US3312371A - Vending machine interlock mechanism - Google Patents

Description

April 4, 1967 J. L. SHARPE VENDING MACHINE INTERLOCK MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1966 April 4, 1967 J. L. SHARPE 3,312,371

VENDING MACHINE INTERLOCK MECHANISM Filed Jan. 5. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR James L. Sharpe BY w vg a ATTORNEY United States Patent 3 312 371 VENDING MACHINE INTERLOCK MECHANISM James L. Sharpe, Morris Plains, N.J., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 518,472 8 Claims. (Cl. 221-125) The present invention relates to vending machines and more particularly to an interlock mechanism for a multiple column, multiple choice vending machine.

Vending machines of the multiple choice, multiple column type having a plurality of individually operable vending mechanisms provided with an interlock arrangement to prevent the simultaneous operation of more than one vending mechanism are well known. An example of a vending machine of the multiple column type is described in the copending patent application of Francis A. Gasparini, Ser. No. 451,579, filed Apr. 28, 1965, entitled, Vending Machine and assigned to the same assignee as the present application for patent. There are many types of interlock mechanisms to prevent the simultaneous operation of more than one vending mechanism or to prevent the operation of any vending mechanism when the machine is to remain locked as at times when a coin has not been deposited or the like.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified yet reliable interlock mechanism for a vending machine of the type having a plurality of individually operable vending mechanisms.

In accordance with the invention, a plurality of interlock segments are rotatably mounted in axial alignment for rotation about their axes of alignment. The abutting ends of each segment are provided with interlocking projections with wedging surfaces for reception of a wedging member therebetween to cause respective rotation of such abutting segments in opposite directions and consequent rotations of all aligned interlocking segments. Each vending mechanism is provided with a respective wedging member which must be moved between respective wedging surfaces of different respective abutting interlock segments to enable the respective vending mechanisms to be operated. Resilient means are connected to respective end ones of the aligned interlock segments in a manner to cause the opposing and interlocking wedging surfaces of each interlock segment to move towards each other and normally position the respective wedging surfaces in alignment with the respective wedging member of each vending mechanism but allow rotatable movement of the segments when a wedging member is inserted between a respective pair of interlock segment wedge surfaces. When a Wedging member is inserted between a respective pair of interlock segment wedge surfaces, all of the interlock segments are consequently rotated so that all other interlock segment wedge surfaces are at that time out of alignment with their respective wedge members, thus preventing the insertion of another wedging member and the simultaneous operation of any other vending mechanism. A locking member is positioned to normally engage and prevent rotation of one interlock "ice segment thus preventing the rotation of all interlock segments and preventing operation of any vending mechanism at a time when the vending machine is to be locked. The locking member is movable out of engagement with the one interlock segment to permit rotation of all of the interlock segments and thus unlock the machine such as upon the deposit of a suitable coinage or the like.

Further objects, features and the attendant advantages of the invention will be apparent with reference to the following specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view partly in section of the vending gate mechanisms for a multiple column, multiple choice vending machine to which the interlock mechanism of the invention is applied to prevent the simultaneous operation of more than one vending gate mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a perspective elevational view of the aligned interlock segments of the invention as shown in their normal position and locked against rotation when the entire machine is to be locked;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the interlock segments unlocked and rotated to the positions assumed when one of the vending mechanisms is operated and its wedge member is inserted between the wedging surfaces of a pair of abutting interlock segments;

FIG. 4 is a perspective elevational view of a single one of the interlock segments; and

FIG. 5 is a detailed end view showing the resilient means engaging the interlock segment at one end of the aligned row of interlock segments.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the vending gate portions of a multiple column, multiple choice manually operated vending machine are shown in some detail although they will not be described herein except as necessary for an understanding of the interlock arrangement of the invention. It a detailed understanding of the functioning of the vending gate mechanism shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings is desired, reference may be made to the previously mentioned copending application, Ser. No. 451,579. For purposes of describing the present invention it is pointed out that the vending machine includes a plurality of columns, such as the columns 1043, each provided with a vending gate controlled by respective vend shafts 14-17. The vending gate mechanism is movable from a locked position for vending upon rotation of a respective one of the vend shafts 14-17 first in a clockwise direction and then back in a counterclockwise direction. In order to rotate a vend shaft such as the shaft 15 for vending an article from the column 11, for example, the roller 20 must be free to move as the shaft 15 rotates first in the clockwise direction. In order to enable the roller 20 to move to the left of the drawing for the initial clockwise movement of the vend shaft 15, the member 21 must be able to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot point 22. This will be understood when it is realized that the roller 20 is engaging a cam roller surface 23 of the member 21. The interlock member 21 can be moved counterclockwise only a short distance until its interlock segment wedge member or projection 24 must move down between a pair of respective interlock segment wedge surfaces such as shown at and 26. Assuming that the vending machine is locked because no coins have been deposited, the interlock segments 27 and 28 will be prevented from rotating because the coin lock member 2 is engaging the interlock projections 30 of the interlocksegrnent 28. It will also be noted that the interlock segment 28 has an interlock projection 31 abutting and engaging the interlock projection 32 of the interlock segment 27 thus preventing the rotation of the interlock segment 27 so long as the lock member 29 is in the position shown by FIG. 2 of the drawings. Similarly, all other interlock segments are thus prevented from rotation. Upon the deposit of suitable coinage, the solenoid 33 will be energized to lift the lock lever 34 and its locking surface 29 out of engagement with the projection 30 for the interlock segment 28 so as to permit the rotation of the segment 28 upon the insertion of the wedge member 24 between the wedge surfaces 25 and 26 causing consequent rotation of both of the interlock segments 27 and 28.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-5 of the drawings, the details of the interlock segments of the invention will now be described. A single interlock segment is shown in FIG. 4 and is seen to be a cylindrical member 27 having the interlock projections 26 and 32 at its respective ends. All of the interlock segments such as the segment 27 shown by FIG. 4 of the drawings are drilled axially of their length and are freely rotatably mounted on a shaft in a position in general alignment with the plurality of vend mechanisms. The end interlock segment 28 is provided with a locking projection 30 as previously men- 7 tioned for engagement with the locking end 29 of the lock lever 34. A coil spring 41 is secured between the pin 42 of the stationary abutment 43 and the pin 44 on the interlock projection 3% of the interlock segment 28 in a manner to constrain the interlock segment 28 in the clockwise direction. Similarly, a coil spring 45 (FIG. 1) is affixed between a stationary portion of the mechanism and the interlock segment 31 at the other end of the row of aligned interlock segments. The arrangement of the coil spring 45 is such as to constrain the other end interlock segment 31 to move in the counterclockwise direction. Thus, the tensile forces of the coil springs 41 and 45 are opposing and balanced with the interlock segments assuming the normal positions shown by FIG. 2 of the drawings with their respective wedging surfaces such as the wedging surfaces 25 and 26, 47 and 48, or 49 and 50 inalignment with the wedging members of the respective vending mechanisms such as the wedging member 24 or the wedging members 51 and 52.

With the interlock segments in their normal positions shown by FIG. 2 of the drawings but with the locking member 29 raised out of engagement with the interlock projection 30 to the position shown by FIG. 3 of the drawings, a wedge member such as the wedge member 24 may be inserted between the wedge surfaces 25 and 26 to rotate the interlock segments 27 and 28 in the counterclockwise direction against the tension of coil spring 41 and to rotate the remaining interlock segments including the interlock segment 31 in the clockwise direction against the tension of the coil spring 45, to the position shown by FIG. 3 of the drawings. With the wedge member 24 inserted in the interlock segments rotated as described, none of the other vending mechanism wedge surfaces such as shown at 51 and 52 may move downward into engagement with respective wedge surfaces such as the surfaces 47, 48 or 49, 50, since these wedge surfaces are now rotated out of alignment with the wedge members 51 and 52. In such a manner the operation of more than one vending mechanism is prevented since it is impossible to rotate the associated vend shaft sufficiently far enough to complete the vending operation. Upon completion of the single vending operation which had moved the wedge member 24 downward between the wedge surfaces 25 and 26, the wedge member 24 will be withdrawn and the interlock segments will all rotate back to their normal position shown by FIG. 2 of the drawings in response to the constraints of the coil springs 41 and 45.

It will be noted that the number of interlock segments such as the segments 27 and 28 and 31 is equal to the number of vending mechanisms to be interlocked plus one. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to such a number of interlock segments inasmuch as it may be desired to interlock all of the individual operable vending mechanisms. In the case of interlocking a lesser number of individually operable vending mechanisms than the total number of vending mechanisms in the machine it will be obvious that a lesser number of interlock segments may be required. Also the arrangement of the lock bar 29 may be revised to substitute for the wedge surface 48 of the interlock segment 28 so as to eliminate the necessity for the end position interlock segment 28.

Various modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vending machine having a plurality of vending mechanisms to be interlocked, each individually operable to vend merchandise, the interlock mechanism for preventing the simultaneous operation of more than one vending mechanism comprising a plurality of interlock segments, means rotatably mounting said segments in axial alignment with each other for rotation about their axes of alignment, the abutting ends of each segment in their normal positions having interlocking projections with wedging surfaces for reception of a wedging member therebetween to cause respective rotations of the abutting segments in opposite directions and consequent rotation of all aligned segments, and a respective wedging member operatively associated with respective ones of the vending mechanisms for movement to be received between respective wedging surfaces of adjacent interlocking projections of said interlock segments whereby reception of any one wedging member upon operation of any one vending mechanism will rotate all interlock projections to positions preventing the reception of the other respective wedging members and hence the operation of all other vending mechanisms.

2. The vending machine interlock mechanism of claim 1 in which the plurality of interlock segments is equal to the number of vending mechanisms plus at least one.

3. The vending machine interlock mechanism of claim 1 in which a first resilient meansis connected to an end one of said aligned interlock segments to constrain the segments to rotate in one direction, and a second resilient means is connected to the other end one of said aligned interlock segments to constrain the segments to rotate in the other direction whereby the resilient forces of the first and second resilient means are opposing and said segments are constrained to the normal position with their respective wedging surfaces in alignment with respective ones of said vending mechanism wedging members.

4. The vending machine interlock mechanism of claim 3 in which the plurality of interlock segments is equal to the number of vending mechanisms plus one.

5. The vending machine interlock mechanism of claim 1 in which a locking member is positioned to engage one of said interlock segments to prevent rotation of all of said segments to thereby prevent operation of any vending mechanism and is movable out of engagement with the one interlock segment to permit rotation of all inter lock segments and operation of any one of said vending mechanisms.

6. The vending machine interlock mechanism of claim 2 in which a locking member is positioned to engage one of said interlock segments to prevent rotation of all of said segments to thereby prevent operation of any vending mechanism and is movable out of engagement with the one interlock segment to permit rotation of all interlock segments and operation of any one of said vending mechanisms.

7. The vending machine interlock mechanism of claim 3 in which a locking member is positioned to engage one of said interlock segments to prevent rotation of all of said segments to thereby prevent operation of any vending mechanism and is movable out of engagement with the one interlock segment to permit rotation of all interlock segments and operation of any one of said vending mechanisms.

8. The vending machine interlock mechanism of claim 4 in which a locking member is positioned to engage one of said interlock segments to prevent rotation of all of said segments to thereby prevent operation of any vendthe one interlock segment to permit rotation of all interlock segments and operation of any one of said vending mechanisms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS I Riikonen 221152 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

ing mechanism and is movable out of engagement with 15 RAPHAEL LUPO:

Claims (1)

1. IN A VENDING MACHINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF VENDING MECHANISMS TO BE INTERLOCKED, EACH INDIVIDUALLY OPERABLE TO VEND MERCHANDISE, THE INTERLOCK MECHANISM FOR PREVENTING THE SIMULTANEOUS OPERATION OF MORE THAN ONE VENDING MECHANISM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INTERLOCK SEGMENTS, MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTING SAID SEGMENTS IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER FOR ROTATION ABOUT THEIR AXES OF ALIGNMENT, THE ABUTTING ENDS OF EACH SEGMENT IN THEIR NORMAL POSITIONS HAVING INTERLOCKING PROJECTIONS WITH WEDGING SURFACES FOR RECEPTION OF A WEDGING MEMBER THEREBETWEEN TO CAUSE RESPECTIVE ROTATIONS OF THE ABUTTING SEGMENTS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND CONSEQUENT ROTATION OF ALL ALIGNED SEGMENTS, AND A RESPECTIVE WEDGING MEMBER OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH RESPECTIVE ONES OF THE VENDING MECHANISMS FOR MOVEMENT TO BE RECEIVED BETWEEN RESPECTIVE WEDGING SURFACES OF ADJACENT INTERLOCKING PROJECTIONS OF SAID INTERLOCK SEGMENTS WHEREBY RECEPTION OF ANY ONE WEDGING MEMBER UPON OPERATION OF ANY ONE VENDING MECHANISM WILL ROTATE ALL INTERLOCK PROJECTIONS TO POSITIONS PREVENTING THE RECEPTION OF THE OTHER RESPECTIVE WEDGING MEMBERS AND HENCE THE OPERATION OF ALL OTHER VENDING MECHANISMS.

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