US3082907A - Article vending machine with a sold-out indicator - Google Patents

Article vending machine with a sold-out indicator Download PDF

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Publication number
US3082907A
US3082907A US701071A US70107157A US3082907A US 3082907 A US3082907 A US 3082907A US 701071 A US701071 A US 701071A US 70107157 A US70107157 A US 70107157A US 3082907 A US3082907 A US 3082907A
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United States
Prior art keywords
star wheel
housing
deflecting
shelf plate
storage cabinet
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US701071A
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English (en)
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William A Patzer
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Individual
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Individual
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Priority to US701071A priority Critical patent/US3082907A/en
Priority to BE573678A priority patent/BE573678A/fr
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Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F9/00—Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus
    • G07F9/02—Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a bottle dispensing machine and it relates more particularly to a bottle dispensing machine which operates in response to the insertion of coins and without actuation by externally applied power or the like.
  • Another desirable modification is caused by the possibility that the bottles, cans, or other articles of merchandise to be dispensed may jam within the machine to interfere with the dispensing operation. This is caused by the possibility that when the diameter or width of these containers is on the order of only little more than half the width of the inlet opening to the housing, jamming or bridging can occur within the opening. While one container to be dispensed enters the dispenser housing through the inlet opening and is deflected inwardly toward the star wheel in response to engagement with the deflecting plate, the following container may move between the first container and the inner side of the inlet opening of the housing.
  • the first container could be forced back against the deflecting plate because the following container has become jammed or formed a bridge between the inner side of the inlet opening and the inner side of the first container. Therefore, it is another important object of this invention to provide adjustable means for eliminating the bridging or jamming effect when containers of any size are being dispensed by the machine.
  • FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the dispensing machine mechanism
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2-2. of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction indicated, and
  • FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction indicated.
  • the dispens ing machine indicated generally by the reference numeral lti comprises a substantially rectangular housing indicated generally by the reference numeral 12.
  • the housing includes opposed side walls 14 and end walls 16, and, in the embodiment shown, contains two duplicate dispenser mechanisms to permit the machine 10 to sell different kinds of merchandise.
  • These dispenser mechanisms are disposed on each side of a common downwardly inclined outlet opening 22 in side wall 14 so that the merchandise deposited on it by either of the dispenser mechanisms is carried outside the machine by the force of gravity.
  • Each dispenser mechanism comprises a star wheel as sembly, indicated generally by the reference numeral 23, each of a plurality of star wheels in the respective assemblies being provided with four uniformly and angularly spaced outwardly projecting arms "24 which project outwardly beyond the adjacent end portions of the flange 2d and the shelf plate 32 leaving slots 21 and "3:2 respectively for passage of the arms therethrough. These arms define grooves 26 for receiving, transporting and depositing the merchandise to be dispensed on guide flanges 21 on the outlet slide 20*.
  • the star wheels include an integrally attached central shaft 28 with end portions 2% rotatably journalled in the opposed side walls 14 of the housin so that the star wheels can freely rotate therein, see FIG. 1. As described in the parent application Serial No.
  • the article of merchandise to be dispensed is commonly sealed in cans or bottles or other containers preferably circular in cross-section, and these are stored in a storage cabinet (not shown). After these articles leave the storage cabinet, they enter the housing 12 through an inlet opening 36. Then, moving downwardly in the housing 12 they encounter the combined deflecting and shelf plate '32, see FIG. 2..
  • This plate is provided with integral pintles 34 which are rotatably journalled in the side walls 14 of the housing to permit it to pivot between a normal operating position and a storage cabinet empty position, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2.
  • a coil spring 36 is secured to the combined deflecting and shelf plate for bias ing it to a storage cabinet empty position for reasons to be described below.
  • the combined deflecting and shelf plate 32 In operating position, the combined deflecting and shelf plate 32 is downwardly inclined and is positioned in the path of the articles or containers entering the housing.
  • the inner edge 38 of this plate is positioned above the horizontal axis of the star wheel and below its peripheral surface so that articles entering the housing and encountering this plate are deflected thereby into engagement with one of the arms 24 of the housing.
  • This engagement produces a resulting force vector which passes above the axis of the star wheel and in a direction augmenting the other forces causing rotational movement of the star wheel.
  • These other forces include the weight of an article being dispensed and carried in the uppermost groove of the star wheel, which as seen in FIG. 2 is offset from the vertical in the direction of its rotation.
  • the center of gravity of this article in the star wheel is spaced or offset from a vertical plane extending through the horizontal axis of the star wheel in the direction of its rotation, thereby exerting a torque on the star wheel which tends to cause it to rotate through a cycle of operation.
  • a control wheel indicated generally by the reference numeral 40 is mounted on one end of each star wheel shaft 28- in closely spaced relation to the outer surface of an end Wall 14-, see FIG. 3.
  • This control wheel is provided with four outwardly projecting abutments or cams 42 which correspond in number to the angularly spaced arms 24 and grooves 26 on the star wheel and are angularly aligned therewith.
  • a solenoid actuated latching mechanism indicated generally by the reference numeral 44 is adapted to engage these abutments and stop the star wheel after each cycle of operation so its uppermost groove 26 is offset from the vertical in the manner described above.
  • a speed governor indicated generally by the reference numeral 46 is mounted on the end wall '14 and connected to said star wheel to keep the speed of operation of the dispenser mechanism independent of the load.
  • the solenoid 9t is fixed to a panel 92 on-the front wall of the machine.
  • a shaft We fixed to the core of the solenoid, is attached, as by means of the pin 94, to a bracket 96 fixed to the upper end of an actuator plate 98.
  • the actuator plate which is in the form of an elongate strip of metal or other rigid material, has a pair of vertically spaced elongate slots 109 and 162. in the central portion thereof through which studs 164 and 1% fixed to the panel 92 extend for guiding the actuator plate in vertical shifting movement in response to operation of the solenoid 99.
  • a sector 16S pivoted at one end on a pin 110, fixed to an intermediate portion of the actuator plate 93, is formed with an abutment 112, such as a ledge which extends outwardly from an intermediate portion of the inner edge of the sector and is further formed with a finger 114 which extends upwardly from the outer end of the sector in position to be engaged by a stop pin 116 extending outwardly from the actuator plate to prevent further rocking movement of the sector in a crosswise direction responsive to actuation by the leaf spring 118.
  • an abutment 112 such as a ledge which extends outwardly from an intermediate portion of the inner edge of the sector and is further formed with a finger 114 which extends upwardly from the outer end of the sector in position to be engaged by a stop pin 116 extending outwardly from the actuator plate to prevent further rocking movement of the sector in a crosswise direction responsive to actuation by the leaf spring 118.
  • An operating lever 12h pivoted intermediate its ends on a pin 122 fixed to the panel 2 has a stud 124 which, in the normal position of adjustment, lies in the path of the abutment 112 whereby the operating lever 12% is rotated about its pivot in the crosswise direction responsive to forward displacement of the actuator plate $3 by the solenoid 90. It is constantly urged by coil spring 13% for rocking movement in the upward direction to position the pawl 162 in the path of the arm 45.
  • the inlet opening is defined by the top edge 17 of the end wall 16 and the upper edge 57 of the plate member 50, this critical relationship can be avoided by adjusting the position of the plate member on the housing. As seen, this upper edge 57 is part of a fold 58. This fold is necessary to prevent the thin edge of the plate member from contacting and possibly injuring the articles being dispensed. It is apparent, therefore, that the additional openings, as represented by the opening 56 in the side walls 14 of the housing, which permit this adjustment of the plate member, provide the means for preventing jamming by the articles passing through the dispenser mechanism.
  • the lower edge 60 of the plate member 5G and the lower edge 62 of the uppermost groove 26 of the star Wheel define an opening 64 through which articles carried 'by the star wheel could be removed from the dispensing machine by someone reaching inside the machine through the outlet opening'ZZ and removing the article therefrom without actuating the machine.
  • This can be prevented by giving the plate member 59 a double or combined function and positioning it so that its lower edge 60 is spaced from the outer edge 62 of the above described uppermost groove of the star wheel by a distance less than the minimum cross-sectional dimension of the articles being dispensed by the machine.
  • the solenoid actuated latching mechanism prevents the star wheel from being manually rotated in a clockwise or dispensing direction after a cycle of operation is completed, unless the mechanism is reactuated by the insertion of the required sum of money in the machine. If, however, the star wheel could be rotated manually in the counterclockwise direction by someone reaching inside the machine through the outlet slot 22, the width of the exit opening would increase, and this increase could be large enough to permit articles resting in the uppermost groove 26 on the star wheel to be drawn through the enlarged opening 64 without operating the dispenser mechanism. To prevent this from happening, it is desirable to lock the star wheel to prevent rotation in either direction upon completion of a cycle of operation.
  • a locking member indicated generally by the reference numeral 66, which is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 68 rigidly connected to the outer surface of the side wall 14, see FIG. 3.
  • the locking member includes a tongue 70 which is positioned where it is successively engaged by the abutments or cams 42 on the control wheel .0 as it is rotated.
  • this engagement exerts a torque on the tongue which causesit to pivot as its end portion 71 rides over the peripheral edge of the abutments or cams on the control wheel so that the star wheel can continue to rotate.
  • the locking member 66 is provided with an offset and outwardly projecting arm 72 which is integral with and substantially parallel to tongue 79. This arm is adapted to engage and ride over the end 43 of each abutment 42 as it moves away from the tongue 70, and this engagement maintains the tongue in the path of the following abutment or cam.
  • This arm has an additional function in that it also keeps the tongue member properly positioned if the star wheel and the connected control wheel are manually rotated in the counterclockwise direction.
  • the ends 73 of the projecting arm 72 will ride over cam surface 45 and pivot the tongue so that when the abutment engages the tongue, the direction of the force it will exert on it will be along a radial line extending from its pivotal axis of rotation. In this way there will be no transverse torque producing component acting on the tongue which would cause it to rotate out of the path of these abutments, so that the tongue member acts as a stop and restricts further rotation of the control Wheel 40 in that direction.
  • This action in combination with the solenoid actuated latching means 44 described above, locks the control wheel and prevents the exit opening 64 from being enlarged unless the dispenser mechanism goes through an entire cycle of operation upon the insertion of the required sum of money in the machine.
  • a switch member 74- is rigidly secured to the inner surface of the end wall 16 of the housing below the combined deflecting and shelf plate 32 for protection against accidental blows and jars.
  • a switch arm 76 projects upwardly from the switch member 74 towards the combined deflection and shelf plate.
  • a biasing spring 76 urges the switch arm in a clockwise direction and causes it to bear against the deflecting and shelf plate and follow it as it moves between its normal operating position and the storage cabinet empty position. The movement of the combined deflecting and shelf plate followed by the switch arm 76 actuates the switch means 74 when the combined deflecting and shelf plate moves to the storage cabinet empty position.
  • the spring 36 biases the shelf plate to the storage cabinet empty position.
  • This spring is so regulated that the weight of a single article being dispensed which rests on the deflecting or shelf plate is sufiicient to overcome the biasing force exerted by the coil spring and holds the deflecting plate in its normal operating position, but when the storage cabinet becomes empty and no article rests on plate 32, the force exerted by spring 36 will cause it to rotate and move to its storage cabinet empty position.
  • This movement is followed by the switch arm 76 which causes switch means 74 to close so that an indicator may be actuated.
  • a dispensing machine of the class described com prising in combination a housing, said housing having an opening for receiving the incoming articles to be dispensed, a dispenser mechanism in the housing for delivering an article from the machine dining each cycle of operation, said dispenser mechanism including a star wheel journalled for rotational movement in the housing about a horizontal axis, said star wheel having uniformly and angularly spaced grooves extending axially therein for receiving and transporting an article to be dispensed, a control wheel rigidly connected to and concentric with said star wheel, abutments on the control wheel corresponding in number to said angularly spaced grooves in said star wheel and angularly aligned therewith, latching means mounted on said housing, said latching means adapted to engage said abutments for stopping the star wheel after each cycle of operation with the uppermost groove offset from the vertical in the direction of its rotation whereby the center of gravity of any article received in said groove will be spaced from the vertical plane extending through the horizontal axis of the star wheel in the direction
  • a dispensing machine of the class described comprising in combination a housing, a dispenser mechanism in the housing for delivering an article from the dispensing machine during each cycle of operation, said housing including an opening adjacent a wall for receiving articles from a storage cabinet, a combined deflecting and shelf plate pivotally mounted in said housing and movable between a storage cabinet empty position and a normal operating position, means biasing said deflecting and shelf plate [0 the said storage cabinet empty position, said biasing means regulated so that the weight of a single article being dispensed on said deflecting and shelf plate is sufficient to overcome the force exerted by the said biasing means and hold it in its normal operating position, said deflecting and shelf plate being downwardly and inwardly inclined and positioned in the path of articles entering said housing through said opening, a star wheel journalled for rotational movement in the housing about a horizontal axis, said star wheel having uniformly and angularly spaced grooves extending axially therein for receiving and transporting an article to be dispensed, latching means for
  • said switch means is protectively secured to the inside of said housing and includes a pivotally connected lever arm which projects towards said deflecting and shelf plate, a biasing means connected to said lever arm to cause it to bear against said deflecting and shelf plate and follow it as it moves between its normal operating position and its storage cabinet empty position, said switch means adapted to actuate an indicator when said lever arm follows said deflecting and shelf plate to its storage cabinet empty position.
  • a dispensing machine of the class described comprising in combination a housing, at least one dispenser mechanism in the housing for delivering an article from the dispensing machine during each cycle of operation, said housing including an opening adjacent a wall for receiving articles from a storage cabinet, a combined deflecting and shelf plate pivotally mounted in said housing and movable between a storage cabinet empty position and a normal operating position, means biasing said plate to said storage cabinet empty position, said biasing means regulated so that the weight of a single article on saiddeflecting and shelf plate is sutficient to overcome he force exerted by said biasing means and hold it in its normal operating position, said deflecting and shelf plate downwardly and inwardly inclined in the housing and positioned in the path of articles entering the housing from said storage cabinet and passing through said opening, a star wheel journalled for rotational movement in the housing, about a horizontal axis, said star wheel having uniformly and angularly spaced grooves extending axially therein for receiving and transporting an article to be dispensed, a control wheel
  • said switch means adapted to actuate an indicator when said lever arm follows said deflecting and shelf plate to its storage cabinet empty position, and combined means for preventing the articles in said dispensing machine from jamming and for preventing the removal of an article in the said uppermost groove of said star wheel unless the dispensing machine goes through an entire cycle of operation, said means including adownwardly inclined plate member adjustably mounted in said housing in spaced relationship above the star wheel and offset therefrom in the direction of rotational movement, the upper edgeof said plate member adapted to be positioned where it restricts the size of the openin in said housing for the incoming articles to keep them 'from bridging and jamming the mechanism, the lower edge of said plate member and the lower edge of said uppermost groove in the star wheel defining an exit opening, said plate member positioned on said housing so that the said exit opening is too small to permit an article inthe

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US701071A 1957-12-06 1957-12-06 Article vending machine with a sold-out indicator Expired - Lifetime US3082907A (en)

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US701071A US3082907A (en) 1957-12-06 1957-12-06 Article vending machine with a sold-out indicator
BE573678A BE573678A (fr) 1957-12-06 1958-12-06 Appareil distributeur de bouteilles.

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Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3294286A (en) * 1963-11-08 1966-12-27 Ferro Mfg Corp Can vending mechanism
US3348733A (en) * 1965-11-08 1967-10-24 Vendo Co Article dispensing apparatus having an electrically controlled article releasing assembly
US4199082A (en) * 1978-05-09 1980-04-22 Ornsteen Chemicals, Inc. Hot melt adhesive gun

Citations (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US396297A (en) * 1889-01-15 Vending apparatus
US406593A (en) * 1889-07-09 Selling-machine
US407946A (en) * 1889-07-30 vaughn
US533197A (en) * 1895-01-29 Vending-machine
US539752A (en) * 1895-05-21 Coin operated dispensing machine
US614553A (en) * 1898-11-22 Automatic vending-machine
US627505A (en) * 1895-02-21 1899-06-27 Alexander Jaeger Vending-machine.
US742295A (en) * 1901-07-30 1903-10-27 William Everett Jones Vending-machine.
US1212674A (en) * 1915-12-27 1917-01-16 Theatre Vending Machine Corp Vending-machine.
US2260643A (en) * 1937-04-12 1941-10-28 Rosan Joseph Vending machine
US2348927A (en) * 1940-12-27 1944-05-16 Martin S Runsvold Dispensing and vending machine
US2405891A (en) * 1941-10-16 1946-08-13 Kalva Venders Inc Vertical vending machine
US2511099A (en) * 1946-03-01 1950-06-13 Case Co Means for guiding objects through dispensing machines
US2520952A (en) * 1947-05-28 1950-09-05 Mozel Joe Golf ball teeing device
US2532062A (en) * 1945-04-10 1950-11-28 F H Knowles Vending machine
US2579925A (en) * 1946-03-22 1951-12-25 Continental Can Co Temperature control for feeding cans
US2638396A (en) * 1950-08-02 1953-05-12 Rowe Mfg Co Inc Sandwich vending machine
US2682440A (en) * 1951-05-07 1954-06-29 Fred F Johnson Vending machine
US2785828A (en) * 1952-10-24 1957-03-19 Seth B Atwood Dispensing machine
US2877928A (en) * 1955-04-29 1959-03-17 Ideai Dispenser Co Vending machine

Patent Citations (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US396297A (en) * 1889-01-15 Vending apparatus
US406593A (en) * 1889-07-09 Selling-machine
US407946A (en) * 1889-07-30 vaughn
US533197A (en) * 1895-01-29 Vending-machine
US539752A (en) * 1895-05-21 Coin operated dispensing machine
US614553A (en) * 1898-11-22 Automatic vending-machine
US627505A (en) * 1895-02-21 1899-06-27 Alexander Jaeger Vending-machine.
US742295A (en) * 1901-07-30 1903-10-27 William Everett Jones Vending-machine.
US1212674A (en) * 1915-12-27 1917-01-16 Theatre Vending Machine Corp Vending-machine.
US2260643A (en) * 1937-04-12 1941-10-28 Rosan Joseph Vending machine
US2348927A (en) * 1940-12-27 1944-05-16 Martin S Runsvold Dispensing and vending machine
US2405891A (en) * 1941-10-16 1946-08-13 Kalva Venders Inc Vertical vending machine
US2532062A (en) * 1945-04-10 1950-11-28 F H Knowles Vending machine
US2511099A (en) * 1946-03-01 1950-06-13 Case Co Means for guiding objects through dispensing machines
US2579925A (en) * 1946-03-22 1951-12-25 Continental Can Co Temperature control for feeding cans
US2520952A (en) * 1947-05-28 1950-09-05 Mozel Joe Golf ball teeing device
US2638396A (en) * 1950-08-02 1953-05-12 Rowe Mfg Co Inc Sandwich vending machine
US2682440A (en) * 1951-05-07 1954-06-29 Fred F Johnson Vending machine
US2785828A (en) * 1952-10-24 1957-03-19 Seth B Atwood Dispensing machine
US2877928A (en) * 1955-04-29 1959-03-17 Ideai Dispenser Co Vending machine

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3294286A (en) * 1963-11-08 1966-12-27 Ferro Mfg Corp Can vending mechanism
US3348733A (en) * 1965-11-08 1967-10-24 Vendo Co Article dispensing apparatus having an electrically controlled article releasing assembly
US4199082A (en) * 1978-05-09 1980-04-22 Ornsteen Chemicals, Inc. Hot melt adhesive gun

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BE573678A (fr) 1959-04-01

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