of the plate 78 and is connected to the main body at its front end by a narrow cross piece 106.

On the upper face of each wing 104 I provide a narrow elevated strip 108 which constitutes a track for sliding contact with the bottom of the pile of articles so that friction is minimized as the plate slides back into the full line position of FIGURE 3, after ejecting one of the articles. The entire front edge of the plate slides on the horizontal shelf 48, so that the beam 84 never carries the load of the plate or the pile of articles, but merely propels the plate forward to eject an article, and retracts it to let the pile settle and position the next article in position to be ejected.

When in assembled position, the plate is restrained from sliding off the beam 84 by the vertical wall 50. For convenience in assembly this wall carries a rearward extension 110 (see FIGURES 4 and The upper edge of the extension 110 is above the level of the shelf 48 so that, with the beam 84 moved to the full line position of FIGURE 3, the plate can be slipped over the beam, and the looseness of the connection between them, with or without a little flexure of the plastic material of which the entire mechanism is built, permits the front edge of the plate to be pushed in over the extension 110, sliding on that extension until the end passes beyond it and drops down into the final assembled position clearly indicated in FIGURE 5, with its front corner just inside the extension 110 to continue the guidance for the plate to the extreme rear position of the parts.

Coin-Control A coin-controlled transmission is provided for actuating the arms 86 and 90 to move forward and eject an article. The arm 90 is an extension of a driven disc 112, pivoted on the main pivot 92. The pivot 92 is supported in spaced bearing plates 91, projecting down from shelf 48. Parallel to and spaced from the driven disc 112 is the driving disc 114. The actuating arm 36 is an integral extension of the disc 114.

As indicated in FIGURE 8, the discs 112 and 114 are axially spaced apart to leave a narrow clearance 116 between them adapted to receive the coin needed to establish the mechanical connection for driving disc 112 from disc '114.

For this purpose the disc 114 carries a driving lug 118, which lies slightly above the entrance slot 32 for the coin, and the driven disc 112 carries a driven lug positioned slightly below the entrance slot so that an inserted coin 122, as clearly indicated in FIGURE 3, can move freely in through the slot to the position indicated in FIGURE 3. Further inward movement is arrested by a stationary cam 124, which is positioned to engage the coin and arrest its inward movement, with the weight of the coin resting chiefly on lug 120 and secondarily on cam 124. The earn 124 is integral with shelf 48 and also forms :a third bearing for the main pivot 92.

As indicated in FIGURES 3 and 6, the cam 124 is cut away sharply back of its point, engaging the coin in FIGURE 3. It will be apparent that clockwise rotation of the driving disc 114 will move the driving lug 118 down to engage the edge of the coin and push the coin and the driven lug 120 and disc 112 down and in clockwise rotation, while the coin is prevented from slipping inward out from between the driving and driven lugs by the point of the cam 124. In FIGURE 6, these parts are illustrated in mid-stroke. The coin 122 is still effective to transmit thrust between the lugs 118 and 120, but it is beginning to slip radially inward so that the angle of contact at its edges in increasing. Further rotation for about 10 more will bring the parts to the position of FIGURE 7, where the lug 118 has come down and moved partially past the lug 120, but the operative connection for transmitting thrust from 118 to 120 is gone because of the clearance provided for movement of the coin to escape in the direction in the arrow 126, so that it will fall on the floor 16 behind the partition 42, where it can be collected by an operator, who comes to remove the rear closure and the accumulated coins and replenish the magazine. The disc 114 carries obturator lugs 111 and 113 to define an inlet opening that registers with the slot 32 only in the position of FIGURE 3.

The segmental chamber 30 receives the edges of the driving and driven discs 112 and 114 and includes a flange 128 having sliding contact with the periphery of the disc 114 and an opposite flange 130 for similar engagement with the edge of the disc 112. This provides mechanical guidance for the sliding movement of the parts and avoids imposing any material load on the pivot 92 with respect to keeping the parts in alignment. The space to the left of flange 130 in FIGURE 9 remains unoccupied and un-used.

Resilient means are provided for returning the discs 112 and 114 to their initial positions, indicated in full lines in FIGURE 3. I have illustrated a spring 132 of four closely wound turns, with a hook 134 getting a purchase on the edge of shelf 48 and a hook 136 taking over a radial edge at 138 on the disc 114. The spring for the disc 112 has to be strong enough to withdraw the shelf from its position under the pile of articles. I have indicated a wire spring having one end anchored at 138-a (see FIGURES 6 and 7) in the front panel 40. From there the spring extends down in front of the front edge of the shelf 48 to get a first fulcrum and it is then continued in an arcuate form and anchored at 140 by a bent end entering a hole in the disc 112. The force it exerts on the disc 112 is counter-clockwise, but the disc 112 only moves through an angle of about 20. Counterclockwise movement of disc 114 may be limited by contact of an upper edge 109 with panel 40, or by lever 36 engaging the upper end of slot 34.

For most conditions of service it is desirable to have a full stroke mechanism. I prefer to apply this to the disc 114 so that persons toying with the mechanism will be more effectively restrained. I have indicated a rack 142 in the inner periphery of an axially short extension chamber, and a conventional, triangular, trailing corner pawl '144 pivoted on the disc 114 and gently urged to its intermediate position by a light spring 146. At each end of the rack 142 there is a recess 148 into which the point of pawl can drop when the stroke in that direction is completed.

Because all of the parts are of plastic, the construction is exceedingly cheap. The remote location for the pivot 81 and the flexibility of all the parts contributes to making an operating mechanism that can stand the wear and tear of service and still have an extended and useful life without using any of the material at higher mechanical stresses than it can endure.

Others may readily adapt the invention for use under various conditions of service, by employing one or more of the novel features disclosed, or equivalents thereof. For instance, under conditions of service where it is considered advisable to protect against the use of slugs, a conventional coin rejector 150 can be mounted over the slot 32.

The configuration of the slot 44 and the ejector parts engaging the article can be tailored to fit a wide variety of articles, and the transmission to the ejecting mechanism is well adapted to actuate delivery means for liquids and powders as well as discrete articles. I

Very thin articles can be successfully dispensed with such as a floating plate as the plate 78. When the articles are of much greater thickness, the articulation to let the plate float becomes unnecessary. But in either case, if the ejector had to move in rectilinear movement, with rectilinear guides to control its path, the expense of manufacture would be greatly increased and the freedom from occasional wedging or sticking greatly decreased.

Any one of a wide variety of conventional locks may be used to guard against pilfering. With or without a lock, the additional resilience due to the offset at 70, helps the assembled unit stay snug, and makes it very difficult to get unauthorized access to the accumulated coins, as by prying up the lower edge of the panel 72.

It will be obvious that with certain types of articles, most of the advantages of the invention may be retained in a construction where the operator supplies the energy to withdraw the plate, and spring means actuates the ejecting movement of the plate.

The coin is gradually released, and escapes under the force of the forward movement of the driving disc. The same type of drive by edge contact is equally effective if the edge contacts tend to retain the coin. After the driving force has terminated the coin can escape by gravity or by positive displacement in its own plane or in a direction normal to the plane of the coin.

I have indicated the point 118 in FIGURE 3 slightly spaced from the coin. Whenever it is desirable to retain a coin at this position, point 118 may be located lower and the coin will have to be pushed under it, and will depress the receiving point 120 a little in getting into position.

Similarly, the adjacent ends of the obturators 111 and 113 are shown out of contact w'th the coin. If the mechanical load is at all heavy, the obturator 111 can have its proximate end enough lower to share the working load on point 118, or to make the initial contact, with subsequent contact with point 118 later on.

As at present advised, with respect to the apparent scope of my invention, I desire to claim the following subject matter:

1. Dispensing equipment comprising in combination: a chamber adapted to house a pile of stacked articles; a plastic ejecting lever pivoted at its upper end on a horizontal axis adjacent the top of the stack; said ejecting lever extending down to the bottom of the stack; a stationary plastic pile support at the bottom of said chamber; a slot in one side of said chamber adjacent said support adapted to let an article leave said chamber; an ejector arm extending laterally from the lower end of said ejecting lever to move to and fro in a generally horizontal path with a radius of curvature substantially as large as the height of said stack; and coin completed and activated means for reciprocating said lever and arm to alternately expel the bottom article and to withdraw said ejector arm and let the remainder of said stack move down onto said support; said arm carrying a plastic ejector blade; the rear edge of said blade being pivoted to said arm and guided thereby above and out of contact with said support; the opposite, front edge of said ejector sliding on said support and having its lower plastic surface adjacent its front edge shaped for narrow, substantially line contact with said support.

2. Equipment according to claim 1 in which the top contact surface of said support has a radius of curvature greater than that of the path of said ejector arm.

3. Dispensing equipment comprising in combination: a chamber adapted to house a pile of stacked articles; a plastc ejecting lever pivoted at its upper end on a horizontal axis adjacent the top of the stack; said ejecting lever extending down to the bottom of the stack; a stationary plastic pile support at the bottom of said chamber; a slot in one side of said chamber adjacent said support adapted to let an article leave saidchamber; an ejector arm extending laterally from the lower end of said ejecting lever to move to and fro in a generally horizontal path with a radius of curvature substantially as large as the height of said stack; coin completed and activated means for reciprocating said lever and arm to alternately expel the bottom article and to withdraw said ejector arm and let the remainder of said stack move down onto said support; said means for reciprocating said lever and said arm comprising a second, plastic transmission lever pivoted at its lower end on a horizontal axis near the bottom of said chamber; said second transmission lever extending up beside said ejecting lever; and a pin-and-slot connection between the upper end of said transmission lever and a central portion of said ejecting lever and projections on said arm and said transmission lever engageable by a coin to complete and activate said means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,154 Hunter Mar. 11, 1902 890,046 Green June 6, 1908 1,065,098 Angell June 17, 1913 1,590,700 Roberts June 29 1926 1,598,148 Miller Aug. 31, 1926 1,681,601 Tintera Aug. 21, 1928 2,026,636 Hope et al. Jan. 7, 1936 2,675,238 Leaf Apr. 13, 1954 2,859,849 Neidig Nov. 11, 1958 2,909,261 Barr Oct. 20, 1959

Claims (1)

1. 3. DISPENSING EQUIPMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A CHAMBER ADAPTED TO HOUSE A PILE OF STACKED ARTICLES; A PLASTIC EJECTING LEVER PIVOTED AT ITS UPPER END ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS ADJACENT THE TOP OF THE STACK; SAID EJECTING LEVER EXTENDING DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE STACK; A STATIONARY PLASTIC PILE SUPPORT AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER; A SLOT IN ONE SIDE OF SAID CHAMBER ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT ADAPTED TO LET AN ARTICLE LEAVE SAID CHAMBER; AN EJECTOR ARM EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID EJECTING LEVER TO MOVE TO AND FRO IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PATH WITH A RADIUS OF CURVATURE SUBSTANTIALLY AS LARGE AS THE HEIGHT OF SAID STACK; COIN COMPLETED AND ACTIVATED MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID LEVER AND ARM TO ALTERNATELY EXPEL THE BOTTOM ARTICLE AND TO WITHDRAW SAID EJECTOR ARM AND LET THE REMAINDER OF SAID STACK MOVE DOWN ONTO SAID SUPPORT; SAID MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID LEVER AND SAID ARM COMPRISING A SECOND, PLASTIC TRANSMISSION LEVER PIV-

Images