US997546A - Vending-machine. - Google Patents

Description

L. H. DUPONT & T. A. KILLMAN. VENDING mcnmn.

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Patented July 11, 1911. 4 nnnnnnnnnnnn 1.

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L. H. DUPONT & T. A. KILLMAN.

VENDING MACHINE.

Patented July 11, 1911.

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Tliai- L. H. DUPONT & T. A. KILLMAN.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1910.

997,546. Patented July 11,1911.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAP c.

L. H. DUPONT & T. A. KILLMAN.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY23,1910.

997,546, Patented July 11,1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. DUPONT AND THOMAS A. KILLMAN, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1911.

Original application filed March 21, 1910, Serial No. 550,612. Divided. and this application filed July 23,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LOUIS H. DUPONT and THOMAS A. KILLMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specificatlon, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs.

This invention relates to vending machines for the vending of newspapers or periodicals and more particularly to coin controlled operating means for a machlne of that character shown and described in our prior application for patent filed March 21, 1910, Serial Number 550,612, and of which this application is a division.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of a comparatively simple and novel arrangement of parts controlled by one or more coins to operate the delivery mechanism and singly deliver the articles from the machine.

A further object of our invention is to provide a delivery belt normally held frictionally against movement, in combination with coin controlled operating means and means for connecting said operating means and the delivery mechanism to move said belt when the proper coin or coins are inserted.

Another object of the invention is to provide coin controlled operating means embodying a coin carrying wheel and means for varying the number of coins to be carried by said wheel.

Still another object of our invention resides in the provision of new and novel means operated by means carried by the delivering mechanism for preventing the insertion of the coins after the machine has become exhausted.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with our invention, the housing of the operating mechanism being removed and the casing partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the delivering and operating mechanism removed from the casing and Serial No. 573,441.

showing the arrangement of the parts after the coins have engaged and released the oscillatory locking bar; Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section through the casing and parts of the mechanism; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4L4L of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the coin receiving wheel; and Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the position of the wheel after the coins have released the locking bar.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings 5 indicates a casing in which the delivery mechanism, shown and described in detail in the application hereinbefore referred to, is housed. Said delivery mechanism comprises a power drum 8 and a paper carrying roller 9. Between the power drum and the paper roller the idler rollers 11 and 12, which are rotatably mounted in the lower body portion of the casing and in parallel. relation to the drum 8 and roller 9, are arranged. The paper carrying belt 10 has its ends secured to the drum 8 and roller 9 respectively and passes around the idler rollers 11 and 12. The papers are adapted to be laid upon the belt as the same is wound upon the roller 9, said papers thus being disposed in spaced relation between the successive layers of the belt.

The delivery belt 10 is adapted to be moved with each operation of the machine to a sufficient extent to deliver a single newspaper. This operating means is adapted to be cooperatively connected to the delivery mechanism upon the insertion of the proper coin or coins. We attain this desired result by means of the following mechanism A shaft 13 extends longitudinally through the power drum 8. This shaft extends beyond the sides of the casing 5 and has loosely mounted on one end thereof a coin receiving wheel 1st. This wheel is formed with a peripheral groove providing a coin raceway 15. The raceway 15 is positioned be neath and in alinement with the lower end of the coin chute 16 secured in any desired manner upon the side of the casing 5. The wheel 14; is also formed with a central extension 17 and a crank handle 18 is arranged thereon and is secured to said extension by means of a set screw 19. A plate 20 is arranged over the outer face of said handle and the extension 17 and is secured on the end of the shaft 12 by means of the screw 21 which has threaded engagement therein.

The power drum 8 is loosely mounted on the shaft 13 and is adapted for independent rotation at certaintimes. It is obvious, however, that in order to move the belt 10 to deliver the papers, it is necessary to have unitary movement of the coin wheel and the drum when the crank 18 is rotated. This connection between the drum and the coin wheel is effected by means of the oppositely bowed friction disks 27 which are longitudinally movable upon the shaft 13 and are riveted together adjacent to said shaft. These friction disks engage with the end of the drum and with the friction plate 25 respectively which is formed upon the end of a sleeve 24 loosely mounted on the shaft 13. A ratchet wheel 22 is arranged on the outer end of said sleeve and is adapted to be engaged by a spring pressed pawl 23 mounted on the face of the wheel 14. The frictional engagement of the disks 27 with the end of the drum and the plate 25 is adapted to be increased or decreased by the adjustment of a nut 28 which is threaded upon the opposite end of the shaft 13. It will be obvious that as this nut is threaded inwardly upon the shaft 13, said shaft will be drawn through the hollow drum 8 and the plate 25 moved into the end of the drum whereby the bowed disks 27 are forced toward each other thereby increasing the friction of said disks upon the end of the drum and the plate 25. Thus when the crank is manipulated, it will be turned with the coin receiving wheel 14 and the drum will be simultaneously rotated to wind the delivery belt on said drum. The end of the drum 8 at the opposite side of the casing to the coin receiving mechanism is spaced from the casing wall by means of a washer 29, thereby preventing wear upon the wall of the casing. By means of the construction above described the coin wheel and crank may be turned backwardly without rotating the power drum 8 but when moved in the proper direction the gravity pawl 23 will engage with the teeth of the ratchet 22 and lock the drum to the wheel, thereby causing the same to turn and move the belt for the delivery of the paper.

In order to prevent the fraudulent opera tion of the machine we provide means for positively locking the idler roller 12 against rotation whereby the friction between the disks 27 and the operating means and drum is overcome, and the coin receiving wheel 14 caused to move independently of the power drum 8 when the crank is turned. This locking means is adapted to be actuated by the insertion of the proper coin or coins for'the purchase of a paper and is arranged substantially as follows: The stub shaft 30 on one end of the idler roller 12 projects through the casing wall and has rigidly secured thereon a disk 31, provided at diametrically opposite points in its periphery with the notches 32. These notches are adapted to receive the end of an oscillatory locking bar 33. This bar is pivoted intermediate of its ends as at 35 upon the casing wall and is normally held in engagement with the periphery of the disk by means of a leaf spring 34. The forward end of this locking lever extends above the periphery of the coin receiving wheel 14 and is formed with a lateral arm or plate 36. This plate 36 is adapted to be engaged by a coin carried by the wheel 14 as the crank 18 is turned, whereby the forward end of the locking lever or bar 33 will be raised and the rear end thereof moved out of the notch 32 in the disk 31 to release the idler roller 12 and permit of its rotation in the movement of the delivery belt therearound. The spring 34 holds the end of the lever in engagement with the periphery of the disk 31 until the disk has made one-half of a revolution when said lever will engage with the notch in the opposite side of the disk and again lock the roller so as to prevent continued movement of the delivery belt. In this manner the delivery of more than one paper with each operation of the machine is prevented.

The manner in which the coin or coins are carried by the wheel 14 and the means whereby said wheel may be arranged to receive one or a number of coins as the price of the paper varies, is shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6. It will be observed that the annular groove or raceway 15 in the pcriphery of the wheel communicates with an inclined recess or socket 37 into which coins are adapted tobe directed. After the coins leave the lower end of the chute 16 and are deposited in the coin raceway 15 of the wheel, they move downwardly between the base of the groove and guard plate or rail 38. The lower end of this guard rail is formed with a projection or stop 39 which prevents the coins from being released and deposited in the bottom of the casing. The coins remain in this position as the wheel 14 is rotated and are adapted to be picked up and directed into the inclined socket 37 by means of a gravity dog 40. This dog is secured between the walls of the groove 15 by means of the pin 41 and its pivotal movement is limited by the base of said groove and a pin 42. As the dog 40 is brought into contact with the coins, the inner curved edge 40 thereof will be disposed against the periphery of the coin and direct the same into the socket 37. In order to adapt the coin wheel to receive a number of coins, we provide the same with a plurality of alined transverse openings 43 which extend therethrough upon opposite sides of the socket 37 and are adapted to receive a stop pin or screw 44. This pin 44 when in position limits the inward movement of the coins into the socket, and the openings which receive the pin are so spaced that the outermost coin, irrespective of the number of coins which are inserted to effect the operation of the mechanism, will project beyond the periphery of the wheel. As the crank 18 is turned, the edge of the outer coin will engage the under side of the plate 36 formed upon the forward end of the locking lever 33 and will elevate this lever against the tension of the spring 34 to release the idler roller 12 so that the delivery belt may be moved. The friction between the coin receiving wheel 14: and the power drum 8 having been adjusted to cause their unitary movement, it will be obvious that after the locking lever has been released by the insertion of the proper coins, the continued movement of the crank will cause the belt 10 to traverse the different rollers and move a single paper carried thereby from the roll of belting upon the roller 9. The paper is discharged through a slot formed in the casing 5 as described in my prior application. Vhen the locking lever is again engaged with the notch 32 of the disk 31, on the opposite side of the disk, the added frictional resistance imparted by the roller to the movement of the belt will overcome the friction between the bowed plates 27 and the friction plate 25 and head 26 of the drum 8 so that the continued turning of the crank handle will only affect the independent rotation of the coin carrying wheel. In order to obviate the liability of the gravity dog 40 being disposed beneath and closing the lower end of the coin chute when the crank 18 is released, we attach the crank to the tubular stem or hub of the wheel 14 in such manner that if the same is released upon the left hand side of the center of the power drum, it will drop by gravity and move the gravity dog 40 away from the lower open end of the coin chute into substantially the position indicated in Fig. 5. If, however, the handle is disposed to the right of the longitudinal center of the drum 8 when released, it will be held in such position owing to the frictional connection between the coin Wheel and the power drum. To prevent the backward movement of the handle 18 we mount upon the stud 35 on which the locking lever 33 is arranged, an arm 46. This arm is pivotally movable and at its free end is engaged with one of a series of studs 47 formed upon the inner face of the coin wheel 14. A stop 48 is fixed in the casing wall and limits the upward movement of this arm, and a leaf spring 19 is engaged therewith to yieldingly hold the arm in contact with the studs carried by the wheel. In this manner all danger of the gravity dog 40 being left in a position below the coin chute, whereby the proper operation of the mechanism would be rendered impossible, is avoided. At times it may be found desirable to release the friction roller 12 so that the papers may be removed from the machine without the insertion of a coin or coins. For this purpose an arm or rod 50 is pivoted at one end of the locking lever forwardly of its pivotal point and extends upwardly through the end of the casing 5. The upper end of this arm is bent at an angle to form a finger-piece whereby it may be lifted to overcome the tension of the spring 34 and disengage the locking lever from the disk 31. will then be moved around the rollers and entirely wound upon the lower power drum 8, the papers of course being successively removed. The idler roller 12 is preferably formed with a milled or knurled surface to increase the friction of the same with the movable belt whereby the machine may further be rendered proof against fraudulent operation. The coin controlled operating mechanism is arranged in a housing 52 secured in any desired manner to the side of the casing 5.

While in the drawings the openings 43 in the coin wheel which receive the pin 4.4. are shown equally spaced from each other, so that only coins of the same denomination and having the same diameter are adapted to be received in the slot 37 of the wheel, it will be obvious that the spaces between these openings may be varied if desired so that the wheel may receive coins of different denominations. Thus in the vending of periodicals, for which purpose our machine is also adapted, the pin 4 may be so disposed across the slot 37 that coins of different denominations may be inserted for the operation of the machine, and when inserted in proper order the outermost coin will be positioned to release the locking lever.

After the locking lever has been lifted and the coin carrying wheel moved to the position shown in Fig. 6, the coins will gravitate outwardly and be discharged from the wheel upon a short curved plate 71 carried by the cover 52 and extending inwardly therefrom. This plate acts as a guide for the coins and directs the same upon an inclined plate 72 from which they are deposited through an opening in the wall of the casing 5. The plate 72 is secured to the casing wall at its forward end whereby the liability of coins moving beyond the opening in the wall of the casing 5 is overcome.

In order to prevent the operation of the machine by the insertion of thecoins into the chute 16, when the machine is exhausted, the following mechanism is provided: A spring plate or arm 53 is secured at one end in the coin chute 1G and at its upper end is formed with a laterally extending lug 5 1. This lug is disposed across the coin opening in the upper end of the chute when the same is closed. A lever 55 is formed The belt 10 which carries the papers with a wedge 56 upon one end, said wedge having its inclined edge disposed against the resilient arm 53 and movably disposed between the same and the side of the casing 5. The other end of the lever 55 is connected to one of the arms of a substantially U-shaped rock shaft 57. The arms of this shaft are disposed out of alinement, as shown in Fig. 2, and when in normal. position the inner arm 57 of said shaft is Vertically disposed and the extreme end portion only of the wedge 56 engaged with the resilient arm 53, the lug 54 thereof being disposed inwardly and permitting of the free passage and descent of the coins in the chute 16. The arm 57 of the rock shaft is adapted to be engaged by a spring plate 58 secured to the periphery of the paper carrying roller 9. This plate extends downwardly at an angle to the roller, the free end thereof being disposed in a position for engagement with the vertical arm 57. When the last of the papers have been delivered from the movable belt, this spring plate 58 contacts with the arm 57 and forces the same forwardly, thus locking the shaft 57 in its bearing and forcing the wedge 56 forwardly between the resilient arm 53 and the casing. The lug 54 is thus moved beneath the coin slot and effectually prevents the insertion of a coin therein. Upon the reverse movement of the paper carrying roller 9, the arm 57 of the rock shaft will be again engaged by the spring plate 58 and the spring plate 53 returned to its normal position to open the coin chute. The contact of the wedge 56 with the arm 53 will somewhat retard the forward movement of the lever 55 and place the plate 58 under compression so that it will be in position for engagement with the arm 57 upon the reverse rotation of the paper carrying roller. The forward disposition of the outer arm of the rock shaft 57 and the added weight and down ward inclination of the lever 55 will cause the inner arm 57 to assume its normal position after the plate 58 has passed the same in the reverse movement of the roller, thus assuring the movement of the wedge to close the coin chute when the machine again becomes exhausted. The plate 58 will be closely held upon the periphery of the paper receiving roller as the carrying belt 10 is wound and accumulates thereon.

One of the trunnions of the roller 9 extends through the side of the casing 5 and has a gear 61 fixed thereon which meshes with a pinion 62 also mounted upon the side of the casing. A removable cap is preferably arranged on the end of the casing to inclose this gearing and a crank is adapted to be detachably connected to the pinion to rotate the paper carrying roller and wind the belt 10 thereon. The proper disposition of the papers upon the movable belt is secured through the engagement and disengagement of the locking lever 33 in the peripheral recesses or notches of the disk 31. As this lever engages in the notches, the con tact of the lever with the disk can be distinctly heard by the operator who then places a newspaper upon the moving belt, the crank connected to the pinion (32 being turned by the operator, or another to assist him in charging the machine. Thus it is evident that the papers will be successively discharged from the machine in the order in which they were placed therein.

It will be noted that the coin raceway 15 of the wheel 14 is of considerably greater width than the coin receiving socket of said wheel. This construction is necessary in order to compensate for the change of position of the coin receiving wheel beneath the slot in the coin chute, when the nut 28 is adjusted upon the end of the shaft 13. The socket 37 is of but slightly greater width than the thickness of the coin so that the liability of one coin passing another as they move into the socket 37 is obviated.

From the foregoing it is believed that the operation and construction of our improved vending machine will be readily understood. The mechanism is comparatively simple and the various parts are so arranged as to insure the positive delivery of a single paper upon the insertion of the proper coin or coins. The operating mechanism is also adapted to be actuated by the insertion of a nickel, at which price Sunday newspapers are generally sold. The inclined socket 37 in the coin wheel at its mouth, being of such width as to receive only a copper cent, it is obvious that as the nickel is of greater diameter it will not entirely enter into said socket. hen the nickel is inserted in the coin slot, it will strike in the outer open end of the socket 37 with considerable force and engage with the opposite walls of said socket at approximately its center. The gravity dog 40 will prevent displacement of the coin from such position until it has performed its function of lifting the oscillatory locking lever 33. It will be apparent that if found desirable, a number of the coin wheels 14; may be used, said wheels each being adapted to receive coins of different denominations, whereby the machine may be utilized for the vending of other articles of merchandise. During the charging of the machine, the pivoted arm 46 engaging with one of the lugs 47 on the inner face of the coin wheel 14: will hold said wheel. and consequently the crank 18 against rotation, the hollow drum 8 rotating independently upon the shaft 13 as the belt is drawn therefrom. The friction rollers 11 and 12 are of course revolved by this movement of the belt, and owing to the friction produced by the bowed friction plates 27 between the stationary plate 25 and the rotating drum 8, the belt 10 is kept taut at all times, thereby causing the same to be wrapped closely upon the paper carrying roller 9 so that the belt is thus capable of carrying a great number of papers in a comparatively contracted space.

By means of the construction above set forth, the fraudulent operation of the machine is rendered absolutely impossible. When the attempt is made to operate the machine without inserting the proper coins, the gravity dog 40 will simply fall down until its lower end is disposed in the same plane as the periphery of the wheel whereby the dog will move beneath the forward end of the locking lever 33 without lifting the same whereby the friction produced between the roller 12 and the belt 10 will prevent said belt from slipping while the locking lever prevents rotation of the roller.

WVhile we have shown and described the particular combination and arrangement of parts, it will be understood that we do not wish to be restricted in the practical devel opment of our invention to the exact details of construction as above set forth, but reserve the right to make such changes in the arrangement of the various elements as may later be deemed more desirable for the par ticular purpose to which the machine is to be applied.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is z 1. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable coin receiving wheel having an annular raceway in its periphery and a slot extending into said wheel and opening into said raceway, and means arranged in the raceway adjacent to the entrance to the slot to direct the coin into said slot when the entrance thereto is disposed below the axial center of the wheel.

2. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable coin receiving wheel having an annular raceway in its periphery, said wheel also having a slot extending into the same at one side of and beyond its axial center, said slot opening into the raceway of the wheel, and means for successively directing a plurality of coins into said slot during the rotation of the wheel.

3. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable wheel having an annular coin receiving raceway in its periphery and a slot extending into said wheel opening at one end into the raceway, a guide for the coin, a directing element movable in the coin raceway for directing a coin into said slot, and means for positioning said element to engage the com.

4. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable Wheel having a peripheral coin receiving raceway and a slot extending into and partially across the wheel, said slot opening at one end into the raceway, a guide for the coin, a directing element having limited movement in the raceway of said wheel to direct a coin into said slot, and means for limiting the movement of said element to position the same in the rotation of the wheel to engage the coin.

5. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable wheel having a peripheral coin receiving raceway and a slot extending into the wheel and opening into said raceway at one end, a guide for the coin, a coin directing element pivotally arranged in the raceway of said wheel to direct a coin into said slot, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said element, to direct the coin into the slot and its discharge therefrom in the rotation of the wheel.

6. In a coin controlled mechanism, the combination of a coin chute, a rotatable coin receiving wheel mounted beneath said chute, said wheel having a slot therein to receive the coins, a guide for the coins arranged in spaced concentric relation to the wheel, and means carried by the wheel for directing the coins from said guide into the slot and their discharge from the same.

7. In a coin controlled mechanism, the combination of a coin chute, a rotatable coin receiving wheel arranged beneath the chute, said wheel being provided with an annular coin receiving raceway in its periphery and a slot extending into the wheel and opening at one end into the raceway, a guide extending from the coin chute in spaced concentric relation to the wheel to maintain the coins in the raceway, a directing element mounted in the raceway adjacent to the open end of the slot to direct the coins into the same, means for positioning said element to engage the coins and means for varying the number of coins to be received in said slot.

8. In a vending machine, the combination with a delivery mechanism, of coin controlled mechanism comprising a rotatable coin receiving wheel having a coin receiving slot extending into the same at one side of and beyond its axial center and opening upon the periphery of the wheel, means carried by the wheel for directing one or more coins into the slot, the outermost coin projecting beyond the periphery of the wheel, and means normally locking the delivery mechanism against operation to be engaged by the projecting portion of the coin to release the delivery mechanism.

9. In a vending machine, the combination with a delivery mechanism, of coin controlled operating means comprising a coin receiving wheel having a slot extending into the same at one side of its axial center, means for directing one or more coins into said slot, means normally locking the delivery mechanism against operation including a pivoted element extending adjacent to the coin receiving wheel and adapted to be actuated by one of the coins carried thereby to release the delivery mechanism for movement, and additional means for manually operating said last named element to release said delivery mechanism.

10. In a vending machine, the combination with a delivery mechanism, of coin controlled operating means comprising a coin chute and a rotatable wheel mounted beneath said chute, said wheel having a peripheral coin receiving raceway and a slot eX tending into the wheel to receive the coins, a pivoted dog in the raceway to direct the coins into said slot, the outermost coin projecting beyond the periphery of the wheel, means normally locking the delivery mechanism against operation adapted to be actuated by the projecting portion of said coin to release the delivery mechanism, and means whereby the location of said dog beneath the coin chute at the end of the rotary movement of the wheel is prevented.

11. In a vending machine, the combination with a delivery mechanism, of coin controlled operating means comprising a coin chute and a rotary coin receiving wheel mounted beneath the same, said wheel having a slot therein opening upon the periphery of the wheel, means carried by the wheel for directing one or more coins into said slot, means normally locking the delivery mechanism against operation, the outermost coin carried by the wheel projecting beyond the periphery thereof and adapted to actuate said locking means to release the delivery mechanism, a plurality of lugs on one face of the wheel, and a pivoted spring pressed element to engage said lugs whereby reverse rotation of the coin receiving wheel and the movement of the directing elementcarried thereby beneath the coin chute is prevented.

12. In a vending machine, the combination with a delivery mechanism, of coin controlled operating means for actuating said mechanism comprising a coin chute and a rotary coin receiving wheel mounted beneath the same, a resilient element arranged in the chute and movable across the upper end thereof to close the same, and means automatically actuated by the delivery mechanism to move said element and close the coin chute when the last of the articles to be vended has been delivered.

13. In a vending machine, the combination with a delivery mechanism including a flexible carrier and a plurality of supporting rollers therefor, of coin controlled operating means comprising a coin chute and a rotary coin receiving Wheel mounted beneath said chute at the end of one of the rollers, means normally locking said deliv ery mechanism against operation adapted to be actuated in the rotary movement of the coin wheel whereby the carrier is moved to discharge one of the articles carried thereby, means for closing the coin chute when the last of the articles to be vended has been delivered, and means carried by one of the carrier supporting rollers for actuating said last named means.

14. In a vendingmachine,thecombination with a delivery mechanism including a flexible carrier and a plurality of supporting rollers therefor, of coin controlled operating means including a coin directing chute, a resilient element arranged in the chute adapted to be extended across the upper end thereof to close the same, and a pivotally supported slidable element actuated by the delivery mechanism when the last of the articles to be vended has been discharged to move said resilient element and close the coin chute.

15. In a vending machine, the combination with a delivery mechanism including a flexible carrier and a plurality of supporting rollers therefor, of coin controlled operating means including a coin directing chute, a closing element movable across the upper open end of the chute, a pivotally supported slidable wedge to engage said element and move the same, and means carried by one of the carrier supporting rollers to move said wedge and dispose the chute closing element across the upper end of the chute to close the same when the last of the articles to be vended has been delivered.

16. In a vending machine, the combination with a delivery mechanism including a flexible carrier and a plurality of supporting rollers therefor, of coin controlled operating means including acoin directing chute, means movable in the chute for closing the same, a slidable wedge engaging said last named means, and means carried by one of the carrier supporting rollers to slide said wedge and move the chute closing means across the upper end of the chute when the last of the articles to be vended has been delivered, the reverse rotation of said roller automatically returning the slidable wedge to its normal position.

17. In a vending machine, the combination with a delivery mechanism including a flexible carrier and a plurality of supporting rollers therefor, of coin controlled operating means including a coin directing chute, a resilient element arranged in said chute and movable across the upper open end thereof, a rock shaft, a sliding wedge pivotally connected to the rock shaft and engaging said resilient element, and a spring plate secured to one of the carrier supporting rollers to engage the rock shaft and slide the wedge whereby said resilient element is moved to close the chute when the last of the articles to be vended has been delivered.

18. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable coin receiving wheel having a slot extending into the same at one side of and beyond its axial center, said slot opening upon the periphery of the wheel, and means carried by the wheel for successively directing a plurality of coins into said slot when the entrance thereto is disposed below the axial center of the wheel.

19. In a coin controlled mechanism, a 1'0- tatable coin receiving wheel having a slot extending into the same beyond its axial center, said slot opening upon the periphery of the wheel, and means pivotally carried by the wheel and automatically positioned in the rotation thereof to direct a coin into said slot.

20. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable coin receiving wheel having an annular raceway in its periphery, said wheel also having a slot extending into the same at an angle to the radial thereof and open ing into said raceway, and means movably mounted in the raceway of the wheel adjacent to said slot and automatically positioned in the rotation of said wheel to direct a coin into said slot and to direct its discharge therefrom.

21. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable coin receiving wheel having a slot therein to receive the coins, means carried by the wheel to direct the coins into the slot, a chute to convey the coins to the wheel, and means for preventing the disposition of the coin directing means beneath the coin chute when the wheel is stationary.

22. In a coin controlled mechanism, a ro tatable coin receiving wheel having an annular raceway in its periphery and a slot extending into said wheel opening into the raceway, a chute to convey coins to the raceway of the wheel, a guide extending from the chute to retain the coins in the raceway, means for directing the coins into said slot when the entrance to the slot is disposed below the axial center of the wheel, and means for preventing the reverse rotation of said wheel and the disposition of said coin directing means beneath the coin chute when the wheel is stationary.

In testimony whereof we hereunto atlix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS H. DUPONT. THOh IAS A. KILLMAN. lVitnesses WM. V. LECHLEITER, V. H. HALEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0.

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