US3487906A

US3487906A - Coin freed vending machines

Info

Publication number: US3487906A
Application number: US651524A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward Park; Donald Taylor
Original assignee: EDDON Manufacturing CO
Current assignee: EDDON Manufacturing CO
Priority date: 1966-07-18
Filing date: 1967-07-06
Publication date: 1970-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 1987-01-06
Also published as: BE701177A; CH472082A; NL6709888A; AT278413B; SE312023B; GB1137059A

Description

fly W 5. Wm ET AL 3%23906 COIN FREED VENDING MACHINES Filed July 3.96? 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan M 1970 E. PARK ET AL COIN FREED VENDING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6, 196

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United States Patent Int. Cl. G07f 11/18 US. Cl. 194-58 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coin freed machine for concurrently freeing an article and change coins. Both the article and the change coins are arranged in piles, the article pile resting on the drawer and the drawer including means extending upwardly therefrom for causing movement of the lowermost coin in the change pile to a position to be removed by a purchaser.

This invention relates to coin freed machines for vending individual articles of the kind in which a coin inserted by the purchaser frees mechanism that may then be operated by him to obtain an article.

It is sometimes desirable to be able to provide a coin or coins in change as well as the article to be sold and it is an object of the present invention to provide for such a contingency.

According to one feature the present invention consists in a coin freed machine of the kind referred to for vending individual articles stored in a pile in which operation of the coin freed mechanism by the purchaser acts to separate the lowermost article from the pile and the lowermost coin from a pile of coins, stored as change, and present said article and coin for removal by the purchaser.

According to another feature the present invention consists in a coin freed machine of the kind referred to for vending individual articles stored in a pile comprising a coin freed member adapted for to and fro movement by the purchaser on the insertion of a coin and means operated by movement of said member for separating the lowermost article from the pile and the lowermost coin from a pile of coins, stored as change, and present said article and coin for removal by the purchaser.

According to a further feature the present invention consists in a coin freed machine of the kind referred to for vending individual articles stored in a pile comprising a coin freed slide adapted for to and fro movement by the purchaser on the insertion of a coin, means associated with the slide for separating the lowermost article from the pile and further means associated with the slide for separating the lowermost coin from a pile of coins, stored as change, said means and said further means being effective to provide their separating actions and to present the separated coin and article for removal by the purchaser on movement of the slide by him.

According to a still further feature the present invention consists in a coin freed machine of the kind referred to for vending individual articles stored in a pile comprising a coin freed drawer adapted to support said pile with the lowermost article resting on the drawer, means for positioning a pile of coins ready for delivery as change, means on the drawer for engaging the lowermost article, and means associated with the drawer for engaging the lowermost coin in the pile, said two engaging means being adapted to separate the said lowermost article and the lowermost coin from their respective piles for presentation to the purchaser when the drawer is 3,487,906 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 moved after it has been freed for movement by the insertion of the appropriate coinage.

The means for positioning a pile of coins ready for delivery as change may comprise a hopper mounted above the drawer and adapted to contain said pile of coins one above the other, the cross section of said hopper corresponding substantially to the surface of a coin to be delivered.

The hopper may be closed at its lower end and said end may be slotted to permit the passage of the associated means to engage the lowermost coin in the pile.

The hopper may be open at its lower end and be mounted so that said lower end is located the height above a coin receiving surface of the drawer equal to the thickness of a mint coin plus a clearance such that when the drawer is closed, one coin only can lie between said lower end and said receiving surface.

Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show a machine suitable for vending individual cigars.

In the drawings:

FIGURES 1 to 5 illustrate one form of the invention, FIGURE 1 being a plan of a drawer, and FIGURE 2 a side elevation. FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of a single moulding comprising three coin hoppers, and FIG- URE 4 is a plan of FIGURE 3, while FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of a machine showing the parts illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 4 in their assembled condition.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of a drawer similar to FIGURE 2, but illustrating a modified form of coin engaging mechanism.

FIGURE 7 is another view similar to FIGURE 2 illustrating a further modification of coin engaging means.

Referring first to FIGURE 5 which shows a machine with its front removed, 1, 2, 3 and 4 are the top, bottom and two side walls of the outer machine casing and 5, 6, 7 and 8 are corresponding parts of an inner framework, said framework being positioned within the outer casing by

distance pieces

9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. 14 is the rear wall of the framework.

The top 5 slopes downwardly from the front of the machine and below it there is mounted a sloping panel 15 said top 5 and panel 15 being interconnected by sloping strips 16, 17 so that the top 5, panel 15 and strips 16, 17 constitute a sloping flared opening leading to a coin slot (not shown).

The coin slot which is behind the wall 14, directs coins through a passageway behind the wall 14 to a coin freed mechanism generally shown at 19. The mechanism 19 is of a known kind in that a cam plate 20 is pivotally mounted on a panel 21, said plate having an upstanding tooth 22 adapted to engage teeth of a rack 23 mounted on the bottom of a drawer 24, to prevent said drawer being opened. When a coin 25 is fed to the position shown, between the edge of the cam plate 20 and a fixed metal strip 26 and the drawer is pulled by its handle 27 it acts to pull the coin with it so that the coin pivots the tooth 22 clear of the rack 23 and so the drawer may be opened. The coin then falls into a till 28 so that, on return of the drawer, the tooth and rack again lock the drawer.

The above is a description of a suitable coin freed mechanism. The invention is not however limited to its use but relates to any coin freed mechanism that permits its operation by a purchaser to obtain an article when he has inserted a coin, or coins.

The drawer 24 is mounted for to and fro movement in

guideways

29, 30 said guideways, which are preferably of thermoplastic material but may be made from other materials being secured to the walls 7, 8. 32 and 33 are guideways for receiving the ends of the cigars and it is to be understood that corresponding guideways are also secured behind the

guideways

32, 33 so that the cigars are maintained in a magazine as a pile with the lowermost one resting on the drawer. In practice the corresponding guideways above referred to comprise a wooden or like panel extending right across the length of the cigars and up to the top of the

guides

32, 33, but this is not illustrated as it would obscure the rear wall 14.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, the drawer comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface 31 except for the coin receiving surfaces to be hereinafter described. Towards the front the drawer is gapped at 35 transversely to provide a support for the lowermost cigar 36 of a pile thereof (not shown). The gap is preferably lined with a soft material e.g. baize, and it is lined in such a way that the upper side 37 of the cigar is just above the upper edge of the rear wall 38 of the gap.

39 is a coin slot and 229, 230 guides adapted to slide in the

guideways

29, 30.

40, 41 and 42 are coin receiving surfaces for pennies, threepenny pieces, and pennies respectively. These extend from the rear wall 38 of the gap 35 to a position below a single moulding comprising three coin hoppers generally numbered 43 (see FIGURES 3, 4 and and which is hereinafter more fully described. It is convenient to arrange the hoppers as a single moulding but clearly they may be separate if desired.

The coin receiving surfaces are shallow and equal in depth to the thickness of a worn coin of the kind to be dispensed, and each receiving surface comprises a

wall

44, 45, 46 that constitutes a coin engaging means adapted to engage a coin when the drawer is pulled out by the purchaser.

The moulding 43 comprises three

coin hoppers

47, 48, 49 corresponding in cross section to the diameters of a penny, a threepenny piece and a penny respectively. It will be seen that these hoppers are open at the top and bottom and that they are also discontinuous at the front (lower end as seen in FIGURE 4) so that coins may readily be stacked therein. 50 and 51 are flanges that are slotted at 52, 53 to permit of adjustment of the moulding up and down.

The above described machine is set ready for operation in the following manner. The moulding 43 is loosely secured by means of

wood screws

54, 55 to the wall 14 before the

guideways

32 and 33 and their corresponding guideways are fastened in position. It will be seen that holes are provided in said guideways so that a screw-driver may be inserted.

The moulding 43 is then secured in its correct position with respect to the coin receiving surfaces of the drawer by placing a feeler gauge 0.014" thick between the bottom end of the moulding and the surface 31 of the drawer. The screws are then tightened and the feeler gauge removed. It will be hereinafter explained why a gauge 0.014" thick is used.

A pile of pennies is then loaded into each of the

hoppers

47 and 49 and threepenny pieces in the hopper 48 the lowermost coin in each case resting in the coin receiving surface. a pile of cigars is then loaded into the cigar magazine which is forward of the

hoppers

47 and 49 and above the gap 35. The lowermost cigar in the same manner as the coins rests in the gap 35.

Assuming it is desired to provide a cigar and 5d. in change for a 2/-piece, each coin hopper is prefer-ably loaded with a similar number of coins to the number of cigars in the magazine.

The front is then mounted on the machine and is locked in position.

If now a 2/ -piece is inserted in the machine, it will fall to the position indicated in FIGURE 5. When now the drawer is pulled the coin operates torelease said drawer which can then be pulled out to its fullest extent carrying with it a cigar and behind it a penny in each of the

surfaces

40 and 42 and a threepenny piece in the surface 41.

During the pulling of the drawer the penultimate cigar in the pile will be supported by the upper surface 31 of the drawer, and the change will pass beneath said cigar for presentation to the purchase, while on return of the drawer said penultimate cigar drops into the gap 35.

Further during the pulling of the drawer the penultimate coin in each hopper will be supported by the surface 31, behind the coin receiving surfaces, and on return of the drawer said coins will fall into the coin receiving surfaces 40 to 42 with the walls 44 to 46 engaging behind them ready for the next actuation of the drawer.

It will be appreciated that varying values of coinage as change may be supplied on actuation of the drawer by modifying the coin hoppers and coin receiving surfaces.

Thus a hopper for half-pennies, sixpenny pieces or shillings can be fitted, with corresponding coin receiving surfaces on the drawer, and as hereinafter explained more than one coin may be delivered from a hopper at each actuation.

A modification of the mechansim for delivering is illustrated in FIGURE 6. In this drawing the coin hoppers are closed at the bottom and the coin engaging means comprises a bell crank lever 56 that is biased by a spring (not shown) to assume the position shown in the drawing.

The upright arm, as seen in the drawing, of the lever 56 is of a height such that when the drawer is moved to the right it will engage the lowermost coin in the pile. The hopper is slotted at the rear (i.e. left) of the hopper and across the bottom thereof from left to right to permit the passage of the lever 56. The hopper is preferably discontinuous at the front, similar to that shown in FIGURE 3, throughout the majority of its height, and at the lower end the discontinuity is wider (equal approximately to the diameter of the coin), the height of this greater width being equal to the thickness of a mint com.

When then the drawer is pulled the lever will act to draw the lowermost coin from the pile out of the hopper so that it drops onto the drawer. The depth of the receiving surface in this case is not critical as the coin has only to be engaged by the drawer to a sufiicient extent to overcome friction of the coin passing beneath the pile of cigars.

When the drawer is returned the lever 56 tips against the action of its spring and slides across the bottom of the lowermost coin. As soon as it passes clear of the hopper, the spring reasserts itself and returns the lever 56 to its upright condition. I

In a further modification illustrated in FIGURE 7 the coins are presented to the customer on the return stroke of the drawer. In this case the lever '56 is secured in the reverse manner to that shown in FIGURE 6 while the hopper 47 is closed at the bottom and slotted in a similar manner to that described with regard to FIGURE 6. In this case however the exit slot from the hopper for the coin is at the left or rear side of the hopper. Beneath the hopper tapering holes are cut through the drawer.

In this modification, as the drawer is moved to the right, the lever 56 tips against its spring and passes beneath the lowermost coin. On the return stroke the lever reasserts itself and pushes out the lowermost coin which falls through the hole in the drawer to a passageway from which it may be extracted by the purchaser.

In another method of presentation of coins on the return stroke of the drawer, the rear end of the drawer normally obturates the lower end of an open bottomed hopper and said rear end is substantially equal in thickness to the thickness of a coin to be dispensed. A platform is located opposite the lower end of the hopper immediately beneath the rear end of the drawer, so that on opening the drawer a coin is deposited on the platform and on the return stroke the coin is pushed off and falls to a discharge opening for presentation to the purchaser.

In this case the coin hopper is adjusted to leave a space between the platform and the bottom of the coin hopper equal to the thickness of a mint coin plus a clearance of 0.003". Assuming the space is adjusted to the penny dimension the clearance will be 0.065"+0.003"=0.068". This will permit a penny or a half-penny to be deposited on the platform without danger of a second such coin being delivered. To permit a threepenny piece to be delivered the platform must be channelled or recessed below the threepenny hopper to a depth of 0.1050.068" =0.037". These dimensions are hereinafter more fully explained.

In the machine described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 and the modification not illustrated for presenting coins on the return stroke of the drawer, that is to say machines in which the coin hoppers are open at the bottom, it is of importance that the hopper moulding shall be set at the correct height above the drawer or platform as the case may be. It has been stated with respect to FIGS. 1 to 5 that this height is equal to the thickness of a mint coin plus a clearance of 0.014". With respect to the unillustrated modification it has been stated to be 0.068" for a penny hopper and 0.037 for a threepenny piece.

These figures are arrived at in the following explanation.

A mint penny is approximately 0.065" thick and it has been found that most pennies wear about 0.001" every ten years, and that therefore the thinnest penny i.e. a worn coin in normal use is about 0.054" in thick ness. It is necessary to ensure that a penny on its coin receiving surface 40 will act as an obturator to prevent a second coin falling from the hopper. Thus the distance between the upper surface of a penny on the surface 40 and the lower end of the hopper 43 must be less than the thickness of an average thickness coin, but for the purpose of explanation the minimum thickness likely to be met with (i.e. worn coin) will be used viz: 0.054. The surface 40 must also be capable of containing a penny of mint thickness viz: 0.065". Furthermore the coin engaging wall 44 must not be higher than 0.054 or it may engage a second coin that is partly in the hopper and cause a jam. It is also desirable to leave a clearance between the upper surface of a mint coin and the lower end of the hopper 43 and it is thought that approximately 0.003" is a reasonable clearance.

From the above it will be appreciated that the wall 44 is 0.054", a mint coin stands proud above said wall by 0.065" -0.054=0.011, to Which must be added the 0.003" clearance. Therefore the coin hopper 43 must be adjusted so that the height between the lower end of said hopper and the normal surface of the drawer (at say 31, see FIGS. 1 and 2) is 0.011 plus 0.003"=0.014".

Although a half-penny is thinner than 1d., a similar arrangement applies since a thin /2d. is about 0.047" and a mint one is about 0.058". This requires that the coin engaging wall shall be 0.047", a mint /2d. will be proud by 0.0580.047=0.011". Add the 0.003" clearance and the same figure of 0.014" is arrived at.

In the case of a 3d. piece a worn one approximates to 0.100" so the coin engaging wall 45 will be 0.100. A mint coin is about 0.105". In this case the difference is 0.005". If the same clearance between the coin hopper 43 and the normal surface 31 of the drawer is provided i.e. 0.014, this will leave a clearance of 0.009" between the upper surface of a mint coin and the lower end of the coin hopper 43. 0.009 is insuflicient to permit another 3d. piece to fall from the hopper.

All that is necessary therefore to set up the hopper moulding for use is to loosen the

screws

54, 55 and slip a feeler gauge 0.014 thick between the bottom of the hoppers and the top 31 of the drawer and then tighten the screws again.

A Slight variation is required if say the penny hopper is required to deliver two pennies. In the cast the height of wall must be 2X0.054"=0.108", the thickness of two mint pennies=2 0.06 5"=0.130", the mint pennies stand proud by 0.130-0.108=0.022", add the clearance of 0.003" then the feeler gauge setting will be 0.025".

In practice if a gauge setting of 0.025" is used in a machine that involves a single /2d. hopper, a single 3d. piece hopper and a penny hopper for delivering two pennies, this will not allow even a worn /zd. (0.047") to fall on to a thin one on the coin receiving surface, which is the most difficult condition to allow for.

Instead of cutting the coin receiving surface from the drawer they may conveniently be provided by recessing the drawer throughout its width and securing thereto a thermoplastic or like moulding provided with the desired recessed coin receiving surfaces. In either case the coin receiving surface for the pennies may be made suitable for modifying to provide for two pennies by securing a thin wafer (corresponding in thickness to a worn penny0.054") to a 0.108 coin receiving surface. As such it will be suitable for delivering 1d., but when the wafer is removed it will be suitable for two pennies.

The above arrangement in which the coin receiving surfaces are below the normal surface of the drawer meets the case where the lowermost article is engaged by the wall 38, on opening the drawer, .and the remaining articles rest on the platform 31. The coins in change slide beneath the pile of articles for presentation to the purchaser.

As an alternative however, for example when a narrower article is being sold, the coin receiving surfaces may be at the normal level of the drawer but beyond the extremities of the articles so that coins in change do not have to pass beneath the articles. In that case the lower ends of the hoppers may be varied i.e. the lower end of a penny hopper will be 0.068 from the drawer, a halfpenny lower end 0.061" and a threepenny piece 0.108". A coin engaging wall 0.047" high is then provided on the drawer and this is continued rearwards and will effectively obturate all three of the coin hoppers.

In this alternative if two pennies have to be delivered from the 1d. hopper, as the rear wall is only 0.047" high it may not engage the second penny, so the wall and the continuation at the penny hopper must be raised to a height sufiicient to engage the second 101., e.g. about 0.070".

What is claimed is:

1. In a coin freed machine for vending articles stored in a pile comprising a unitary, generally flat drawer adapted to support said article pile with the lowermost article resting thereon, a hopper located above the drawer adapted to contain a pile of coins ready for delivery as change, a locking device engaging said drawer and normally preventing removal thereof from the machine, a drawer release means for releasing the drawer from the said locking device for outward and return movement upon insertion of appropriate coinage into the machine by a purchaser, said drawer release means including a slot in said drawer for receiving a coin in such a position that as the drawer is moved out of the machine, the coin moves with the drawer, unlocking the said locking device, to permit outward movement of the drawer from the machine, an article engaging means on the drawer extending upwardly from the drawer for removing the lowermost article from the article pile, on the outward movement of the drawer, to a position where the article is free to be removed by the purchaser, and a coin engaging member extending upwardly from the surface of the drawer and formed as a part of the drawer, to engage and remove the lowermost coin from the coin pile during movement of the drawer, to move the lowermost coin to a position where the coin is free to be removed by the purchaser.

2. A coin freed machine for vending articles stored in a pile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coin hopper is open at its lower end and the lowermost coin thereof rests on the drawer and is moved to said position for removal as the drawer is moved inwardly.

3. A coin freed vending machine for vending articles stored in a pile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coin hopper is closed at its lower end and is slotted to permit the coin engaging member to pass through the slot to engage the lowermost coin and to permit said coin to be moved transversely from the bottom of the pile.

4. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the coin engaging member is operative to deliver a coin onto the drawer on its said outward movement.

5. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the coin engaging member is operative to engage a coin on the said return movement of the drawer and deliver it to a passageway for removal by the purchaser.

6. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the hopper is open at its lower end and is mounted so that said lower end is located the height above a coin receiving surface of the drawer equal to the thickness of a mint coin plus a clearance such that when the drawer is closed, one coin only can lie between said lower end and said receiving surface.

7. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the associated coin engaging means is equal in height to the thickness of a worn coin.

8. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 6, in which the associated coin engaging means comprises a wall on the drawer whose upper edge is continued rearwardly and horizontally to provide a raised surface of the drawer, which raised surface provides an obturator to prevent a further coin being delivered to the drawer when the drawer is opened.

9. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 6 in which the associated coin engaging means is provided by arranging the coin receiving surface of the drawer below its normal surface i.e. as a recess in said normal surface having at least a partly surrounding wall, and the portion of said Wall behind the coin constitutes the associated coin engaging means.

10. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for engaging the lowermost article in the pile comprises a wall on the drawer, whose height is slightly less than the height of the article for sale, the upper edge of said wall being continued rearwardly as an upper surface so that, on opening the drawer, the lowermost article is removed from the pile and said upper surface supports the remainder of the pile of articles.

11. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 9 in which the coin receiving surface below the normal surface of the drawer is arranged on the upper surface extending rearwardly from an article engaging wall.

12. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of piles of coins as change, which piles may be for similar or different denominations.

13. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the hopper or hoppers are discontinuous as to their cross section, that is to say they are gapped throughout their height, the width of said gap being slightly less than the diameter of the coins to be piled therein.

14. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 12 in which hoppers comprise a single moulding made for instance from thermoplastic material and the associated coin engaging means also comprises a single moulding made, for example, from thermoplastic material.

15. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 14 in which the lower end of a single moulding containing a plurality of hoppers is in one plane and is set at the height above the coin receiving surfaces equal to the thickness of the thickest mint coin to be delivered, plus a clearance, while the height of the coin engaging Wall is equal to the thickness of a worn coin of the thinnest denomination to be delivered.

16. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 14 in which the lower end of the single moulding is stepped at different heights above the drawer according to the denomination of the coin to be delivered, each said height corresponding to the thickness of a mint coin plus a clearance, of the denomination concerned, and the coin engaging wall is equal in height to the thickness of a worn coin of the thinnest denomination to be delivered.

17. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the associated coin engaging means for one or more of the hoppers is equal in height to the thickness of a plurality of average coins, for example it ma be equal to the thickness of two coins, in which case a corresponding number of coins will be delivered as change from said hopper or hoppers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Barnard 194-68 STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner