DE2348279A1 - CUP DISPENSER - Google Patents

Description

September 18, 1973 Gzf / mü

THE VENDO COMPANY, 7400 East 12th Street, Kansas City,

Missouri, U.S.A.

Cup dispensing device

The invention relates to a cup dispenser for use in beverage vending machines and, more particularly, to improvements in such devices for sensing the emptying of the cup supply from the column-like stack located at the cup dispensing station and then automatically advancing the cup supply tower for the next stack of cups
to move to the station.

Cup vending machines typically use a rotatable tower device which supports a number of vertical stacks or columns of nested cups, suitable to be continuously in working position with the
Cup separating and dispensing device to be moved.
Each cup column is continuously attached to the dispensing device

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for dispensing at the base until all or practically all of the beakers of the column are so arranged is dispensed at what time the tower is indicated, a spare column cup to the dispensing mechanism bring to. Switching the tower to bring in a replacement column is often done in parts, each of which is less than the amount necessary to bring the replacement column to the dispenser so that the Switching may begin while a few cups are still in the dispenser from the preceding column are.

Then, during each subsequent beaker exit, the replacement column is switched by a corresponding part until all previous beakers have been dispensed from the column, the replacement column in perfectly matching position with the dispenser is located and a new cup supply for the next sales cycle of the Machine is present. Various types of separation and dispensing devices have so far been used satisfactorily and it is not the purpose of the present invention to use these prior separation and dispensing devices to improve in itself. In connection with such dispensing and separating devices, however, suitable ones are suitable Constructions and systems heretofore been used to achieve the functions of scanning when supplying the cup on the dispenser is nearing emptying and around a spare column of cups into the Position of the device to switch, this construction

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Operations and systems in general have been less than satisfactory for a number of reasons. Acquaintance earlier designs and systems to perform sensing and switching are difficult to use and their correspondingly expensive design, their limited reliability and their high maintenance requirements. Previous mechanical designs to achieve the necessary functions use a complex one Arrangement of levers and connecting links, with certain parts including only the scanning function and other parts only perform the switching function. Electrical systems have also been tried, which circuits used to scan when the cup supply ran out and electromechanical components that control the Circuits respond to switch the tower as required, but these systems suffered from the usual Such components struggle in a humid, refrigerated environment of the interior of the beverage vending machine to use.

Accordingly, an important object of this invention is a simplified, virtually maintenance-free mechanical System to sense the height of the cup supply column at the cup dispensing station and automatically switch a spare cup supply to the station if necessary to ensure that Mugs are available for all sales cycles.

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To achieve this aim, it is another object of the invention to have a single unitary device in the Proximity to the cup dispensing station to mechanically perform two functions, that of scanning emptying the cups and switching the supply of replacement cups to the dispensing station.

Another important object of the invention is a two-function one provide uniform scanning and switching device as described above, which is able to perform the cup sensing function without any interruption to the supply of replacement cups at the delivery station wed «· during the refill

nin

still on the finding of the device /, the new supply is needed.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a dual function unitary sensing and switching apparatus to provide »which can be quickly assembled for use in conjunction with the usual and tried-and-tested Types of separation and release mechanisms with only a small change and adaptation to these necessary.

Another object of this invention is, in conjunction with the unitary two-function sensing and Scanning device, having the ability to alternate the rotatable cup supply towers into suitable sizes and quantities, with the same cup dispensing and separation

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Direction is obtained and without the ability of the scanning and switching device to act contrary to the required Perform functions.

Another important object of this invention will become apparent from the drawings and description of the invention, which follows.

It shows:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a cup dispenser constructed in FIG In accordance with the principles of the invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged "partial cross-sectional view of the device along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, in which, for the sake of clarity, some parts have been omitted

Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom view of the device, which shows in solid lines the idle state of a Part of the cup dispenser and its working pin shows and in dashed lines shows their condition immediately after dispensing a cup,

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the device taken along irregular line 4-4 in FIG with a diminished column beakers that are shown at the dispensing station

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Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the device taken along irregular line 5-5 in Figure 2;

FIG. 6 is a partial side view and a partial sectional view of the device along FIG Line 6-6 in Fig. 2, which shows the two-function sensing and switching device in cross section,

7 is a partially substantially schematic view illustrating the operation of the bi-functional Device if the cup supply has not been emptied,

Fig. 8 is a substantially schematic representation similar to Fig. 7, but shows the operation of the two-function device when the cup supply at the dispensing station is emptied is up to a predetermined level, and

Figure 9 is a plan view of the larger capacity device, an empty replacement tower assembly and a modified two-function device, replaced for those of the earlier figures, wherein the top of the replaced tower assembly has not been shown for construction details to show.

Device 10 is suitable for use in normal beverage sales s machines in which the customer inserts a preselected amount of coins, which causes a cup to close is delivered to a filling station and following a pre-

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The right amount of a selected beverage is filled into the waiting cup. A base plate 12 of the device 10 has a standing spindle unit 14 (Figs. 2 and 5) attached to it, which rotatably supports a tower assembly 16, to successively bring upright supply pipes 18 into communication with a circular opening 20 in FIG Upper side of the base plate 12, which is referred to as a cup separating and dispensing station.

Tower 16 may take any of a number of different shapes, for purposes of illustration in is preferred Example shown, which with an annular arrangement of a number of separate supply pipes 18 is provided, ^ each of these contains a vertical column of nested cups. Tower 16 has a lower wheel 22 which has a central upright hub 24 which is rotatably mounted on the spindle unit 14 is. A plurality of separate openings 26 disposed therearound are provided in the wheel 22, to free the buckets for downward movement from the corresponding column 18 associated therewith, the number of these openings 26 and the exact diameter of the wheel 22 can be selected, as will be discussed in detail later will be. A holding plate 28 at the upper end of the tower ^ 6 has a number of openings that correspond to the number and the arrangement of the openings 26 correspond to the to receive the upper part of the tubes 18, wherein a plurality of vertical retaining struts 30 on the hub 24, the top plate 28 firmly connects to the wheel 22 to securely connect the tubes 18

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to hold in place. A removable cover plate on top plate 28 allows access to tubes 18, to refill them.

The spindle unit 14 has three legs 34, 36 and 38 which have a generally round slide plate 40 directly below it Wear wheel 22 to allow the latter to rotate during shifting and to provide sliding assistance for the bottom cup of the stack to form in the tubes 18 during this revolution. The plate is cut out to expose the opening 20 to take up the column of the next cup to be distributed. A number of holding buttons spaced around the perimeter 42 which are located under the undersurface of the wheel to slide along the surface of the plate 40, and a spring loaded detent 44 extends perpendicularly from leg 34 through plate 40 and in a more reliable manner Retaining connection with any of the series of circular spaced retaining lugs 46 of the wheel 22 around the Hub 24. The retaining holes 46 face the openings 26 arranged so that the lock 44 releasably holds the wheel 22 against rotation, if one of the openings 26 with the opening 20 of the base plate 12 is brought into a position which is referred to as the delivery station.

Under and in the base plate 12 is the cup separation and dispensing mechanism 48. Mechanism 48 is according to the usual design and therefore only requires a general

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my description. For those unfamiliar with such a mechanism, refer to the US patents 2,860,817 issued November 18, 1958 and 2 925 196 issued February 16, 1950, for a more complete Explanation of the construction of the operation of the

However, briefly pointed out, apparatus 48 is pointed out. It should / that apparatus 48 a Has a plurality of individually rotatable cams 50 which surround and support the lip of the lowermost cup represented by apparatus 48 and driven by a ring gear 52 which orbits cams 50. The cams 50 work on the principle of a spring-in (snap-action) release, which is provided by a spring ring 54, that accompanies the rotatable ring gear 52, is achieved with a fixed part of the device 48 so that the ring gear 52 is biased toward the dashed line position as shown in FIG. While In the rest state, the ring gear 52 is held against the movement of the spring 54, as the solid lines in FIG Fig. 3 show, and when the holding force is momentarily removed, the ring gear 52 snaps into its dashed line Line position which rotates the cams 50 to dispense the bottom cup.

The operation of the ring gear 52 is by a special rotatable cam 56 is controlled adjacent apparatus 48, which has a substantially increasing shape which has a conforming eccentric outer shape 56a and a cutout portion 56b. A recess 58 on the eccentric part 56a

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adjacent the beginning of the cutout portion 56b fills in a protruding button 60 on the ring gear 52, which releasably holds the latter in the rest position.

The cam plate 56 is driven by an electric motor 62 through a gearbox 64, the motor 62 powered by a remote switch (not shown) and maintained by a hold circuit is established by closing a switch 66 'until bolt 56 has rotated once through 360 °. A another switch 68 operates in response to a vibratable sensor 70 which detects an "end of sale" condition, when there are no more cups in the area of the apparatus 14.

The special two-function device, which senses the emptying at the delivery station 20 and the tower 16 for Progress of a new column of beakers to station 20 is shown in detail by no * 72 and switches includes a light arm 74 swingably attached to bracket 76 which extends perpendicularly from the ring gear 52 through a precise opening 78 in the upper surface of the base plate 12. The arm 74 is releasably mounted on the holding device 66, by means of a holding screw 80 and pretensioned in Direction of the delivery station determined by the opening 20, by a small torsion spring 82, which the holding device 76 surrounds. A cup feeler 84 on arm 74 is generally triangular in shape and extends

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normally horizontally from arm 74 toward the station 20 at a height a short distance above it. The arm 74 is provided with a locking lever 86, which extends upwardly in perpendicular relationship to sensing device 84 for locomotion engagement to form with the ratchet teeth 88 above the boundary line of the wheel 22 below the predetermined Conditions for emptying the cup, as explained here.

When the device 10 is being prepared for operation, each of the cup supply tubes 18 is provided with an upright Column of nested cups 90 filled, except for the one in position with station 20, which is on the sliding plate 40, which is located under the wheel 22, rests. As shown in Figs. 6 and 4, the hatches Cup column, which is connected to the dispensing station, which is identified as an opening 20 in the base plate 12,

down through the opening 20,

until cams 50 of dispenser 48 engage and support the lip of the lower cup of the column. In In this state, the lowermost extent of the lowermost cup 90a extends downwards under the base plate 12 through apparatus 48 to the point of subsequent output as shown in FIG.

It may be mentioned that the sensing component 84 of the device 72 does not act in the filling of the empty tube 18, which is in position with the opening 20,

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interferes because, as shown in Fig. 2 (which shows the tubes in the empty state), the ring gear 52 is in the rest position is located, the retainer 76 thereon near the clockwise end of the Opening 78 is located and the holding engagement of the pawl 86 with the outline of the wheel 22 when the holding device 76 and the device'72 in this position the driving device Hold 84 in position to provide opening 22. This rest position of the ring gear 52 can also be seen in solid lines in the bottom view of FIG. 3, where it can be seen that the ring gear 52 just ready to move through the spring 54 into position to snap the solid line, but from this movement through the engagement of the bolt 60 in the recess 58 of the bolt washer 56 is held. One can therefore understand that whenever the device 10 and gear 52 are in the rest position, the sensing device 84 is held in readiness for the opening 20 or any column of cups is in position with opening 22 until the rotation of disk 56 denotes Lets go of pin 60 and ring gear 52 to move to the dashed line position shown in Fig. 3, which the holding device 76 and the device 72 counterclockwise to the end of the recess 84 moves as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, whereupon the device 72 can perform its sensing function and then its Can perceive switching function, as described below.

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During normal operation, when an appropriate amount of coins has been deposited in the beverage vending machine, to which the device 10 is connected, the motor 62 is activated to rotate the disc 56 in a clockwise direction to drive, as Fig. 3 shows, while doing the same

Moment the switch 66 closes to the hold circuit

for motor 62 / erect, The first turn of the disc allows the pin 60 to slip out of the recess 58 and slide into the cutout portion 56b so that the spring 54 engages the ring gear 52 the dashed line position can snap into place. This snap motion rotates the cams 50 and releases the bottom cup 90a out of it to bring it to the beverage filling station. This allows the next mug to fall onto the bolts 50 in the support device.

During the rotation of the bolts 50, the ring gear 52 moves concentrically with the opening 20 and carries the Sensing and switching device 72 with it until the locking device 76 is adjacent the counterclockwise end of opening 78 as shown in FIG. the The position of the device 72 in this figure corresponds to the "snapped-in" position of the ring gear 52, as shown in FIG dashed lines in FIG. During this movement of the device 72, the torsion spring 82 tries the arm 74 and therefore the sensing device 84 via the opening 20 between the wheel 22 and the surface of the base plate 12 moving around. If, as shown in Fig. 7, at least

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a predetermined number of cups 90 remain available in apparatus 48 so that one cup is at the level of the Device 84 is present, then the sensing device 84 grips the lowest side part of the cup at its height and is prevented from further swinging in during the rearward movement of the device 72; the extreme slant Corner of member 84 then slides along a cup to disengage pawl 86 from teeth 88 to solve.

When the dispensing of the bottom cup 90a is carried out was and the cup height was determined by the device 72, the holding circuit, which by closing of switch 66 came about (Fig. 3) cause further operation of motor 62 to rotate in Continue clockwise the cam disk 56 to disk 56, bolt 60 and ring gear 52 to their rest positions have returned as shown in solid lines in FIG. During this rotation of the disk 56, pushes part 56a continuously against the bolt 60 to move the gear 52 back to its rest position against the tension of the spring 54. When the disk 56 has rotated 360 °, the pin 60 back into the recess 58, the switch 66 can open again, and so interrupts the holding circuit for the motor 62, to bring it to a standstill. When the ring gear 52 returns in this way to its initial full Line position of Fig. 3 has returned, the device 72 has similarly returned to its rest position

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adjacent the clockwise end of recess 78 as shown in FIG. When a there is a sufficient number of cups in the apparatus 48,

if the is scanned by the device 84, the pawl remains 86 in a separate spatial arrangement to the teeth 88, so that the wheel 22 is not switched while the device 84 slides along the side of the cup in question until the device 72 is again in its rest position is located. The pawl 86 then rests again on one of the teeth 88, as shown in FIG. 2, so that the Sensing means 84 is in a slightly separated arrangement from the cups at arrangement 48 in order to detect any disturbance to avoid normal delivery.

The sensing and switching device 72 oscillates in this way with the holding device 76, which is located along the exact Recess 78 moved as long as the ring gear 52 is moved back and forth by the disk 56 during each operating cycle of the cup dispenser 10. As long as it is the cup column that is in position with station 20 of mechanism 48 is not deflated to one At the point where a replacement cup supply is necessary, the pawl 86 is out of engagement with the teeth 88 by the contact of the part 84 with the remaining cup 90 during the entire return movement of the device If on the other side the supply of the cups 90 has decreased at station / below a predetermined height (as in the example less than 9 cups) as predetermined Due to the height of the sensing device 84 above the base plate 12, the sensing device 84 no longer has a cup, to touch it, as the device 72 during the back and forth

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direction

Movement of the holding device 76 in / to the counterclockwise end of the recess 78 is moved / via the Holding device 76 swings away under the influence of spring 82, to release the pawl 86 from the clamping connection with the teeth 88, as shown in FIG. Corresponding the pawl 86 will engage the adjacent tooth 88 when the device 72 moves backward, and the wheel 22 switch by a distance which is determined by the length of the backward movement of the device 72. Preferably the shifting of the wheel 22 occurs partially, so that various repeated shifting processes by the pawl 86 needed to find the next opening 26 and the replacement cup column into the next tube 18 for detection by the mechanism 48. The new column of replacement cups then falls into and through the slide plate 40

.Cups
Opening 20 until they interface and are supported by cams 50 or any remaining cup of the previous cup column still held by cams 50. In any event, in order to keep the feeler 84 out of a position where it might touch a cup when the device 72 is in the normal rest position, it is preferable that the replacement cup column finish in the exact position on the mechanism 48 without interference Part 84 falls.

The turret device 16 is mounted on the base plate 12 in such a way that the turret 16 is easily connected to others Rotating towers can be exchanged, which have a larger or smaller number of tubes 18 to appropriate To provide cup capacities, and correspondingly larger or smaller diameter of the wheel 22. Only from example

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The wheel 22 with a capacity for six cup columns 90 was shown and described here, but it is understandable that in many cases it is desirable to provide a larger or smaller number of column columns, which of market and service factors and the location at the beverage yejacks machine containing the apparatus 10,

depends
attached isty. The interchangeability of the rotating tower device 16 with other rotating towers of different capacities is made possible by

in fact
The apparatus 10 is conveyed by the releasable connection of the spindle unit 14 to the base plate 12 and its ability to be reattached to any other of a number of selectable positions on the base plate 12, corresponding to the cup dispensing station as determined by the opening 20 . At this end, a plurality of holes 92 are provided in the surface of the base plate 12 to selectively receive a mounting screw 94 (Fig. 5) which extends through the selected hole 92 and is threadedly connected to the spindle unit. For reasons of illustration, only a pair of holes 92 are shown (see FIG. 2), one of the sephs columns corresponding to a rotating tower device and another corresponding to a new column device. Further on top of the base plate 12 are a pair of upwardly extending beaks 96, one tendon 96 for the six column turret and another for the nine column turret, it being understood that a hole 92 and a beak 96 for each Turret capacity must be provided. The beaks 96 are optionally received in the cavity 38 a (FIG. 5) of the leg 38 of the spindle unit 14 so that the latter can easily be precisely aligned with respect to the dispensing station 20

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can be used for each selected turret size. There are also a plurality of protruding eyes 98 on the top the base plate 12 is provided to receive screws 100 for optionally attaching a slide plate 40 of suitable size, there are three arrangements of eyes 98 for different turret sizes, with certain eyes 98 Can be used for more than one size of turret.

Replacing one turret 16 with another is easily accomplished by removing the existing turret releases from the spindle unit 14. The corresponding slide plate 40 is then held by the eyes 98 and the spindle unit solved even by removing the screw 94. The spindle unit 14 is then placed in a suitable position, corresponding to the size of the new rotating tower device and a correspondingly large plate 40 is mounted and the new turret is mounted on the offset spindle 14.

As shown in Fig. 9, the six column turret assembly 16 was replaced by a nine column turret assembly replaced with a larger diameter of the wheel 122. The spindle unit 14 has been removed from its place in FIG and moved to the left, looking at Figures 2 and 9, over the corresponding hole 92 and locking tab 96. It is closed note that the unit 14 has been rotated approximately 90 ° from its position in Figure 2 for the difference the position of the nose 96 for the nine column turret 116 relative to the hole 92 for the nine column turret, when compared to the relative positions of the nose 96 and the hole 92 for the five column turret 16. Next

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a larger diameter slide plate 140 is provided and mounted with the same screws 100 that is needed to secure the new plate 140 to the corresponding tabs 98.

A slightly modified form of the device 72 is used with the nine column turret 116, the so modified device carries the number 172 and differs from the device 72 only in the dimensions, in that it has a shorter latch 186 and a slightly longer sensing device 184 is provided. In terms of operation, device 172 is in 9 as well as the larger rotating tower device 116 like the device 72 and the device 16 which are shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 to be discribed. With the rotating tower 116 and the device 172, however, the apparatus 10 is suitable, a large number of replacement cups to store, whereby the same reliable cup scanning and turret switching is guaranteed.

It is noted that minor changes can be made to the invention as described for purposes of explanation without departing from the true spirit of this invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only to the scope of the following claims.

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Claims (11)

Claims Cup dispenser, characterized by a base plate; by means of a cup dispensing mechanism on the base plate, which is a station from which cups are dispensed the mechanism operating to remove the bottom cup from a nested column Separate and dispense cups at the station; by a cup supply rotating tower device, to support a plurality of columns of nested cups; by rotating the device on the Base plate for selectively rotating the apparatus to bring any of the cup columns to the station; by a recurring actuating device which is operationally connected to the said mechanism, to operate the latter; by a combination of a cup supply scanning and turret switching device, which includes a movable device, the device operative with the actuator for moving the device back and forth between the rest position and the deflected position during each working cycle of the actuating device keep that
device, is connected; / parts of the device are movable, the latter with regard to the path of the reciprocating movement and back and forth from the rotating tower device and the wobßi
handing station, / one of the parts of the device can be brought into engagement with the cup column at the station in order to remove this part of the device from switching engagement 409813/0486 - 21 - the turret device auszuhälten.wälten.wälten.wälten.wälten during the movement of the device from the rest position in its deflected position, if an unfinished column of cups is available at the station, and another part of the device can be brought into engagement with the turret device to the latter during the To switch movement of the device from the deflected position to the rest position when any column of cups at the station is finished to a minimum predetermined extent. 2. cup dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the device is rotatably mounted to swing sideways towards and away from the assembly and the station during the reciprocating movement of the device along the path of the reciprocating movement. 3. cup dispenser according to claim 2, characterized in that that a designated device is connected to the device to allow the device to oscillate considerably bias in the direction of the arrangement and the station. 4. cup dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that that another part of the device rests against the arrangement when the device is in the rest position is to this one part of the device from the station and from the possibility of the engagement of the cups on the same away or interfere with the cups moving towards the station. 409813/0486 - 22 - 5. cup dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the device has a ratchet wheel and another part / of the device has a pawl to engage the ratchet wheel. 6. cup dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that that part of the device has a sensing device which has an outer edge to easily detect the Touching the cup while the device is moving back and forth. 7. A cup dispenser according to claim 6, characterized in that the device comprises a ratchet wheel and another part of the device adjacent to the ratchet has a pawl to the sensing device. 8. cup dispenser according to claim 7, characterized in that that the wheel has a row of ratchet teeth on it uncT
outer edge / the path of the back and forth movement of the device is determined by the outer periphery of the wheel. 9. cup dispenser according to claim 8, characterized in that that the sensing device extends away from the pawl and is substantially at right angles this forms in order to arrange this device under the wheel, while the pawl is on the outer edge of the wheel remain. 409813/0486 " ²³ 10. cup dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that that the base plate is provided with an opening through which cups are delivered to the mechanism the construction of the arrangement includes a spindle which is releasably attached to the base plate and any location selected from a number of locations is related to the opening to various To accommodate devices with different diameters and cup capacities. 11. cup dispenser according to claim 10, characterized in that that an extended, reliable attachment is provided around the spindle on the base plate to secure, and a plurality of locally predetermined holes are provided in the base plate to optionally to include the attachment. 98 13/0486 Blank page