US602185A

US602185A - Vending-machine

Info

Publication number: US602185A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1898-04-12
Anticipated expiration: 1915-04-12

Description

3 Sh'ets-Sheet 1.

(No Modei.) M. BENEDICT.

VENDING MACHINE.

Patented Apr, 12, 1898.

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INVENTOR: MICHAEL BENEDICT WITNESSES: Q/M QM Tu: NORRIS PETERS co.. FMOTO-LITHOU wnsnmdwu, o. c

I (No ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. BENEDICT. VENDING MACHINE.

. No. 602,185. Patented Apr. 12, 1898.

INVENTOR. MIQHAEL 5mm ATTORN l i l I III) wuumm'cn. D. c.

3 SheetsSheet 3.

(N0 Mndel.)

M. BENEDICT. VENDING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 12, 1898.

'HC &

INVE'NTORI MICHAEL BEMEDIC'I;

ATTORNE I 1 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MICHAEL BENEDICT, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY. A

V'IENDINGQ MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,185, dated April 12, 1898.

Application filed June 14,1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL BENEDICT, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled'in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon,.whicl1 form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in coin-operated vending machines or apparatus in which the goods are exposed to view and are delivered by the turning of a crank-operated mechanism when a proper coin is delivered into the machine.

The inventionhas for its object to provide a machine of thischaracter which is especially adapted to the sale of loose candies and which shall be of a compact, reliable, and efficient construction.

The invention therefore consists in the novel construction of coin-operated vendinginachine hereinafter set forth, and also in the novel features of construction and the several arrangements and combinations of the parts thereof, all of which will be fully described in the accompanying specification and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

' machine, illustrating in elevation the several parts of the operating mechanism and the coin and goods or candy delivery chutes when looking at the back of all of the said parts; and Fig. 4 is a similar view of the upper por-. tion of the machine, illustrating that portion of the mechanism, in its operated position while in the act of delivering the goods into the delivery-chute. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross.-

section taken on line 5 5 in said Fig. 4; and

Serial No. 640,629. (No model.)

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the operatinglever used in connection with the mechanism illustrated in'said Figs. 3, 4;, and 5. Fig. 7 is a top view, and Fig. 8 alongitudinal vertical section, of that portion of the mechanism for operating the goods-delivery mechanism and which is controlled by the passing of the proper coin into the coin-receiver. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the coin-receiver employed, and Fig. 10 is a similar view of certain portions of the coin-controlled mechanism illustrated in Figs' 7 and 8. Fig. 11 is a vertical section in detail of a certain coinretaining device used at or near the bottom of the coin-chute, and Fig. 12 is adetail view of one of the shaft-bearings and a holding catch or pawl used in connection with the parts illustrated more particularly in Fig. 8.

Similar letters of reference are employed in all of the above-described views to indicate corresponding parts.

In said .drawings, A indicates the case or box of the machine, said case being'made of wood or.metal, as may be desired. In the upper portion of the front a is a comparatively large opening provided with a suitable frame I) and a heavy glass cover h, which permits the exposing to view of the goods behind the same. The top wall a, which is preferably hinged to said front a, forms a suitable cover, which can be brought into locked engagement by means of a suitable lock (SL2, with a removable plate a arranged directly upon the back Wall a of the casing. When said plate a rests directly upon the edge a of said wall a a pair of lugs a on said plate a fit over and directly behind said edge a while a pair of other lugs a on said plate a are brought in position directly beneath suitably-placed posts a on the sides 01. of the casing or box A, and when the cover a is locked with said look a on the plate a then said plate cannot be removed and the inner part of the box cannot be tampered with. One of said sides a is preferably provided with a hinged door a and a lockc, engaging with the base o of the case, to permit of the removal of the money from Within the casing or box by the owner of themachine. The plate a is removably connected with the casing or box to permit of making the necessary repairs to any parts of the working mechanism should such parts get out of order.

As will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4, I have provided the inner surfaces of the opposite sides a of the box or casing A with suitable cleats (L13 and a, upon which is removably placed the goods or candy reservoir 0. The said reservoir, which is preferably made from sheet metal, when in position on said cleats fits closely against the back or inner surface of the glass 12. The reservoir consists, essentially, of a cylindrical portion 0, open at the front, as at c,which is divided from the goodsreceiving portion 0 at the back by a partition 0 preferably made of wood, but any other suitable material may be used, as will be evi- I Said portion a is open at the top, as 1 at 0 and at the back is a wall 0 which is dent.

provided with suitably-formed supports 0 and 0 as clearly shown, by means of which said reservoir can be made to rest upon and f is supported in its proper position upon the said hereinabove mentioned cleats within;

the casing or box A of the machine. In the lower part of the partition c is an opening 0 to establish communication between the two chambers formed by the portions 0 and 0 through which the candies or other goods to be dispensed with and which are placed into said portion a through the opening in the top thereof when the top or cover a of the box or casing A has been opened pass into the chamber 0 in the manner clearly in- F dicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Said chamber 0 is I provided in one side, in a suitable position near its top, with an opening 0", and in communication with said opening is a peculiarlyformed chute or raceway D, the construction of which will be more fully described hereinafter and which terminates at an opening a in the wall or front a of the casing A directly above the goods-receiver g in the base (L of the machine. As indicated. in dotted outline in Fig. 3, the side walls 0 of the portion c of the reservoir 0 are )(-shaped, whereby the upper and inner part of the said reservoir is made like a funnel; but its lower and inner part is suitably enlarged near said opening 0 in the partition 0 to prevent the choking of the candies in the bottom of said part 0?, and whereby said candies are permitted to freely pass, by theirown gravity, through said opening 0 into the front chamber 0, as will be clearly evident.

Rotatively arranged in suitable holes in the partition c and in the back wall a of the reservoir C is a shaft or arbor 6, having its flanged end 6, on the outside of the said wall 0 firmly secured to a disk or plate f, which is provided with any desirable number of radial arms f,

said plate f is permanently fixed to the end of the shaft or arbor e by said flange 6; but it will be understood that it maybe otherwise fastened upon the said end of the shaft e. The other end e of said shaft extends into the part c of the reservoir 0, and has secured on its said end, by means of a set-screw e or in any other well-known manner, a hub 6 provided with radially-extending arms a to each of which is suitably secured a vane or wing 6, provided at the free end thereof with a bucket 6 which is of the peculiar shape illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5. The shaft or arbor c is tubular, and has arranged therein, at its flanged end 6, the post or spindle h of a suitablyconstructed arm h, and can be forced into operative engagement with the disk or plate f by the pointed end of a setscrewj, which is adjustably arranged in the plate a of the casing or box A. Said arm 7b is provided with a sector-like portion 7L2, having a grooved edge 71. Directly above the lower and weighted end 7L of the said arm is a pivoted dog or pawl 71. and a spring h is connected therewith, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4., which causes the normal and operative engagement of a portion 7L projecting from the side of the pawl or dog h with the edge f of one of the said arms f of the disk or plate f. Thus it will be evident that when a downward pull is exerted on a chain 7:; or other suitable connection suitably secured to said sector-like portion 71, the arm 72v will be caused to make a quarter-revolution, being brought from the position indicated in Fig. 3 to that in Fig. 4. This movement of the arm h and the disk or plate f causes the shaft 0 to turn, and the radial arms 6 on said shaft will be moved through the loose candy in the portion 0 of the reservoir C. In this manner the bucket on the end of the arm e moving through the candy, will carry the candy with it until the bucket moves directly in front of the opening 0 in the part c of the reservoir 3, when the candy drops from the open side of the bucket 6 through said opening 6 and down into and through the chute or raceway I), which delivers the candy on the receiver g. By this time the mechanism, to be hereinafter described, which is connected with the chain and has in this manner actuated the arm h, now automatically releases the said chain, and the Weighted arm his returned to its initial position. (Indicated in said Fig. 3.) In thus returning to its former position the projection h on the dog or pawl h readily slips along the angular edge f of the next lower arm fon the plate f, and when it has passed said edge then the spring 7t causes the operative engagement of the projection h with the edge f of the next lower arm f on the disk or plate f. When the chain 70 is againoperated upon by the coinoperated mechanism, theshaft e and parts connected therewith make another quarterturn, and another certain quantity of candy is delivered into chute D and thence upon the receiver g.

ICC

The construction and operation of the coinoperated mechanism for actuating the arm h, and in consequence the candy-delivery mechanism hereinabove described, are as follows:

As will be seen from Figs. 1, 2, 7, and 8, I have secured over an opening in the lower part of the front a of the casing or box A an ornamental plate 2', having in the top a slot 2'' to receive the coin and by means of which the mechanism can be set in operation. Said plate Z is secured over said opening in the front a by means of bolts or screws 4?, substantially as shown in Fig. 7. Directly back of the slot Z and cast integral with the plate 71 is a coin-guide Z Secured on a screwthreaded stud Z by means of a nut 11, as shown more particularly in Fig. 8, is a bar or bracket 'm, having a suitable bearing portion m, in which is a tubular or socketed spindle Z, having the perforated end Z and provided with a slot Z cut into part of the cylindrical surface of said spindle, as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 10. spindle Z has longitudinally-arranged slots, into which is fitted the forked end 01 of a shaft n, provided with a cam-shaped wheel 71?,

which is in alinement with the sector portion I h of the arm h and is connected by means of its mechanism connected therewith when the shaft n is turned. A bearing 17. and a collar Z, held in position on the spindle Z by a setscrew Z ,retain said spindle Z and shaft n in.

their rotative and operative positions. Rotatively arranged on said spindle Z is a second tubular spindle 0, which is held in its operative position on the spindle Z by the bearing m in the bracket "m, apin Z working against a shoulder o of said spindle o, and an annular enlargement Z on the forward end of the spindle Z, all of which is clearly evident from an inspection of Fig. 8. Said spindle 0 is provided with a gear 0 operated from a pinion p on a shaft p, adapted to be turned by the crank p The'rear end of said shaftp rests in a perforated post 1", forming a hearing, which is connected with a spring-plate '1", securely fastened to the bracket m. The purpose of the spring-plate r is to allow the inoperative engagement of the pinion p and gear 0 when turning the crank 19 at such time when the other parts of the mechanism have been rendered inoperative through care-' By,

lessnessor any other unforeseen cause; this arrangement the danger of breaking any parts of the mechanism during the turning of the crank is entirely overcome.

When the pinion p and gear 0 are in operative mesh and the crank p is turned, the result will be that-the spindle 0 will turn on thespindle Z without operatingthe shaft-n. To cause the operation of said shaft 42, a coin is necessary. 'When a coin is passed through the slot Z, it passes down the inclined guides or bars Z and Z of. the guide Z (see Figs. 7 and 9,) reaching a second guide .9, provided The opposite end of said with perforated lugs s, by means ofwhich it is secured on the back of plate 2'. I Said guide 5 has a channeled part 3 which causes the coin coming from the guide i -to reverse its direction and to be deposited into either one of the slots 0 nearthe free end of the spindle 0. From Fig. 2 it will be seen that when a coin passes from said guide 8 down between the longitudinal edges of one of said slots 0 'it will be held therein with the circumferential edge of the coin resting against the edge of a connecting portion 0 between two of said slots 0 in said spindle 0. As soon as the spindle is turned by the crank 19 said edge 0 is forcibly brought against the edge of the coin and pushes the coin along the cylindrical surface of the spindle Z until it drops into the slot Z in said'spindle. The coin now extends partly into the slot Z in the spindle Z and the slot 0 in the spindleo, whereby said coin op- 1 eratively connects both said spindles, and the spindle Z now turns in connection with the spindle 0. Thus the coin establishes an operative connection between said spindles 0 and Z, and by causing the spindle Z to turn, the shaft 01 and hence the arm h andits connecting mechanism are all actuated in the manner hereinabove described. As soon as the two coin-holding slots in the spindles Zando are in a position opposite the mouth of a chute Z (see Fig. 3) the coin is forced into said chute and passes down upon apair of pins u on a spring-actuated plate u, said pins passing through suitable holes in the end of the chute Z to expose the coin to view behind a glass window 1; in the front of the casing A, as clearlyindicated in the several figures of the drawings. J ustprevious to the passing of the coin into the chute Z the candy has been delivered into the chute or raceway D,

and the coin now passing into the chute Z the weight-arm h causes the return of the several parts of the mechanism to their initial positions ready for operation when a second coin is dropped into the slot Z. i

As has been statedand as will be more especially seen from Fig. 11, the coin'is retained on a pair of pins it, directly behind the glass window 1;, until a second coin is deposited and the mechanism in this manner again set in operation. 2,3, and 11, the wheel 11 on the shaft n is provided with a pair of springdike clampingarms n between which is adj ustably secured a flexible connection w, which passes overa As will be noticed from Figs.-

next pass onto an inclined plate (Z ,from which they pass through the opening in the front a and upon the receiver 9. The chute D may have that portion of the chute indicated by theletter d removably arranged between the parts (Z and d of the chute, said part 61 being secured in position in a slightly-grooved part of the side of the casing A and held by the action of a suitable spring d, which is holding reservoir, comprising a pair of chamfastened to the part d of the chute D.

To prevent any backward movement of the I mechanism illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the.

crank-shaft 1) may be provided with a camplate 29 having a holding-tooth 19 with which a dog x, which is pivotally attached to the bracket 'm, can be made to engage in the usual manner and as will be clearly evident from an inspection of Fig. 12.

Of course it will be evidentthat many 1 changes may be made in the several arrangei ments and combinations of the parts of the machine and in the details of construction thereof Without departing from the scope of my present invention. Hence I do not limit myself to the exact arrangements and com-l binations of the parts and the details of con- I struction thereof as described in the accompanying specification and illustrated in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a vending-machine, a candy or goods holding reservoir, a tubular shaft, an arm or arms on said shaft, and a bucket or buckets on said arm or arms, a delivery-chute connected with said reservoir, and a coin-controlled mechanism for intermitently operating said shaft and bringing one of said buckets past the mouth of the chute, consisting, essentially, of a disk or plate on said shaft and means connected with said shaft for causing a step-by-step movement of said disk or plate and said shaft, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a vending-machine, a candy or goods holding reservoir, a tubular shaft, an arm or arms on said shaft, and a bucket or buckets on said arm or arms, a chute connected with said reservoir, and mechanism for operating said shaft and bringing one of said buckets past the mouth of the chute, consisting, essentially, of a disk or plate f on said shaft, arms f on said plate, aspindle h in said shaft, a weighted arm h on said spindle,and a springactuated pawl or dog on said arm h adapted to engage with an arm on said plate f and opcrate the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a vending-machine, a casing O, having a glass front, a pair of chambers divided by a partition having an opening, for establishing communication between said chambers, a tubular shaft extending through both chambers, an arm or arms on said shaft, and a bucket or buckets on said arm or arms, exposed to view through said glass front, a delivery-chute connected with said reservoir, and a coin-controlled mechanism for operating said shaft, and bringing one of said buckets past the mouth of the chute, consisting, essentially, of adisk or plate on said shaft and means connected with said shaft for causing a step-by-step movement of said disk or plate and said shaft, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4:. Ina vending-machine, a candy or goods bers divided by a partition having an opening, for establishing communication between said chambers, a tubular shaft extending through said chambers,an arm or arms on said shaft, and a bucket or buckets on said arm or arms, a chute connected with said reservoir, and mechanism for operating said shaft and bringing one of the buckets past the mouth of the chute, consisting, essentially, of a disk or plate f on said shaft, arms f on said plate, a spindle h in said shaft,a weighted arm h on said spindle, and a spring-actuated dog or pawl on said arm h adapted to engage with an arm on said plate f and operate the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a vending-machine, a candy or goods holding reservoir, comprising a pair of chambers divided by a partition having an openin g, for establishing communication between said chambers, a tubular shaft extending through said chambers, an arm or arms on said shaft, and a bucket or buckets on said arm or arms, a chute connected with said reservoir, and mechanism for operating said shaft and bringing one of the buckets past the mouth of the chute, consisting, essentially, of a disk or plate on said shaft and means connected with said shaft for causing a stepby-step movement of said disk or plate and said shaft, and mechanism adapted to be actuated by the action of a coin and cooperating with said means for causing the movement of said disk or plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a vending-machine, a candy or goods holding reservoir, comprising a pair of chambers divided by a partition having an opening, for establishing communication between said chambers, a tubular shaft extending through said chambers, an arm or arms on said shaft, and a bucket or buckets on said arm or arms, a chute connected with said reservoir, mechanism for operating said shaft and bringing one of the buckets past the mouth of the chute, consisting, essentially,

of adisk or plate on said shaft and means connected with said shaft for causing a stepby-step movement of said disk or plate and said shaft, and mechanism, oomprisinga pair of spindles Z and 0 having coin-receiving slots, a shaft 4% and a flexible connection cooperating with said means for the movement of said disk or plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a vending-machine, a candy or goods holding reservoir, a tubular shaft, an arm or arms on said shaft, and a bucket or buckets on said arm or arms, a chute connected with said reservoir, and mechanism for operating said shaft and bringing one of said buckets past the mouth of the chute, consisting, essentially, of a disk or plate f on said shaft, arms f on said plate, a spindle h on said shaft, a weighted arm h on said spindle, a spring-actuated pawl or dog on said arm h adapted to engage with an arm on said plate f and operate the same, and mechanism adapted to be actuated by the action of a coin and cooperating With said arm h to cause the movement of the latter, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a vending-machine, a candy or goods holding reservoir, a tubular shaft, an arm or arms on said shaft, and abucket or buckets on said arm or arms, a chute connected with said reservoir, and mechanism for operating said shaft and bringing one of said buckets past the mouth of the chute, consisting, essentially, of a disk or plate f on saidshaft,

and a spring-actuated plate a having prongs extending into and through perforations in said chute, all in combination, with a shaft n, a wheel on said shaft, a pair of spring-like clamping-arms n on said wheel, and a fleXi ble connection betweensaid arms a and said plate 10, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

'10. In a vending-machine, the combination, with the bracket m having a bearing, and the operating mechanism carried thereby, of a shaft 10, and a spring-plate 1' and bearingpost 1" for the one end of saidshaftp, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of June, 1897.

MICHAEL BENEDICT.

Witnesses:

FREDK. O. FRAENTZEL, H. CAMFIELD, J r.