US811501A - Coin-controlled vending-machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. II,5oI. PATENTEDJAN. so, 190C4 I.l HEINRICH, I. SCHMIDT C C. L. ETHERIDCE.

COIN GONTROLLBD VBNDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NCI/123, 1904.

CUIN CCNTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

- APPLIGATION EILBD Nov. 2s, 1904.

PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906. J. HEINRICH, J. SCHMIDT n C. L. ETHERIDGE.

3 SHEETS-BHEET 3.

Wittmann actuated by the coin to eifect its ltravel through the coin-passage the release of the plunger-lock and the release of' ing, the upper portion of which is adapted to WTF@ JOHN HElNRlCH AND JOHN SCHMIDT, OF KANSAS CITY, AND CARROLL L.

ETHERLIDGE, OF ST. LOUlS, MISSOURI.

. rrp. a11,5oi.

Specification 'of Lettera Patent.

Patented aan. so. 190e.

Application filed November 23, 1904. Serial No. 234,033.

'dents of .Kansas City, in the county of J a'clv son, and CARROLL L.ETHnR1DGE,whose post office address is Fourth and Elm streets, 1n

the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri,

citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Vending-Machines; and we do hereb declare the following 'to-'be a full,l

clear, an exact description of the invention,

Asuch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention, which relates to coin-actuated vending-machines, has for its purpose vending-machines generally, but which is esp ecially designed for employment in c-ovr1nec-` tion with the improved machine hereinafter described and which is particularlyadapted for the sale of cigars and like articles, the den livery of whichl is controlled by mechanism successively in the delivery-lock.

, The following description, read in connec#y tion with the accompanying drawings, willj enable any person skilled in the art towhich` our'invention relates to understand its na-i ,ture and to practice it in thc'form in which we prefer to employ it; but it will be understood that our invention is not limited to the precise form and construction herein 'illustrated and described, as various modifica- 'tiorililalid changes may be made Without'ex- Oeeding thessco'pe of the claimsin which our invention is set out. Y,

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of a vendmgmachine em# bodying our invention, the plunger being in its retracted position. Fig 2 is an elevation ofthe supporting-plate to which the coirvcontrolling mechanism is secured, 'the plunger being shown in "its normal locked position.. Ficf. 3 is a similar elevation with the plunger un oclred and pushed in position to operate upon the coin to allow the delivery mechanism to be actuated. Fig. 4 is a vertical sec tion on the line i '4; of Fig. 5, showing the mechanism for rotating the delivery-cylin der. Fig. 5 is atransverse vertical sectimaof the machine, talren o'n the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, showingl the manner of supporting the op erating parts of the machine. Fig. 6 is a de tail sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4, showing the passages for the nickel andthe lead coins. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the clamp employed for holding the cigarbox in proper position within the machinecasing to permit thezcigars to feed forward to the delivery-cylinder- Fig. 8 is a detail ele vation illustrating the means for preventing the operation of the machine whena lead slug is inserted and for releasing the lead and per.- rmttmg it to drop into the passage-way provided for it. Fig. 9 shows the coin receivin and delivering slots in the front at the top and bottom and adjacent' the side of the casing.

The coin-actuated mechanism is so `constructed and relatively arranged as to permit the movement of the delivery-cylinder and the consequent discharge of a cigar from the machine only when a coin of the proper size and material is used as the means for effecting thelrelease of two locks, as we will now describe.

iifhe numeral l designates the machine-cascontain a box of cigars, the box 2 being supported at such an angle `as will permit the cigars to feed forward by gravity through the lower end of the box. The top or cover 3 of thecasing is preferably of glass to expose the cigars to view and has a front incline 4 to expose toview one cigar 5, supported upon Athe delivery-cylinder within the machine. The wall or front plate 6 affords a space to contain printeddirections for operating the machine or other matter.- A cylinder 7 is mounted upon a shaft 8, supported in suitable bearings secured to the sides of the casing and imme- 'fdiately below the front incline 4. The pe'- ripheral `surface of the cylinder is formed with a seriesof parallel equidistant grooves 9, extending longitudinally of thecylinder and being of such shape and depth as to serve as pockets to receive the cigars as they are fed one by one from the box. Above the `cylinder 7 is a feed-roller if), niountedinbearings in the sides of the casing, the periphery ll of said feed-roller being lon itudinally corrugated to facilitate the fee( of the ci ars andto prevent their being crushed or bro ren,

' around a sprocket-wheel 14 iiXed upon the to one side ofthe casing.

shaft' 8 concentric with the cylinder, and a sprocket-wheel 13, fixed to one end of. the

roller, as best shown in Fig. 1. l

15 designates a ratchet-wheel Xed upon-y an extension 16 of the shaft 8 and having equidistant teeth 17, corresponding in number to the parallel grooves fof. the deliveryy cylinder and adapted to be successively en gaged by an arm of the actuating mechanism, whichjwill be presently described.

18 designates a plunger slidably'su ported within'a horizontal guideway 19 at t e front of the casing and' projecting outward from -the front of the machine-Casin under the the force of a spring 20, one en of which is secured to the .p unger, while its opposite end is attached to a supportinglate21, secured i lgivotally secured to one side of the plunger 18 within the casing is an arm 22, the'upper end of which is adapted to engage one tooth of the ratchetwheel 15 each time the plunger is pressed inward to turn said wheel and thev deliverycy'jlider a part of a revolution. In the mac e here shown there are six grooves in the delivery-c linder and the same number of teeth in t e wheel 15, so that each inward i movement of the plunger will cause the actuating-arm 22, Fig. c one-sixth of a revo u movements of the cylinder a cigar will be re-v 4, to move the cylinder tion, and at each of said leased and drop to a receiving-trough 23, located vat the base of the machine in a discharge-o ening 24 in the front of the casing. 4The p unger 18 is normally 'locked against inward movement by mechanism comprising '-a bolt 25, which is released bya lever 26, and

, a key 27, as in Fi s. 2 and 3. The bolt is supported by suitab e guides in a slight inclined position and is pivotally secured at its upper 45 end to the inner end of the lever 26, the latter being fulcrumed upon a pivotal sup ort 28, projecting from the wall-plate 21. Phe rear edge of the bolt 25 is recessed at its lower end to form a shoulder 29, which engages a lug -30, projecting from the plate when the bolt .is inelevated position. The key 27 is pivoted to the outerend of the/lever 26 and eX- tends upward-through a slot in the bottom fof-the coin track or way, so that it will receive Vany coin, which can only be inserted into the coin-receiving slot 31 at the frontgof the machine b the operator pressing the key down.

Norma ly the bolt 25 projects down a sufficient distance -to -1 engage a shoulder 32, formed in .the upper edge of the plunger, and 'when the bolt is so engaged the plun er is locked' againstv inward movement. Vhen, however,: a coin `is inserted into the slot 31, afterit'is forced vover and depresses the key 27 ,j and the 'latter tilts the lever 26 upon its 'when the plunger is force j. corres fulcrum, thus raising the bolt l25 and releasing the plunger. As soon as the bolt is elevated in the manner just explained it swings rearward by gravity to seek a vertical position, and this movement brings its shoulder 29 into engagement with thexed lu 30 to hold the bolt in elevated position. T e bolt is returned to its lower or normal position by means of a tappet 33, pivotally secured to the side of the wall-plate 21 and having a weighted arm 34 ada ted to be struck'by the shoulder 32 of the p unger when the latter is pushed inward'. The' tappet 33 strikes the rear edge of the' bolt and throws the latter forward, disengag'ing its shoulder 29 -froin the lu 3() and enabling the bolt to drop behind te shoulder 32 of the lunger to lock it d) outward -by its spring.

From the descri Vtion thus far it will be apparent that the p unger will be released by with' locking vmechanism which can only be released by a coin of the required character, This cylinder-locking mechanism comprises a bell-crank lever 35, fulcrumed upon a stud. projecting from the adjacent side of the plate 21. The forward arm of the lever 35 is provided-with a lug or tooth 36, which is ada ted to successively enter thenotches of a dis 37 'l to hold the disk and delivery-cylinder a ainstrotary movement, as shownb dottef in Fig. 4. This disk 37 is fixe upon the eX- tension 16 of the shaft 8 concentric withjthe ratchet-wheel 15 and is formed with e u idistant peripheral notches 38, said notc es ponding in number tothe grooves in the cy inder 7.

The bell-crank lever 35 is provided with a housing-plate 42 is secured to the supporting wall-plate 21, and the dog 41, as we asthe lockin scribed, The housing-plate 42, Fig. 4, is formed with a slot 43, .through which extends the'pin 44, w Ach connects the do and the lower` end ofthe 'link 40, the latter eing on the inner sideofthe housing-plate. The" elevation ofthe dog 41 by a com in the manner hereinafter described tilts the bell-crank lever35 through the link connection 40 to withdraw lthe tooth 36 from the notch of the disk'37 'and' ermit the 'cylinder to turn one-sixth ofa revo ution.

v The weight 39 returns the bell-crank lever to its normal position to engage the next notch of the disk 37 after the do 41 =is released by thel passage of the coin 'eneath and beyondit. Y

The forward end 45 of the dog 41l is sharp- IDO lines weight 39, and is connected b a link 40 to a ,dog 41, pivotally secured to t e plate 21. A

Ilo

mechanism ofgthe plunger above deis inclosed -between said plates.

ened to adapt it to enga e the edge of a lead slug, aswillbe more iulTy explained in connection with Fig. 8.

A. coin-passage 46, formed by strips 47, secured between the wall-plate 21 and the housing-plate 42, extends downward from the iront coin-slot 31, and said coin-passage 'is provided with two branches 48 and 49, both of which communicate with an inclined passage 50 at the .base of the machine through 'which spurious coins pass to a trough 51 at the front of the machine. 52 designates another Acoin-passage, located below the dog 41, through which genuine coins are Jforced by the plunger into a suitable coin-receiver, as in Fig. 6 and indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3.

One or more horseshoe-magnets 53 are arranged at the rear end of the passage 46 for the purpose of attracting iron slugs and directing them into the rear branch 4S of' the coin-passage and thence into and through the lower passage 50 to the trough 51.

j 54 designates a vlatch-plate pivoted to the walllate 21 below the plunger-guideway and ormed with a lip 55 to serve as a stop for coins dropping through the passage 49, as shown by. dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 8. A

weighted dog 56,pivoted to the wall-plate 21,

`engages below a nose 57, projecting 'from the latch-plate 54, andserves to support the latch 54. in position to arrest the movement of the coin, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. For the purpose of moving the plate 54 upon its pivot to release'a lead slugthe plate is provided with a lug 58, adapted to engage a notch 59,iormed in the lower edge of an arm 60, pivotally secured to one side ofthe plunger, as in Fig. 4.

The operation of the mechanism constructed as thus described is as follow-s: /Vhen a genuine nickel is inserted into the coin-slot, to allow such insertion it first depresses the key 27 to pass into the slot, and the plunger `isre- Y leased through the intermediacy of thelever 26 and bolt 25. The coin rolls down the passage 46 and being unaffected by the magnet drops through the passage 49 to the position indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 2. The plunger is then ushed in and its inner end strikes the edge ot) the coin, forcing the latter rear- Ward under and raising the dog 41. This upward movement of the wdog will operate the bell-crank lever 35 and release the cylinder, as has already been described, and the contact ofthe upper end of the arm 22, carried by the plunger, with the adjacent tooth of the ratchet-wheel 15, eiects the partial revolution of the delivery-cylinder to deliver one cigar. After the delivery of the cigar the spring 20 retracts the plunger and the tappet S3 restores the bolt 25 to the position shown in Fig. 2 to again lock the plunger. The cylinder is also again locked by the retraction of thebell-crank lever, as heretofore set Jforth. It an iron coin or vslug is inserted into the coinslot, it rolls along the passage 46 and is attracted by the magnets and then caused to. follow the course indicated by the dotted arrows in Fig. 2 in the passage 48 without, of

course, affecting the cylinder-releasing mechanism, and no delivery of the merchandise results. It it is attempted to operate the machine by the use oi' a lead slug, the latter after passing through the coin-slot takes the' course of the genuine nickel, as indicated by the fullline arrows in Fig. 2. /Vhen, however, the

plunger is pushed in, instead of forcing the slug l rearward under the dog 41 it forces the edge of the lead slug against the sharp point of the dog, causing the point to penetrate the soft metal, as in. Fig. 8, and bind the slug in the space between the end of the coin-passage 52 and the lip 55 of the latch-plate. Thus the raising of the dog is prevented, and the cylinder-releasing mechanism does not operate. As soon as the plunger is released the latchplate 54 is drawn forward by the arm 60, arid thel lead slug is thus released and will drop into the lower coin-passage 50, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 8.

From the inner end of the plunger projects a lug 61, which serves as a safety-stop, so that in. case the plunger is released without pushing a nickel into 'the coin-slot (as by a wire or other device) the lug 61 will strike the dog 41 when the plungeris pushed in and prevent the operation of the cylinder-releasing mechanism. 7

' While the invention is not restricted to any particular means for supporting the cigarbox within the casing, we have found the device shown in the drawings well adapted for this purpose. The box 2 rests u on crossbars 62, secured to the sides of the ame, and a clamping-plate 63, havin(lr fingers 64 projecting therefrom, engages t ie rear end oi the box, the iront end of the plate 63 being cn- IOO nected by means of a spring 65 to the forward cross-bar 62. Thus the cigar-box is maintained in proper relation to the deliverycylinder under spring-pressure'.

It will be observed that the machine not only fails to operate when a spurious coin is inserted, but automatically ejects such coin instead ot permittingitV to pass to the coinreceptacle, and, `further, that two coacting locking devices are provided, one controlling theplunger and the other the rotary movement of the delivery-cylinder, both by the direct action of the plunger, and it will be noted that in the control 'oi the cylinder the weighted'arm '22 is in position to engage a tooth of the cylinder ratchet-wheel on the inward i movement of the plunger and that a pin 66 on the plunger supports the upper end oi said arm in such engagement; but on the outward movement "of said plunger the weighted 'arm will pass Jfreely under the teeth' without engaging or turning the wheeh These two separate and distinct locksarereleased successively by the coin, the tirstat the entrance of the entrance of the coin into the slot, the end of the key is inclined inward and upward, so that pressure on the coin has 'a wedge action upon the key in depressing it.

We claiml. In a coin-actuated vending-machine, a

revoluble goods-delivery cylinder, a lunger,

a coin controlled locking means or said lunger and independent coin controlled lbcking means for said cylinder, both locking means .released successively by the entrance of the coin into the slot and in its passage to its eXit from said slot. l

2. In' a coin-actuated vending-machine, a

,revoluble goods-delivery cylinder, a plunger having' a shoulder, means carried by said lunger for actuating saidcylinder, means or locking said plunger consisting of a 4device of connected members including an upward-standing. coin-receiving. key and a depending bolt adapted to engage said shoulder to lock the plunger in its withdrawn position, and a pivoted tappetor trip located above the plunger in rear of the bolt and adapted to engage the bolt member and to be engaged by the plunger-shoulder for operation in the Way stated, and means for supporting the depending bolt-locking member out of engagement with the plunger. Y c

3. In a coin-actuated vending-machine, a revoluble goods-delivery cylinder, a plunger having a shoulder, means carried by said plunger for actuating said cylinder, means for locking said plunger consisting `of `a device of connected members including a coinreceiving key at the entrance-slot and a depending bolt adapted to engage said shoulder i to lock the plunger in its withdrawn position, a pivoted tappet or trip located above the plunger in rear ofthe bo t and adapted to engage the bolt member and to be'engaged by the plunger-shoulder, means whereby the bolt is maintained in its retracted position,

and means for 4automatically releasin said bolt from its retracted position by t e inward. movement of the plunger..

4. In a coin-actuated machine, a rotating delivery-cylinder, a plunger having a shoulder, means carried by said plunger for actuating said cylinder .to deliver cigars, means for locking said plunger consisting of a device of connected members including a coinreceiving key and a-depending bolt adapted to engage said' shoulder on said plunger to lock it in its withdrawn position, alug supporting the bolt in its retracted position and a Weighted arm located above the plunger in rear of the bolt and caused to engage and release said bolt from its retracted position by the inward movement of said plunger.

5. In a coin-actuated vending-machine, the combination with a revoluble deliverycylinder, and a plunger, of coin-controlled lockin means for said plunger, consisting of pivota lyconnected members the upper or ey member of which projects through a guide-opening at the entrance of the coin-slot to partially close ita ainst the entrance of the coin,4 a depending 2(bolt member arranged to engage the plunger, and an intermediate member mediately pivoted to cause by the weight of the dependin bolt member pivotally mounted at one end of said intermediate member to maintain said upper key member partially closing the entrance of the coin-slot inA its pivoted position at the other "end of said intermediate member, means for supporting the depending bolt member out of engagement with the plunger, means for tripping the depending member from its support, and means pivotally mounted on the plunger adapted to engage and rotate said cylinder on the inward movement of the plunger.

6. ln a coin-actuated vending-machine, the combination with a revoluble deliverycylinder and a plunger having a shoulder, of coin-controlled locking means for said plunger consisting of a lever having a bolt freely dependinor from on`e` end thereof and a coinactuated ey rising from the other end of said lever and terminatin Within and partially closing the entrance ci the coin-slot, said bolt caused to automatically engage a shoulder of said plunger and to maintain the key in position to be depressed, a lug automatically engaged by said bolt to hold it in elevated position, and a Weighted tappet-arm adapted to be struck by the inward movement of the .plunger-shoulder to cause said tappet-arm: to engage and release the bolt thereby causing it to fall to its normal position, and means 4actuated by said plunger to rotate said cylinder.

7. In a coin-actuated vending-machine, the combination of a rotating delivering-cylinder and a plunger having a shoulder, of coincontrolled locking means for said plunger consisting of a lever device of connected members including a coin-actuated key normally standing within and partially closing the entrance of the coin-slot, and a bolt member depending in position to automatically engage said plun er-shoulder, a lug to engage and hold the bo t up, and a tappet device arranged behind the bolt and depending in the pat of the plunger-shoulder to release said bolt, and means actuated by said plunger to rotate sai dv cylinder.

8. In a coin-actuated vending-machine, a goods-delivery cylinder, .a plunger, a device IOO IIO

ery mechanism as forlocking' and for releasing said cylinder, a ratchet-wheel carried by the c linder, a weighted arm pivotally mounte on said plunger and adapted to engage the teeth of latter ha ving at its coin-engaging end a strikeor tooth for engaging a member of the delivdescribed andfor the purpose specified. f

10. Ina coin-controlled Vending-machine,

a plunger, .mechanism for locking said plunger, mechanism actuated by said com for re leasing the plunger, goods-delivery mechanism, a device carried by said plunger, and a device operative in the path of said coin and inthe path of said plunger whereby the delivery mechanism is actuated by the conjoint action of said coin and the plunger and both by the inward movement of said plun- 11. In a coin-actuated vending-machine, a plunger, mechanism actuated by the coin to allow the inward movement of said plunger, and goods-delivery mechanism actuated by the conjoint movement of said coin and of said plunger, whereby the said coin is caused to have a .lock-releasing function intwo po sitions in its travel through the machine.`

12.v In a coin-actuated vending-machine,- a plunger, means for locking it in its retracted ositicn, a delivery-cylinder means ior locking it, a lever carried by said plunger means carried by the latter for operating said cylin der, a do in the path of the coin, the plungerlock an the delivery-'lock released by the same coin, at the entrance of thecoin-Dassage and at the exit of said passage.

13. In a coin-actuated vendingmachine and in combination, delivery mechanism for the goods, a plunger, and means for actuat ing the delivery mechanism consisting of means carried.by said plunger and coperating means in the path Iof said plunger, and coin-controlled locking mechanism for said plunger comprisingv ivotally-connected members one of Whici normally stands within a guide-opening at the entrance of the coin-slot and another member normally` engaging vthe plunger, the coin acting through said connected members on enterin the coin-slot to release the plunger and sai coin on leaving the coin-,slot actuating the release of the delivery mechanism. 1

14. In a coin-actuated vending-machine, and in combination, a goods-delivery'cylinder, means carried by said plunger for actuating the cylinder, coin-controlled locking and releasing mechanism for said plunger coml rising a vertically-slidable bolt, a lever to w ch said bolt 1s pivotedand a key pivot` i ed to said lever and passing through the bottom oi the coin-passage, and means automatically engaging said bolt for supporting it in its released position.

15. In a coin-actuated vending-machine, and in combination, delivery mechanism for the goods, a plunger, cooperating devices for locking the plunger and the delivery' mechanism both devices actuated by gravit releasing the lock of each device, the release of the plunger being in advance of therelease of the delivery mechanism.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HEINRICH. JOHN SCHMIDT. CARRGLL L. ETI-IERIDG-E.

Witnesses:

W. L. PRATT, J. E. RocKwnLL.

and coperating means for successively

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