US3139168A

US3139168A - Coin-operated gum machine

Info

Publication number: US3139168A
Application number: US44985A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elmer A Stein
Original assignee: COAN Manufacturing CO Inc
Current assignee: COAN Manufacturing CO Inc
Priority date: 1960-07-25
Filing date: 1960-07-25
Publication date: 1964-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 1981-06-30

Description

E. A. STEIN COIN-OPERATED GUM MACHINE June 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25, 1960 INVENTOR ELMER A. STEIN June 30, 1964 E. A. STEIN COIN-OPERATED GUM MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1960 INVENTOR ELMER A. STEIN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,139,168 CGIN-QFERATED GUM MACHINE Eimer A. Stein, Madison, Wis., assignor to Coan Manufacturing (10., Inc, Madison, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed .l'uly 25, 196i), Ser. No. 44,985 4 Qiaims. (Cl. 194-71) This invention relates to coin operated vending machines having magazines for containing articles of merchandise, and more particularly relates to a multiple magazine machine for vending packages of gum.

Vending machines for dispensing packages of gum have heretofore been provided with pivotally mounted vertical magazines which can be operably traversed so that a lowermost package of gum in a magazine is prevented from moving with the magazine when the latter is traversed along an arcuate path, the package being dispensed from the magazine by the return movement of the magazine. The machine of this invention is provided with a magazine wherein the lowermost package of gum in a magazine moves with the magazine during displacement of the magazine until the magazine has been moved clear of a member aifixed to the chassis of the machine which prevents the contents of the magazine from falling therefrom, where upon return movement of the magazine the displaced lowermost package of gum is brought into abutting relation with the atfixed member and is operably dispensed from the machine. The construction of the machine of this invention enables packages to be dispensed from any of a plurality of such magazines by an operator of the machine simply moving a lever in reciprocal manner. An embodiment of the machine of this invention includes a new and improved coin-actuating mechanism of simplified construction.

It is an object of this invention to provide a coinoperated vending machine with a plurality of magazines from which merchandise can be dispensed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a coinoperated vending machine wherein the actuating mechanism is of simplified construction and may be actuated only by coins of proper denomination.

FIGURE 1 is a partially sectioned perspective view of the machine of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation of a portion of the machine of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation view of a portion of the machine of FIGURE 1 in changed position from the view of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation view similar to FIGURE 2 showing merchandise being dispensed from the machine.

In FIGURE 1 is shown gum vending machine comprised with frame 11 and

magazines

12, 12, 13 and 13', the magazines being mounted in frame 11 by means of

lugs

14, 14', 15, and 15, respectively.

Magazines

12, 12, 13 and 13' may be filled with packages of gum, each magazine being filled with gum of a different kind than that of the other magazines. To dispense gum from a magazine an operator inserts a coin, such as a five cent piece, into a chute, not shown, which conveys the coin into the slot formed between coin-return handle 64 and guide 65 on the front of frame 11 into the position shown in FIGURE 1. The coin comes to rest and either handle 16 or 17 can be operated to dispense gum from one of the magazines. Printed or graphic instructions on the front of the machine It) may be provided to instruct an operator of the machine how to dispense gum of a particular kind.

Referring now to FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, if gum is to be dispensed from magazine 13, lever 17 is moved to the right, as viewed in FIGURES 1-4, so that projection 19 engages depending lug 2t) of magazine 13 and displaces magazine 13 to the right against spring biasing means 22 until lowermost gum package 25 in magazine 13 is clear of fixed member 26 and falls to the bottom of the magazine 27. Upon return of handle 17 to unactuated position by the operator or spring biasing means, not shown, gum package 25 is dispensed from magazine 13 as in FIGURE 4. Fixed member 26 prevents package 25 from being returned with magazine 13 thereby causing package 25 to be unsupported whereupon package 25 falls into a dispensing chute and is delivered to the front of the machine.

Movement of handle 17 and rod 17 to the right causes slidable detent 29 to be forced downward by the inclined edge of cam 31. Slidable detent 29 is supported only by spring tensioning means and is guided in a vertical path by

fixed guides

32, 32 and 33 on machine 19. When slidable detent 29 is depressed, cam 34 on rotatable member 35 enters into recess 36 in detent member 29 thereby causing coin feeler member 37 to be moved to the right under action of tension spring 38 and enabling coin 40 to be moved into contact with gate member 42 as shown in FIGURE 2. Upon further downward movement of slidable member 29, recess 36 is displaced below cam 34 so that coin feeler member 37 turns about its point of contact on coin 40 thereby forcing the lower engageable end 41 of coin feeler 37 to the left and away from detent member. When detent member 29 is fully depressed the lower end portion thereof comes into contact with and presses against the end extremity of member 42 thereby causing member 42 to turn about pivot 43 and disengage contact with coin 40 thereby permitting coin 40 to fall as shown in FIGURE 3 into the coin box of the machine. It is to be understood that pivot 43 is affixed to frame 11 of machine 10 whereas pivot 44 is unfixed in absolute position and connects only coin feeler 37 and rotatable member 35. attached to frame 11 and is free to move in any direction in a vertical plane subject only to forces exerted by connecting members. Thus, when coin 40 is dropped into the machine and falls into contact with coin feeler member 37 the latter member may be jarred out of position slightly thereby enabling coin to come into abutting contact immediately with member 42 there to rest until handle 16 or 17 of the machine is actuated. If coin 40 should be bent and be non-workable the operator of the machine can raise coin reject lever 14 thereby enabling coin 40 to be directed to the left as shown in FIGURE 3 into a coin return chute. It is impossible to actuate the machine while coin return lever 14 is raised because lugs 47 and 48 (FIGURE 1) prevent movement of rods 17' and 16. It may be preferred to provide an enclosed coin slot within the machine 10 with feeler member 37 and lever 42 extending therethrough so as to be in operable contact with coin 40. An enclosed coin chute is not shown herein, however, for the sake of clarity.

Detents 5t) and 51 are spring biased and in operable contact with

tooth portions

52 and 53 respectively of arm 16' and 17 as shown. Once movement of

handle

16 or 17 is begun the motion must be completed before return movement of the handle can be accomplished. The operation of tooth member and

detents

50 and 51 is conventional and forms no part of this invention.

To prevent simultaneous movement of

.handles

16 and 17 an interlock is provided. Member 54 is vertically slidable so that only one of rods 17 and 16' can be actuated at one time. As shown in FIGURE 1 interlock mechanism 54 when in depressed position clears rod 17' but locks rod 16'. In the position shown if rod 16' is moved member 54 is raised to lock out rod 17.

From FIGURE 2 it may be seen that movement of rod 17 to the left actuates the coin mechanism. of machine 10 in a manner similar to that described. Magazine 13' is Therefore, coin feeler 37 is not fixedly moved to the left thereby enabling gum package to be moved clear of member 26 as the latter is biased against spring biasing means 22, and gum package 25' is dispensed from the machine by return movement of the magazine 13. Similarly if member 16 is moved to the left magazine 12' is actuated and gum is dispensed therefrom or if member 16 is moved to the right magazine 12 is actuated and gum is dispensed from that magazine. The mechanisms associated with magazines 12 and 12' aresubstantially mirror images of the mechanisms associated with

magazines

13 and 13.

As can be readily understood any plurality of magazines can be actuated by providing additional members similar to

members

17 and 16 disposed in coplanar relation therewith and situated above and below members 16' and 17'. Any modification that is necessary to adapt the coin actuating mechanism shown for use with a greater plurality of magazines than shown will be obvious to one skilled in the art.

As will be apparent, the operative mechanism of the machine of this invention virtually eliminates the possibility of improper coins being retained in the machine or of the machine being operated when'a coin is not inserted into the machine. The mechanism is readily adapted to be used with any number of magazines.

' While certain modifications and embodiments of the invention have been described, it is of course to be understood that there are a great number of variations which will suggest themselves to anyone familiar with the subject matter thereof and it is to be distinctly understood that this invention should not be limited except by such limitations as are clearly imposed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a coin-operated machine, an actuating mechanism comprising in combination a passageway wherein a coin will move by the force of gravity, a coin feeler member extending into said passageway in to adjacency to a coin obstructed therein, said coin feeler member being movable in multiple degrees of motion in a plane, a

, pivotally mounted coin gate extending into said passageway to obstruct the passage of coin when in unactuated position, slidable means movable into contacting relation with said coin gate thereby to move said coin gate and enable said coin to fall into a coin box of said machine, said slidable means having an engageable hook portion at the lower end extremity thereof and having a cam receiving recess therein, said hook portion being engageable with an end extremity of said coin feeler member, a pivotally mounted arm member, a cam member, said cam member being mounted on said arm member which arm member is pivotally connected to said coin feeler member, said cam member being operably engageable with said recess in said slidable member, said cam member causing said coin-feeler member to be forced against said coin when said slidable member is operably displaced, thereby causing said end extremity of said coin-feeler member to move from adjacency with said engageable hook portion of said slidable member thereby enabling said slidable member to be displaced to contact said gate thereby depressing said gate and enabling said coin to drop into the coin box of the machine, means for operably actuating said slidable means, spring-biasing means for returning said coin feeler member, said slidable means and said coin gate to unactuated position.

2. The actuating mechanism of claim 1, wherein there is provided a coin return lever, movement of said coinreturn lever causing a side portion of said coin chute to be opened.

3. In a coin-operated machine, the combination of a frame, a coin chute, a coin arresting gate in said coin chute, a plurality of removable upright magazines for containing stacks of merchandise articles to be dispensed, said magazines being pivotally mounted so as to be movable through arcuate paths, each of said magazines comprising a bottom and four sides two of said sides disposed transverse to the direction of rotation of said magazines having openings therein, said openings being disposed to enable an article of merchandise to be dispensed from said magazine by said magazine being rotatively displaced, rotation of said magazine causing the lowermost package of merchandise therein to be removed from adjacency with a fixed member thereby enabling said package to drop to the bottom of said magazine, return movement of said magazine causing ejection of the package from the magazine by abutting contact with said fixed member, means for selectively rotating each two of said magazines through an operable arc, said means for rotating said magazine, when manually biased in either of two reciprocal directions, by either of two cam surfaces thereon, causing a slidable member to be displaced to a position to engage and open the coin arresting gate in the coin chute of said machine, thereby enabling a coin in said coin chute to pass into the coin box of said machine, said slidable member having a detent portion and having a portion thereof configured as a recess for receiving a cam, a coin feeler member having one end extremity thereof projecting into said coin chute and having the other end extremity thereof in latching or lockable relation with said detent portion of said slidable member a coin gate lever having an end extending into said coin gate, said coin gate lever pivotally mounted to pivot so that said end may move to allow a coin to pass through said coin arresting gate, a cam member pivotally mounted to pivotally rotate on the same pivotal axis as said coin gate lever and pivotally connected to said coin feeler member with a free end extremity thereof in near adjacency with said cam surface of said slidable member said cam member and feeler member pivotally connected, downward, movement of said slidable member providing outward movement of the end of the cam member which is received in said cam portion of said slidable member to thereby move said cam member to move the pivotal connection between said cam member and said coin feeler member outwardly with respect to said slidable member to thereby move said coin feeler member against a coin in said coin'chute thereby engaging the upper portion of said coin feeler member with said coin to cause said coin feeler member to pivot about its pivotal connection with said cam memher to depress and move outwardly its lower portion from latching or locking engagement with said detent portion of said slidable member, thereby clearing said coin feeler member of said detent portion of said slidable member and enabling actuation of said coin gate lever by said slidable bearing thereon.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein a plurality of said means for biasing said magazines are provided, at-

least one interlock between said means for biasing said magazines, saidinterlock comprising a notch in each of two next adjacent means for biasing said magazines, a lock member slidably movable into either said notch, said member being of such dimension to be disposed clear of one said notch only when extending into the other said notch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. IN A COIN-OPERATED MACHINE, AN ACTUATING MECHANISM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A PASSAGEWAY WHEREIN A COIN WILL MOVE BY THE FORCE OF GRAVITY, A COIN FEELER MEMBER EXTENDING INTO SAID PASSAGEWAY IN TO ADJACENCY TO A COIN OBSTRUCTED THEREIN, SAID COIN FEELER MEMBER BEING MOVABLE IN MULTIPLE DEGREES OF MOTION IN A PLANE, A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED COIN GATE EXTENDING INTO SAID PASSAGEWAY TO OBSTRUCT THE PASSAGE OF COIN WHEN IN UNACTUATED POSITION, SLIDABLE MEANS MOVABLE INTO CONTACTING RELATION WITH SAID COIN GATE THEREBY TO MOVE SAID COIN GATE AND ENABLE SAID COIN TO FALL INTO A COIN BOX OF SAID MACHINE, SAID SLIDABLE MEANS HAVING AN ENGAGEABLE HOOK PORTION AT THE LOWER END EXTREMITY THEREOF AND HAVING A CAM RECEIVING RECESS THEREIN, SAID HOOK PORTION BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH AN END EXTREMITY OF SAID COIN FEELER MEMBER, A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ARM MEMBER, A CAM MEMBER, SAID CAM MEMBER BEING MOUNTED ON SAID ARM MEMBER WHICH