US625428A - Coin-controlled newspaper-vending machine - Google Patents

Description

' Patented May 23, I899. D. SULLIVAN. I

ODIN CONTROLLED NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 3, 189 8.)

5 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

DAILY THE REPUBLIC SUNDAY 15 0.. wumuarcu o c Patented May 23, I899. n. SULLIVAN.

COIN CONTROLLED NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 3, 1898.)

-5 Shuts-Sheet 2.

(No ModeL) awmm, w,-

No. 625,428. v Patented May 23, I899. D. SULLIVAN.

COIN CONTROLLED NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 8, 189B.)

- wa e,

Patented May 23, I899.

, D. SULLIVAN.

COIN CONTROLLED NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 8, 1896.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Modal.)

[irzwzvza m: u'cmrs PETERS cov mom-mun. \vnsummou. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL SULLIVAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COiN-CONT ROLLED NEWSPAPER-VENDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,428, dated May 23, 1899.

Application filed Tune 3, 1898. Serial No- 68214275. (N0 model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin- Oontrolled Newspaper-Vending Machines, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the acco mpanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in coin-controlled newspaper-vending machines; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the box or receptacle, shown partly in section to expose a portion of the diaphragm or partition carried by the box and showing also a section of one of the gates swung open and a section of the paper-intercepting bracket pivoted to the bottom of the box. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the front of the box, showing the Sold -out curtain exposed through the opening of the said wall. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the operating parts of the machine as contained in the housing carried by the side wall of the box, the door of the housing being removed, the view being taken from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. tis a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, taken only through the compartment which receives the coin from the coin-chute, which compartment is recessed in the side wall of the box adjacent to the housing. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3, showing the operating parts in general plan. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 3, taken through the bottom gates, a portion of which are open and a portion closed, the controlling-triggers being omitted from this view. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of Fig. 6, the mounting-plate being removed. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 8 S of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a section of the frame carrying the ratchetdisk, being a section taken on line 9 9 of Fig. Fig. 10 is a sectional transverse elevation of the two front compartments, the outer one showing the curtains tucked in between the folds of the paper, the lower curtain, or that on which is indicated the name of the paper, being directly in line of the opening of the front Wall of the box, and the upper curtain, having the words Sold out, being folded out of view. Fig. 11 is an end view of the jaw carried by the ratchet-disk, showing the pivoted steel spring-arm mounted in the same both in its normal position and in dotted lines in the position to which it is thrown back when the ratchet-disk is being reset. Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view showing the positions of the several parts as the ratchetdisk is advanced one tooth for tripping any particular tripping-lever, and thus releasing the gate normally held closed thereby; and Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 10, showing the lower curtain dragged out of view and the upper curtain drawn into View.

The object of my present invention is to construct a coin-controlled apparatus which shall automatically deliver a newspaper upon the introduction into the machine of a coin of proper denomination, the present device being designed with a view to simplicity, accuracy of operation, lightness of the operating parts, cheapness, and such other and further advantages that a machine of this character should possess.

Theinvention in detail may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a receptacle divided interiorly into a series of vertical compartments 2, each designed to receive a paperintroduced thereinto from the top, the receptacle being provided with a lid 3 at its upper end. The bottom of each compartment is normally closed bya gate 4, which supports the paper and which swings open after a coin is introduced, thus permitting the paper to drop out from its compartment. That the paper may not drop to the floor before it is caught by the hand of the purchaser one end of the lower edge of the sheet is intercepted by the horizontal member of a bracket 5, pivotally swung from the sides of the receptacle, and prevented from swinging beyond a vertical position by a limiting-pin 6, against which one of the supporting-arms of the bracket is adapted to strike. The operating mechanism by which the series of pivoted gates is actuated is located in a compartment or housing 7 at one side of the receptacle,

such housing being provided with a door 8,

which can be securely locked. Leading to the operating mechanism from the top of the housing is the coin-chute 9.

Before describing the details of the operating mechanism I shall first describe in detail the construction of the gate 4. Each gate is pivotally swung from a boss 10 at each end of one of the longitudinal edges thereof, the centers of rotation of the bosses being in line with said edge, the edge thus corresponding in position to the axis of oscillation of the gate, and as the axis of oscillation is immediately under the lower edge of the partition separating any two compartments it follows that when the gate drops or swings to an open position, as indicated in Figs. 1, 7, and 13, there will be absolutely no obstruction to the free passage of the paper from the compartment which holds it. The bosses at one end of the gate are mounted in a metallic strip or plate 11, provided with circular openings designed to receive them, while those atthe opposite end pass through a series of semicircular depressions 12, formed along the lower edge of a superposed metallic strip 13, secured to the inner surface of the opposite wall of the box, the strips 11 and 13 serving as the terminal supports for the removable partitions by which the compartments are separated. The strip 13 is secured along the bases of a series of recesses 14, cut in the adjacent wall for the reception of the opposite ends of the gates, the gates being first inserted into their bearings in the plate 11, and then the opposite ends are in position to be received by the depressions 12. Carried by the boss of each gate, at the end passing through the recesses 14 adjacent to the housing 7, is a contracted neck 15, whose center of oscillation is in alinement with and practically a continuation of the axis of oscillation of the gate, the neck terminating in a disk 16, which is provided with a pin 17, projecting from the outer face thereof at a point adjacent to the edge of the disk, the pin being diametrically opposite the free or oscillating edge of the gate. The contracted necks 15 have bearings in the longitudinally-seotionized metallic strips 18, interposed between the recessed wall of the housing and the mounting-plate 19, secured to said wall within the housing and which serves as a mount or support for the series of trippinglevers to be hereinafter described. Pivoting each gate thus along one of its longitudinal edges brings its center of gravity to one side of its axis of oscillation, the terminal projecting pin 17 being on the opposite side, and it is obvious, inasmuch as the receptacle always stands vertically, that if any gate is held in a horizontal position (that being the position necessary to close its corresponding paperholding compartment) by seizing the pin 17 to retain it in said position against its own weight and that of the paper resting upon it that the moment the pin 17 is released the gate will be free to drop open, and thus allow the paper supported by it to drop out. The

gates are normally held closed by a series of triggers or tripping-levers 20, mounted on the plate 19 within the housing 7. These levers I will now proceed to describe.

Pivoted along a curved metallic strip 21, embedded in the mounting-plate 19,'are a series of tripping-levers 20, their upper tapering ends being disposed in the curved path of the free end of a yielding steel spring-arm 23, carried by the jaw 21 of the spring-actuated ratchet-disk 25, as will presently more fully appear. The lower enlarged ends of the tripping-levers or triggers are provided with notches 26, adapted, when the gates have been lifted or swung to a closed position, to engage the terminal projecting pins 17 of said gates and hold the latter in such closed position until such time as the triggers are tripped out of engagement by the arm 23 referred to. Each trigger is held in and automatically forced into engagement the moment the pin 17 comes opposite its corresponding notch 26 by the pressure of an elastic arm or spring wire 27, whose fixed end is secured to a metal strip 28 at the lower edge of the mountingplate and whose free curved end rides freely over and presses against the trigger below the pivotal point of the latter. As each trigger is tripped out of engagement by the spring 23 referred to it is prevented from being tripped too far by a limiting-pin 29.

The ratchet-disk is allowed to advance one tooth at a time for each coin introduced and to trip one trigger at a time by means of an escapementdever 30, pivoted about a pin 31, projecting from a bracket 32, adapted to be adjustably secured to the wall of the frame within which the ratchet is mounted, the adjustment being effected by the slot 33 of the bracket, through which slot the limiting-pin 7 3 1, projecting from the frame-wall, and the securing-screw 35, turned into the frame-wall, pass. The outer or terminal tooth 36 of the escapement-lever is normally held in engagement with the ratchet-disk by the downward pressure of the free end of an arm 37, pivoted at one end at the upper rear corner of the housing and drawn downward against the escapement-lever by the resilient action of a coiled spring 38, whose one end is secured near the middle of the length of the arm and whose opposite end is fixed to the mountingplate. As seen from the drawings, the free end of the arm 37 partially embraces the -sides of the curved escapement-lever, the embracing end riding freely over said lever during the oscillations of the latter. The forward extension of the escapem'ent-lever is forked, there being pivoted between the outer ends of the fork members a bell-crank lever 39, whose long arm normally rests against the base of the fork and whose short arm tends upwardly, as shown in the drawings. WVhen tipped to a vertical position under the action of a coin, as will subsequently appear, the heel 40 of the short arm strikes a cross-bar 41, spanning the space between the fork members to the rear of the pivotal axis of the bell-crank, the cross-bar limiting the bell-crank in that direction. Forming an extension of the inner member of the forked end of the escapement-lever or that adjacent to the inner wall of the housing is an angle-arm 42, whose vertical member is provided with an outwardly-deflected finger 43, against which normally rests the free end of an arm 44, carried by a locking-pawl 45,which latter it keepsnormally in a raised position and out of contact with the bell-crank-engaging pinion 46, as will presently appear. The pawl 45 is pivoted between two lugs 47 at the upper end of a forked bracket 48, secured to the front wall of the housing, the fork having pivoted between its members directl y along the wall a lever-controlled pinion 49, whose lever-arm 50 projects from the periphery of the pinion and passes outside the wall through a slit 51 formed in the latter,.

and having pivoted, furthermore, immediately under the locking-pawl the bell-crankengaging pinion 40, already referred to. I have called it a bell-crank-engagingpinion, as it is provided with a peripheral arm or extension 52, which engages the short arm of the bell-crank 30 upon the tilting of the lever-arm 50 and after the introduction of a coin, as will presently appear. The lever-arm 50 and the arm 52 normally tend upwardly or are kept in a raised position by the action of a looped spring 53, whose one end is secured to the bracket and whose other end is secured to the arm 52, the loop thereof embracing the adjacent projecting pivotal pin of the pinion 46. The loop is so coiled as to direct the end of the spring secured to the arm 52 upwardly,

so that when the lever-arm 50 is depressed to any position and released the spring 53, which actuates the intermeshing pinions 49 and 46,

will restore the parts to their normal positions.

I shall now describe how the short arm of the bell-crank is brought under the engaging end of the arm 52, forming the peripheral extension of the pinion 46. Pivoted between the side walls of what constitutes a compartment or recess 54, with which the coin-chute communicates at a point below the position normally occupied by the forked end of the escapement-lever, is a coin-interceptin g lever 55, pivoted below its center of gravity, the weighted or upper end of the lever naturally tilting rearwardly and being limited in that direction by the lower and inner end of a curved slot 56, formed in the lateral wall of the compartment 54 adjacent to the housing, through which slot operates a tripping arm or pin 57, projecting laterally fro m the weighted end of the lever 55, and always in a position to the rear of the long arm of the bellcrank lever. Pivoted below and in front of the lever 55 is an adjusting arm or switch 58, provided with a laterally-projecting screw 59, passing through a curved slot in the wall of the compartment 54, the arm being firmly secured in any adjusted position by screwing down the nut 61 firmly against the wall. The

position of the arm 58 determines, as subse- I quently to be seen, the opening through which coins of different denominations may be discharged from the compartment 54 into the coin-receptacle 62, which rests on the platform or bracket 63.

The operation is as follows: Upon the in troduction into the coin-chute of a coin of proper denomination the coin strikes against and lodges upon the lower and lighter arm of the coin-intercepting lever 55, the weight of the coin tilting the lever to the lower dotted position indicated in Fig. 3, whereupon the tripping arm or pin 57 carried by it tilts the bell-crank lever 39, so as to bring its short arm directly under the extension 52 of the pinion 46. (See dotted position in Fig. 3.) For this position of the parts the coin rests and is held between the lever 55 and the arm 58 ready to be discharged through the open bottom of the compartment 54 into the coinreceptacle. The lower end of the coin-interceptin g lever being thus weighted by the coin will trip the said lever, as indicated, the pin 57 remaining in contact with the bell-crank lever. The purchaser or operator now begins to depress the operating-lever 50, which will have the effect of rotating the pinions 46 49, depressing the arm 52, which as it bears against the free end of the short arm of the bell-crank carried by the escapement-lever will rock the latter sufficiently to effect a disengagement between it and the spring-actuated ratchet-disk. The latter being impelled by its driving mechanism (to be presently described) will cause the spring-arm 23 to slip off any trigger with which it may be in contact (the present drawing showing said arm resting against the last of the first four triggers which had been previously tripped) and forcibly strike the next succeeding trigger, tripping the latter out of engagement with the projecting pin 17 of the gate and permitting the latter'to swing open and discharge the paper. (See Fig. 12.) As the escapement-lever is being tilted in the manner described the curvature of the long arm of the bell-crank, against which the pin 57 of the coin-intercepting lever bears and rides, permits the said lever under the weight of the coin to tilt sufficiently to effect a release of the coin held between it and the arm 58. The release takes place about the time the operating-lever 50 has been depressed about half- ICC locking-pawl 45 is to compel the purchaser to continue the depression of the operatinglever until the operation is completed and prevent any return of the lever to its original position after it has passed the point at which the coin is discharged into the coin-receptacle. The pawl, in effect, locks the lever against any return movement after it has passed the point referred to. This is obvious. As the forked end of the escapement-lever is being depressed the finger 43 thereof, which normally supports the arm 44: by which the pawl is weighted, is also depressed, eventu-s ally passing out of contact with said arm and permitting the pawl to engage the teeth of the pinion 46, the pawl jamming between the teeth of the pinion, preventing rotation thereof in a contrary direction, and hence locking the operating-lever against return movereturn of the latter to its original position under the action of the spring 33 will cause the finger 43 to strike the arm 44, thus trip- I ping the pawl out of engagement and restoring the parts to their normal positions.

The ratchet-disk may be impelled by anyf suitable mechanism; but in the present device it is impelled by a coiled spring 64:, re-

spectively secured to the disk and to the stem about which it turns as follows: The stem 65, about which the ratchet-disk rotates, has a cylindrical portion which passes through the outer cover-plate 66 of the frame in which the ratchet is mounted and through the cenv ter of the ratchet-disk, the stem terminating in asquare or polygonal inner end which passes through a polygonal opening of the rear member 67 of said frame, said member 67 serving as a key for winding up the spring. The outer end of the spring is made fast to a post 68, projecting from the base ofthe pocket 68 of the ratchet, within which the spring is housed, the pin being located near the peripheral wall of the pocket, and the inner end of the said winding spring is made fast to the stem. The spring may be wound up by seizing the cover-plate and ratchet in one hand and turning the key (which has been passed over the square end of the stem) with the other in the proper direction, and when the desired tension is imparted to the spring the opposite ends of the key are made secure to the coupling-arms 69 of the cover-plate, the screws 70 used for the purpose serving at the same time to secure the parts to the wall of the housing immediately over the mounting-plate.

The ratchet-disk rotates through an are sufficient to trip all the triggers of the series, its rotation being arrested by the jaw 24 coming in contact with the ends of the frame within which it is mounted. The ratchet is turned back to. its original position by turning back the ratchet with one hand, while the spring-arm may escape the series of triggerswhile the ratchet is being reset I swing the latch 71 out of engagement from the arm,

tilting the latter to a position at right angles to the plane of the face of the ratchet-disk. (See dotted position of said part in Fig. 11.) When the latter is reset, I simply swing the springarm back to its trigger-engaging position, locking it again by the latch 71.

By swinging the position of the switch 58 away from the coin-intercepting lever it is apparent that a small coin (such as one cent) will not remain suspended for a sufficient length of time to trip -the bell-crank under the arm of the bell-crank-engaging pinion, the coin passing into the coin-receptacle without any other result. Said adjustment is made when dispensing Sunday papers which sell for a nickel, this being the coin which will be effective under the circumstances.

The coin-interceptin g lever may be so weight- I ed as to be tripped only upon the introduction of two separate pennies, such adjustment being possible with the present machine where a paper is being sold for two cents.

The front wall of the receptacle or box,

of a curtain 73, on whose front face are the words Sold out, which when they are presented to the purchaser indicate that the contents of the receptacle has been exhausted. In practice the curtain 72 is held up by inserting its upper edge between the folds of the paper contained in the front compartment, so that the name of the paper may appear through the opening, and inserting the lower edge of the curtain 73 between the paper folds. (See Fig. 10.) As the latter drops out with the last purchase it will drag the curtains after it, pulling the lower curtain out of view and dropping the upper curtain directly in front of the opening, thus exposing the words Sold out. (See Figs. 2 and 13.)

Under ordinary circumstances the bellcrank is tilted by the action of a coin; but should anyone attempt to beat the machine the bell-crank could be tilted by tipping the boX forward, bringing the short arm of the bell-crank under the influence of the arm of the bell-crank-engaging pinion. To prevent such abuse of the machine, I pivot a weighted arm or plumb 74L along the side of the forked end of the escapement-lever. This plumb always hangs vertical and is provided with an intercepting-finger 75, which is in the path of the long arm of the bell-crank, which it would intercept against rocking forward should the box be tipped in that direction.

It is obvious, of course, that many changes might be made in the present machine without departing from the spirit of myinvention and that the device maybe used for dispensing other articles besides newspapers.

In order to reset the gates after they have all dropped open, the operator passes his hand over them, folding them to a closed position, at which their terminal pins will engage with the notches of the triggers and be held there until released in the manner already indicated. The compartment 54, between whose lateral walls the coin-interceptin g arm or lever is pivoted, is merely a recess formed or cut in the face of the wall of the receptacle, the base of the recess forming the inner wall of the compartment and the outer cover-plate 75' forming its outer lateral wall. The recess is so cut as to leave a guiding-ledge 76 for the coin and the necessary room or space for the free oscillation of the coin-intercepting arm, whose pivotal pin 77 the walls of the compartment support.

As best seen in Fig. 1, the removable partitions 78,by which the several compartments are formed, are made as light as possible by cutting away from the body of each a segment reaching from the upper edge to a distance slightly beyond the center, the lower opposite corners having cut therein notcl1es79, resting snuglyagainst the strips 11 and 13, by which the partitions are supported. The partitions are inserted into grooves 80, formed along the inner surfaces of the walls of the receptacle, from which they may readily be withdrawn.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable receptacle, a series of compartments for the same, a hinged gate located at the bottom of each compartment, a series of triggers adapted to normally hold the gates in a closed position, a rotatable ratchet-disk, an escapement-lever for permitting the ratchet-disk to advance with each oscillation of the lever, intermediate connections between the ratchetdisk and triggers for tripping the latter and disengaging the gates with each advance of the ratchet-disk, suitable controlling mechanism for the escapement-lever brought into position for cooperation therewith upon the introduction of a proper coin into the machine, and means for operating said controlling mechanism from the outside of the receptacle, substantially as set forth.

2. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable receptacle, a series of compartments for the papers, the front wall of the compartment from which the last paper is delivered being provided with a suitable opening,la curtain having its lower edge secured to the wall below the opening and having indicated on its face the name of the paper, a second curtain secured along its upper edge above the opening and having secured along its face words indicating the fact that the contents of the receptacle has been exhausted, the curtains being adapted to have their free edges inserted between the folds of the paper and adapted to be properly dragged or pulled into position upon the discharge of said sheet,substantially as set forth.

3. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable receptacle having a series of vertical compartments for the papers, a series of swinging gates normally closing the bottoms of the compartments, triggers for normally retainin g the gates in such closed positions, a springactuated ratchet-disk for tripping said triggers and releasing the gatesse'riatim with the introduction of coin into the machine, a spring-controlled escapement-lever for said ratchet-disk, an operating-lever for tripping the escapement-lever to permit the ratchetdisk to advance one tooth at a time, the escapement-lever disengaging itself from the influence of the operating-lever upon the depression of the latter to its full extent, substantially as set forth.

4. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable receptacle, having a series of compartments for the papers, an opening cut in the exposed wall of one of the compartments, and curtains secured in proximity to the opening and actuated by the falling of the paper, so as to bring the reading matter on said curtains in front of the opening, substantially as set forth.

5. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable coin-chute, a coin-intercepting lever communicating therewith, the "said lever being adapted to be tripped by a coin of proper denomination, and the coin held suspended at the lower end of the lever, a suitable operat ing-lever, intermediate connections between said lever and the coin-intercepting lever to permit a further tripping of the latter upon a depression of the operating-lever, and thus cause the release of the coin thus suspended, and means for preventing the return of the operating-lever to its original position, until after it has been actuated its full stroke, substantially as set forth.

6. In a paper-vending machine, a suitable receptacle having a series of vertical compartments, a housing located at one side of the receptacle,a spring-actuated ratchet-disk mounted in the housing, a spring-controlled escapement lever cooperating with the ratchet, a spring-arm pivotally secured to a jaw carried by the ratchet-disk, a series of pivoted triggers actuated by the spring-arm, pins for limiting said triggers, pivoted gates for the compartments, means for normally holding the triggers in engagement with the gates While the latter are in a closed position, a bell-crank pivotally secured to the forward end of the escapement-lever, a suitable coinpartment located adjacent to the housing, a plate covering one side of the compartment, a coin-intercepting lever pivoted in said compartment and having a lateral pin projecting through a curved slot in the plate and adapted to engage the long arm of the bell-crank lever, an operating-lever, pinions interposed between the lever and bell-crank for engaging the latter upon the downward movement of the operating-lever, a finger carried by the escapement-lever adjacent to the bell-crank lever, a locking-pawl operating in connection with the operating-lever and the pinions actuated thereby, an arm carried by the locking-pawl adapted to be struck by the finger carried by the escapement-lever, a switcharm cooperating with the coin-intercepting lever, a coin-chute leading to the compartment in which the coin-intercepting lever is pivoted, and a spring for restoring the operating-lever and parts controlled thereby to its normal position, the parts operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' DANIEL SULLIVAN. Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, GEORGE L. BELFRY.

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