US903214A - Liquid-dispensing apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

W. C. MAYO & J. HOULBHAN. LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION L ILBD 113.2, 19o".-

v W. G. MAYQ'L J. HOULEHAN. LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS,

- APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, 1907.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908` 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A oR/VE Ys W1 TNESSES -THE Namens Psrsisco., wAsHlNnmN, n. c.

W. G. MAYO & J. HOULEHAN.

" LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 2, 1907.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

Je; l@ INVENTORY WwW/wf A TTORNE Ys immun sriirns earner carica.

WILLIAM C. MAYO AND JOHN HOULEHAN, OF EL PASO, TEXAS` ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE EDWIN BRIGGS, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

LIQUID-DISPENSING- APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

Application led February 2, 1907. Serial No. 355,457.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, VILLIAM C. MAYO and JOHN HoULEI-IAN, citizens of the United States, residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Liquid-Dispensing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention has reference to improvements in liquid dispensing apparatus, and its object is to provide a means whereby beverages or other liquids may be obtained from the apparatus by a customer on the deposition in the apparatus of a coin of proper value.

To this end the invention comprises a suitable receptacle for the liquid to be dispensed, means for ejecting from the apparatus a predetermined quantity of the liquid, a locking means for preventing the operation of the apparatus except when a coin of the proper predetermined value has been introduced, which coin will release the locking mechanism and permit the liquid-ejectiiig mechanism to be manipulated by a customer to an extent sutlicient to cause the outow of the liquid in a predetermined quantity.

The invention' further comprises a means for presenting` to the customer clean glasses or other liquid receptacles, and means whereby the used glasses may be automatically cleansed and ultimately presented to future customers, all by the operation of the machine in the act of ejecting the liquid to a customer.

The invention further comprises means whereby the inserted coin is itself employed for the operation of the lock mechanism whereby the apparatus is released to the manipulation of a customer; and means are provided whereby any attempt of an unscrupulous person to work the machine by a coin and then withdraw the latter will be .with the parts in position to illustrate one phase of the operation; Fig. 2 is a similar chine; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line Io-.9o of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line g/-g/ of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a section of the coin conduit on the line e-z of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the operating pinion; Fig. 7 is a detail view, partly in section, showing a portion of the operating mechanism for propelling the turn-table carrying the liquid-receiving receptacles; and Fig. 8 is a detail view of the coin-engaging end of the operating lever handle section.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a main casing 1 of cylindrical shape, the bottom of which is supported upon an annular foot 2 having formed thereon so as to surround the base an annular trough 3 designed to receive waste liquid which will be permitted to escape through a suitable orilice, not shown. In the bottom of the casing l. and concentric therewith is a punip cylinder l secured to the casing by screws 5, or otherwise, and this pump cylinder has formed in one side a conduit 6 which coini'nunicates with the interior of the pump cylinder through an opening 7 at the lower end thereof. This conduit 6 is continued up above the pump cylinder and there carries a valve 8 controlled by a spring 9, and the top of the conduit is closed by a screw-cap 10 which also serves to confine the valve and spring in the conduit. Above the valve-seat the conduit 6 communicates with a spout 11 screwed through the side of the casing into a boss 12 formed on the side of the conduit 6.

lVithin the pump cylinder 4 there is a piston 13 provided with suitable packing rings 1-1, and through this piston is a passage 15 in which is located a Valve 16 provided with a valve head 17 seated in a suitable valveyseat formed at the lower end of the'passage 15. The sten-i of the valve 16 is guided b v a Ibracket 18 fast on the pistbn, and a spring "rod 21 near its lower end.

The casing 1 is designed to form avreceptacle for the liquid to be dispensed andalso for the coin-controlled operating mechanism of the machine. To separate the casing into a lower compartment forthe liquid and an upper compartment for the coin-controlled mechanism, the casing is divided into two parts, the upper part having its lower end closed by a diaphragm 24 provided with an annular flange 25 extending below said upper part of the casing and there threaded so as to encrage threads on the upper inner edgeof the ower or liquid-receiving portion of the casing. This threaded connection is indicated at 26. In order that the mechanism in the upper compartment of the casing may be readily accessible, the diaphragm 24 is held removably therein by screws 27, or otherwise.

At the center the diaphragm 24 is formed with a boss 28 through which extends the piston-rod 21, land above this boss the pistonrod projects upwardly into the upper chamber of the casing and is there provided with rack teeth 29 fora purpose which will hereinaf'ter appear. It will now be seen that if the piston be raised from the lowermost position indicated in Fig. 1, liquid contained in the lower compartment of the casing and at such a level as to ll the pump cylinder 4, will flow through the opening 15 and by the valve head 17 into the space below the piston, and when the piston is again depressed the valve head 17 will close this opening and the liquid will be forced up the conduit 6, opening the valve 8 and escaping through the spout 11, the pump being of the ordinary force-pump type.

Coming, now, to the mechanism shown in the upper compartment of the casing, it will be seen that the'rack teeth 29 on the upper end of the pump piston engage a pinion 30 which, in turn, meshes with another rack 31 fast to the inside of the casing by means of screws 32 and facing Vthe rack 29 on the upper end of the piston-rod. This structure is such that any force applied to the axis of the pinion 30 to move the same in a vertical plane will, through the coaction of the two racks 29 and 31 and the pinion 30, cause the rack 29 to travel through twice the distance traveled by the axis of the pinion 30. Thus the pump may be operated through the desired range of movement by a movement of the pinion axis through a path of only half the extent of movement of the pump piston.

For the purpose of moving the pinlon 30 through the desired range of travel, there is provided a lever 33 pivoted coincident with the rack bar 31 by a pivot screw 34 entering a nut formed in said rack bar. This lever 33 is perforated coincident with the axis of the pinion 30, as shown at 35, Fig. 4, and through this perforation extends the hub 36 of a toothed wheel 37, which hub 36 constitutes the journal bearing ofthe pinion 30 and to which the latter is heldY by a screwv In the path of the ratchet teeth 42 is a ratchet pawl 43 pivoted at 44 upon said pinion 30 and under the stress of a spring 45, as indicated in Fig. 6. The end of the lever 33 re mote from its pivot point carries a section 46 of the coin conduit, which section 46 is in one phase of the operation of the mechanism coincident with and projecting into another section 47 of the coin conduit formed as a part, and, if desired, an integral part, of the walls of the upper compartment of the casing 1, and this section 47 terminates at the uper end in a coin-receiving opening 48 exterior to the machine.

Carried by the lever 33 and confined there* to by guide brackets 49-50 is a slide bar 51 constrained by a compression spring 52 to normally tend in a direction away from the pivot point of the lever 33. The spring 52 is confined in a recess 53 formed in the inner face of the slide bar 51 and abuts at one end against one wall of this recess and at the other end against a lug 54 formed on the lever 33 and projecting into the recess 53. This slide bar extends to the section 46 ot the coin-conduit carried by the lever 33 and is there formed into a head 55 having therein a vertical groove 56 coincident with the coin channel formed in the coin conduit section 46. This head 55 is, however, formed with a cam face 57 in the path of the coin, and a recessed portion 58 below the same constitutes a pocket for the coin as will hereinafter appear. The slide bar 51 also carries a block 59 in position to engage the teeth of the toothed Wheel 37 when this lever has been moved by the spring 52 away from the pivot point of the lever 33, the said toothed block also acting as a stop for limiting the movement of the slide bar under the action of the spring 52.

The lever 33 has an extension 6() beyond the coin conduit section 46 and there is pivotally secured to it by means of a screw 61 an arm 62 extending to the exterior of the machine. This arm 62 passes through a boss 63 formed on a sliding cover plate 64 closing a vertical slot 65 formed in the wall of the casing 1 andconstituting a guideway for the movement of the arm 62, whereby the latter may have an extended vertical movement but is prevented from lateral movement and, in turn, serves at this point to guide the lever 33 of which. it constitutes an extension or elongation. The arm 62 is les threaded at its outer end to receive a cap 66 between which and the outer end of the boss 63 there is conned a spring 67. The arm 62 also receives in a nut formed in its outer end the shank 68 of a manipulating handle 69 located exterior to the machine in convenient position for manipulation by a customer.

The inner end of the arm 62 is formed'into a cam head 70 eccentric to the pivot screw 61, and this cam head enters the coin conduit section 46 through a slot 71 formed therein opposite the head 55 formed on the slide bar 51. The arm 62 has a limited movement around the pivot screw 61 determined by a slotted or hooked linger 72 formed on said arm and engaging a lug 73 formed on said coin conduit section 46 in the path of said finger 72. Connected to the arm 62 within the casing there is a spring 74, the other end of which is fast to the top of the casing. There is also another spring 7 5 connected at one end to the lever 33 and at the other end to the upper end of the piston-rod 21.

The normal position of the parts is shown in Fig. 1, that is, the pump piston is at the lowerinost point of its travel and the lever 33 has moved downward until stopped by the engagement of the lug 73 with the diaphragm 24, while the spring 74, acting on the arm 62, maintains it in a slightly elevated position a little above the lower edge of vthe slot 65, with the cam head 7 0 projecting into the coin conduit section 46 opposite the head 55 on the slide bar 51, the two arts 55 and 70 coacting to restrict the width of the coin conduit at this point. Now, if a coin be dropped through the opening 48, it will gravitate to this restricted portion of the coin conduit, but if the handle 69 be depressed against the action of the spring 74 the arm 60 will be turned on its pivotv 61, carrying the cam head 70 out of the conduit, so that the coin may now drop until arrested by a stop 76 formed on the diaphragm 24, and when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 this stop 76 enters the lower end of the section 46 of the coin conduit su'liiciently to hold the coin in line with the recess 5S in the head formed on the end ot' the slide bar 51. Now, if the handle 69 be moved upward, by the action of the spring 74 and by the hand of a customer, the cam head 7 0 will again enter the coin conduit section 46 and engage the coin, forcing it against its seat on the head 55 and ultimately causing the bar 51 to be moved longitudinally to a suiiicient extent to carry the toothed lug 59 out of engagement with the toothed wheel 37. The pinion 30 is now unlocked and the handle 69 may be raised to the full extent of its travel and thus, through the action of the fixed rack 31 and the pinion 30, raise the piston-rod 21 and the piston 13 to the upward limit of their movement, as shown in Fig. 2, this upward limit of travel being determined by the position of the upper edge of the slot 65 wvhich is then engaged by the arm 62. The customer' now presses down upon the handle 69 and because of the resistance oi':1 the liquid, which has in the meantime flowed through the valve in the piston to the under side of the latter, the first downward movement of the handle will cause the arm 62 to turn on its pivot and carry the cam head 70 away from the coin, thus permitting the coin to fall from out the movable section of the coin conduit. The slide bar 51 now returns to its lirst position under the action of the spring 52 and the toothed block 59 engages and locks the toothed wheel 37. But the pinion 30 is still free to move upon its axis since the pawl 43, which holds the pinion against movement on the hub 36, is inactive to the movement of the pinion in a direction to lower the piston. However, as soon as the handle 69 has again been lowered to the position shown in Fig. 1, the pawl 43 and ratchet teeth 42 coact with the toothed wheel 37 and toothed block 59 to eHectually lock this pinion against return movement and so lock the entire structure against further manipulation until another coin of the proper denomination has been inserted.

In theoperation thus far described it has been assumed that the user is supplied with a suitable receptacle for the liquid ejected through the spout 11` But the invention contemplates means whereby clean glasses, or other suitable receptacles, may be carried by the machine for the convenience of the user. For this purpose there is formed on or secured to the lower portion of the casing 1 an annular flange 77 between which and a shoulder 7 8 higher up on the casing is mounted an annular casting 79 made hollow, as shown, for lightness, and this casting is formed at its lower end with an annular, horizontally n projecting glass carrier S0. Upon the upper edge ot' the casting 79 there is formed an annular ledge 81 carrying an annular series of ratchet teeth 82 the purpose of which latter will be hereinafter described. The flange 7 7 carries a number of equi-distantly spaced hollow uprights 83, each having a number of upwardly-projecting nozzles 84, and the top of each upright terminates in a pin 85 upon which is hung a glass tumbler 86 bottom upward, tbe lower edge of the glass hanging close to the upper face of the glass-carrier 8O within an upturned rim 87 formed on the edge of the glass-carrier. The interior of each of the hollow uprights 33 communicates with a duct S3 extending through the'base of the glass-carrier to a point above the flange 77, and in this flange 77 there is formed a passageway 89, open on its upper edge so as to be in communication with the inner ends of the ducts 88. The passageway 89 extends through but a portion of the circumference of the flange 77, say to the extent of about ninety degrees. The ducts 88 will therefore be in communication with this Apassageway through but one-quarter of the revolution of the glass-carrier, which latter, in the practical operation of the machine, is made to travel entirely around its seat on the flange 7 7.

Water is conveyed to the passageway 89 from a source of supply not shown, and when one or more of the ducts 88 is in communication with said passageway 89 the water is conveyed through thel hollow uprights 83 and forced through the nozzles 84 against the sides of the glass tumblers. These nozzles 84 are given a slight twist, so that the water jets will strike the inner walls of the tumblers more or less tangentially and produce a swirl of the water which is very efficient in cleansing the inside of the glass. The water used for washing the glasses falls on to the bottom of the glass-conveyer, which is purposely made slightly inclined toward the axis of the conveyer, and a number of passages 90 are provided to convey the waste water into the trough 3 from which it may be conveyed away in any suitable manner, as by means of a waste pipe which, however, is not shown.

The glass-carrier is covered by a hood 91, fast in any suitable manner to the casing, and which extends around the said glasscarrier except adjacent to the spout 11, so that the glasses are hidden from view while being cleansed, and only the one about to be used is within the reach of the customer.

The passageway 89 is made to extend through only about a quadrant, so that the glasses will have time to vdrain and dry before they are brought into reach of the customer. In order to prevent the escape of water between the passageway 89 and the edges of the glass-carrier, the meeting edges of the glass-carrier and the flange 77 may be ground to produce a water-tight joint.

In order to provide for the rotation of the glass-carrier, the lever 33 is formed with a short arm 92 to which is secured a link 93 carrying a pendent pawl 94, the lower end of which is formed with a tooth 95 engaging the rack teeth 82 on the ledge 81 before referred to. The pawl 94 passes through and is guided in the upper wall of the hood 91, and this portion of the structure is protected by a casing 96 fast to the casing 1 and the hood 91, as indicated in F ig. 1. Now, when the lever 33 is moved to raise the piston 13 the outer end of the arm 92 is depressed and through the link 93 depresses the pawl 94, which, in its normal position, rests behind a tooth 82 at a slight angle to the vertical, so that as a result of the downward movement of the arm 92 and link 93, the lower end 95 of the pawl 94 will be forced in Aa direction to rotate the the upper section 47 of the coin conduit is provided with a cross slot 97 in which moves a knife blade 98 fast to one end of a rock arm 99 pivoted at the other end to the diaphragm 24 and in the path of a lug 100 on the arm 62 of the' manipulating lever, so that as this lever is movedy the knife will be forced across the conduit and thereby sever any cord or wire which may have been attached to the coin, before the lever can be manipulated to cause the machine to expel the liquid.

For the purpose of notifying an observer of the amount of liquid contained in the lower compartment 0r liquid reservoir, a float 101 is provided therein having attached thereto an indicator arm 102 arranged opposite a window 103, whereby the level of the liquid in the reservoir may be at once ascertained and the intended purchaser may thereby know whether or not the reservoir contains sufficient liquid to supply the normal operation of the machine.

I claim 1. In a dispensing apparatus, a rack, a pinion coacting with said rack, a lever carrying the pinion, and coin-controlled mechanism on said lever for preventing the movement of the same in one direction.

2. In a dispensing apparatus, a two-part lever, a lock mechanism on one member of the lever for preventing the movement of the latter in one direction. and a cam member on the lever coacting with an inserted coin to operate the lock mechanism on the other member of the lever.

3. In a dispensing apparatus, a rack, a pinion engaging the rack, a two-part lever carrying said pinion, means for locking the pinion to the lever and carried by one part of the latter, and a cam carried by the other member of the lever and coacting with an inserted coin to operate the lock mechanism on the other member of the lever.

ilo

4. In a dispensing apparatus, a rack, a

and movable into the coin conduit, and a cam Y head carried by the other end of the lever and also movable into the coin conduit and coacting with an inserted coin to move the first named coin-engaging memberto unlock the pinion.

5. In a dispensing apparatus, a rotatable member, a lever for operating the same, and a coin-actuated means between the lever and rotatable member consisting of a toothed. wheel carried by the lever and having a hub constituting the bearing of the rotatable member, a pawl and ratchet coupling between the rotatable member and the toothed wheel, and a sliding member on the lever engaging and disengaging the toothed Wheel and operable by an inserted coin to be moved out of engagement with the toothed wheel and thereby release the rotatable member.

6. In a dispensing apparatus, a coin-controlled means for coupling and uncoupling a rotatable member and a lever for operating the same, comprising a toothed wheel carried by the lever and having a hub constituting the bearing for the rotatable member, a pawl and ratchet connection between the pinion and hub, a sliding member on the lever, a toothed block for engagement with said toothed wheel carried by said sliding member, a coin conduit carried by said lever and entered by said sliding member, and an arm carried by and constituting a member of said lever and provided with a cam head entering said coin conduit and capable of coacting with an inserted coin to engage the sliding member and thereby unlock the rotatable member.

7 In a dispensing apparatus, a fixed rack bar, a rotatable pinion engaging the rack bar, a lever carrying the pinion, a sliding bar for locking the pinion against rotation, and also projecting into the path of an inserted coin and there having a recess to receive the coin, and an arm pvoted to the lever and having a restricted movement with relation to the latter and provided with a cam head movable into the path of the coin and coacting therewith to move the sliding bar to unlock the pinion.

8. In a dispensing apparatus, a rotatable member, a lever carrying the same, and a coin-controlled means upon said lever for locking the rotatable member to the lever and thereby preventing the movement of the said rotatable member and the lever in one direction.

9. In a dispensing apparatus, a two-part lever for actuating the delivering end of the dispensing apparatus, the two parts of the lever being connected together for common movement and one end of the lever having a limited relative movement on the other member of the lever, and a lock between the manipulating end of the lever and the dispensing end of the apparatus actuated through the intermediary of an inserted coin by the relatively movable member of the lever.

l0. In a dispensing apparatus, a two-part lever with one part having a limited movement relatively to and independent of the other part, a coin-actuated means having a member separated from, but in operative relation to the relatively movable member of the lever, and a coin chute carried by the lever for directing a coin between the coacting parts of the coin-actuated means and the lever.

ll. In a dispensing apparatus, a lever formed of two parts, one of which is hinged to the other and has a limited relative movement with reference to the other part, a coin chute carried by one member of the lever, a coin-actuated member carried by the same member of the lever as is the coin chute, the said coin-actuated member and relatively movable member of the lever being located to intercept and coact with an inserted coin introduced into the coin chute, and means for holding the relatively movable lever member normally in the path of an inserted com.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. MAYO. JOHN HOULEHAN.

Witnesses as to signature of William C. Mayo:

W'. A. WARWICK, JOHN L. SPADER.

Witnesses as to signature of John Houlehan:

I-I. G. CLUNN, A. M. WALTHALL.

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