GB543028A - An improved coin-operated vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

543,028. Coin-freed article-delivering apparatus. GARRETT & CO., Ltd., ;C., and WEST, L. Aug. 5, 1940. No. 12576. [Class 27] A machine for vending and dispensing substantially cylindrical articles or packages comprises a supply compartment or hopper from which delivery is effected on insertion of a coin, an agitator for agitating the articles in said compartment to facilitate delivery, a trough-like delivery member for receiving the articles from said compartment and coin-operated means for moving the agitator and rocking said delivery member between positions in which it respectively receives and delivers an article. In the construction shown arranged to deliver one cigarette 11 from a hopper 10 each time a coin is inserted the outlet 12 from the hopper is formed by a fixed front plate 12b and a vertically-movable back plate or agitator 14 having a corrugated part 13 extending upwardly into the hopper. A vertically-movable control plate 17 rests by means of a buffer 19 on the front plate 12b. The lowermost cigarette rests, as shown in Fig. 3, in the hopper outlet on the edge of a discharge trough 20 mounted on a shaft 21 which carries an arm 32 having a pin 33 adapted to engage a catch lever 34 pivoted at 35. When a coin is inserted in the machine is passes over and depresses a plunger 23 which rocks a lever 24 and raises a spring-loaded slide 17c carrying the control plate 17 so that this is raised to the position shown in Fig. 6 and leaves the lowest cigarette supported only by the trough 2v. The coin next passes over a stop 26 and raises a lever 27 which acts through another lever 28 to lift the back plates 13, 14 until a rubber strip 31 on 14 engages the trough 20 and tilts it to the position shown in Fig. X5 in which it receives the lowest cigarette, the trough being held in this position by a catch 36 on lever 34 engaging the pin 33. As the coin passes on to a vertical shoot it releases the lever 27 and the back plate 13, 14 is pulled down to its original position by a spring 29, the upward and downward movements of the plate agitating the cigarettes in the hopper and preventing them from jamming. The coin in dropping down the shoot 39 to the till 42 strikes the tail 34a of lever 34 so that pin 33 is released and a spring 38 rocks the trough 20 to discharge the cigarette resting thereon, the trough being again in the normal position shown in Fig. 3. The machine is enclosed in a locked casing, not shown, and is preferably mounted on a wall so as to tilt forwards about 15 degrees. In a modification the catch 36 may be released by a push-button or the like instead of by the coin. Coin-testing apparatus may be included in the machine.