US3810535A

US3810535A - Gumball machine coin bank

Info

Publication number: US3810535A
Application number: US00337850A
Authority: US
Inventors: C Phipps
Original assignee: SUPERIOR TOY Mfg CO Inc
Current assignee: SUPERIOR TOY Mfg CO Inc
Priority date: 1973-03-05
Filing date: 1973-03-05
Publication date: 1974-05-14
Anticipated expiration: 1991-05-14

Abstract

The entire gumball dispensing operating mechanism comprises a subassembly of plastic parts stacked upon a single post which is bifurcated to provide a spring catch to hold all of the parts together. This mechanism, fully assembled as a complete subassembly, is snapped into a housing with which it cooperates in the proper feeding and dispensing of the gumballs.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Phipps GUMBALL MACHINE COIN BANK Cornelius M. Phipps, Glen Ellyn, 111.

Superior Toy Manufacturing Co., Inc., Chicago, 111.

Mar. 5, 1973 Inventor:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

[52] US. Cl 194/85, 221/281, 221/265 [51] Int. Cl. G07f 11/50 [58] Field of Search 194/85, 84, 91, 75, 63;

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,192,019 7/1916 Taylor 221/287 X 1,981,931 11/1934 Vogel et a1. 194/85 2,694,480 11/1954 Mason 194/85 3,413,021 ll/l968 Potts 29/453 11] 3,810,535 [451 May 14,1974

3,419,198 12/1968 Pettersen 222/563 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 265,462 8/1965 Australia 194/85 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-C. A. Marmor Attorney, Agent,- or FirmDarbo, Robertson & Vandenburgh [57] ABSTRACT 9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 1 GUMBALL MACHINE COIN BANK BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Dispensing machines which depend upon a coin for coupling the manually operated actuating mechanism with the dispensing control elements comprise relatively complicated mechanisms and are, therefore, quite expensive. The mounting of the various parts within a supporting and containing housing involve costly labor operations. For these reasons, suitable gumball machines have not been adaptable to the toy field.

The object of the present invention is to provide a dependable gumball dispensing machine which is very inexpensive and therefore commercially feasible for sale and use for non-commercial purposes, such as toys or as coin banks. More particularly stated, the object of the invention is to provide a gumball dispensing coin bank comprised of parts all of which may be made of plastic and which maybe assembled with a minimum of labor cost. i

The achievements and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent as the description thereof proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the gumballdispensing coin bank of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view, partly in cross section, taken at the line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 4 DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT The gumball dispensing coin bank comprises a housing 1 which supports a globe 2 and within which'the dispensing subassembly 3 is mounted and a bottom closure 4. All parts may be made of plastic.

Globe 2, which is preferably transparent, is formed from

hemispheres

5 and 6 cemented together at its equator 7. Hemisphere 6 is open at its bottom and is provided with a cylindrical flange 8 by which the globe is secured to the housing.

The top of housing 1 is recessed to receive flange 8 of the globe which is cemented in position. An opening 9 provides a passageway for the gumballs from the supply globe to the dispensing mechanism below. Flange 10 which is integral with and depends from the top of the housing serves as a barrier in the assembled dispenser to control and direct the movement of the gumballs from the globe to the proper feeding location of the dispensing mechanism as will be explained as the description proceeds. Post 11, also integral with the housing, serves as a detent to hold the transfer rotor in normal ready position as will be seen.

The gumball dispensing subassembly 3 is shown in cross section in FIG. 3 and in the exploded view of FIG. 8. It comprises a floor 12, an actuator 13 and transfer rotor 14, all assembled upon and held together by post 15. In the assembled gumball dispensing machine, floor 12 is stationary while transfer rotor 14 and actuator 13 rotate as required about post 15.

Floor 12 has a circular opening 16 which is large enough to permit gumballs to pass therethrough in filling the globe. Radial slot 17 extends inwardly from the periphery of the floor sufficiently to accommodate the largest coin which the machine is designed to accept. For example, if the machine is to operate with pennies, nickels and dimes, the length of slot 17 would be slightly greater than the diameter of a nickel. A trough 18, which may slope downwardly somewhat from its inner end and which terminates in a recess 19 adapted to receive a dispensed gumball pending manual removal is formed as an integral part of floor 12. A hole is provided at the center of the floor and a cylindrical ferrule 20 rises to a predetermined height from the periphery of this central opening.

Actuator 13 comprises an arcuate segment having a platform 21 which extends to the center of the segment where it is provided with an opening 22 which is somewhat larger in diameter than the outside diameter of the base of ferrule 20. A cylindrical flange 23 rises from the periphery of platform 21, the radius of this flange being somewhat less than the radius of floor 12. A radial coin socket 24 is formed as an integral part of the actuator and leads to a radial slot 25 of sufficient length to" accept the largest coin which the dispenser is adapted to receive.

The transfer rotor 14 is provided with five holes 26 which are larger than the gumballs and which are spaced apart equal angular distances. Between each pair of holes 26 a relatively short radial slot 27 extends inwardly from the periphery of the rotor. An opening 28 is provided at the center of the rotor for post 15. A cylindrical skirt 29 which has an inside diameter greater than that of opening 28 depends from the rotor at its center, leaving a flange 28a extending inwardly at the top of the skirt as a circular shoulder designed to rest upon the top of ferrule 20.

As is best seen in FIGS. 3 and 8, post 15 is provided with a conical head 30 the outside diameter of which is sufficiently greater than that of the post immediately under the head to provide a catch to hold the assembly together. The post may be integral with or cemented to a flat arm 31 which, as will be seen, serves as a door to close till opening 16. A stop 32, is adapted to seat in opening 16 to keep the opening normally closed.

Post 15 is bifurcated to permit the two halves to be squeezed together at the top of the post so that it may pass through opening 28 in assembling the dispensing mechanism. Assembly is accomplished as follows: Floor 12 is placed upon post 15 with stop 32 arranged in opening 16. Actuator 13 is then placed in position upon the floor l2, ferrule 20 extending up through opening 22. The transfer rotor 14 is then forced down upon the post, the two legs of the bifurcated post springing apart after the rotor is down in position with the undersurface of flange 28a in contact with the top of ferrule 20. The subassembly is thus locked together and ready for mounting in the housing.

The upper portion 33 of housing 1 is provided with a wide circumferential slot 34 through which coin socket 24 protrudes and may move in operating the machine. A radial slot 35 in the housing permits the passage of a coin when the coin socket is in alignment with it.

Trough 18 extends out through an opening 36 in the lower portion 37 of the housing.

Three equally angularly spaced catches 38 (FIG. 3) are provided integrally with the housing to retain the floor 12 of the dispenser subassembly in position against the undersurface of the shoulder 39 which is formed at the juncture of the upper and lower portions of the housing. Three equally angularly spaced lugs 40 are provided at the very bottom of the housing to cooperate with catches 41 which are provided at the periphery to housing bottom closure 4 in fastening the latter to the housing. A flange 42 serves to position the closure upon the open bottom of the housing.

To provide a key opening and closing operation for the coin bank, a plastic key 43 (FIGS. 3 and 7) having a pair of spaced lugs 44 is provided for engaging openings 45 in bottom closure 4 to rotate the closure in either locking it in position or removing it. A recess 46 is molded in bottom closure 4 for storage of the key when not in use. Lugs 44 extend through openings in the side of the recess to hold the key in place and the recess is extended at 47 to permit access to the top of the key to remove the same. The key is shown reposing in recess 46 in FIGS. 3 and 7 and is also shown in dotdash lines in position for entering the openings 45 in FIG. ,3.

To mount the dispensing mechanism subassembly in the housing it is only necessary to place it in position with the coin socket and trough extending through slot 34 and opening 36, respectively, and forcing the floor along the inclinedsurfaces of catches 38 until the subassembly snaps into position with the catches 38 supporting the underside of the floor. The gumballs in the globe are confined by the dispenser subassembly and when the bottom closure has been locked into position to complete the money receptacle, the gumball dispenser coin bank is ready for operation.

In upright position, a supply of gumballs in the globe and the actuator in the position shown in FIG. 2; that is, as far to the right as the end of slot 34 will permit, gumballs, such as 48 and 49, FIGS. 2 and 4, will gravitate into the holes 26 of transfer rotor 14 and coin socket 24 is lined up with slot 35 in the housing. When At each extreme position of the actuator shown, respectively, in FIGS. 2 and 4, the end of detent post 11 extends into a slot 27 to hold the transfer rotor in the resulting position subject to the application of sufficient force to overcome the detent and turn the rotor to the next station position. As is indicated in FIG. 4, detent post 11 is in position in a slot 27 when coin slot 25 is in position directly over slot 17. When the actuator is returned to the normal ready position for the next dispensing operation, the rotor is held against movement by the detent post. At this ready position of the actuator, coin socket 24 is again in alignment with slot 35 and with a slot 27 so that another coin may be inserted to couple the actuator with the rotor.

Because the rotor is somewhat flexible and the end of the detent post 11 is provided with an inclined cam surface 51 (FIG. 5), the rotor may be released from the detent position without undue force and the rotor slides along under the end of the detent post until the latter enters the next slot in the transfer rotor.

To remove accumulated coins and/or refill the globe of the machine with gumballs, bottom closure 4 is re moved by rotating it by means of key 43 to release it from the supporting catches. If the supply of gumballs is to be replenished, the machine, with the bottom closure removed, is inverted and arm 31 which normally closes fill opening 16 is pushed to the side as indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 6. The gumballs are then fed a coin, such as coin 50 shown in dotted lines in FIGS.- I

2 and 4, is inserted into the socket 24, it falls down into position with part of the coin remaining within the socket and part resting in a slot 27 of the transfer rotor. The coin thus couples the coin socket 24 of actuator 13 with the transfer rotor 14 so that when the coin socket is then manually moved to the left to the extent permitted by slot 34 the rotor is rotated through the same angle. At this location, coin slot 25 lies exactly above slot 17 in floor 12 so that the coin falls through the latter into the coin box at the bottom of the housing. At this position, shown in FIG. 4, gumball 48 is still resting upon platform 21 of the actuator but is released and falls into trough 18 as coin socket 24, without the coin, is moved back to the beginning position at the right end of slot 24. The'gumball rolls out to the recess 19 where it rests until picked up.

through the fill opening and fall into the globe through the hole 26 which is in alignment with the fill hole (see FIG. 3). The opening is then again closed by arm 31 and bottom closure 4 replaced. The machine is then again ready for operation.

I claim:

1. In a gumball dispensing machine including a housing and a globe mounted thereon and opening thereinto and a dispensing mechanism mounted in the housing; the improvement wherein the dispensing mechanism is a unitary subassembly adapted to be mounted in the housing and comprising: a circular floor having a central opening therein and a ferrule rising from said central opening at the periphery thereof; said floor having a coin slot extending radially inwardly from the periphery of said floor and a gumball receiving trough extending outwardly from the central 'portion of said floor; an actuator including a platform having an opening therein about which said actuator is adapted to rotate and a coin socket arranged radially at the periphery of said actuator including a slot in said platform extending radially inwardly from said socket; a circular transfer rotor having a central opening therein, a plurality of equally angularly spaced gumball receiving openings and an equal number of detent elements equally spaced apart at the periphery of said rotor; and a center post; said center post being headed and bifurcated to form a pair of spring legs and the diameter of the central opening in said transfer rotor is less than the normal diameter of the head of said center post whereby said rotor may be forced upon said post forcing said spring legs together and said head engages the top of said rotor to hold the subassembly together when said rotor .is located below the head on said post; said floor, actuator and rotor being stacked upon and held together in operative relationship by said center post.

2. Structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the head of the center post is conical whereby the spring legs are forced together as the rotor is forced down upon the post in assembling the dispensing mechanism subassembly. W V

3. Structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the actuator is in the form of an arcuate segment and the floor of the dispensing mechanism subassembly has a gumball fill opening therein located remote from said platform and in alignment with one of the openings in the transfer rotor when said rotor is in normal detent held position. and including closure means for said fill opening comprising an arm [is] integral with thecenter post and extending from the bottom of said post to cover said fill opening, said arm and post being rotatable about the axis of the post to uncover sL jll aeni -m actuator including a platform having an opening therein about which said actuator is'adapted to rotate and a coin socket arranged radially at the periphery of said actuator including a slot in said platform extending radially inwardly from said socket; a circular transfer rotor having a central opening therein, a plurality of equally angularly spaced gumball receiving openings and an-equal number of detent elements equally spaced apart at the periphery of said rotor; said transfer rotor including a coaxial circular skirt depending from the underside thereof, the inside diameter of said skirt being greater than the diameter of the central opening in said rotor to provide a flange adapted to bear upon the top of the ferrule of the floor; and a center post; said center post being headed and bifurcated to 'form a pair of spring legs and the diameter of the central opening in said transfer rotor is less than the normal diameter of the head of said center post whereby said rotor may be forced upon said post forcing said spring legs together and said head engages the top of said rotor to hold the subassembly together when said rotor is located below the head on said post; said floor, actuator and rotor being stacked upon and held together in operative relationship by said center post.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3,810,535 D d May 14, 1974 Inventor) Cornelius M. Phipps It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The correct name of the assignee is:

Superior Toy & Manufacturing Co., Inc.--

In the heading, "9 Claims" should read: 4 Claims-- Col. 3, line 17, before "housing", "to" should read --of-- Col. 3, line 65, after "slot" "24" should read-34-- Col. 5, line 10, delete [is] Signed and sealed this 29th day of April. 1975.

(SEAL) t Attes C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer and Trademarks FORM PO-105O (10-69) U'COMM-DC UOS1G'PUQ IL. GOVIIIIIINT PRINTING OFI'ICI I... O-Ill-Sll.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 9 3 d May 14, 1974- Inventor(s) Cornelius M. Phipps It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The correct name of the assignee is:

"Superior Toy & Manufacturing Co., Inc."

In the heading, "9 Claims" should read: "4 Claims" Col. 3, line 17, before "housing" "to" should read "of" Col. 3, line 65, after "slot" "24" should read "34" Col. 5, line 10, delete [is] Signed and sealed this 5th day of November 1974.

(SEAL) Att est:

McCOY n. GIBSON JR. 0. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner of Patents ORM PO-IOSO (10-69) USCOMM-DC 6O376-P69 U.54 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE Ill 0-366-334,

Claims

1. In a gumball dispensing machine including a housing and a globe mounted thereon and opening thereinto and a dispensing mechanism mounted in the housing; the improvement wherein the dispensing mechanism is a unitary subassembly adapted to be mounted in the housing and comprising: a circular floor having a central opening therein and a ferrule rising from said central opening at the periphery thereof; said floor having a coin slot extending radially inwardly from the periphery of said floor and a gumball receiving trough extending outwardly from the central portion of said floor; an actuator including a platform having an opening therein about which said actuator is adapted to rotate and a coin socket arranged radially at the periphery of said actuator including a slot in said platform extending radially inwardly from said socket; a circular transfer rotor having a central opening therein, a plurality of equally angularly spaced gumball receiving openings and an equal number of detent elements equally spaced apart at the periphery of said rotor; and a center post; said center post being headed and bifurcated to form a pair of spring legs and the diameter of the central opening in said transfer rotor is less than the normal diameter of the head of said center post whereby said rotor may be forced upon said post forcing said spring legs together and said head engages the top of said rotor to hold the subassembly together when said rotor is located below the head on said post; said floor, actuator and rotor being stacked upon and held together in operative relationship by said center post.

2. Structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the head of the center post is conical whereby the spring legs are forced together as the rotor is forced down upon the post in assembling the dispensing mechanism subassembly.

3. Structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the actuator is in the form of an arcuate segment and the floor of the dispensing mechanism subassembly has a gumball fill opening therein located remote from said platform and in alignment with one of the openings in the transfer rotor when said rotor is in normal detent held position, and including closure means for said fill opening comprising an arm integral with the center post and extending from the bottom of said post to cover said fill opening, said arm and post being rotatable about the axis of the post to uncover said fill opening.

4. In a gumball dispensing machine including a housing and a globe mounted thereon and opening thereinto and a dispensing mechanism mounted in the housing; the improvement wherein the dispensing mechanism is a unitary subassembly adapted to be mounted in the housing and comprising: a circular floor having a central opening therein and a ferrule rising from said central opening at the periphery thereof; said floor having a coin slot extending radially inwardly from the periphery of said floor and a gumball receiving trough extending outwardly from the central portion of said floor; an actuator including a platform having an opening therein about which said actuator is adapted to rotate and a coin socket arranged radially at the periphery of said actuator including a slot in said platform extending radially inwardly from said socket; a circular transfer rotor having a central opening therein, a plurality of equally angularly spaced gumball receiving openings and an equal number of detent elements equally spaCed apart at the periphery of said rotor; said transfer rotor including a coaxial circular skirt depending from the underside thereof, the inside diameter of said skirt being greater than the diameter of the central opening in said rotor to provide a flange adapted to bear upon the top of the ferrule of the floor; and a center post; said center post being headed and bifurcated to form a pair of spring legs and the diameter of the central opening in said transfer rotor is less than the normal diameter of the head of said center post whereby said rotor may be forced upon said post forcing said spring legs together and said head engages the top of said rotor to hold the subassembly together when said rotor is located below the head on said post; said floor, actuator and rotor being stacked upon and held together in operative relationship by said center post.