US3220556A - Display and mounting stand for a plurality of vending machines - Google Patents

Display and mounting stand for a plurality of vending machines Download PDF

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US3220556A
US3220556A US381734A US38173464A US3220556A US 3220556 A US3220556 A US 3220556A US 381734 A US381734 A US 381734A US 38173464 A US38173464 A US 38173464A US 3220556 A US3220556 A US 3220556A
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vending machines
shelf member
positioning
registration
vertical support
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Norman G Weitzman
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F9/00—Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus
    • G07F9/10—Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

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  • the present invention relates to a display and mounting stand for a plurality of vending machines and, more particularly, to such a display and mounting stand provided with a plurality of substantially horizontally directed, vertically spaced, and vertically superimposed supporting shelf members, with each supporting shelf member in one preferred form of the invention, being normally adapted to support two or more vending machines.
  • the arrangement just described provides a very compact grouping of a plurality of vending machines arranged in several vertically spaced and vertically superimposed rows thereof and with the apparatus being arranged to firmly retain and positively lock all of said vending machines in said vertically spaced, vertically superimposed rows thereof and in a manner incapable of removal from the plurality of shelves of the display and mounting stand except by an athorized person, such as a maintenance or service man, who has a key adapted to unlock and release the locked relationship of the plurality of rows of vertically superimposed vending machines from the plurality of supporting shelves.
  • the novel display and mounting stand of the present invention is adapted to mount and display a plurality of vending machines at a display and vending location, such as in a market or other public place, for coin-operated vending operation by the general public, with all of the vending machines being firmly locked against undesired and unauthorized removal thereof or tampering with the interior thereof by unauthorized persons, but in a manner which will allow a maintenance or service man to quickly and easily unlock the apparatus so that one or more of the vending machines can be removed as units from the display and mounting stand and interchanged with, and replaced by, corresponding vending machines which contain full supplies of the product to be vended and which have their coin-receiving chambers completely empty.
  • the interchanged or replaced vending machines may then be quickly locked into nonremova'ble and tamperproof relationship with respect to the display and mounting stand, and the vending machines which have been removed therefrom can be taken by the service or maintenance man back to a central depot for the emptying of the coin-receiving chambers thereof by an authorized person and for the recharging of the merchandise receptacles thereof with a full measure of the merchandise to be vended.
  • the above-described arrangement has the decided advantage that it allows each individual vending machine to be locked in a manner incapable of being opened by the maintenanace or service man who removes same from the display and mounting stand and returns same to the central depot. Therefore, no short count of the money in the coin-receiving chamber of each of the vending machines can occur as a result of dishonesty or inaccuracy on the part of said maintenance or service man. It Will be noted that with the arrangement just described, the money-receiving chambers of the vending machines are not opened until they are returned to the central depot where they are opened in the present of several persons to insure absolute honesty and accuracy in the counting of the money removed from the vending machine coin-receiving chambers. Thus, an absolutely accurate accounting of monies received by the vending machines can be achieved.
  • the maintenance or service man it is quite possible for the maintenance or service man to turn in a lesser amount of coins than the amount actually removed by him from the coin-receiving chambers of the vending machines on his route. This is possible because he is by himself and there is no checking or suppervision of the coin count by any other person.
  • FIG. 1 is a reduced-size, three-dimensional view of one exemplary embodiment of the present invention showing it in mounted relationship with respect to four vending machines, althoiigh the invention is not to be construed as being specifically so limited since the invention may be modified to carry various different numbers of vending machines greater or lesser than the four shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIG. 2 and with all portions of the apparatus below and behind the plane of the section being removed for drawing simplification purposes.
  • FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 44 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 5 is another enlarged fragmentary sectional view and is taken in the direction of the arrows 55 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 6 is another enlarged fragmentary sectional View and is taken in the direction of the arrows 6-6 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail of the portion of the apparatus included in the circle designated at 7 in FIG. 5 and is exemplary of the plurality of positioning and registration engagement means of the exemplary first form of the apparatus.
  • FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in the direction of the arrows 88 of FIG. 5 with all portions of the apparatus below and behind the plane of the section being removed from reasons of drawing simplification and clarity.
  • FIG. 9 is a view which partly comprises a top plan view of the upper horizontally directed supporting shelf member of the apparatus, as taketn in the direction of the arrows 9-9 of FIG. 2, and which is partly in crosssection on the plane of said arrows 99 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 10 is an enlarged view taken in the direction of the arrows 1010- of FIG. 2 and illustrates a typical wheel-mounting arrangement for one of the two wheels rollably mounting the base member-it being understood that the other wheel is similarly mounted.
  • FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary, partly broken away, sectional view, taken in the direction of the arrows 12-12 of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view similar to slightly less than the left half portion of the FIG. 5, but illustrates a modified type of positioning and registration means which a positively retains each vending machine with respect to the intervening shelf member.
  • the exemplary form of the invention illustrated may be said to comprise a display and mounting stand, such as is generally designated at 21, which includes a base member 22 which is shown in the exemplary form as being of generally rectangular shape as seen in top plan view with a centrally positioned trapezoidal cutout portion at the front thereof, as indicated at 23, whereby to effectively define two forwardly extending foot portions 24 which greatly add to the stability of the entire device, while the trapezoidal cutout 23 allows customers to walk to a very closely frontally adjacent position with respect to the entire stand 21.
  • a display and mounting stand such as is generally designated at 21, which includes a base member 22 which is shown in the exemplary form as being of generally rectangular shape as seen in top plan view with a centrally positioned trapezoidal cutout portion at the front thereof, as indicated at 23, whereby to effectively define two forwardly extending foot portions 24 which greatly add to the stability of the entire device, while the trapezoidal cutout 23 allows customers to walk to a very closely frontally adjacent position with respect to the entire stand 21.
  • the base member 22 has a substantially flat top wall member 25 and a peripheral downwardly extending side wall member 26 around substantially the complete periphery thereof whereby to provide the proper height for the bzase member 22 without requiring the use of unnecessary material and thereby unnecessarily increasing the weight thereof.
  • the base member 22 may be made of zinc or any other suitable metal. It may be made by sand-casting, die-casting, or any other suitable process.
  • the rear end of the base member 22 is provided with wheel means, such as indicated at 27 (actually a pair of laterally spaced wheels 27) to provide mobility for the entire device when it is tipped backwardly so that the supporting feet 24 project angularly upwardly from an underlying supporting surface while the wheel means 27 rest upon said supporting surface.
  • wheel means such as indicated at 27 (actually a pair of laterally spaced wheels 27) to provide mobility for the entire device when it is tipped backwardly so that the supporting feet 24 project angularly upwardly from an underlying supporting surface while the wheel means 27 rest upon said supporting surface.
  • the base member 22 is provided adjacent to the rear thereof with an interiorly threaded socket 28 threadedly receiving and firmly mounting the exteriorly threaded lower end 29 of a main vertical support member or standard generally indicated at 31.
  • said main vertical support member 31 is of hollow tubular construction and extends upwardly from the base member 22 at right angles to the top surface 25 thereof for the purpose of mounting and supporting a lower substantially horizontally directed supporting shelf member 32 and an upper substantially horizontally directed supporting shelf member 33 in vertically superimposed and vertically spaced similar horizontally directed relationship for the purpose of supporting a plurality of vending machines thereon, such as generally designated at 34.
  • the plurality of horizontal supporting shelf members shown in the exemplary form of the invention as comprising the lower horizontal supporting shelf member 32 and the upper horizontally directed supporting shelf member 33 are mounted by the main vertical support member 31 in a manner such as to allow relative vertical adjustment thereof. This is for the purpose of making it possible to increase the vertical clearance between the lower supporting shelf member 32 and the upper supporting shelf member 33 when it is desired to remove either or both of the two lower vending machines 34 and/or to replace same with two similar vending machines, after which the vertical clearance between the lower and upper supporting shelves 32 and 33 will be returned to its normal vertical height which will positively lock the two lower vending machines 34 between the lower supporting shelf member 32 and the upper supporting shelf member 33 in a manner which will be described hereinafter.
  • the above-mentioned vertical-clearance-space-increasing relative vertical positional adjustment of the lower and upper supporting shelf members 32 and 33 is achieved by upward vertical movement of the upper supporting shelf member 33 along the main vertical support member 31 and the opposite vertical-clearance-space-decreasing adjustment of said two shelf members 32 and 33 is accomplished by downward vertical movement of the upper supporting shelf member 33 along the main vertical support member 31.
  • the upper supporting shelf member 33 has an apertured collar 35 formed at the rear apex of the triangularly rearwardly projecting portion 33R of said shelf member with said collar 35 being slidably positioned on the tubular main vertical support member 31 and being provided with locking socket head fastening set screw means 36.
  • This makes it possible to vertically adjust the position of the upper supporting shelf member 33 to any desired position along the vertical length of the tubular main vertical support member 31 and to then firmly lock same in said adjusted, position by means of the set screw means 36.
  • the lower supporting shelf member 32 is of similar construction and has a similar apertured collar 37 at the rear end 32R thereof which is provided with a similar locking set screw 3%. However, this is done for simplicity of manufacture since this will mean that all of the supporting shelf members will be identical or nearly so.
  • the collar 37 and fastening set screw means 33 of the lower supporting shelf member 32 are effectively nonfunctional once the display stand 21 is fully assembled, since a forward portion of said lower supporting shelf member 32 is additionally and firmly fixedly supported by an auxiliary tubular support member 39 which has an exteriorly threaded upper end 41 received within the interiorly threaded socket 42 carried by the lower supporting shelf member 32 and which has an exteriorly threaded lower end 4-3 received within the interiorly threaded socket 44 formed in the base member 22 forwardly of the previously described rear socket 28 carrying the main vertical support member 31.
  • This provides a structure which makes assembly of the display stand 21 very simple and yet which provides an extremely rigid display stand once the apparatus has been assembled and the two vertical support members 31 and 38? fastened in the mounting relationship clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and since the lower collar 37 and set screw means 38 have been firmly locked in position relative to the main vertical support member 31.
  • the lower supporting shelf member 32 effectively defines and comprises a plurality of upwardly directed or facing positioning and registration engagement elements adapted to be engaged with respect to corresponding positioning and registration engagement elements effectively defined and comprised by the corresponding bottom portions of the corresponding lower vending machines 34 in superimposed engagement therewith for positive positioning and registration purposes.
  • said. lower supporting shelf member 32 may be said to effectively define and comprise two such upwardly directed and facing positioning and registration engagement elements, each shown in said exemplary form of the invention as comprising a female engagement element taking the form of a peripheral upwardly vertically extending edge flange 45 defining a female receiving recess 46 therein of a size and shape such as to be adapted to receive, engage, and hold the corresponding positioning and registration engagement element carried by the corresponding bottom portion of the corresponding one of the two lower vending machines 34.
  • Each of said corresponding positioning and registration engagement elements carried by the two lower vending machines 34 is formed out of a bottom portion 47 thereof and may be said to effectively comprise a downwardly directed insert means, indicated generally at 48, comprising a predetermined short vertical length of the complete bottom end portion 4.7 of said vending machines 34.
  • said insert means 48 formed of the bottom portion 47 of each vending machines 34 is of exactly the right size and shape to be received within the correspondingly shaped and sized (although very slightly larger) receiving recess means 4-6 of the underlying lower supporting shelf member 32 in the manner most clearly shown in FIG. 6 whereby to provide positive positioning and registration of each of the two lower vending machines 34 with respect to said lower supporting shelf member 32.
  • vending machines 34 will be positively positioned and maintained in the registered predetermined relationships clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, by the two positioning and registration engagement elements or means 45 and the two cooperating positioning and registration engagement elements or means 4-3 just described in detail, which may be said to together effectively comprise positioning and registration means.
  • Such prevention of vertical movement of the lower pair of vending machines 34 will be achieved by means described in greater detail hereinafter.
  • the upper supporting shelf member 33 also effectively defines and comprises two positioning and registration engagement elements generally similar to those shown at 45 in FIG. 6 and similarly comprising edge flanged female positioning and registration elements 48 or means defining similar receiving recesses 46 therein.
  • the upper pair of vending machines 34 also effectively defines and comprises two downwardly directed positioning and registration engagement elements of a male type and generally similar to the insert members 43 shown in FIG. 6. Therefore, these parts are similarly numbered in FIG. 5 and will not be again described in detail with respect to the portions thereof identical to those described in connection with the lower shelf member 32.
  • each of the two female positioning and registration elements 45 comprise similar downwardly directed peripheral edge flange means 49 carried by the underside of the upper supporting shelf member 33 which efiectively define therein two receiving recesses, indicated generally at 50, each of which is of a size and shape such as to receivingly engage therein a corresponding one of an additional pair of male positioning and registration engagement elements, indicated generally at 51 in FIG. 5, comprising predetermined vertical lengths of top portions 52 of the two lower vending machines 34- each of said engagement elements 51 effectively comprising a male engagement element which takes the form of an insert means substantially similar to the previously described downwardly directed insert means 48 formed out of a bottom portion 47 of each of said vending machines 34.
  • Each of the downwardly directed recesses 50 comprising the two downwardly directed female positioning and registration engagement elements 49, positively and firmly receives the corresponding upwardly directed male engagement element 51 formed out of the corresponding top portion 52 of the corresponding one of the two lower vending machines 34 in a manner which firmly locks it in place as is clearly shown in FIG. 5.
  • This arrangement not only looks the upper pair of vending machines 34 with respect to the upper supporting shelf member 33, but also locks the lower pair of vending machines 34 with respect to said upper supporting shelf member 33 in a positively positioned and registered manner so that each of the two pairs of vending machines will be vertically superimposed in aligned relationship as clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 7.
  • the positioning and registration engagement elements 4546, 47-48, 49-53, and 51-52 may all be said to together comprise positioning and registration engagement means of one exemplary type.
  • a cover member 53 is provided and is adapted to be vertically spaced above and vertically superimposed with respect to the upper shelf member 33 and is adapted to be vertically adjustably and controllably lockably secured to the main vertical support member 31 at an extreme uppermost location by means of a rear positioned apertured collar 35 generally similar to the apertured collar 35 of the upper shelf member 33 which is rovided with locking set screw means 36' similar to the locking set screw means 36 carried by the apertured collar 36 of the upper shelf member 33.
  • cover member 53 is adapted to be positioned in top abutment with the top portions 52 of the upper pair of vending machines 34 and to be firmly downwardly forced thereagainst and held thereagainst by vertical tie rod means 54 which has an exteriorly threaded lower end 55 threadedly fastened within an interiorly threaded socket or boss 56 carried by the lower supporting shelf member 32.
  • the upper end of the tie rod member 54 has an upper exteriorly threaded end 57 threadedly engaged within an interiorly threadedy clindrically shaped lock body member 58 which has an annularly extended cylindrical retaining collar 59 at the upper end thereof positioned in an enlarged cylindrical aperture 61 in the cover member 53.
  • the cylindrical lock body member 58 may be threadedly reengaged and firmly tightened with respect to the threaded upper end 57 of the tie rod means 54 by rotating a key in the key aperture 62 whereby to cause the cover member 53 to be positively and firmly forced downwardly against the top portions 52 of the upper pair of vending machines 34 in a manner such as to draw the entire assembly of all four vending machines 34 together in a firmly fastened manner and whereby to cause the positioning and registration engagement means and the elements thereof shown in detail in FIG. 4 to be positively engaged.
  • the upper set screw means 36 may be tightened against the main vertical supporting member 31 so as to lock the entire assembly together.
  • the above-mentioned positioning and registration engagement means effectively comprises a pair of downwardly directed female positioning and registration engagement means or elements 45' defined and comprised by the cover member 53 and taking the form of peripheral edge flange means defining downwardly facing receiving recess means 46' similar to the corresponding elements shown at 45 and 46 in FIGS. -7 and adapted to be forced downwardly over the corresponding pair of upwardly directed male positioning and registration engagement means or elements comprising the insert means generally indicated at 51 and taking the form of predetermined vertical lengths of the top portions 52 of the two upper vending machines 34.
  • Removal of the lower pair of vending machines 34 may be accomplished, after removal of the upper pair of vending machines as referred to above, by merely loosening the locking set screw means 36 carried by the collar 35 at the back. end of the upper supporting shelf member 33 and then vertically lifting same along the main vertical support member 31 to a height suflicient to allow the lower vending machines 34 to be directly lifted out of the recesses 46 defined within the upwardly directed edge flange means 45 carried by the lower supporting shelf member 32. This operation may be facilitated by locking the set screw means 36 and the collar 35 in said elevated position during the removal of the lower vending machines 34, if desired.
  • the removal of the lower pair of vending machines 36 may also be accomplished in a slightly different manner in those cases where the upper vending machines 34 have not been previously removed.
  • the cover member 53 and the upper shelf member 33 may be locked in said elevated positions temporarily by tightening the set screw means 36 and 36 in said elevated positions on the upper portions of the main vertical support member 31.
  • Replacement of vending machines 34 with respect to the lower supporting shelf member 32, the upper supporting shelf member 33, and the top cover member 53 effectively comprises the reverse of the removal operations described above and effectively comprises the reengagement of each of the male insert members or engagement elements 48 and 51 positioned at the top and bottom of each of the vending machines 34 with the corresponding receiving female engagement means or elements comprising the corresponding peripheral edge flange means 45, 49, and 45 carried by the lower supporting shelf member 32, the upper supporting shelf member 33, and the cover member 53, after which the interiorly threaded cylindrical lock body portion 53 may be threadedly reengaged and tightened with respect to the threaded upper end 57 of the tie rod member 54 by means of a key temporarily positioned in the key slot 62. Then each of the set screw means 36, 36, and 38 may be tightened, thus locking the entire apparatus in rigid assembled relationship such as is clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • each of the top portions 52 of each of the vending machines 34 is locked thereon by a lock 64 which is adapted to be unlocked by a key which is not in the possession of the service or maintenance man.
  • the above-described locking and unlocking operation of the cover means 53 with respect to the plurality of vending machines 34 is facilitated by reason of the fact that the tie rod member 53 is of nonround, cross-sectional configuration (square in the example illustrated) and passes vertically through a correspondingly shaped aperture 65 in the upper supporting shelf member 33, thus preventing said tie rod member 54 from rotating or being rotated.
  • This means that the locking and unlocking of the cover member 53 with respect to the tie rod member 54 can only be achieved through the use of a key inserted in the key slot 62 (plus the unlocking of the upper socket head set screw means 36' by an appropriate wrench), thus preventing any unauthorized tampering with the apparatus and the possible removal of any of the vending machines 34 by unauthorized persons.
  • FIGS. 1-11 are to be construed as exemplary only and are not to be construed as specifically limiting the invention to the precise structure shown in FIGS. 1-11. In fact, it should be completely apparent that numerous modifications thereof are within the broad spirit and scope of the present invention.
  • FIG. 12 which is similar to the left portion of FIG. 5, and which shows a very slight modification of the positioning and registration engagement elements of FIG. and designated in FIG. 5 by the reference numerals 45-46, 47-48, 49-50, and 51-52.
  • the slightly modified positioning and engagement elements which correspond to those just identified in FIG. 5 are designated by similar reference numerals, followed by the letter a, however, in FIG. 1l2.
  • modification of the positioning and registration engagement elements 45a of FIG. 12 merely comprises the effective alteration of the engagement elements 45 which were female engagement elements in the first form of the invention, into the effectively male engagement elements shown at 45a in FIG. 12 which are of a size and shape such as to be inserted into the open bottom end wall 48a of the bottom portion 47a of the vending macine 34asaid open bottom end wall 48a now efiectively comprising a female engagement element rather than a male en agement element as shown in the earlier form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-11.
  • this modification merely illustrates the effective positional reversal of male and female engagement elements at the junction of each of the two supporting shelf members, such as those shown at 32 and 33 in the first form of the invention and such as the corresponding upper shelf portion shown fragmentarily at 33a in FIG. 12, with respect to the bottom end portions of the vending machines.
  • the positioning and registration engagement means best shown in FIGS.4-7 and described in detail hereinbefore comprises one specific exemplary but nonspecifically limiting form thereof, while the modified form thereof shown fragmentarily in FIG. 12 comprises another exemplary but nonspecifically limiting form thereof.
  • the invention is intended to broadly include and comprehend various other and different specific exemplary forms thereof which are substantially functionally equivalent thereto in that they allow the quick and easy removal of any of the plurality of vending machines by direct disengagement therefrom to facilitate such vending machine removal when the cover member is effectively unlocked from the rest of the apparatus.
  • each of the supporting shelf members such as the lower one 32 and the upper one 33 illustrated in FIGS. 1-11, is shown as being adapted to support two vending machines, such as those illustrated at 34, the invention is not specifically so limited and not only may the number of such supporting shelves be limited, but the width thereof may also be varied to accommodate, receive and support a greater or lesser number of vending machines which may be of the same size as those illustrated, smaller than those illustrated, or larger than those illustrated, thus making it possible for the complete display and mounting stand to mount relatively few vending machines or a great number thereof as determined by variation in the specific design of the apparatus for particular purposes.
  • a display and mounting stand for a plurality of vending machines comprising: a base member; a main vertical support member extending upwardly from said base member and secured thereto at its lower extremity; at least two vertically superimposed and vertically spaced substantially horizontal shelf members for a plurality of vending machines including a lower shelf member for a plurality of vending machines, and secured to said vertical support member at a lower location, and an upper shelf member vertically spaced above and superimposed with respect to said lower shelf member and releasably and vertically adjustably secured to said main vertical support member at an upper location; an upper cover member adapted to be vertically spaced above and superimposed with respect to said upper shelf member and vertically adjustably and lockably secured to said main vertical support member at an uppermost location and adapted to be positioned in top abutment with top portions of a plurality of upper vending machines when their bottom portions are supported on said upper shelf member; and vertical tie rod means having a bottom end portion secured to said lowermost shelf member and having a top end portion lockably se
  • Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including an auxiliary vertical support member extending upwardly from said base member and secured thereto at its lower extremity at a position forward of the corresponding lower extremity of the main vertical support member, said auxiliary vertical support member having its upper end secured to said lower shelf member.
  • each of said positioning and registration engagement elements comprised and defined by said shelf members and said cover member comprises a peripheral vertically extending edge flange defining a female receiving recess therein vertically directed toward and adapted to receive and engage the corresponding engagement element comprised and defined by the corresponding bottom or top portion of a corresponding vending machine
  • each of said positioning and registration engagement elements effectively defined and comprised by said bottom and top portions, respectively, of a corresponding vending machine effectively comprises a male engagement projection and insert means taking the form of a predetermined short vertical length of substantially the complete top or bottom end portion of a corresponding vending machine of a size adapted to be received within the corresponding one of said female receiving recesses defined by the corresponding peripheral vertically extending edge flange of the corresponding shelf or cover member.
  • Apparatus as defined in claim 6, including an axiliary vertical support member extending upwardly from said base member and secured thereto at it lower extremity at a position forward of the corresponding lower extremity of the main vertical support member, said auxiliary vertical support member having its upper end secured to said lower shelf member.
  • a display and mounting stand for a plurality of vending machines comprising in combination: a plurality of vending machines, each having a top and bottom portion; a base member; a main vertical support member extending upwardly from said base member and secured thereto at its lower extremity; at least two vertically superimposed and vertically spaced substantially horizontal shelf members for said plurality of vending machines including a lower shelf member for a lower part of said plurality of vending machines, and secured to said vertical support member at a lower location, and an upper shelf member vertically spaced above and superimposed with respect to said lower shelf member and releasably and vertically adjustably secured to said main vertical support member at an upper location; an upper cover member adapted to be vertically spaced above and superimposed with respect to said upper shelf member and vertically adjustably and lockably secured to said main vertical support member at an uppermost location and adapted to be positioned in top abutment with said top portions of an upper part of said plurality of vending machines when their bottom portions are supported on said upper shelf member; and vertical
  • each engageable pair of said plurality of positioning and registration engagement elements comprising one female element and a corresponding male insert engagement element, with each of said elements being substantially coextensive in area with the complete corresponding top or bottom portion of the corresponding one of said plurality of vending machines.
  • each of said positioning and registration engagement elements comprised by said top and bottom portions of said plurality af vending machines takes the form of a peripheral vertically extending edge flange defining a female receiving recess therein vertically directed toward and adapted to receive and engage the corresponding male insert engagement for receiving engagement with respect thereto.

Description

Nov. 30, 1965 G. WEITZMAN 3,220,556
DISPLAY AND MOUNTING STAND FOR A PLURALITY OF VENDING MACHINES Filed July 10, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR NORM/IN 6'. WE/ 7'ZMAN Nov. 30, 1965 N. G. WEITZMAN 3,220,556
DISPLAY AND MOUNTING STAND FOR A PLURALITY 0F VENDING MACHINES Filed July 10, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 7 I 28 4. 58 INVENTOR. NORM/IN 6i Wi/TZMAN lQa United States Patent 3,220,556 DISPLAY AND MtBUNTlNG STAND FOR A PLURALTTY 0F VENDING MACK-EYES Norman G. Weitzman, 16401 Knapp se, Sepulveda, (Ialif. Filed July 10, 1964, Ser. No. 381,734 12 Claims. (Cl. 211-4) Generally speaking, the present invention relates to a display and mounting stand for a plurality of vending machines and, more particularly, to such a display and mounting stand provided with a plurality of substantially horizontally directed, vertically spaced, and vertically superimposed supporting shelf members, with each supporting shelf member in one preferred form of the invention, being normally adapted to support two or more vending machines. The arrangement just described provides a very compact grouping of a plurality of vending machines arranged in several vertically spaced and vertically superimposed rows thereof and with the apparatus being arranged to firmly retain and positively lock all of said vending machines in said vertically spaced, vertically superimposed rows thereof and in a manner incapable of removal from the plurality of shelves of the display and mounting stand except by an athorized person, such as a maintenance or service man, who has a key adapted to unlock and release the locked relationship of the plurality of rows of vertically superimposed vending machines from the plurality of supporting shelves.
In other words, the novel display and mounting stand of the present invention is adapted to mount and display a plurality of vending machines at a display and vending location, such as in a market or other public place, for coin-operated vending operation by the general public, with all of the vending machines being firmly locked against undesired and unauthorized removal thereof or tampering with the interior thereof by unauthorized persons, but in a manner which will allow a maintenance or service man to quickly and easily unlock the apparatus so that one or more of the vending machines can be removed as units from the display and mounting stand and interchanged with, and replaced by, corresponding vending machines which contain full supplies of the product to be vended and which have their coin-receiving chambers completely empty.
The interchanged or replaced vending machines may then be quickly locked into nonremova'ble and tamperproof relationship with respect to the display and mounting stand, and the vending machines which have been removed therefrom can be taken by the service or maintenance man back to a central depot for the emptying of the coin-receiving chambers thereof by an authorized person and for the recharging of the merchandise receptacles thereof with a full measure of the merchandise to be vended.
The above-described arrangement has the decided advantage that it allows each individual vending machine to be locked in a manner incapable of being opened by the maintenanace or service man who removes same from the display and mounting stand and returns same to the central depot. Therefore, no short count of the money in the coin-receiving chamber of each of the vending machines can occur as a result of dishonesty or inaccuracy on the part of said maintenance or service man. It Will be noted that with the arrangement just described, the money-receiving chambers of the vending machines are not opened until they are returned to the central depot where they are opened in the present of several persons to insure absolute honesty and accuracy in the counting of the money removed from the vending machine coin-receiving chambers. Thus, an absolutely accurate accounting of monies received by the vending machines can be achieved.
Patented Nov. 30, 1955 ice Contrast the arrangement made possible by the present invention as just described above with the conventional prior art arrangement where the maintenance or service man normally is given a key which will open each of the vending machines itself, and he does so as he removes the coins therefrom and reloads same with the merchandise to be vended. Thus, it is quite possible for the maintenance or service man to turn in a lesser amount of coins than the amount actually removed by him from the coin-receiving chambers of the vending machines on his route. This is possible because he is by himself and there is no checking or suppervision of the coin count by any other person. However, this undesirable prior art situation which leads to inaccurate and reduced coin counts is completely overcome by the novel apparatus of the present invention since, as pointed out above, no coins are removed from any of the vending machines except at the central depot under the supervision of several individuals and under conditions such that the possibility of thievery and inaccuracy in the coin counting operation is virtually entirely eliminated.
Furthermore, it is a considerably faster operation for a maintenance or service man to merely remove and interchange vending machines as units than would be the case where the maintenance or service man must open each individual machine, remove the coins therefrom, and recharge the machine with merchandise, as has been the conventional prior art practice.
Therefore, it will normally be found that one maintenance or service man can maintain and service a larger number of vending machines, where they are mounted by the novel display and mounting stand of the present invention, than was the case with conventional prior art arrangements.
Additionally, there is less likelihood of contamination of the merchandise to be vended with the arrangements made possible by the present invention, since all of the merchandise remains in the central depot until the vending machines are brought into the central depot where they are refilled. This is a much more sanitary arrangement than the conventional prior art arrangement, where the service or maintenance man usually carries quantities of merchandise in his automobile or truck as he drives from one display stand location to another and opens and refills each of the vending machines along his route.
Additionally, the complete removal of individual vending machines and the interchanging thereof with replacement vending machines has certain other advantages with respect to repair, service, and maintenance of the physical and mechanical elements thereof since no repair will be attempted at the actual display stand location With the highly advantageous arrangement made possible by the present invention. In other words, all repair work will normally be done at the contral depot, and all that is necessary for a service man to do is to replace any defective vending machine with a replacement vending machine as he makes his rounds on his route.
With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel display and mounting stand for a plurality of vending machines having any or all of the features referred to herein, generically and/ or specifically, and either individually or in combination, and which is of relatively simple, inexpensive, compact, and easy-to-use construction capable of mass manufacture at relatively low cost whereby to be conducive to widespread use thereof.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination in accordance with the teachings hereof including a display and mounting stand and a plurality of vending machines in combination therewith and also to provide just a display and mounting stand, per se, or individually as a subcombination form of the complete combination version of the invention.
Further objects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter (which is to be considered as exemplary of, but not specifically limiting, the present invention), and said objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study of the detailed description which follows hereinafter.
For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, two exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying two sheets of drawings and are described in detail hereinafter.
FIG. 1 is a reduced-size, three-dimensional view of one exemplary embodiment of the present invention showing it in mounted relationship with respect to four vending machines, althoiigh the invention is not to be construed as being specifically so limited since the invention may be modified to carry various different numbers of vending machines greater or lesser than the four shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1. m
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIG. 2 and with all portions of the apparatus below and behind the plane of the section being removed for drawing simplification purposes.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 44 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is another enlarged fragmentary sectional view and is taken in the direction of the arrows 55 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 is another enlarged fragmentary sectional View and is taken in the direction of the arrows 6-6 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail of the portion of the apparatus included in the circle designated at 7 in FIG. 5 and is exemplary of the plurality of positioning and registration engagement means of the exemplary first form of the apparatus.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in the direction of the arrows 88 of FIG. 5 with all portions of the apparatus below and behind the plane of the section being removed from reasons of drawing simplification and clarity.
FIG. 9 is a view which partly comprises a top plan view of the upper horizontally directed supporting shelf member of the apparatus, as taketn in the direction of the arrows 9-9 of FIG. 2, and which is partly in crosssection on the plane of said arrows 99 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view taken in the direction of the arrows 1010- of FIG. 2 and illustrates a typical wheel-mounting arrangement for one of the two wheels rollably mounting the base member-it being understood that the other wheel is similarly mounted.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary, partly broken away, sectional view, taken in the direction of the arrows 12-12 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view similar to slightly less than the left half portion of the FIG. 5, but illustrates a modified type of positioning and registration means which a positively retains each vending machine with respect to the intervening shelf member.
Generally speaking, the exemplary form of the invention illustrated may be said to comprise a display and mounting stand, such as is generally designated at 21, which includes a base member 22 which is shown in the exemplary form as being of generally rectangular shape as seen in top plan view with a centrally positioned trapezoidal cutout portion at the front thereof, as indicated at 23, whereby to effectively define two forwardly extending foot portions 24 which greatly add to the stability of the entire device, while the trapezoidal cutout 23 allows customers to walk to a very closely frontally adjacent position with respect to the entire stand 21.
In the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, the base member 22 has a substantially flat top wall member 25 and a peripheral downwardly extending side wall member 26 around substantially the complete periphery thereof whereby to provide the proper height for the bzase member 22 without requiring the use of unnecessary material and thereby unnecessarily increasing the weight thereof. The base member 22 may be made of zinc or any other suitable metal. It may be made by sand-casting, die-casting, or any other suitable process. It will be noted that the rear end of the base member 22 is provided with wheel means, such as indicated at 27 (actually a pair of laterally spaced wheels 27) to provide mobility for the entire device when it is tipped backwardly so that the supporting feet 24 project angularly upwardly from an underlying supporting surface while the wheel means 27 rest upon said supporting surface. This will, of course, enable the entire device to be merely wheeled along in any desired direction in the manner of a conventional hand truck or dolly.
The base member 22 is provided adjacent to the rear thereof with an interiorly threaded socket 28 threadedly receiving and firmly mounting the exteriorly threaded lower end 29 of a main vertical support member or standard generally indicated at 31. In the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, said main vertical support member 31 is of hollow tubular construction and extends upwardly from the base member 22 at right angles to the top surface 25 thereof for the purpose of mounting and supporting a lower substantially horizontally directed supporting shelf member 32 and an upper substantially horizontally directed supporting shelf member 33 in vertically superimposed and vertically spaced similar horizontally directed relationship for the purpose of supporting a plurality of vending machines thereon, such as generally designated at 34.
It will be noted that the plurality of horizontal supporting shelf members shown in the exemplary form of the invention as comprising the lower horizontal supporting shelf member 32 and the upper horizontally directed supporting shelf member 33 are mounted by the main vertical support member 31 in a manner such as to allow relative vertical adjustment thereof. This is for the purpose of making it possible to increase the vertical clearance between the lower supporting shelf member 32 and the upper supporting shelf member 33 when it is desired to remove either or both of the two lower vending machines 34 and/or to replace same with two similar vending machines, after which the vertical clearance between the lower and upper supporting shelves 32 and 33 will be returned to its normal vertical height which will positively lock the two lower vending machines 34 between the lower supporting shelf member 32 and the upper supporting shelf member 33 in a manner which will be described hereinafter.
In the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, the above-mentioned vertical-clearance-space-increasing relative vertical positional adjustment of the lower and upper supporting shelf members 32 and 33 is achieved by upward vertical movement of the upper supporting shelf member 33 along the main vertical support member 31 and the opposite vertical-clearance-space-decreasing adjustment of said two shelf members 32 and 33 is accomplished by downward vertical movement of the upper supporting shelf member 33 along the main vertical support member 31. In the exemplary form illustrated, this is provided by reason of the fact that the upper supporting shelf member 33 has an apertured collar 35 formed at the rear apex of the triangularly rearwardly projecting portion 33R of said shelf member with said collar 35 being slidably positioned on the tubular main vertical support member 31 and being provided with locking socket head fastening set screw means 36. This makes it possible to vertically adjust the position of the upper supporting shelf member 33 to any desired position along the vertical length of the tubular main vertical support member 31 and to then firmly lock same in said adjusted, position by means of the set screw means 36.
It will be noted that the lower supporting shelf member 32 is of similar construction and has a similar apertured collar 37 at the rear end 32R thereof which is provided with a similar locking set screw 3%. However, this is done for simplicity of manufacture since this will mean that all of the supporting shelf members will be identical or nearly so. Actually, the collar 37 and fastening set screw means 33 of the lower supporting shelf member 32 are effectively nonfunctional once the display stand 21 is fully assembled, since a forward portion of said lower supporting shelf member 32 is additionally and firmly fixedly supported by an auxiliary tubular support member 39 which has an exteriorly threaded upper end 41 received within the interiorly threaded socket 42 carried by the lower supporting shelf member 32 and which has an exteriorly threaded lower end 4-3 received within the interiorly threaded socket 44 formed in the base member 22 forwardly of the previously described rear socket 28 carrying the main vertical support member 31. This provides a structure which makes assembly of the display stand 21 very simple and yet which provides an extremely rigid display stand once the apparatus has been assembled and the two vertical support members 31 and 38? fastened in the mounting relationship clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and since the lower collar 37 and set screw means 38 have been firmly locked in position relative to the main vertical support member 31.
The lower supporting shelf member 32 effectively defines and comprises a plurality of upwardly directed or facing positioning and registration engagement elements adapted to be engaged with respect to corresponding positioning and registration engagement elements effectively defined and comprised by the corresponding bottom portions of the corresponding lower vending machines 34 in superimposed engagement therewith for positive positioning and registration purposes.
In the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, said. lower supporting shelf member 32 may be said to effectively define and comprise two such upwardly directed and facing positioning and registration engagement elements, each shown in said exemplary form of the invention as comprising a female engagement element taking the form of a peripheral upwardly vertically extending edge flange 45 defining a female receiving recess 46 therein of a size and shape such as to be adapted to receive, engage, and hold the corresponding positioning and registration engagement element carried by the corresponding bottom portion of the corresponding one of the two lower vending machines 34.
Each of said corresponding positioning and registration engagement elements carried by the two lower vending machines 34 is formed out of a bottom portion 47 thereof and may be said to effectively comprise a downwardly directed insert means, indicated generally at 48, comprising a predetermined short vertical length of the complete bottom end portion 4.7 of said vending machines 34.
It will be noted that said insert means 48 formed of the bottom portion 47 of each vending machines 34 is of exactly the right size and shape to be received within the correspondingly shaped and sized (although very slightly larger) receiving recess means 4-6 of the underlying lower supporting shelf member 32 in the manner most clearly shown in FIG. 6 whereby to provide positive positioning and registration of each of the two lower vending machines 34 with respect to said lower supporting shelf member 32.
When said lower vending machines 34- are so mounted, it will be understood that they are positively prevented from any kind of lateral or horizontal movement by reason of the peripheral surrounding engagement of the edge flange 45 with respect to the insert member 48 comprising a predetermined length of the lower end 47 of each of the lower vending machines 34.
However, it will also be understood that relative vertical movement of the lower vending machines 34 with respect to the lower supporting shelf member 32 is not prevented and either of said two lower vending machines 34 can be readily lifted directly upwardly so as to disengage the male engagement element or means 48 from the female engagement element 45. This will allow either or both of the two bottom vending machines 34 to be readily removed by direct upward vertical movement of said vending machines 34 off the underlying supporting shelf member 32.
However, whenever such direct upward movement of the two lowermost vending machines 34- is prevented, it will be understood that said vending machines 34 will be positively positioned and maintained in the registered predetermined relationships clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, by the two positioning and registration engagement elements or means 45 and the two cooperating positioning and registration engagement elements or means 4-3 just described in detail, which may be said to together effectively comprise positioning and registration means. Such prevention of vertical movement of the lower pair of vending machines 34 will be achieved by means described in greater detail hereinafter.
It should be noted that the upper supporting shelf member 33 also effectively defines and comprises two positioning and registration engagement elements generally similar to those shown at 45 in FIG. 6 and similarly comprising edge flanged female positioning and registration elements 48 or means defining similar receiving recesses 46 therein. Furthermore, it should be noted that the upper pair of vending machines 34 also effectively defines and comprises two downwardly directed positioning and registration engagement elements of a male type and generally similar to the insert members 43 shown in FIG. 6. Therefore, these parts are similarly numbered in FIG. 5 and will not be again described in detail with respect to the portions thereof identical to those described in connection with the lower shelf member 32.
However, an additional set of registration elements or means is included in the showing of FIG. 5 and the additional portions will now be described in detail.
Said additional portions of each of the two female positioning and registration elements 45, as shown in FIG. 5, comprise similar downwardly directed peripheral edge flange means 49 carried by the underside of the upper supporting shelf member 33 which efiectively define therein two receiving recesses, indicated generally at 50, each of which is of a size and shape such as to receivingly engage therein a corresponding one of an additional pair of male positioning and registration engagement elements, indicated generally at 51 in FIG. 5, comprising predetermined vertical lengths of top portions 52 of the two lower vending machines 34- each of said engagement elements 51 effectively comprising a male engagement element which takes the form of an insert means substantially similar to the previously described downwardly directed insert means 48 formed out of a bottom portion 47 of each of said vending machines 34.
Each of the downwardly directed recesses 50, comprising the two downwardly directed female positioning and registration engagement elements 49, positively and firmly receives the corresponding upwardly directed male engagement element 51 formed out of the corresponding top portion 52 of the corresponding one of the two lower vending machines 34 in a manner which firmly locks it in place as is clearly shown in FIG. 5. This arrangement not only looks the upper pair of vending machines 34 with respect to the upper supporting shelf member 33, but also locks the lower pair of vending machines 34 with respect to said upper supporting shelf member 33 in a positively positioned and registered manner so that each of the two pairs of vending machines will be vertically superimposed in aligned relationship as clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 7. In the case of FIG, 5, the positioning and registration engagement elements 4546, 47-48, 49-53, and 51-52, may all be said to together comprise positioning and registration engagement means of one exemplary type.
In order to firmly lock the four vending machines 34 together with respect to the lower and upper supporting shelf members 32 and 33 so as to prevent disengagement of said vending machines 34 from said shelf members 32 and 33, a cover member 53 is provided and is adapted to be vertically spaced above and vertically superimposed with respect to the upper shelf member 33 and is adapted to be vertically adjustably and controllably lockably secured to the main vertical support member 31 at an extreme uppermost location by means of a rear positioned apertured collar 35 generally similar to the apertured collar 35 of the upper shelf member 33 which is rovided with locking set screw means 36' similar to the locking set screw means 36 carried by the apertured collar 36 of the upper shelf member 33. It will be noted that the cover member 53 is adapted to be positioned in top abutment with the top portions 52 of the upper pair of vending machines 34 and to be firmly downwardly forced thereagainst and held thereagainst by vertical tie rod means 54 which has an exteriorly threaded lower end 55 threadedly fastened within an interiorly threaded socket or boss 56 carried by the lower supporting shelf member 32.
The upper end of the tie rod member 54 has an upper exteriorly threaded end 57 threadedly engaged within an interiorly threadedy clindrically shaped lock body member 58 which has an annularly extended cylindrical retaining collar 59 at the upper end thereof positioned in an enlarged cylindrical aperture 61 in the cover member 53.
It will be understood that when the upper set screw means 36 is loosened or unlocked and the cylindrical lock body member 58 is unthreaded from the threaded upper end 57 of the tie rod means 54 by rotating a key in the key aperture 62, this will allow vertical adjustment of the entire cover member 53 upwardly for removal of the upper pair of vending machines 34 and for the interchanging therewith of a replacement pair of similar vending machines 34 for the previously described purposes of the present invention. Then the cover member 53 can be moved downwardly as far as possible into engaged relationship with respect to the upper pair of replacement vending machines 34, the cylindrical lock body member 58 may be threadedly reengaged and firmly tightened with respect to the threaded upper end 57 of the tie rod means 54 by rotating a key in the key aperture 62 whereby to cause the cover member 53 to be positively and firmly forced downwardly against the top portions 52 of the upper pair of vending machines 34 in a manner such as to draw the entire assembly of all four vending machines 34 together in a firmly fastened manner and whereby to cause the positioning and registration engagement means and the elements thereof shown in detail in FIG. 4 to be positively engaged. Then the upper set screw means 36 may be tightened against the main vertical supporting member 31 so as to lock the entire assembly together.
It will be noted that the above-mentioned positioning and registration engagement means, and the elements thereof as shown in FIG. 4, effectively comprises a pair of downwardly directed female positioning and registration engagement means or elements 45' defined and comprised by the cover member 53 and taking the form of peripheral edge flange means defining downwardly facing receiving recess means 46' similar to the corresponding elements shown at 45 and 46 in FIGS. -7 and adapted to be forced downwardly over the corresponding pair of upwardly directed male positioning and registration engagement means or elements comprising the insert means generally indicated at 51 and taking the form of predetermined vertical lengths of the top portions 52 of the two upper vending machines 34.
' Thus, it will be seen that applying tension to the tie rod member 54 by rotating a key in the key slot 62 as described above (and prior to the tightening of the upper set screw means 36) will draw all of the vending machines 34, the lower and upper supporting shelf members 32 and 33, and the cover member 53 toward each other with all of the previously described positioning and registration engagement means firmly locked together, thus providing a very strong and rigid assembly of all four vending machines 34, the lower support shelf member 32, the upper supporting shelf member 33, and the cover member However, it will also be readily understood that inserting a key in the slot 62 and rotating same in the opposite direction (of course, after the unlocking of the upper set screw means 36) so as to threadedly disengage the cylindrical lock body member 58 from the exteriorly threaded upper end 57 of the tie rod member 54, will allow the cover member 53 to be either moved to an elevated position on the main vertical support member 31 and locked by the set screw means 36 or to be completely removed, and this will, of course, allow the upper pair of vending machines 34 to be removed by merely lifting them upwardly out of the upwardly directed edge flange means 45 carried by the upper supporting shelf member 33.
Removal of the lower pair of vending machines 34 may be accomplished, after removal of the upper pair of vending machines as referred to above, by merely loosening the locking set screw means 36 carried by the collar 35 at the back. end of the upper supporting shelf member 33 and then vertically lifting same along the main vertical support member 31 to a height suflicient to allow the lower vending machines 34 to be directly lifted out of the recesses 46 defined within the upwardly directed edge flange means 45 carried by the lower supporting shelf member 32. This operation may be facilitated by locking the set screw means 36 and the collar 35 in said elevated position during the removal of the lower vending machines 34, if desired.
The removal of the lower pair of vending machines 36 may also be accomplished in a slightly different manner in those cases where the upper vending machines 34 have not been previously removed. When this is the case, it is first necessary to loosen the top set screw means 36' and to insert a key in the key slot 62 and unthread the cylindrical lock body portion 58 from the threaded upper end 57 of the tie rod 54 and to then vertically lift the cover member 53 upwardly along the main vertical support member 31 to a height sufiicient to allow the upper supporting shelf member 33 to be similarly lifted along the main vertical support member 31 after loosening its set screw means 36 in the manner referred to above. When this mode of removal of the lower pair of vending machines is performed, the cover member 53 and the upper shelf member 33 may be locked in said elevated positions temporarily by tightening the set screw means 36 and 36 in said elevated positions on the upper portions of the main vertical support member 31.
Replacement of vending machines 34 with respect to the lower supporting shelf member 32, the upper supporting shelf member 33, and the top cover member 53 effectively comprises the reverse of the removal operations described above and effectively comprises the reengagement of each of the male insert members or engagement elements 48 and 51 positioned at the top and bottom of each of the vending machines 34 with the corresponding receiving female engagement means or elements comprising the corresponding peripheral edge flange means 45, 49, and 45 carried by the lower supporting shelf member 32, the upper supporting shelf member 33, and the cover member 53, after which the interiorly threaded cylindrical lock body portion 53 may be threadedly reengaged and tightened with respect to the threaded upper end 57 of the tie rod member 54 by means of a key temporarily positioned in the key slot 62. Then each of the set screw means 36, 36, and 38 may be tightened, thus locking the entire apparatus in rigid assembled relationship such as is clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Of course, upon completion of the remounting and locking operation, the key will be removed from the key slot 62 and the maintenance or service man will take the vending machines 34 which have been removed and replaced back to a central depot for removal of coins therefrom and for refilling the upper receptacles R thereof with merchandise to be vended. In this connection, it should be noted that each of the top portions 52 of each of the vending machines 34 is locked thereon by a lock 64 which is adapted to be unlocked by a key which is not in the possession of the service or maintenance man.
The above-described locking and unlocking operation of the cover means 53 with respect to the plurality of vending machines 34 is facilitated by reason of the fact that the tie rod member 53 is of nonround, cross-sectional configuration (square in the example illustrated) and passes vertically through a correspondingly shaped aperture 65 in the upper supporting shelf member 33, thus preventing said tie rod member 54 from rotating or being rotated. This, of course, means that the locking and unlocking of the cover member 53 with respect to the tie rod member 54 can only be achieved through the use of a key inserted in the key slot 62 (plus the unlocking of the upper socket head set screw means 36' by an appropriate wrench), thus preventing any unauthorized tampering with the apparatus and the possible removal of any of the vending machines 34 by unauthorized persons.
It should be clearly understood that the positioning and registration means and the elements thereof shown in the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-11 are to be construed as exemplary only and are not to be construed as specifically limiting the invention to the precise structure shown in FIGS. 1-11. In fact, it should be completely apparent that numerous modifications thereof are within the broad spirit and scope of the present invention.
For example, it is evident that the relative positional reversal of any or all of the male and female elements of the various positioning and registration engagement means could be effected without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention, and one such exemplary arrangement is illustrated fragmentarily in FIG. 12 which is similar to the left portion of FIG. 5, and which shows a very slight modification of the positioning and registration engagement elements of FIG. and designated in FIG. 5 by the reference numerals 45-46, 47-48, 49-50, and 51-52. The slightly modified positioning and engagement elements which correspond to those just identified in FIG. 5 are designated by similar reference numerals, followed by the letter a, however, in FIG. 1l2.
It will be noted that the modification of the positioning and registration engagement elements 45a of FIG. 12 merely comprises the effective alteration of the engagement elements 45 which were female engagement elements in the first form of the invention, into the effectively male engagement elements shown at 45a in FIG. 12 which are of a size and shape such as to be inserted into the open bottom end wall 48a of the bottom portion 47a of the vending macine 34asaid open bottom end wall 48a now efiectively comprising a female engagement element rather than a male en agement element as shown in the earlier form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-11. In other words, this modification merely illustrates the effective positional reversal of male and female engagement elements at the junction of each of the two supporting shelf members, such as those shown at 32 and 33 in the first form of the invention and such as the corresponding upper shelf portion shown fragmentarily at 33a in FIG. 12, with respect to the bottom end portions of the vending machines.
Of course, it should be clearly understood that such a partial reversal of male and female engagement elements may also be effected with respect to the upper ends of any of the vending machines and with respect to the downwardly directed engagement elements carried by the two supporting shelf members and the cover member, in certain modified forms of the invention.
It should also be noted that the positioning and registration engagement means best shown in FIGS.4-7 and described in detail hereinbefore comprises one specific exemplary but nonspecifically limiting form thereof, while the modified form thereof shown fragmentarily in FIG. 12 comprises another exemplary but nonspecifically limiting form thereof. Furthermore, it should be understood that the invention is intended to broadly include and comprehend various other and different specific exemplary forms thereof which are substantially functionally equivalent thereto in that they allow the quick and easy removal of any of the plurality of vending machines by direct disengagement therefrom to facilitate such vending machine removal when the cover member is effectively unlocked from the rest of the apparatus. Another specific exemplary and nonspecifically limiting form thereof is more particularly described, illustrated, and claimed in my copen-ding patent application, entitled Mounting and Display Stand for a Plurality of Vending Machines, Serial No. 381,649, filed concurrently herewith on July 10, 1964, said application also comprising the generic or basic application and containing therein the broad generic claims covering both the exemplary species disclosed therein and the exemplary species disclosed herein and others within the broad scope of the present invention.
Additionally, it should be noted that while each of the supporting shelf members, such as the lower one 32 and the upper one 33 illustrated in FIGS. 1-11, is shown as being adapted to support two vending machines, such as those illustrated at 34, the invention is not specifically so limited and not only may the number of such supporting shelves be limited, but the width thereof may also be varied to accommodate, receive and support a greater or lesser number of vending machines which may be of the same size as those illustrated, smaller than those illustrated, or larger than those illustrated, thus making it possible for the complete display and mounting stand to mount relatively few vending machines or a great number thereof as determined by variation in the specific design of the apparatus for particular purposes.
It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.
I claim:
1. A display and mounting stand for a plurality of vending machines, comprising: a base member; a main vertical support member extending upwardly from said base member and secured thereto at its lower extremity; at least two vertically superimposed and vertically spaced substantially horizontal shelf members for a plurality of vending machines including a lower shelf member for a plurality of vending machines, and secured to said vertical support member at a lower location, and an upper shelf member vertically spaced above and superimposed with respect to said lower shelf member and releasably and vertically adjustably secured to said main vertical support member at an upper location; an upper cover member adapted to be vertically spaced above and superimposed with respect to said upper shelf member and vertically adjustably and lockably secured to said main vertical support member at an uppermost location and adapted to be positioned in top abutment with top portions of a plurality of upper vending machines when their bottom portions are supported on said upper shelf member; and vertical tie rod means having a bottom end portion secured to said lowermost shelf member and having a top end portion lockably securable to said cover member for locking a plurality of vending machines between said cover member and said upper shelf member and between said upper shelf member and said lower shelf member in a non-removable manner; said lower shelf member effectively defining and comprising at least one upwardly facing positioning and registration engagement element for each vending ma- 'chine adapted to be received thereover and engagingly cooperable with a corresponding mating positioning and registration engagement element effectively defined and comprised by a bottom portion of a vending machine when engaged therewith for positive positioning and registration purposes; said upper shelf member comprising at least one upwardly facing positioning and registration engagement element for each vending machine adapted to be received thereover and engagingly cooperable with a corresponding mating positioning and registration engagement element comprised by a bottom portion of a vending machine in superimposed engagement therewith for positive positioning and registration purposes, said upper shelf member also comprising at least one downwardly facing positioning and registration engagement element for each vending machine adapted to be positioned thereunder and carried by said lower shelf member and engagingly cooperable with a corresponding mating positioning and registration engagement element adapted to be comprised by a top portion of a vending machine in underlying engagement therewith for positive positioning and registration purposes; said cover member comprising at least one downwardly facing positioning and registration engagement element for each vending machine adapted to be positioned thereunder and carried by said upper shelf member and engagingly cooperable with a corresponding mating positioning and registration engagement element comprised by a top portion of a vending machine in underlying engagement therewith for positive positioning and registration purposes, each engageable pair of said mating positioning and registration engagement elements formed by top and bottom portions of a plurality of vending machines and said positioning and registration engagement elements carried by said lower shelf member, said upper shelf member and said cover member comprising positioning and registration means cooperable for positively positioning and maintaining registration of the plurality of vending machines in certain predetermined relationships with respect to said lower shelf member, said upper shelf member, and said cover member, each engageable pair of said plurality of positioning and registration engagement elements comprising one female engagement element and a corresponding male insert engagement element with each of said elements being substantially coextensive in area with the complete corresponding top or bottom portion of the corresponding one of a plurality of vending machines.
2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cover member is provided with a key-operated threaded tensionapplying member threadedly cooperable with the upper end of said vertical tie rod means.
3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vertical tie rod means has an effective nonrotative engagement portion keyed with respect to, and passing vertical- 1y through, said upper shelf member whereby to prevent rotation of said vertical tie rod means.
4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vertical tie rod means has a threaded upper end, said cover member being provided with a key-operated threaded tension-applying member threadedly cooperable with said threaded upper end of said vertical tie rod means, said vertical tie rod means having an intermediate non-rotative engagement key portion keyed with respect to, and passing vertically through, said upper shelf member .whereby to prevent rotation of said vertical tie rod means.
5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including an auxiliary vertical support member extending upwardly from said base member and secured thereto at its lower extremity at a position forward of the corresponding lower extremity of the main vertical support member, said auxiliary vertical support member having its upper end secured to said lower shelf member.
6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said positioning and registration engagement elements comprised and defined by said shelf members and said cover member comprises a peripheral vertically extending edge flange defining a female receiving recess therein vertically directed toward and adapted to receive and engage the corresponding engagement element comprised and defined by the corresponding bottom or top portion of a corresponding vending machine, and wherein each of said positioning and registration engagement elements effectively defined and comprised by said bottom and top portions, respectively, of a corresponding vending machine effectively comprises a male engagement projection and insert means taking the form of a predetermined short vertical length of substantially the complete top or bottom end portion of a corresponding vending machine of a size adapted to be received within the corresponding one of said female receiving recesses defined by the corresponding peripheral vertically extending edge flange of the corresponding shelf or cover member.
7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said cover member is provided with a key-operated threaded tension-applying member threadedly cooperable with the upper end of said vertical tie rod means.
8. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said vertical tie rod means has an effective nonrotative engagement portion keyed with respect to, and passing vertically through, said upper shelf member whereby to prevent rotation of said vertical tie rod means.
9. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said vertical tie rod means has a threaded upper end, said cover member being provided with a key-operated threaded tensionapplying member threadedly cooperable with said threaded upper end of said vertical tie rod means, said vertical tie rod means having an intermediate nonrotative engagement key portion keyed with respect to, and passing vertically through, said upper shelf member whereby to prevent rotation of said vertical tie rod means.
10. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, including an axiliary vertical support member extending upwardly from said base member and secured thereto at it lower extremity at a position forward of the corresponding lower extremity of the main vertical support member, said auxiliary vertical support member having its upper end secured to said lower shelf member.
11. A display and mounting stand for a plurality of vending machines, comprising in combination: a plurality of vending machines, each having a top and bottom portion; a base member; a main vertical support member extending upwardly from said base member and secured thereto at its lower extremity; at least two vertically superimposed and vertically spaced substantially horizontal shelf members for said plurality of vending machines including a lower shelf member for a lower part of said plurality of vending machines, and secured to said vertical support member at a lower location, and an upper shelf member vertically spaced above and superimposed with respect to said lower shelf member and releasably and vertically adjustably secured to said main vertical support member at an upper location; an upper cover member adapted to be vertically spaced above and superimposed with respect to said upper shelf member and vertically adjustably and lockably secured to said main vertical support member at an uppermost location and adapted to be positioned in top abutment with said top portions of an upper part of said plurality of vending machines when their bottom portions are supported on said upper shelf member; and vertical tie rod means having a bottom portion secured to said lowermost shelf member and having a top end portion lockably securable to said cover member for locking said plurality of vending machines between said cover member and said upper shelf member and between said upper shelf member and said lower shelf member in a nonremovable manner; each of said top and bottom portions of said plurality of vending machines comprising corresponding upwardly facing and downwardly facing positioning and registration engagement elements, respectively; said lower shelf member comprising at least one upwardly facing positioning and registration engagement element for each of said plurality of vending machines adapted to be received thereover and engagingly cooperable with a corresponding mating and downwardly facing one of said positioning and registration engagement elements comprised by the bottom portion of a corresponding one of said plurality of vending machines in superimposed engagement therewith for positive positioning and registration purposes; said upper shelf member comprising at least one upwardly facing positioning and registration engagement element for each of said plurality of vending machines adapted to be received thereover and engagingly cooperable with a corresponding mating downwardly facing one of said positioning and registration engagement elements comprised by the bottom portion of a corresponding one of said plurality of vending machines in superimposed engagement therewith for positive positioning and registration purposes, said upper shelf member also comprising at least one downwardly facing positioning and registration engagement element for each of said plurality of vending machines adapted to be positioned thereunder and carried by said lower shelf member and engagingly cooperable with a corresponding mating upwardly facing one of said positioning and registration engagement elements comprised by the top portion of a corresponding one of said plurality of vending machines in underlying engagement therewith for positive positioning and registration purposes; said cover member comprising at least one downwardly facing positioning and registration engagement element for each of said plurality of vending machines adapted to be positioned thereunder and carried by said upper shelf member and engagingly cooperable with a corresponding mating one of said positioning and registration engagement elements comprised by the top portion of a corresponding one of said plurality of vending machines in underlying engagement therewith for positive positioning and registration purposes, each engageable pair of said mating positioning and registration engagement elements comprised by top and bottom portions of said plurality of vending machines and by said lower shelf member, said upper shelf member, and said cover member together comprising positioning and registration means cooperable for positively positioning and maintaining registration of the plurality of vending machines in certain predetermined relationships with respect to said lower shelf member, said upper shelf member. and said cover member; each engageable pair of said plurality of positioning and registration engagement elements comprising one female element and a corresponding male insert engagement element, with each of said elements being substantially coextensive in area with the complete corresponding top or bottom portion of the corresponding one of said plurality of vending machines.
12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein each of said positioning and registration engagement elements comprised by said top and bottom portions of said plurality af vending machines takes the form of a peripheral vertically extending edge flange defining a female receiving recess therein vertically directed toward and adapted to receive and engage the corresponding male insert engagement for receiving engagement with respect thereto.
References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,038,923 9/1912 Mathy 220-97 1,409,609 3/1922 Stockle 1357.1 1,739,425 12/1929 Stefan 220- 1,771,264 7/ 1930 Marrits 22097 2,639,208 5/1953 Obenchain 3l2-l00 2,679,890 6/1954 Zannoth 248-424 3,045,400 7/1962 Grose 5337 3,100,968 8/1963 Bourdon 6148 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DISPLAY AND MOUNTING STAND FOR A PLURALITY OF VENDING MACHINES, COMPRISING: A BASE MEMBER; A MAIN VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBER EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE MEMBER AND SECURED THERETO AT ITS LOWER EXTREMITY; AT LEAST TWO VERTICALLY SUPERIMPOSED AND VERTICALLY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL SHELF MEMBERS FOR A PLURALITY OF VENDING MACHINES INCLUDING A LOWER SHELF MEMBER FOR A PLURALITY OF VENDING MACHINES, AND SECURED TO SAID VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBER AT A LOWER LOCATION, AND AN UPPER SHELF MEMBER VERTICALLY SPACED ABOVE AND SUPERIMPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID LOWER SHELF MEMBER AND RELEASABLY AND VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLY SECURED TO SAID MAIN VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBER AT AN UPPER LOCATION; AN UPPER COVER MEMBER ADAPTEDS TO BE VERTICALLY SPACED ABOVE AND SUPERIMPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID UPPER SHELF MEMBER AND VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLY AND LOCKABLY SECURED TO SAID MAIN VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBER AT AN UPPERMOST LOCATION AND ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN TOP ABUTMENT WITH TOP PORTIONS OF A PLURALITY OF UPPER VENDING MACHINES WHEN THEIR BOTTOM PORTIONS ARE SUPPORTED ON SAID UPPER SHELF MEMBER; AND VERTICAL TIE ROD MEANS HAVING A BOTTOM END PORTION SECURED TO SAID LOWERMOST SHELF MEMBER AND HAVING A TOP END PORTION LOCKABLY SECURABLE TO SAID COVER MEMBER FOR LOCKING A PLURALITY OF VENDING MACHINES BETWEEN SAID COVER MEMBER AND SAID UPPER SHELF MEMBER AND BETWEEN SAID UPPER SHELF MEMBER AND SAID LOWER SHELF MEMBER IN A NON-REMOVABLE MANNER; SAID LOWER SHELF MEMBER EFFECTIVELY DEFINING AND COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE UPWARDLY FACING POSITIONING AND REGISTRATION ENGAGEMENT ELEMENT FOR EACH VENDING MACHINE ASDAPTED TO BE RECEIVED THEREOVER AND ENGAGINGLY COOPERABLE WITH A CORRESPONDING MATING POSITIONING AND REGISTRATION ENGAGEMENT ELEMENT EFFECTIVELY DEFINED AND COMPRISED BY A BOTTOM PORTION OF A VENDING MACHINE WHEN ENGAGED THEREWITH FOR POSITIVE POSITIONING AND REGISTRATION PURPOSES; SAID UPPER SHELF MEMBER COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE UPWARDLY FACING POSITIONING AND REGISTRATION ENGAGEMENT ELEMENT FOR EACH VENDING MACHINE ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED THEREOVER AND ENGAGINGLY COOPERABLE WITH A CORRESPONDING MATING POSITIONING AND REGISTRATION ENGAGEMENT ELEMENT COMPRISED BY A BOTTOM PORTION OF A
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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2000028491A1 (en) * 1998-11-11 2000-05-18 Ncr International. Inc. Self-service terminal
ITPD20130252A1 (en) * 2013-09-18 2015-03-19 Luca Serafin MODULAR BOX MODULAR FOR DISTRIBUTORS

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1038923A (en) * 1909-05-27 1912-09-17 Joseph Mathy Crate-corner lock.
US1409609A (en) * 1921-08-17 1922-03-14 Lillian D Stockle Portable standard and canopy support for insect screens, netting, and the like
US1739425A (en) * 1928-10-25 1929-12-10 Stefan John Lunch kit
US1771264A (en) * 1928-12-26 1930-07-22 Murray J Marrits Collapsible display stand
US2639208A (en) * 1948-05-14 1953-05-19 Leo B Obenchain Gas bottle rack for trailers
US2679890A (en) * 1951-09-24 1954-06-01 Herman A Zannoth Device for assisting invalids into and out of bathtubs
US3045400A (en) * 1961-07-17 1962-07-24 Martin L Grose Method and means for handling articles to be dispensed from a bulk supply
US3100968A (en) * 1960-06-22 1963-08-20 Thomas E Bourdon Marine dock

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1038923A (en) * 1909-05-27 1912-09-17 Joseph Mathy Crate-corner lock.
US1409609A (en) * 1921-08-17 1922-03-14 Lillian D Stockle Portable standard and canopy support for insect screens, netting, and the like
US1739425A (en) * 1928-10-25 1929-12-10 Stefan John Lunch kit
US1771264A (en) * 1928-12-26 1930-07-22 Murray J Marrits Collapsible display stand
US2639208A (en) * 1948-05-14 1953-05-19 Leo B Obenchain Gas bottle rack for trailers
US2679890A (en) * 1951-09-24 1954-06-01 Herman A Zannoth Device for assisting invalids into and out of bathtubs
US3100968A (en) * 1960-06-22 1963-08-20 Thomas E Bourdon Marine dock
US3045400A (en) * 1961-07-17 1962-07-24 Martin L Grose Method and means for handling articles to be dispensed from a bulk supply

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2000028491A1 (en) * 1998-11-11 2000-05-18 Ncr International. Inc. Self-service terminal
US6593915B1 (en) 1998-11-11 2003-07-15 Ncr Corporation Self-service terminal
ITPD20130252A1 (en) * 2013-09-18 2015-03-19 Luca Serafin MODULAR BOX MODULAR FOR DISTRIBUTORS
WO2015040509A1 (en) * 2013-09-18 2015-03-26 Luca Srl Modular casing for dispensers

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