US3283951A

US3283951A - Cup dispenser

Info

Publication number: US3283951A
Application number: US369706A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alan D Gladfelder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-05-25
Filing date: 1964-05-25
Publication date: 1966-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-08

Description

NOV. 1956 A. D. GLADFELDER 3,

CUP DISPENSER Filed May 25, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l w t FIG. 2

1,. .fl H" II A F I I9 INVENTOR. Alan D. Gladfelder V WH,

Nov. 8, 1966 A. D. GLADFELDER 3,283,951

CUP DISPENSER Filed May 25, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4 40 INVENTOR.

Alan D. Gladfelder NOV. 8, 1966 A GLADFELDER 3,283,951

CUP DISPENSER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 25, 1964 INVENTOR. Alan D. Gludfelder United States Patent M 3,2ss,a51 CUP DESPENSER Alan D. Gladfelder, 3207 Hanover St., Rockford, Ill. Filed May 25, 1964, Ser. No. 369,706 11 Claims. (Cl. 221-11) This invention relates generally to a new and improved cup dispenser and more particularly to a cup dispenser of the type which is adapted for use with a beverage vending machine and which includes a multi-turret cup magazine.

There are today various cup dispensers which are specifically designed for inclusion in beverage vending machines. However, most of these are relatively large and bulky and therefore take up a disproportionate amount of space in the vending machine. In addition these cup dispensers are quite expensive. A large and expensive cup dispenser can be justified and in fact may be necessary in vending machines which are subject to a great deal of daily usage. But it is very difiicult to justify them in vending machines which are subjected to low or inter-- mediate usage.

One of the reasons for the costinherent in present cup dispensers is the fact that one motor must be provided to dispense cups while another motor must be provided to index the cup magazine from individual to individual cup holder as stacks of cups become depleted through dispensing. Since two motors are provided additional electrical components are also required which further increase cup dispenser cost. All of these components in that they take up additional space, add to the size and bulk of the cup dispenser.

The present invention was specifically designed to provide a piece of equipment which would function in a manner comparable to existing cup dispensers but which would be simpler, less expensive and of a smaller size than these dispensers.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a cup dispenser which utilizes a single motive means to dispense cups and to index the cup magazine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cup dispenser which has a relatively high cup capacity.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cup dispenser which is of simple construction and which will function over long periods of time with a minimum of maintenance.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cup dispenser which may be incorporated in existing vending machines with a minimum of difficulty.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partially cut away bottom plan view of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a view in elevation of a portion of the cup dispenser with the cover plate removed;

FIGURE 4 is a partially cut away view in elevation of .a portion of the invention taken along lines 44 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the invention with the cup magazine and cover plate removed;

FIGURE 6 is a schematic diagram of the operating and electrical components of the invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, 10 indicates a cup magazine having a plurality of elongate individual cup holders 11. Each of the holders 11 has a longitudinally extending reinforcing rib 12 and each holder is configured throughout much of its length in such a manner that when a plurality of holders are grouped, as in FIGURE 1, each rests against adjacent holders for a major portion of its length and together define an inner space through- 3,283,951 Fatentecl Nov. 8, 1966 out their length. The upper and lower ends of the holders are necked-down as at 13 and are received in upper and lower magazine support plates 14 (only the lower plate is shown) which have circularly arranged accommodating apertures 15 therein. A centrally located aperture 16 is provide in each of the magazine plates for purposes which will be subsequently described. (see FIGURE 4). A removeable magazine cover 17 having a central aperture 18 is also provided and is adapted to fit over the upper magazine support plate. It can be seen that the cup magazine is an integral unit which, as will be subsequently explained, is separable as a unit from the remainder of the cup dispenser.

The main operating components of the dispenser are housed within a removeable cover 19 which is preferably made of plastic but which may also be made of any other relatively rigid light weight material. A supporting plate 20 having a downwardly flanged periphery 21 and a cup aperture 22 is housed within the cover 19. A cup dispenser ring 23 identical to that described in US. Patent 3,071,292 and having spaced apart upstanding lugs 24 is suspended beneath the aperture 22 in the plate 20 by inserting the lugs in locking slots 25 in the plate (FIG- URE 5 The lugs 24 are positively retained in the slots 25 by a pivoted locking lever 26 which is mounted on the top side of the support plate and which has an eccentric portion 27 which can be brought to bear upon one of the lugs 24 to keep it, and thereby all the lugs, locked within the slots 25. Another slot 28 is provided in the support plate in the vicinity of the slots 25 and is adapted to receive a downwardly extending portion 29 of the lock ing lever. If it becomes necessary to disengage the cup dispenser ring from the support plate it is only necessary to reach under the plate 20 and pivot locking lever 26 by grasping portion 29 thereof. With the lever pivoted and the eccentric portion 27 thereby out of the way of lug 24 the cup dispenser ring can be slightly rotated to allow the lugs to pass through the larger portion of the locking slots 25 to separate the ring and plate.

In FIGURE 5 it can be seen that the cams 30 in the ring are positioned radially inwardly of the periphery of cup aperture 22 when the ring is properly locked to the support plate. An operating lever 31 (FIGURE 2) is connected to the earns 30 in the manner taught by the above patent and when actuated serves to rotate the cams in such a manner that a cup formerly resting on the cams is dispensed.

A motor assembly 32 which includes a speed reducer 32 is mounted on the top side of the support plate 20 and a shaft 33 depends therefrom and passes through the support plate. A cam 34 having an eccentric portion 35 is affixed to the lower extremity of the motor shaft. A cam follower assembly 36 is pivoted as at 37 to the underside of the support plate and is urged by a tension spring 38 attached thereto and to a stationary portion of the supporting structure in a clockwise direction with respect to FIGURE 2. The cam follower assembly 36 is also operatively connected to the ring operating lever 31.

When the motor assembly 32 is actuated, as by the insertion of a coin in the vending machine, the cam 34 is rotated in a clockwise direction with respect to FIGURE 2 to cause the cam follower assembly 36 and ring operating lever 31 to move in a counter-clockwise direction. Movement of the lever 31 in this manner causes the cup cams 30 to dispense the lowermost cup formerly resting therebetween. By the time the cam 34 reaches the position of FIGURE 2 the cup formerly resting on the cup cams 30 has been dispensed. When the eccentric 35 clears the cam follower assembly the spring 38 will pivot the assembly and the cam operating lever in a clockwise direction to thereby return the cup cams 30 to their 3 normal or starting position. In this manner individual cup dispensing operations are accomplished.

A shaft bushing 3 is mounted on the support and houses an elongate shaft which is adapted to pass upwardly through the lower and upper apertures 16 in the magazine support plates 14 and through the aperture 18 in the magazine cover 17. A locking nut or knob may be affixed to the upper extremity of the shaft 40 and thereby serve to keep the magazine fixed relative to the remainder of the device but this is not shown for the sake of con venience. A Geneva gear 41 is fixedly attached to the lower end of the shaft and has an upstanding pin 42 thereon which is adapted to mate with an aperture (not shown) in the lower magazine support plate 14 to thereby positively tie the motion of the gear and the shaft to the cup magazine.

Extending upwardly from the motor assembly 32 is a shaft 33' which has mounted thereon a switch cam 47 having an indented peripheral portion 48. A pinion 43 having an eccentric portion 44 is mounted on the shaft 33' above the switch cam 47. The eccentric portion of the pinion has an aperture therethru and a flat headed pin 45 is accommodated therein and biased downwardly by a spring 46. When the head of the pin 45 is flush against the pinion eccentric portion it will pass below the radial slots in the Geneva gear and since there is no other connection between pinion and gear the gear will remain stationary. On the other hand if the pin is somehow raised with respect to the pinion it will enter the radial slots in the Geneva gear as the pinion rotates and thereby rotate the Geneva gear and cup magazine since these are operatively connected one to another.

Intermediate the switch cam 47 and pinion 43 on the shaft 33 is a bushing 49 which serves to support a plate cam 50 having a step-down portion 51. The plate cam 50 does not rotate with the shaft 33' but is capable of rotation with respectthereto. The plate cam 50 is positioned near enough to the base of the flat headed pinion pin 45 so that as the pinion rotates the base of the pin will be in close proximity to most of the face of cam 59 and in contact with that portion of the face immediately forward of the step-down portion 51 (see FIGURE 6). Normally as the pinion 43 rotates the flat headed pin 45 in traveling about the face of the plate cam 50 is raised by contact therewith so that it is in position to mate with the Geneva gear but before this actually happens the pin drops off the step-down portion of the plate cam and thereby passes beneath the Geneva gear. As a result, the magazine is not rotated and the cup stack immediately above the cup opening remains in this position. If, however, the plate cam 50 is slightly rotated so that the stepdown portion thereof is located approximately under a portion of the Geneva gear the flat headed pinion pin 45, in dropping into the stepdown portion 51 of the plate cam 50, will engage the Geneva gear and thereby enable the magazine to be rotated to position a new stack of cups above the up opening. Of course this situation would occur when the cup stack formerly positioned in this manner was devoid or nearly devoid of cups. To accomplish the limited rotation of the cam 50 one end of a link 52 is pivoted thereto. The other end of the link 52 is pivoted to a second link 53. The pin 54 joining the

links

52 and 53 has a tension spring 55 connected thereto. The other end of the tension spring 55 is aflixed to a stationary portion of the housing. The force exerted by the tension spring 55 normally is sufficient to retain the plate cam in a position wherein the stepdown portion thereof is forward of the Geneva gear. Hence there is no connection between the pinion and Geneva gear. The second link 53 is pivoted intermediate its ends on a pivot pin 56. The other end of the second link 53 has an elongate pin 57 thereon which is normally adapted to be slightly received within the Geneva gear to lock the gear in immobile position. An angled member 58 is permanently aflixed to the base of the pin 57 at one end and to the plunger 59 of a solenoid 69 at the other end. When the solenoid is not actuated the soleniod plunger is in its outermost position due to the force exerted by the tension spring 55 on the

links

52 and 53. However, when the spring biased cup empty switch 61 moves toward the center of the cup aperture due to the fact that there are no cups for it to impinge upon, the solenoid is energized and the solenoid plunger drawn inwardly thereby overcoming the force of the spring, releasing the gear locking pin 57 from engagement with the Geneva gear, and rotating the plate cam 50 in such a manner that before the flat headed pinion pin 45 drops off the step-down portion 51 of the plate cam it engages the Geneva gear and thereby rotates the magazine. Note that a ntunber of cups may be positioned above the dispensing cams but below the cup emptly switch 61 since the switch is positioned a distance above the cup holding surfaces of the dispensing cams. In this manner a full cup magazine may be rotated into dispensing position prior to the time the device is completely out of cups despite the fact that'the individual cup stack is devoid of cups. From the device as so far explained it should be clear that the invention utilizes a single motor to perform a cup dispensing operation as well as a magazine rotation operation.

The circuitry utilized with the device is illustrated in FIGURE 6. When a coin is received in the coin mechanism it serves either alone or in conjunction with a selection switch to close a vend switch 62. When the vend switch 62 is closed power is applied to the motor assembly 32 and the motor serves to drive the dispensing cam 34 and switch cam 47. A full cycle switch 63 having a switch arm 64 which is normally positioned in the indented portion 48 of the switch cam 47 is closed as the switch cam 47 rotates and a holding power circuit is formed. This holding circuit is necessary since the closing of the vend switch is only of sufiicient duration to get the motor started and the switch cam rotated enough to close the full cycle switch. As the motor continues to operate, the cam 34 actuates the cam follower assembly 36 which in turn causes the dispensing cams in the cup ring to dispense a cup. Before the switch cam 47 has fully rotated so as to position the switch arm 64 in the indented portion and thereby open the holding circuit the cam 34 and cam follower assembly 36 are brought back to initial position. When the switch arm 64 again enters the cam recess 48 the holding circuit is opened and the entire circuit is ready again for operation upon insertion of another coin.

The operation of the circuitry is identical when an empty cup magazine is positioned over the cup aperture. However, the spring biased cup empty switch 61 is closed due to the lack of a cup in its path. Power then flows through the switch 61 to a relay 65 which serves to close a switch 66.

Relay 65 continues to hold switch 66 closed and power flows to the solenoid 60 causing plunger 59 to be withdrawn. When this occurs pin 57 moves out of engagement with the Geneva gear and the corresponding movement of the

links

52 and 53 causes the plate cam St to be slightly rotated to position the step-down portion 51 substantially beneath a portion of the Geneva gear. During this time the pinion 43 is rotating and the pin 45 is being raised by virtue of its contact with the inclining face of the cam 50. Just before the pin falls off the step-down portion 51 it engages the Geneva gear and the gear and cup magazine are thereby rotated by the pinion. The pinion and Geneva gear, respectively, are located in such a manner that when the gear is rotated by the pinion the cup magazine is rotated only a distance sufficient to position another turret above the cup opening. By the time this occurs the pinion has rotated out of engagement with the Geneva gear. When the switch cam 47 has completed a revolution the switch arm 64 reenters the indent 48 to open the holding circuit and de-energize the circuit.

While it is not necessary for carrying out the inventive concept herein involved, the relay 65 can also be utilized to close the switch 70 to power a solenoid 71. Coin blocking fingers and/ or a warning light could be activated by the solenoid 71 so as to prevent or alert the customer to the fact that he should not insert change at that particular moment since to do so would not accomplish a vend cycle but these are not shown for the sake of convenience.

It can be seen from the embodiment shown and described that I have provided a relatively simple, inexpensive cup dispenser which has the capability of larger, more expensive and more complicated cup dispensers.

While a single embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therefrom without departing from the invention and therefore it is intended for the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A cup dispenser of the type having a multiturret cup magazine containing a plurality of cup stacks, comprising in combination at least one cup dispensing cam associated with the magazine and adapted to dispense cups from the turret in closest proximity thereto, motive means operatively connected to and adapted to activate said dispensing cam, magazine driving means operatively connected to said motive means and comprising a rotated pinion having a portion thereof which is movable into engagement with said magazine to index same, adjustable means associated with said magazine driving means and having a second position wherein a portion thereof is engageable with said movable portion of said pinion to move said movable portion into engagement with said magazine and a first position wherein it is incapable of doing such, cup sensing means for sensing the depletion of cups in the turret in closest proximity to said cup dispensing cam, a power ircuit including said adjustable means and said cup sensing means, said sensing means when operated due to cup depletion adapted to close said circuit to provide power to said adjustable means to move it from said first to said second position.

2. A cup dispenser of the type used in vending machines and having a multi-turret rotatable cup magazine which is adapted to contain a supply of cups, comprising in combination a plurality of circularly arranged inter-connected cup dispensing cams normally disposed beneath the dispensing turret of the cup magazine and adapted when activated to dispense a single cup, a motor operatively connected to said cup dispensing cams and when operated adapted to cause said cup dispensing cams to dispense a cup, a gear positively connected to said cup magazine, a pinion having a downwardly biased fiat-headed pin thereon, said pinion being located in close proximity to said gear and being operatively connected to said motor and being driven thereby, a plate cam disposed beneath said pinion in such a manner that the pinion pin travels over at least a portion of the face thereof, said plate cam having a step-down portion on the face thereof and being movable from a first position wherein the step-down portion is forward of the gear to a second position wherein the stepdown portion is substantially beneath a portion of the gear wherein when said pinion is rotated and said plate cam is in said first position the pinion pin drops off the step-down portion of the plate cam and passes beneath the gear but when said plate cam is in said second position the pinion pin engages the gear before it drops off the stepdown portion of the plate cam and remains engaged therewith for a length of time sufiicient to rotate the cup magazine to position another turret above the cup dispensing cams, a normally open spring biased cup empty sensing switch adapted to sense the depletion of cups within the dispensing turret, a solenoid operatively connected in a circuit which includes said cup empty switch, spring biased link means connected at one end to the plate cam and at the other end to the solenoid plunger and adapted to normally retain the plate cam in said first position, said cup empty switch being interposed in a circuit between said motor and said solenoid and when allowed to close due to the depletion of cups in the dispensing turret serving to close a circuit to said solenoid to cause said link means to move said plate cam from said first to second position to allow said pinion to engage said gear in order to rotate said cup magazine.

3. A cup dispenser of the type having a magazine which includes at least two cup containing turrets, at least one dispensing cam normally disposed in close proximity to one of the turrets and adapted to dispense cups singly from the turret then associated therewith, and a motor operatively connected to said dispensing cam and adapted when operated to cause said dispensing cam to dispense cups from said turret, the improvement therein comprising indexing means connected to said motor and being driven thereby and having a second position wherein it positively engages a portion of said magazine so as to position the other of said turrets in association with said dispensing cam and a first normal position wherein it does not positively engage a portion of said magazine, operating means adapted to be connected to said motor for moving said indexing means from said first thru said second and back to said first position, said indexing means comprising a pinion having a movable portion which is capable of being positioned to engage a portion of said magazine, a plate cam having at least a portion thereof disposed in close proximity to said pinion to engage said pinion portion and being movable between a position wherein it moves said movable pinion portion into engagement with said magazine to a position wherein it does not so move said movable pinion portion, and sensing means positioned to normally sense the depletion of cups in the turret then associated with said dispensing cam and when so sensing the depletion of cups adapted to connect said operating means to said motor to enable said indexing means to position the other of said turrets in association with said dispensing cam.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said operating means comprises a solenoid adapted to be activated by said motor and means activated by said solenoid and connected to said plate cam to move said plate cam into a position wherein it is capable of moving said movable pinion portion into engagement with said magazine.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said sensing means comprises a power circuit between said motor and said solenoid and a normally open cup sensing switch located in said circuit and positioned to engage the cups being dispensed from the turret associated with said dispensing cam so that when said cups become depleted said solenoid is energized to initiate the indexing action.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein a full cycle switch 'cam mechanism is connected to said motor to form a holding circuit of sufificient duration to allow cup dispensing and indexing if necessary to be accomplished.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said adjustable means comprises a movable plate member having a second posi tion wherein it is capable of engaging said movable portion of said pinion to move said portion into engagement with said magazine to index same and a first position wherein it is incapable of moving said movable portion of said pinion, link means connected at one end to said plate member, and solenoid means connected to the other end of said link means whereby activation of said solenoid means serves to cause said link means to move said plate member from said second to said first position.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said plate member comprises a partially rotatable disc cam.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein resilient means are operatively connected to said link means to normally 7 retain said disc cam in said first position and to return said disc earn from said second to said first position.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein a gear is provided in conjunction with said magazine which is capable of being engaged by said movable portion of said pinion to index said magazine.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said movable portion of said pinion comprises a pin which is movable in a direction parallel to the axis of said pinion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,374,168 4/1945 Bowman 221104 2,433,736 12/1947 Carew 2211l 2,542,067 2/1951 Waite et a1 221--104 2,732,098 l/1956 Lime et a1. 22111 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

WALTER SOBIN, Examiner.

Claims

1. A CUP DISPENSER OF THE TYPE HAVING A MULTITURRET CUP MAGAZINE CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF CUP STACKS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AT LEAST ONE CUP DISPENSING CAM ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAGAZINE AND ADAPTED TO DISPENSE CUPS FROM THE TURRET IN CLOSET PROXIMITY THERETO, MOTIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO AND ADAPTED TO ACTIVATE SAID DISPENSING CAM, MAGAZINE DRIVING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOTIVE MEANS AND COMPRISING A ROTATED PINION HAVING A PORTION THEREOF WHICH IS MOVABLE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MAGAZINE TO INDEX SAME, ADJUSTABLE MEMBER ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MAGAZINE DRIVING MEANS AND HAVING A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN A PORTION THEREOF IS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID MOVABLE PORTION OF SAID PINION TO MOVE SAID MOVABLE PORTION INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MAGAZINE AND A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN IT IS INCAPABLE OF DOING SUCH, CUP SENSING MEANS FOR SENSING THE DEPLETION OF CUPS IN THE TURRET IN CLOSEST PROXIMITY TO SAID CUP DISPENSING CAM, A POWER CIRCUIT INCLUDING SAID ADJUSTABLE MEANS AND SAID CUP SENSING MEANS, SAID SENSING MEANS WHEN OPERATED DUE TO CUP DEPLETION ADAPTED TO CLOSE SAID CIRCUIT TO PROVIDE POWER TO SAID ADJUSTABLE MEANS TO MOVE IT FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND POSITION.