US3125103A - Vending machine change dispenser - Google Patents

Description

M r 1964 w. L. DAVIDSON ETAL 3,125,103

VENDING MACHINE CHANGE DISPENSER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15, 1961 March 17, 1964 W. L. DAVIDSON ETAL VENDING MACHINE CHANGE DISPENSER Filed May 15, 1961 TEE-=3 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Wuawr A. anwasczv 77/010445 G. DAV/080A! March 1964 w. 1.. DAVIDSON ETAL 3,

VENDING MACHINE CHANGE DISPENSER Filed May 15, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR; V480 4. 044 :00 6'0 W. L. DAVIDSON ETAL VENDING MACHINE CHANGE DISPENSER March 17, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 15, 1961 Z 3 Wm 0. M M r0 Wxi w 7 H MW? .2, Mm 8 mm? V.. l B o 7 w 9 w MXAMTA f M mu h .Wa u m m \m w in LR a United States Patent 3,125,103 VENDING MACHINE CHANGE DISPENSER Wilbur L. Davidson, 167% Warwick Road, Detroit 19, Mich, and Thomas G. Davidson and Robert W. Shiker, Detroit, Mich; said Thomas G. Davidson and said Shilter assignors to said Wilbur L. Davidson Filed May 15, 196i, Ser. No. 109,909

5 Claims. (ill. 133--5) The present invention relates to an improved automatic change dispenser for a coin vending machine, as associated in combination with such machine and automatically controlled and actuated as a consequence of the operation of the machine.

The use of automatic coin-operated vending machines in clubs, factories, public places and the like for the dispensing of a great variety of articles is, of course, widespread and increasing at the present time. Cigarettes, candies, cigars, and a large number of other items, such as packages of tissues, soft drinks, coffee and the like are commonly dispensed by automatic coin-controlled vending machines upon the insertion in an appropriate selected coin slot of a stated amount of coinage and the pulling, pushing or equivalent manipulation of a control knob or member.

In order to return odd change, as in pennies, for a packaged item whose cost is other than one met by a given coin denomination, such as a quarter, dime o-r nichle or combination thereof, deposited in the machines coin slot, it has been the practice to package such odd change, usually pennies, directly within the wrapping of the package dispensed. A package of cigarettes will be hereinafter considered to be the dispensed item for the purpose of illustration.

This entails the expenditure of additional time and special hand labor in the packaging of the item to include the necessary odd change therewithin, involving an added cost which has to date been considered unavoidable. Recently it has been further proposed, in order to facilitate the packaging procedure and possibly to make the package a better one, to tape the odd change coins together for assembly within the package wrapper, a procedure requiring further work on the part of the packaging operator, to say nothing of the inconvenience and annoyance to the purchaser in removing the coins from the taping.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a combined vending machine and change dispenser by which the proper amount of odd change, when the cost of the item dispensed a sum other than a given coin denomination, or other than a combination of denominations, such as a quarter and a nickel, is returned in the loose directly to the purchaser for immediate pocketing by him, without the necessity of carefully removing the package to retrieve the penny or pennies. It is seen that this avoids the cost, inconvenience and annoyance mentioned in the preceding paragraph, and thereby renders the vending machine more attractive to both its operator and to one who purchases from it.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined vending and coin return machine which is characterized in that it embodies a standard vending machine which may be any one of a number of makes presently on, or in the future to be placed on, the market, so long as such machine has adequate moving components to control the automatic operation of a coin return unit associated in combination with such machine.

A still further object is to provide a combined machine of the above type by which odd change is returned directly to the user, whether, in accordance with two illustrated embodiments of the invention, the return is made directly to the trough or chute to which the vended 2 items are discharged, or Whether the coin return unit has its own independent discharge trough or chute.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an automatic coin operated article dispensing and return mechanism, in which the article dispensing mechanism is characterized by at least one, and preferably two, moving parts actuated for movement in response to operation of its usual knob or push button, and in which the coin return unit of the mechanism is controlled and actuated in its coin return function by such moving part or parts.

In accordance with the preceding object, and in the embodiments shown herein, the parts in question comprise one or more moving members, commonly designated price arms, controlling an electrical switch wired in circuit with a suitable electrical device, such as a solenoid, of the coin return unit. By preference, and in further accordance with the invention, another moving part is a socalled anti-jackpot member or arm, also commonly associated with vending machines of the character in question, whose normal function is to make it impossible for a vendor to obtain a multiple dicharge of items for a single coin deposit. As contemplated by the invention, such anti-jackpot arm also controls an electrical switch wired into the circuit of the solenoid referred to, so that only when these two switches are closed there be an energizing circuit through the solenoid to initiate a proper discharge of odd change to the purchaser.

A further object is to provide a combined coin vending and coin return machine featuring a coin return unit having means to dispense coins such as pennies from an appropriate number of stacks, up to four, along with a movable plate having a similar number of apertures oriented relative to one another to correspond with the orientation of the coin stacks, and adapted to receive and dispense coins from such stacks as are loaded under actuation by a solenoid or like control element wired or otherwise operatively connected to and controlled by switches or the like. More particularly, the invention contemplates a solenoid circuit incorporating a pair of switches which are closed, respectively, by a movable price arm of the machine (i.e., a price arm actuated in the vending of a package whose cost involves odd pennies in any number up to four), and also a. switch similarly closed by an anti-jackpot device characteristic of coin vending machines, to the end that the control solenoid of the coin return unit shall not be energized for a coin return until all conditions for the dispensing of a vended package are satisfied.

A still further object is to provide a combined vending and coin return machine, as described, in which a component coin return device features a novel arrangement for guiding and actuating a plate-like coin return slide. In accordance with the various illustrated embodiments, the provisions optionally include leaf or coil spring slide return features, and provisions for compacting the device as a whole.

The foregoing as well as other objects will become more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partially broken away and in vertical and horizontal section, illustrating combined vending-coin return equipment in accordance with the invention, in which the coin return unit is associated directly with the vending machine to return coins through the dispensing opening of the latter;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a modified adaptation, in which the coin return unit is mounted in a separate housing adapted to be attached externally to a vending machine, and having its own coin discharge chute;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, partially broken away and in 3 horizontal section along lines 3-3 of FIGS. 1 and 4, showing the coin return unit of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partially broken away and in vertical section along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational View, as from the right of FIG. 4, showing only the coin receiving and discharge provisions of the coin return unit, and suitable mounting provisions therefor;

FIG. 6 is a schematic fragmentary view in elevation of a control switch of the mechanism of the present invention, as operatively associated with a price arm of the vending machine;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to FIG. 6, showing a further switch in the solenoid circuitry according to the present invention, as associated with an anti-jackpot member of the vending machine;

FIG. 8 is a simplified schematic wiring diagram for the equipment;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are, respectively, plan and side elevational views, partially broken away, of an alternative embodiment, employing a simplified type of coin receiving and discharge slide and means for guiding and actuating said slide;

, FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on line 11---11 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, partially broken away and in vertical section on a line-corresponding to line 1.2-12 of FIG. 13, showing a further alternative embodiment having provisions to simplify and compact the structure, as well as an improved leaf spring type of return means for the solenoid-actuated coin slide;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view in enlarged scale, partially broken away and in horizontal section on line 13ll3 of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary view in vertical transverse section on line 14-14 of FIG. 12.

FIG. 1 of the drawings shows an embodiment of the invention in combination with a conventional coinoperated vending machine, generally designated 10. As indicated above, this machine may be adapted to vend a wide variety of articles upon insertion of coinage in a proper amount into a slot (not shown) thereof and pulling of a manual knob 1.1 located adjacent a stack of the articles vended as the result of this manipulation. For convenience, these will be considered to be packages of cigarettes, and it will be further assumed that, in order to release a package costing, say, 27 cents, for discharge, it is necessary to insert 30 cents in coinage in the slot of the machine, with the odd change automatically returned, upon manipulation of the hand-piece 11 by .a coin return unit of the invention, generally designated 12.

A characteristic of the equipment of FIG. 1 is that it features a mounting of the coin return unit upon a side wall of the machine housing or casing 14 of vending machine It), the coin return unit 12 having a gravity chute or hopper 15 discharging downwardly and laterally through the wall of the housing on which the unit is mounted, and into the usual package delivery chute or trough 16 of the vending machine 10.

On the other hand, the alternative installation of FIG. 2, although corresponding as to structural details of its coin return unit and control components thereof with what is shown of FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 (so that corresponding parts and relationships in FIG. 2 will be designated by corresponding reference numerals, primed), is mounted in a separate housing 18 shown in dot-dash line in FIG. 2, the proper coin return being through a chute mouth 19, i.e., independently of the delivery of a vended package at the usual delivery opening of the vending machine. The coin return housing 18 will be appropriately attached to an outer side wall of a vending machine corresponding to the machine 10.

As'for the embodiment of FIG. 1, the vending unit 12 will, of course, be encased in a suitable closure housing applied to the side of the vending machine housing 14, as indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 1 by the reference numeral 20.

As indicated above, the vending machine 10 may be any of the several well-known manufactures available to the market, one example being the No. 222 cigarette machine of National Vendors, Inc., of St. Louis, Missouri. Characteristic of all such machines, it has the necessary moving price arm and anti-jackpot components by which electrical switches in the circuitry of the present invention are operated automatically, upon insertion of the necessary coins and manipulation of the manual control member 11. Such components are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a first price arm 22 which is part of the vending machine 10, and will be assumed to be actuated for downward movement upon manipulation of a manually operated button or member 11 which selects a higher priced commodity or package, for example a 30 cent package of cigarettes for which no return of odd change is required. Arm 22 is pivoted to a further link or arm 23, which is in turn operatively connected at 24 with suitable further mechanism (not shown) of the vending machine 10, as the result of which the delivery of the package ultimately follows.

A second, lower price arm 25 will, let it be assumed, be operated by a push or pull button or member 11 for the selection of a package requiring a return of change, for instance, a 27 cent package. The arm 23 will, like the high-price arm 22, be pivotally articulated with a bell crank link or arm 26 operatively connected at 27 to instrumentali-ties whereby the delivery of the package is occasioned, assuming that the anti-jackpot feature of the vending machine (shown in FIG. 7 and to be described) has also been actuated upon a full and thorough manipulation of the manual operator 11 in question.

In accordance with the invention, a suitable microswitch 2? is fixedly mounted appropriately adjacent the low price arm 25, and the latter has fixedly mounted thereon for movement therewith a trip lug or tappet 3'9 which is engageable with the usual contact operating arm 31 of micro-switch 29. It is thus seen that downward movement of arm 25, as operatively connected to an appropriate manual member 11, results in closing of a solenoid circuit (to be described) at the switch 29, which is connected in this circuit by electrical leads 32.

Turning now to FIG. 7, the reference numeral 35 designates a part of a conventional anti-jackpot device which is actuated for full reversing movement in the direction of the double-headed arrow in FIG. 7 only upon a full and complete manipulation of one of the control knobs 11. This is a standard type of equipment on article vending machines of the character herein dealt with. As shown, the arm 35 is a forked one, including an inclined finger 36 adapted to slide or roll on a fixed member 37, thus being cammed upwardly and correspondingly elevating a link 38. Such link is a part of the coin vending rnachine, being connected thereto in such manner that a package is not delivered to the purchaser unless and until the anti-jackpot arm 35 is given a full stroke operation in conjunction with actuation-of the low price arm 25. Here again, structural features of the anti-jackpot arm 35 constitute no part of the invention.

The reference numeral 40 designates a second microswitch of the solenoid circuit of the invention, which is suitably mounted fixedly adjacent anti-jackpot arm 35 for engagement of the contact-operating finger or arm 41 of switch 40 by a lug 42 fixed on the finger 36 of the antijackpot arm. Switch 42 is connected by leads 43, 44 with a solenoid circuit of the equipment, which is shown in FIG. 8.

I Referring to FIG. 8, the solenoid in question is generally designated 46, its coil 47 being shown connected to one terminal 48 of a suitable volt alternating current source, such as a conventional 60 cycle supply. The opposite end of the coil is shown connected to a lead 32 of the price arm switch 29, the other lead of which is schematically shown connected to a lead 43 of the antijackpot switch 40. The second lead 44 of switch 40 connects to a line terminal 49. The series circuit through switches 29, 4t) and solenoid coil, which is completed upon closure of the switches in the manner described above, will be self-evident to all.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the coin return unit 12, as typically mounted to the machine housing 14 within the external casing or housing 20, is supported in that position by means of a pair of L-shaped mounting brackets 51, 52 bolted, riveted or otherwise secured to the adjacent upright housing wall. Horizontally outwardly extending flanges 53 of these brackets support a horizontal, relatively thick bottom plate 54 of the coin return unit which, as will be best noted in FIG. 3, is formed to provide circular openings 55 therethrough of the diameter of the coin to be returned. In an installation of the sort under consideration, the diameter will be that of a penny, and since less than five pennies are to be returned, there will be up to four of such openings, to take care of the maximum number of change coins to be returned for any possible purchase. The plate openings 55 are arranged in two horizontal sets of two each the sets being longitudinally and transversely staggered as shown in FIG. 1. These apertures 55 open directly downwardly to the coin return chute 15.

An upper fixed plate 56 is mounted a predetermined space above the lower fixed plate 54, paralleling the latter and being secured thereon and spaced relative to the plate 54 by provisions to be described. The upper plate 56 is provided with sets of apertures or openings 57 of the same penny diameter as the openings 55, and in an orientation and staggered relationship to one another corresponding to that of the openings 55. However, as clearly shown in FIG. 3, the openings 57 in top plate 56 are displaced predeterminedly in the horizontal and longitudinal direction relative to the respective openings 55.

An upright coin tube 58 of the diameter of each opening 57 is fixedly mounted concentrically thereover, being preferably (as shown in FIG. 4) countersunk somewhat into the top plate 56. Coin tubes 58 are fixedly supported and braced adjacent their tops, as by means of a bracket 59 shown in FIG. 1, and are thus held in parallel relation to one another, vertically aligned over the respective top plate openings 57.

The reference numeral 61 designates a coin slide by which coins gravitationally disposed in the coin tube openings 57, are shifted laterally to vertical alignment with the bottom plate openings 55 and dropped through the latter. To this end, and as best shown in FIGS. 3, 9 and 10, the slide 61 is provided with a number of coin openings 62 of the diameter of the coin in question, which openings 62 are in the same orientation with respect to one another as the respective openings 55, 57 of the fixed bottom and top plates 54, 56. Slide 61 is normally located, by the means to be described, with its openings 62 laterally displaced from position beneath the respective coin tubes 58 and the openings 57 to the latter through the top plate 56. Prior to operation the slide openings 62 are in vertical register above the respective openings 55 in bottom plate 54, and return to this position at the end of the operating cycle.

In order to space the plates 54, 56 in the manner referred to above, the two plates are apertured adjacent the corners thereof to receive upright bolts or screws 64. Referring to FIG. 5, these screws each pass upwardly through an inner washer 65 of desired and predetermined axial dimension, greater than the thickness of slide 61, and through a thin slide retainer washer 66 of greater diameter thereabove, upon which washers 66 the top plate 56 rests. The inner washers 65, in addition to spacing plates 54, 56, each further serves as a journal for an 6 outer, anti-friction roller or washer 67 surrounding the same; and the slide 61 is longitudinally guided between the four annular members 67 in its coin receiving and discharge action. The parts are held in place by appropriate nut and lock means 68 applied to bolts 64 atop the upper plate 56.

In accordance with one embodiment, the slide .61 shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 9 and 10 is provided with a downturned flange 70 along its inner longitudinal edge, this flange being fixedly secured, as by welding at 721, to a mating surface of a longitudinally extending operating link or strap 72. Such strap is provided with an integral Iupward extension 74, and a coiled tension spring 74 is connected at its ends between the extension 73 and the mounting bracket 52, thus urging the link or strap 72 to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4. The connection to the bracket 52 is made at an otfset top flange 75 of the latter.

Strap 72 is adapted to be drawn to the left, against the force of spring 72, by the solenoid 46, the armature 77 of the solenoid being fixedly connected at 78 to an otfset finger 79 on the adjacent end of strap 72.

In operation, if three coins are to be returned to the operator each time solenoid 46 is energized through its circuit including the closed switches 29, 49, as described above, only three of the coin tubes 58 will be filled with pennies. If one, two or four coins are to be returned, only that number of tubes 58 will be filled. With the parts in the position appearing in FIG. 3 and the solenoid '56 de-energized, the lowermost coin in each filled coin tube 58 will rest upon the top surface of slide 61. When solenoid 46 is energized, it moves slide 61 to the left, this picking up in apertures 62 of the slide a coin from each of the tubes 58, as the apertures 62 come into register with and beneath the respective apertures 57 of top plate 56. Upon de-energization of the solenoid (which occurs when either or both of the switches 29, 40 is opened upon return of the operating knob or finger piece 11), springs 74 retracts slide 61 to the right as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4, its openings 62 come into register with and above the respective openings 55 in bottom plate 54, and the selected number of coins drop into the chute 15 for return to the customer.

FIGS. 9, 10 and 1 1 illustrate a preferred and simplifled, alternative form of coin return unit which is in function the equivalent of the unit 12 shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Since its composition is, in general, similar to that of the unit 12, the modified unit will be generally designated 12, and component parts thereof which correspond structurally and functionally to those of the unit 12 will be designated by corresponding reference numerals, primed.

In the embodiment referred to, the slide plate 61 of the unit 12 is in the form of a fiat rectangular sheet metal strip having the coin openings 62 formed therein in a relative orientation and spacing corresponding to the first described embodiment. Similarly, coin tubes 58' areassociated with an upper fixed plate 56', in the described relation to coin openings 57 in the plate '56; and there is a lower bottom fixed plate 54' provided with coin openings 5'5, as described in connection with the earlier embodiment.

In accordance with the improvement of FIGS. 9, l0 and 11, the lower fixed plate 54' may be supported upon bracket arms 81 welded or otherwise fixed to and projecting fonwardly of the housing wall 14'; and mounting bolts or screws 82 extend through the corners of the fixed plates 54, 56 and the bracket arms 81. In this instance, the plates 54', 56' are predeterminedly spaced vertically relative to one another by a pair of parallel spacer and guide strips 34 of a suitable hardened, wear resistant metal, these strips paralleling the outer sides of the plates 54, 56, as shown in FIGS. 9 and H. The bolts or studs 82 extend through and clamp the guide strips 84 unitari-ly with the plates 54', 56' as a mounting and guide assembly for the coin plate 6 1'. The vertical thickness of guides 84 is only slightly in excess of that of the plate 6-1 to enable free action of the latter in receiving and discharging coins, and the side clearance between the coin plate and the guides is only sufficient to permit free sliding action of plate 61'.

As before, the plate is urged in one direction, i.e., to the right in FIGS. 9 and 10, by a coil spring 74, but in this case the spring 74' connects to plate 61 on the longitudinal center line of the latter, and is anchored to a pin 85 fixed to and extending forwardly of housing wall 14. The opposite end of plate 61' is connected to the armature 77' of a solenoid 46', in a manner to obtain a straight line centralized action of the plate by the solenoid, without any noticeable side racking. ln other respects, the unit 12 of FIGS. 9', l and 11 is similar in function and action to the embodiment of the earlier figures, being an improvement over the latter in point of simplicity and low cost of production and installation.

FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 of the drawings illustrate a still further modified and preferred embodiment, featuring improved provisions for compacting the coin return device, which is intended to be in the form of a self-contained unit applicable to the side of the vending machine in the manner of the embodiment of FIG. 2 of the drawings, and of course operating in conjunction with the operation of the vending machine ill in the manner of the other two embodiments.

In this form, the housing 88 of the device is a sheet metal fabricated one, as in the embodiment of FIG. 2, and has welded or otherwise secured to the inner surface of each of its opposed upright side walls 89 an elongated parallel reinforcing guide member 90, these members paralleling one another throughout the front to rear dirnension of the housing. They are of inwardly facing channel-shaped outline, presenting horizontal top and bottom flanges 9'1, 92. Upper flanges 91 provide supporting surfaces to which a lower fixed plate member 93 is secured.

Plate member 93 is an offset one, characterized by an upper horizontally fixed coin plate portion 94, suitably secured by welding or equivalent means to the upper flanges 91 of members 90, and provided with coin openings or apertures in the same distribution as described in connection with the apertures of the lower fixed coin plates 54, 54' of the embodiments previously described. Indeed, the arrangement of coin tubes, upper coin plate apertures and coin slide apertures in the embodiment of FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 is identical, position-wise, to the arrangements of the previously described embodiments, so that further description of this disposition will be dispensed with. Fixed lower plate 94 has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined offset 96 of reduced width, extending downwardly and rearwardly between the flanges 91, beneath which offset the plate 93 is of full width at 97 and rests upon the lower flanges 92, being suitably secured to the latter, as by welding or the like. The area of plate 93 at its rear portion 97 provides a support for the solenoid 98 which actuates the slide.

The coin slide 1% of the embodiment of FIGS. l2-l4 is a rectangular one provided with coin openings 101, being guided between parallel side guide strips 102, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 9-11, and is inwardly overhung by retainer strips 'lltl3 of greater width than the strips 192, as shown in FIG. 14. Only sufficient clearance is afforded between slide 100 and the guide strips 102 to permit free, friction-less action of the slide. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a slide stop member 105 of angle iron cross section is welded to the top of the slide 1%, adjacent the rear of the latter and above the rear of the fixed plate portion 94 from which the reduced width offset 96 projects. The upwardly extending leg 106 of stop member 105 serves a dual function hereinafter described.

The upper fixed coin plate member 108 of the embodiment under consideration is of L-shaped cross sectional outline. It has a horizontal, forwardly extending portion M9 in which coin apertures 119 are formed in the positional distribution referred to above, and to which apertures the upright coin tubes 111 are fixedly applied, as in the earlier embodiments. Along opposite sides of the plate portion 199 screws 113 secure the latter, as well as the slide restraining strips 193 and slide side guide strips 192, to the bottom plate member 93.

The upwardly extending leg portion 114% of top fixed plate member res serves as an abutment against which the upright leg 196 of angle member 195 forwardly abuts to limit the motion of slide (to which angle member is secured) in the forward direction. Upright portion 114 also has a suitable depending leaf spring member lid welded or bolted thereto at the rear surface thereof, the spring member 116 projecting downwardly, as best shown in MG. 12, past the top of upright memher 1%, so that it is engaged by the latter to resist rearward motion of the slide upon energization of solenoid 98 to bring the coin openings itll of slide 1% into register with the coin tubes 13.1. Upon de-energization, the spring returns the slide, by engaging the upright leg 196 on the latter, to its normal position in register with the coin openings 95' of fixed lower plate portion 94. A member ll? connected to the plunger or armature of solenoid 93 is secured by welding to the angle iron member ltlh' adjacent the rear of the latter.

Thus the arrangement of leaf spring lll supported on the upright of fixed upper plate member 1%, and the angle iron member on slide 1530 perform the dual functions of limiting the return motion of the slide at the position in which its coin apertures register with those of the fixed bottom plate 93, as illustrated in FIG. 12, and of returning the slide, once actuated to the rear by the solenoid, and instantaneously upon de-energization of the latter, from the position in which the slide apertures 1G1 register with the coin tubes, to the coin discharge position. The provisions are extremely simple and compact ones, as well as inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and it is for this reason that the embodiment of FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 is regarded as the preferred one presented herein.

However, in general, the invention aifords a simplified combination of automatic article vending and automatic coin return mechanisms, the latter controlled in its operation by features of the former, to the end that unfailing return of coins in proper amount directly accompanies the coin controlled purchase of the package or other article requiriru the return of change. As indicated above, the switch control and circuitry features of the invention are standardized, enabling application of the principles of the invention to all existing types of vending machine, whose only requirement in this regard is that they have the necessary moving parts to connect to the switches.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. A coin return device comprising a fixed coin receiving member including a horizontal portion having a coin opening and an upright fixed part, a movable coin slide having a coin receiving opening and guided for movement beneath said portion of said member to be alternately brought into and out of register with said opening of said member to receive a coin from the latter, a fixed coin discharge member having a discharge opening in laterally offset relation to the coin opening of said coin receiving member, in the direction of movement of said slide, the opening of said slide being registrable with that of said discharge member in the movement of the slide opening out of register with that of said coin receiving member, and means engaging one another directly to urge the slide in one direction and limit the motion of the slide in that direction, including a leaf spring part mounted on said upright fixed part of said coin receiving member, and an upright on said slide engaged by said leaf spring part to move the slide, said slide part engaging said fixed part to limit said movement.

2. A coin return device comprising a fixed coin receiving member including a portion having a coin opening, a movable coin slide having a coin receiving opening and guided for movement to be alternately brought into and out of register with said opening of said member to receive a coin from the latter, a fixed coin discharge member having a discharge opening in laterally oifset relation to the coin opening of said coin receiving member, in the direction of movement of said slide, the opening of said slide being registrable with that of said discharge member in the movement of the slide opening out of register with that of said coin receiving member, said coin receiving member including a portion extending at an angle to said first named portion thereof, and means for alternately moving said slide in directions to effect register of its opening with those of said coin receiving and discharge members, respectively, comprising an electrically energizable solenoid operatively connected to said slide to move the same in one direction upon energization of the solenoid, said slide being provided With a member engageable with said last named portion of said coin receiving member to limit motion of the slide in the opposite direction, and a leaf spring carried by said last named portion and engaged and flexed by said slide member in the solenoid-actuated movement of the slide in said first named direction, said spring returning said slide member and slide in said opposite direction upon de-energization of said solenoid.

3. A coin return device comprising a fixed coin receiving member including a portion having a coin opening, a movable coin slide having a coin receiving opening and guided for movement to be alternately brought into and out of register With said opening of said member to receive a coin from the latter, a fixed coin discharge member having a discharge opening in laterally offset relation to the coin opening of said coin receiving member, in the direction of movement of said slide, the opening of said slide being registrable with that of said discharge member in the movement of the slide opening out of register with that of said coin receiving member, said coin receiving member including a portion extending at an angle to said first named portion thereof, and means for alternately moving said slide in directions to eifect register of its opening with those of said coin receiving and discharge members, respectively, comprising an electrically energizable solenoid operatively connected to said slide to move the same in one direction upon energization of the solenoid, said slide being provided with a member engageable with said last named portion of said coin receiving member to limit motion of the slide in the opposite direction, and a leaf spring carried by said last named portion and engaged and flexed by said slide member in the solenoid-actuated movement of the slide in said first named direction, said spring returning said slide member and slide in said opposite direction upon de-energization of said solenoid, and a pair of fixed parallel members supporting opposite sides of said fixed coin discharge member, the latter having a horizontal portion in which said discharge opening is provided and a further horizontal portion fixedly connected to said last named horizontal portion in vertically and longitudinally spaced relation thereto, said parallel members having vertically spaced portions 10 respectively supporting said horizontal portions of said fixed coin discharge member, said solenoid being fixedly mounted on said further horizontal portion of said fixed coin discharge member.

4. A coin return device comprising a fixed coin receiving member including a portion having a coin opening, a movable coin slide having a coin receiving opening and ided for movement to be alternately brought into and out of register with said opening of said member to receive a coin from the latter, a fixed coin discharge member having a discharge opening in laterally ofiset relation to the coin opening of said coin receiving member, in the direction of movement of said slide, the opening of said slide being registrable with that of said discharge member in the movement of the slide opening out of register with that of said coin receiving member, means for alternately moving said slide in directions to efiect register of its opening With those of said coin receiving and discharge members, respectively, and a pair of fixed parallel members supporting opposite sides of said fixed coin discharge member, the latter having a horizontal portion in which said discharge opening is provided and a further horizontal portion fixedly connected to said last named horizontal portion in vertically and longitudinally spaced relation thereto, said parallel members having vertically spaced portions respectively supporting said horizontal portions of said fixed coin discharge member.

5. A coin return device comprising a fixed coin receiving member including a portion having a coin opening, a movable coin slide having a coin receiving opening and guided for movement to be alternately brought into and out of register with said opening of said member to receive a coin from the latter, a fixed coin discharge member having a discharge opening in laterally otlset relation to the coin opening of said coin receiving memher, in the direction of movement of said slide, the opening of said slide being registrable with that of said discharge member in the movement of the slide opening out of register with that of said coin receiving member, means for alternately moving said slide in directions to effect register of its opening With those of said coin receiving and discharge members, respectively, comprising an electrically energizable solenoid operatively connected to said slide to move the same in one direction upon energization of the solenoid, and a pair of fixed parallel members supporting opposite sides of said fixed coin discharge member, the latter having a horizontal portion in which said discharge opening is provided and a further horizontal portion fixedly connected to said last named horizontal portion in vertically and longitudinally spaced relation thereto, said parallel members having vertically spaced portions respectively supporting said horizontal portions of said fixed coin discharge member, said solenoid being fixedly mounted on said further horizontal portion of said fixed coin discharge member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 202,507 Ball Apr. 16, 1878 2,686,525 Jaskowiak Aug. 17, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 498,426 Great Britain Ian. 9, 1939

Claims (1)

1. A COIN RETURN DEVICE COMPRISING A FIXED COIN RECEIVING MEMBER INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL PORTION HAVING A COIN OPENING AND AN UPRIGHT FIXED PART, A MOVABLE COIN SLIDE HAVING A COIN RECEIVING OPENING AND GUIDED FOR MOVEMENT BENEATH SAID PORTION OF SAID MEMBER TO BE ALTERNATELY BROUGHT INTO AND OUT OF REGISTER WITH SAID OPENING OF SAID MEMBER TO RECEIVE A COIN FROM THE LATTER, A FIXED COIN DISCHARGE MEMBER HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING IN LATERALLY OFFSET RELATION TO THE COIN OPENING OF SAID COIN RECEIVING MEMBER, IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE, THE OPENING OF SAID SLIDE BEING REGISTRABLE WITH THAT OF SAID DISCHARGE MEMBER IN THE MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE OPENING OUT OF REGISTER WITH THAT OF SAID COIN RECEIVING MEMBER, AND MEANS ENGAGING ONE ANOTHER DIRECTLY TO URGE THE SLIDE IN ONE DIRECTION AND LIMIT THE MOTION OF THE SLIDE IN THAT DIRECTION, INCLUDING A LEAF SPRING PART MOUNTED ON SAID UPRIGHT FIXED PART OF SAID COIN RECEIVING MEMBER, AND AN UPRIGHT ON SAID SLIDE ENGAGED BY SAID LEAF SPRING PART TO MOVE THE SLIDE, SAID SLIDE PART ENGAGING SAID FIXED PART TO LIMIT SAID MOVEMENT.

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