US823064A - Vending-machine. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTB'D JUNE 12, 1906.

A. MERGKENS. VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed January 2, 1906. Serial No. 294,048.

To a, whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, AUGUST MEnoKENs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bath Beach, in the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Vending- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

' M y invention relates to vendin -machines, and particularly to that class 0 automatic vcnding-machines in which a coin of predetermined denomination is inserted through a slot and passes through a coin-chute or cointester to such a position in a suitable ejector that through the intervention of the coin a package or other article to be vended is ejected by the operation of the machine.

The objects of my present invention are the provisions of an automatic vending-inachine in the operation of which all coins or articles other than a coin of predetermined denomination intended to operate the machine will be ejected therefrom; also, a machine in which if there are no more packages to be vended the coin of predetermined denomination will be refunded, and also a machine in which the clogging of the apparatus from any cause whatsoever is prevented.

The apparatus comprising my resent invention is an improvement on t at shown and described in Letters Patent N 0. 811,571, granted me February 6, 1906, for an improvement in vending-machines.

In carrying out in T invention I employ, together with a suita lc casing, a coin-chute and a receptacle for the packages to be vended, a device for closing the end of the coinchute, means actuated by a coin of predetermined denomination after the same has passed through the coin-chute for actuating the said device to close the end of the coinchute, means operative when the package-receptacle is empty for actuating the" said device to close the end of the coin-chute, a pushrod, means associated therewith and actuated by the operation thereoffor releasing.

the coin retained in the coin-chute, and means for returning the coin to the vendee, all of which will be hereinafter more particularly described. g

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section and partial elevation of an automatic vendingmachine, illustrating my improvements there in. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the frame in Which the coin tester or chute is mounted. Fig. 3 is an end view of the front of the frame in which the coin-tester or coin-chute is mounted, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line X X, Fig. 1.

(1 represents the front board of a suitable casing, which may be made of any material I and in a form adapted to contain the mechanism for operating the machine to vend the packages.

I) is a frame, preferably made of metal and set in the casing in the required position.

or chute is provided between said fixed and movable members.

The outer member of the frame I) is provided with a slot 0 in alinement with the coin-passage between the fixed and movable mem ers 2 3, respectively, of the coin-tester. The movable member 3 is provided with an arm 6, extending from the upper forward end of the same, with its lower edge lying across the upper portion of the slot 0', so that in inserting a coin the movable membe r3 is swung aside by the edge of the coin coming in contact with the lower edge of the arm 6. The movable member 3 is also provided with an inclined contact-arm 7, extending from the lower forward edge of the same and whose function will be hereinafter described. The

coin-tester may also be provided with a magnet 8, a suitably-hinged washer-arrest, and any other devices known to the art for arresting a spurious coin or other article in the coin-tester. The inner member of the frame I) is provided with a slot 11, also in alinement with the coinassage between the fixed and this plate dis raised, the projection d thereof upon this frame and on opposite si es of the is adapted to extend across the slot 11 to Y close the coin-chute. also pivotally connected to the inner face of the frame I) at I employ a rocker-arm e", provided at one side of its pivotal point with j a projection c" and at the opposite side with an outwardly-extending portion c and the movement of the rocker-arm e may be limited by means of a stop 0". The outwardlyextending portionc of the rocker-armc is connected to the outwardly-extending portion (1 of the gravity-plate (l by means of a rod g, which preferably passes loosely through suitable openings in these outwardly-extending portions.

0 designates a receptacle adapted to contain packages 12 to be vcnded, which, as is common in machines of this class, are superimposed in piles within the receptacle 0 and are maintained in position therein by means of a suitable weight 1, also adapted to fit within the reeeptru le c. The weightf is provided with a projection f, fixed therein in such a position that when the packagesare all removed from the receptacle c, or nearly so, the projection f will contact with the projection e of the rocker-arm c and thereby cause the rocker-arm to be swung on its pivotal point and by means of the rod g to raise the gravity-plate d to cause the projection (1 thereof to pass across the slot 11, and thereby close the coin-chute at its inner end. The osition of the parts in this relation are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2a b g is a slidable ejector secured to the inner end of a push-rod 71, whose outer end passes through the front board a. The ejector g is provided with a slot 13, adapted to receive the coin, and the push-rod h is provided with a sleeve 14, the said ejector being normally held in position against a stop-bar It by means of a helical spring 1.5,bearing at one end against the stop-bar h and at the other end against the sleeve 14, preferably passing within a recessed portion of this sleeve, as indicated.

i designates a hop er located directly beneath the slot 11 in t 1e inner member of the frame b, and 16 is a chute leading from the hopper i to a point directly above the slot 13 in t e ejector g and by means of which the coin after passing through the coin-chute is delivered to the ejector g. It will be manifest that in this position the coin itself is employed as the medium by which the lowermo'st package in the superimposed pile of packages in the package-receptacle will be ejected upon the push-rod it being moved inwardly. The frame M, which supports the hopperi, is slotted centrally of the ho per, and

slot therein I em loy standards h", between which is mounte a lever h} u on a suitable pin 72?, passing through the sai standards h The lower end of the lever 72 in its normal coin in its descent from the ho )per i to its position within the slot 13 in t 1e ejector g.

The upper end of the lever It extends beneath and contacts with the lower edge of the gravity-plate (I, and in their normal position the relation of these parts is such that the coin-chute is open throughout and the lower end of the lever h in place to be struck by the coin in its descent to the ejector g, and the coin in so contacting with the lower end of the lever liwill raise the upper end thereof, which in turn raises the gravity-plate d to cause the projection d thereof to pass across the slot 11 to close the coin-chute, which operation is entirely independent of the rockerarm e and associated parts.

lr designates a coin-receptacle, the u per portion 17 thereof being preferably uti ized as a slide upon which the ejector g is moved. This portion of the coin-receptacle isprovided with a slot 18, through which after the lowermost package has been removed from the superimposed'pile the coin used in eject ing the same will pass directly through the slot 13 in the ejector g and also through the slot 18 and into the coin-receptacle la, the package ejected being passed to the operator of the machine by way of the chute 20.

l designates a hopper placed immediately behind the front board a and directly beneath the coin chute and tester c. The hoper I communicates with a chute 19, which atter is in communication with the chute 20, so that articles passing through the chute 19, as well as through the chute 2t), arrive at the same place from which they may be obtained.

The push-rod h is preferably provided with an arm m, secured at one end in the sleeve 14, fixed on the said push-rod and extending upwardly beneath the side of the hopper Z and provided at its up er end with a crossbar n, extending aral e1 with and immediately behind the o'nt board a. This bar n is provided with a pin 1, and the relation and position of these parts are such that when the rod h is moved inwardly the pin 1' strikes the inclined contact-arm 7, secured to the movable member 3 of the coin-tester, and swings this member of the tester aside, thereby liberating a coin or any other article which may have been arrested within the coin-chute.

In the foregoing description it will be seen that I have referred to my improved apparatus in the singular; but it will be manifest that in any given machine the parts may be duplicated at pleasure without departing from the nature and spirit of my invention.

In the operation of the hereinbefore-d'escribed apparatus, assuming that the parts therein are in working order, a coin of predetermined denomination upon being inserted Above the slot 11 and l position projects slightly over the path of the at the slot passes through the coin-chute, through the slot 11 in the inner member of the frame 1) into the hopper t', through the chute l6, and into the slot 13 in the ejector g. Just before reaching its position in the slot 13 the lever h and raises the upper end of said lever to raise the gravity-plate d to cause the projection d thereof to pass across the slot 11 to close the coin-chute, whereupon if other coins, whether of a predetermined denomination or not, or other articles are passed into the coin-chute the same will be retained therein. Now upon actuating the push-rod the lowermost package in the superimposed pile will be removed through the intervention of the coin in the slot 13 of the ejector g,

and at the same time the coin-chute will be opened by means of the pin 1" contactin with the arm 7, and the other coins or artic rs arrested in the coin-chute will be released and by way of the hopper l and chute 19 will be returned to the operator of the machine. This operation, itwill be understood, is normalthat is to say, takes place'every time the machineis operated and is sufficiently charged to deliver a package to be vended, it being understood that the plate d and the lever It are returned to their normal positions" opening the passage through the coin-chute immediately after the )ush-rod It has been moved sufficiently for the coin in the ejector g to clear the lower end of the lever It; but this return to the normal position cannot possibly occur before the coin-chute has been opened to permit the release and return of any articles which may be therein retained. ()n the other hand, when the packages to be vended have all or nearly all been removed from the package-receptacle the rojection on the wei ht contacts with the ro'ec- J g P 1 tion e? on the rocker-arm e moving the same downward, and thereby raising the opposite end of the. rocker-arm e, by means of which, through the rod g, the gravit plate (1 is raised to cause the projection thereof to pass across the slot 11 to close the coin-chute, whereupon it will be manifest that if an attempt is made to operate the machine the coin or other articles employed in making such an attempt will be arrested in the coinchute and upon moving the push-rod h inwardly the coin or other article will be rel l l combination with a casing, a coin-chute and a receptacle for the packages to be vended, of

a device for closing the end of the coin-chute,

means actuated by the coin after the same has passed through the coin-chute for operatthe coin in its descent strikes the lower end of ing said device to close the coin-chute, a pushrod by the actuation of which, through the intervention of the coin, the packages may be ejected from the said receptacle, means actuated upon operating the push-rod for releasing articles retained in the coin-chute and means for returning the said articles to the operator.

3. In an automatic vending-machine, the combination with a casing, a package-receptacle, a frame and a coin-chute within the said frame, of a plate pivotally mounted on the said frame and adapted when raised to close the inner end of the coin-chute, and a lever adapted to beactuated by the coin after the same has passed through the coin-chute to raise the said plate to close the. coin-chute.

4. In an automatic v'ending-machine, the combination \vith a casing, a paekage-receptacle, a frame and a coin-chute within the said frame, of a plate pivotall y mounted on the said frame and adapted when raised to close the inner end of the coin-chute, a lever adapted to be actuated by the coin after the same has passed through the coin-chute to raise the said plate to close the coin-chute, a push-rod, means actuated upon operating the push-rod for releasing articles retained in the coinchute and means for returning the said articles to the operator. j

5. In an automatic vending-machine, the combination with a casing, a package-receptacle, a frame and a coin-chute within the said frame, of a plate pivotally mounted on the said frame and adapted when raised to close the inner end of the coin-chute, a lever adapted to be actuated by the coin after the same has passed through the coin-chute to raise the said plate to close the coin-chute, a rocker-arm also pivotally connected to the inner member of said frame, a connection between the said rocker-arm and said plate, means operative when the aekage-receptacle is empty for actuating the rocker-arm to cause the said plate through the said connection to be raised to close the end of the coinchute, a push-rod and means operative upon actuating the push-rod for releasing and returning articles retained in the coin-chute.

6. In an automatic vending-machine, the combination with a casing, a package-rece tacle, a frame and a coin-chute within t e said frame, of a plate pivotally mounted on the said frame and adapted whenraised to close the inner end of the coin-chute, a lever 7 adapted to be actuated by the coin after the same has passed through the coin-chute to raise the said plate to close the coin-chute, a rocker-arm, a rod connecting the correspond IIO ing ends of the said rocker-arm and plate, a push-rod for releasing and returning articles weight within the said package-receptacle, a retained within the coin-chute. 1o projection secured to the said weight and Signed by me this 26th day of December, adapted when the package-receptacle is 1905.

empty to engage the said rocker-arm to raise AUGUST MERCKEN S. the said plate'through the intervention of the Witnesses: said rod to close the coin-chute, a push-rod HARRY EDWARDS,

and means operative upon actuating the WM. R. PHELAN.

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