US705362A - Coin-controlled device. - Google Patents

Description

No. 765,362. Patented my 22, m2. `.L n. KNEEDLER. Com CONTROLLE D DEVHZE.

(Application md. Oct.

2 Sheets-Sheet L Patented .Iuly 22, |902. J. D. KNEEDLEH.

COIN CONTBOLLEDv DEVICE.

(No Model.)

(Application filed Oct. 8, 1901.1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN DEAM KNEEDLER, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BUEL COUCH, OF SIOUXv OITY, IOWA.

oolN-CON'TROLLED DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION fori-ning part of Letters Patent N o. 705,362, dated July 22, 1902.

I Application filed October 8, 1901. Serial No. 771982- (ITo model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DEAM KNEEDLER, a 'citizen of the United States, residing at Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, have invented acertain new and useful Coin-Controlled Device, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. n

This invention relates yto vending machines; and the object in View is to provide a simple and reliable coin-operated machine by means of which upon the depositing of a coin of the proper denomination therein suitable delivery mechanism will be unlocked and thrown into readiness for operation, after which the operator may cause one of a series of packages contained in the machine to be delivered to a point where it will be accessible. Unless a coin of the proper denomination'is deposited in the machine the operative parts of the machine which constitute the delivery mechanism are incapable of being thrown into action. n Y

A further object of the present invention is to provide means by which only one package at a time may be removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide Aa cut-off for controlling and closing the coin receiving slot when the machine is empty and to associate with said cut-oft mechanism which will automatically trip the cutoff after the last package has been withdrawn from the machine.

With the above and various objectsin view, the nature of which will more fully appear hereinafter, the invention consists in the novel construction,combination,and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a front elevation of Va vending-machine constructed in accordance with` the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the machine, taken adjacent to 'one of the outer walls thereof to illustrate the coin-operated locking devices for the delivery mechanism, one of the frame-plates being broken away to show the packages and the devices associated therewith. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken just above the feed and supportingrolls. Fig. 4t is avertical cenoutward withinreach of the operator.

"spectiveview showing the upper end of the Stringer-rod and keeper therefor.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

AIn carrying out the present invention I e'mploy a cabinet substantially square or rectangular in plan and of any desired height,

ysaid cabinet comprising a bottom or base l,

front 2, sides 3, back 4, and Vtop 5, the said parts being associated in any approved manner and one of the sides 3 being preferably made removable by means of detachable fasteners 6, such as screws. By making one side detachable it enables access to be had to the oplerative mechanism whenever necessary and also enables the coin-receptacle'to be emptied. The cabinet may be provided with suitable molding 7' at top and bottom and otherwise ornamented as desired. By preference the front of the cabinet is provided with a large glass-covered ornamental panel 8, divided, by

means of intersecting strips 9, into various spaces adapted to receive suitable advertising matter. Directions for manipulating the machine are also represented on the front of thecabinet, as shown at l0, and the front of the cabinet is further provided with a delivery or discharge slot ll, through which the packages hereinafter referred to are forced .The front and back 2 and 4, respectively, ofthe cabinet are provided with vertical parallel grooves l2 to permit a pair of frame-plates 13 to be slid therein, said frame-plates being insertible through the top of the cabinet when the latter is removed. By preference these frame-plates do notl extend entirely to the bottom ofthe cabinet, but terminate at a distance above the bottom, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, where they rest upon shoulders 14, constituting the lower extremities of the grooves l2. The delivery mechanism embodies a plu- IOO rality of rolls 15 and 16, all of said rolls being of equal diameter and beingjournaled in the same horizontal plane. The rolls 15 and 16 constitute a rest for a superimposed pile of envelops or wrappers 17, forming packages in which may be placed letter-paper, envelops, stamps, tbc., to be delivered to the operator. Only the lowermost package 17 rests in contact with the rolls 15 and 16, so as to be acted upon by the feed-rolls 15. In order, however, to guard against the possible delivery of more than one package at a time, all of the packages are provided near their edges with perforations, enabling them to be strung one after another upon a Stringer-rod 18, which is preferably arranged at or near the back of the cabinet, the lower end ofsaid rod being screwed or otherwise firmly connected to the bottom of the cabinet, while the upper end thereof is sharpened, as shown at 18, to facilitate the placing of the packages thereon. The upper end of the rod is held by means of a keeper 19, which is pivotally connected at- 20 to the inside of the cabinet and provided with a laterally-extending perforated ear 21, adapted to fit over and firmly hold the end of the Stringer-rod, as shown in Fig. 2. The packages are urged downward by meansof a follower 22, (shown in detail in Fig. 5,) preferably consisting of a metal plate of sufficient thickness to'give the desired weight. Said follower is provided with one or more lugs 23, which traverse vertical grooves 24 in the inner adjacent surfaces of the frame-plates 13. All of the rolls 15 and 16 arejournaled in the bottom portions of the frame-plates 13, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The outermost rolls 16 simply serve as supports for the packages and are journaled idly and not geared together or to the other rolls. The inner rolls 15 are, however, geared together, so as to rotate simultaneously in the samedirection. Toaccomplishthis,theshafts or journals of the rolls 15 are equipped with spur-gears 25, with both of which intermeshes an intermediateidle pinion 26, journaled on a short stud-shaft 27, projecting from the adjacent frame-plate 13. The gears 25 and 26 are preferably located at the opposite side of the casing from the locking and tripping mechanism to be described.

The feed rolls 15 have applied thereto toothed segments 28, consisting, preferably, of sheet-metal plates bent to cover approximately half of the periphery of the rolls and fastened thereto in any convenient manner. Each of the segments 28 is roughened or toothed, as shown, in order to enable the feedrolls to obtain a firm grip upon the lower side of the lowermost package when said rolls are simultaneously turned in the same direction, which turning is effected by means of an operating-crank 29, located upon the exterior of the casing and removably fastened, by means of a screw 30 or its equivalent, upon the extended shaft of one of the feed-rolls, as shown in Fig. 3. By covering portions only of the peripheries of the feed-rolls said rolls are adapted to engage and force outward through the delivery-slot 11 the bottom package. The extent of the toothed segments 28 is such that after the bottom package has been projected through the delivery-slot 11 the smooth or uncovered portions of the feed-rolls 15 will come in contact with the next succeeding package without tearing the same from the stringerrod and urging it also outward with the lowermost package. The provision of the toothed segments 28 insures the lowermost package being torn loose from the Stringer-rod, the envelops forming the covers for the packages 17 being ordinarily of paper or like fragile material.

The mechanism for tripping and locking the delivery devices will now be described.

The front of the cabinet is provided with a coin-slot 3l, preferably bounded by or formed in an escutcheon plate 32. After passing through the slot 31 the coin gravitates downward through a coin-chute 33 until it reaches the lower sectional portion of the coin-chute. The lower portion of the coin-chute is composed of a stationary section 34 and a yielding section 35. The stationary section (illustrated in detail in Fig. 7) is provided with oppositely-located flanges 36, so as to confine and direct the coin in its downward movement, and adjacent to the bottom said stationary section is provided with a coin-ledge 37, which arrests the downward movement of the coin until the push-button 38 has been operated. The upper edge of the coin-ledge 37 is preferably beveled, as shown at 38, to allow the coin to slip therefrom and fall into the coin-receptacle 39 when the yielding section 35 is operated. The yielding section consists sim ply of a plate adapted to close the open side of the section 34 by lying close to or resting against the iianges 36. 'lhe section 35 is provided with an arm 40, provided at its end with an opening to receive a pin or stud 41, mounted on a bracket 42, extending from the front wall of the cabinet backward a suitable distance therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2, said bracket being provided in front with an angular iiange 43, by which it is secured to the inner side of the front of the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 3. The stud or pivot 41 may, if desired, pass into the adjacent frame-plate 13, as shown in Fig. 3. The stem 44 of the push-button 38 passes through an opening 45 in the stationary chute-section 34 just above the coin-ledge 37, so as to bear against the coin and push the same off the ledge. The stem 44 passes through an opening in the front wall of the cabinet and is normally held outward by means of a spring 46,

encircling the stem and exerting its tension against a shoulder on the stem, as shown in Fig. 2.

Located behind the yielding section 35 is a swinging arm 47, pivotally mounted at 48 on the bracket 42, the free end of said arm being normally urged toward the coin-chute by IIO means of a spring 49, coiled around the hub 50 of the arm 47 and having one end 51 connected iixedly with the bracket 42, while the opposite end' 52 bears against the arm 47. The spring-pressed arm 47 is provided with an extension 53, which lies in contact with the yielding section 35 of the coin-chute, and is provided at the opposite side with another extension 54,constituting a locking-dog,which coperates with a locking-disk 55, mounted on the shaft of one of the feed-rolls 15, as shown in Fig. 2. The disk 55 is fast on its shaft and is in the shape of an involute cam, thereby providing a locking-shoulder 56. The extremity of the dog 54 is notched, as shown at 57, so as to provide a shoulder to meet the shoulder 56 and a projecting or overhanging portion which rests against the periphery of the locking-disk when the parts are in their locked position, as shown in Fig. 2;

Upon the same shaft which carries the locking-disk 55 there is fastened a ratchet-Wheel 58, with which engages a pawl or detent 59, pivotally mounted at 60 on the bracket'42. The arrangement of the locking-disk, ratchetwheel, locking-dog, and pawl 59 is such that normally the shaft of the feed-roll which carries the disk 55 is held locked against movement in both directions except to a very limited extent, a sufficient amount of backlash being provided to enable thedog 54 to dsengage itself from the disk 55 when operated upon by the coin and push-button.

61 represents a tripping-pin on the locking-Y disk forA elevating the pawl 59 and disengaging it from the ratchet-wheel 58 as the feedrolls are turned.

In order to avoid loss to the operator, I provide means for closing the coin-slot 6l immediately upon the delivery of the last package contained in the cabinet. In carrying out this part of the invention I provide'a sliding cut-off 62, which is adapted to move up and down behind the escutcheon-plate 32,as shown in Fig. 2. The cut-off 62 is pivotally hung from one end of a lever 63, which is Eulcrumed intermediate its ends and which has its inner end normally held downward by means of a spring 64, which thus operates to hold the cuto open. Coperating with the lever 63 is a trip-lever 65, also fulcrumed intermediate its ends and having connected to one end thereof a slide-bar 66, the lower end of which is provided with a foot 67, which works through a vertical slot 68 in the adjacent frame-plate 13, said foot lying in the path of movement of one of the lugs 23 of the follower 22. Just before the follower reaches the limit of its downward movement it acts on the foot 67 to depress and draw down the slide-bar 66, with the result that the trip-lever is vibrated, thereby eecting a closure of the cut off `through the medium of the lever 63.

In order to prevent unscrupulous persons from extracting a package from the cabinet, I employ one or more guard-springs 69, as shown in Fig. 4, which springs are located in recesses 70, formed in the inside surface of the front of the cabinet. The springs -normally project across the slot 1l; but on account of theirexibility they are adapted tov yield under the in iiuence of an outmoving package until a suflicient portion of the package has been-projected outside of the cabinet to be grasped and withdrawn by the operator, whereupon the guard springs spring back into place and close the delivery-slot.

The operation of the machine is as follows: A coin is dropped through the receiving-slot,

whereupon it descends until it rests upon thel The operator may now turn the l crank 29, whereupon the tripping-pin 61 disv engages the pawl 59 from the ratchet-wheel 58. The feed-rolls 15 and 16 now grasp the lowermost package, tearing the same loose from the Stringer-rod, and force it outward through the delivery-slot. vAs the package is thus forced outward the feed-rolls complete their revolution, and as the coin has become displaced from the chute and allowed the parts 35 and 54 to resume their normal positions the shoulder 56 of the locking-disk meets the corresponding shoulder of the lockingdog 54, thereby insuring the return of the yielding coin-chute section 35 to its normal position. At the same time the pawl 59 reengages the ratchet-wheel`58, and thus the` feed-rollsV are locked against movement-in both directions. When the last package is withdrawn from the machine, the cut-off for the coin-slot is automatically operated in the mannerabove specified.

The construction of the vfront of the cabinet to provide an advertising space or panel` and actuating means therefor, in combination.

with a locking-dog engaging the feed-roll, andra coin-chute comprising ahinged section adapted to be operated upon by the coin and to swing the locking-dog out of engagement with the feed-roll, substantially as described.

2. In a package-vending machine, packagedelivery mechanism embodying a feed-roll, and actuatingr means therefor, in combination IOO IIO

section operatively engaged with one of the extensions of the pivoted arm, a spring for urging the pivoted arm toward the coin-chute and holding the locking-dog in engagement with the feed-roll, and a push-button arranged to press a coin against the hinged section of the coin-chute, for the purpose specified, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN DEAM KNEEDLER.

Witnesses:

WM. E. DAVIS, BUEL COUCH.

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