US1231243A - Blade-vending machine. - Google Patents

Description

A. H. DU GRENIER & J. H. MCPHERSON.

BLADE VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26, I916. ZMJSLMS. Patented June 26, 1917.

4SHEETS-SHEET I.

Winesa. ,Zi'JWQ JZ M BLADE VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. 1916.

m 3 m A; W M A W pmml w 2 w PM w K Wu N pv /,,H,, .nn v lll l II II .L. M 4 w it. if we Q n QM, L m b. fl L A. H. DU GRENIER & J. H. McPHERSON.

BLADE VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26.19 |6.

Patented June 26, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A. H. DU GRENIERN J. H. MCPHERSON.

BLADE VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. 1916.

1 ,Q8 1 2%3v Patented June 26, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNTTED $TATE PATEN T @FFTGE.

ARTHUR H. DU GRENIER AND JAMES H. IVIoPHJERSON, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

BLADE-VENDING MACHIN E.

Application filed April 26, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR H. DU GRENIER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and JAMES H. McPHERsoN, a citizen of the United States, both residing at Havel-hill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Blade-Vending Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to check or coincontrolled vending machines, and more particularly to a machine designed to be employed in shoe factories, to vend shoecutters knife blades.

Inasmuch as various makes and styles of shoe-cutters blades are employed, it is practically necessary that a machine for vending such articles be arranged to deliver to the purchaser any one of a number of difierent kinds of blades, in practice, about eight different varieties being sold.

The object of our invention is to produce a form of vending machine which is primarily adapted to vend various styles and forms of shoe-cutters blades, although it may be employed for vending a variety of other articles of merchandise, and which is of simple and durable construction, and which answers all of the well-known requirements of machines of this character.

We accomplish these objects by the means shown in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively front and side elevations of a vending machine embodying our invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at the line a(l of Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View taken at the line 717) of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the ejectormechanism taken from the left-hand side of the machine.

Fig. 7 is a similar view taken from the right-hand side of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the parts in a different position.

Fig. 9 is a detail view partly in section at the line cc of Fig. 8,

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented June 265, 11%11"? Serial No. 93,790.

Fig. 10 is a detail view of the coin-testing device.

Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are detail views of the coin-testing and rejecting mechanism, showing the parts in different positions.

v Fig. 1 1 is a detail view of the article to be vended.

As shown in the drawing, the casing 1, which contains all of the operative parts of the machine, is hinged to a back-board 2, adapted to be secured to the wall, said casing being locked in position against the backboard by means of a padlock 3, or other suitable means, so that the whole casing may be swung awayfrom the wall, as indicated in Fig. 4, to expose the mechanism for the purpose of refilling, and to permit the re moval of coins therefrom.

For the purpose of indicating the different forms of blades which the machine is to vend, a dial plate 4 is provided on the face of the casing, in the center of which a crank 5 is mounted on a central shaft 6, and about which, openings 1 are arranged, provision being made for the insertion of cards, on which, characters, indicating the differentkinds of blades to be vended, may be written, in the rear of said openings, so that the characters will be visible. The crank 5 is provided with a handle 7, which is mounted on a spring-pressed pin, which slides in the handle to engage any one of a series of apertures 1* on the dial, disposed adjacent the indicating openings 4 Within the casing, a carrier 8 is mounted on the shaft 6, to rotate therewith, and com prises a series of radially-extending arms 8 oneach of which a casing orcompartment 9 s removably secured, said compartments belng arranged approximately radially with relation to the axis of the shaft 6, and equally spaced apart, with the bottoms thereof in the periphery. of a cylinder having its axis coincident with the axis of shaft 6.

As the articles to be vended are not of convenient form to behandled by a machine of this character, each blade w is mounted on a flat, oblong strip of wood y, and secured at one side thereof by strips of paper 2, so that it may be readily removed, as in- 10(1) dicated in Fig. 14.. Each compartment 9 is shaped, in transverse section, to receive the wooden strips y, so that a stack of said strips, with the blades attached thereto, may be placed in each compartment of the carrier, and may rest on the bottom 9 thereof,

as indicated in Figs. 5 and 8.

A weighted follower 10, of approximately the same shape as thewooden strips 3 is provided in each compartment, said follower being provided with a pair of end lugs 10", and a middle lug 10*, which depend from the outer or under side thereof, to the same extent, the middle lug being extended laterally from the follower, as indicated in Fig. 9, and inclined on its under side, for .a purpose to be hereafter explained. A longitudinal "groove 10 is provided on the inner side'of the follower, and a pair of springactuated levers 12 are mounted on pivots 13,

at opposite ends of each compartment 9, said pivots being located adjacent the upper or inner ends of said levers, so that a pair of long arms are provided, which extend crosswise of each other, and rest at their ends in thegroove 10 of the follower, while the short arms thereof are connected by a spring 14, which acts to draw them together, and

thus force the ends of the long arms, and

therefore the follower which they engage, radially outward, or toward the bottom of the compartment. Each spring 14 is of sufficient strength to overcome the gravity of the follower and of a stack of blades and holders ofany height which a compartment may contain, so that the stack will be held in position in all positions of the carrier, and when the last blade has been removed from a compartment, the follower therein will be held against the bottom thereof. The relative arrangement of the crank 5 in the compartments 9 is such that, when the drank is swung to any one of the positions in which it is adapted to be locked, the carrier will be rotated so as to bring the corresponding compartment into the vertical position directly beneath the axis of the shaft 6, in which position each compartment must be held, in

- order that the ejecting mechanism, hereafter described, may operate to move the articles therefrom. The bottom 9 of each compartment has transverse slots 9 and 9 formed therein, which extend entirely across the same and correspond in position to the position of the lugs 10 and 10 of the follower, so that, when a compartment is empty, said lugs will extend through said slots, beyond.

the bottom. The-end 111' s 1O have no important function, other t an to provide engaging 'means for the stack at the ends of the followers, which are level with the middle lug 10". A discharge slot 9 is also provided in one side of each compartment next the bottom 9 thereof the'width of said slot being slightly greater than the thickness of i a blade and holder.

The form of ejecting mechanism which is employed in this connection comprises a pair of' arms 16 which are mounted on a shaft 17 supported in fixed lugs, said arms each having a dog 18 pivoted on the end thereof and arranged to pass through the slots 9", in the bottom of each compartment, when in ejecting position, and to engage the bottom article of a stack, to slide the same from beneath it, through the discharge slot '9, springs 19 being connected to each' dog, which permit them to swing downward on the return movement, and to return them to operative position. A link 20 is connected, at one end, by a universal joint, to the arms 16, and at the other end by a similar joint,

direction, and causing the arms 16'to swing from right to left, so as to eject the article.

In order that the carrier may be positively locked, while the ejecting mechanism is being operated, a finger26 is pivotally mounted on the arm 22, and is arranged to extend upwardly, in position to enter a notch 8", formed in the peripheral portion of each arm' 8 of the carrier, to lock the latter against rotation.

The main shaft 28 of the ejector mechanism is mounted in the casing beneath the shaft 24, and extends outside the casing to receive an actuating handle 29. A flat metal operating plate 30 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 28, to swing in a plane' at right angles thereto, and is provided with an arcshap'ed peripheral portion, on which a series finished before the pawl 32 will permit the parts to be returned to initial position. The

plate 30 is arranged to swing between a pair of flat partitions 36, 38, in close proximity thereto, and also in the plane of a coin-entrance-slot 1 which is formed in the front of the casing, said slot being of the same size as the coin, in connection with which the machine is designed to operate, and the width of the space between said partitions bein sufficient to permit thev coin tov pass readily therebetween. Said plate 30 is further provided with ashoulder 30", which extends adjacent the inner side of the casing, and, in the normal position of said plate, is held adjacent the upper end of the of the plate 30, said partition'actingto form the bottom of a coin-receiving receptacle, and also the inner side of a .passage 33 for rejected coins, the upper end of which is practically continuous with the lowerend of the coin entrance passage and the lower end of which opens to a cup 34, into which a coin, falling down said passage, 33, will be discharged. That is, unlessintercepted, a coin inserted in the slot 1 will immediately fall into the cup 34. I

Coin-intercepting means are, however, provided. for directing the coin into the receptacle formed by partition 31, said means comprising a support 40, which is suspended on a pivot 41, mounted in a lug 36*, on partition 36, to swing transversely of the plate 30, and on which a coin-tester42 is supported by a pivot 43 in a position at right angles thereto, so that it extends di rectly across the coin entrance passage between the partitions 36 and 38, directly beneath the lower end of the arc-shaped portion 30 of the plate 30, as shown inFig. 11..

A. finger portion 30 is formed on'plate30, the outer sideof said arc-shaped portion 30 extending thereon and said finger portion terminating at a distance from the upper surface of the coin tester 42, slightly less than the diameter of the coin, which the machine is designed to receive, and at a ,point to one side of the pivot 43, so that, under normal conditions, when the coin falls down the entrance slot, it will be intercepted by the coin tester 42, and will roll along on the surface, past the pivot thereof, until it is intercepted by the finger portion 30 ,in the dotted positionindicated in Fig. 5

and if the disk which has been inserted is of less weight than that of the standard coin, it will lodge at that point, but if it is of standard weight, it will overbalance the opposite end of the tester 42, and, as the latter tilts down, it will be permitted to pass beneath the finger 30 into operative relation with the article-ejecting operating mechanism.- 7 i The mechanism directly cotiperating with the coin consists-of an arm 45 rigidly mounted on the shaft 24 and having its end 45 concaved to receive the coin, and a finger on the plate 30 having a correspondingly concaved end 30". The concaved end of the arm 45 is normally held in position to receive the coin, as it is'discharged from the toin tester 42, and the coin is retained there- --in by a fixed finger 46, which is mounted on the partition 31 and extends upwardly therefrom, between the partitions 36 and 38, to a point beneath the coin tester 42, at which point the coin-receiving passage branches from the coin-entrance passage. A magnet'47 isprovided in the partition 38 which will retain a magnetic slug falling on the tester 42. A lug 40 projects fromthe inner side of the support 40, into the path of movement of the finger 30 so that when the plate 30; is swung forwardly and downwardly, it will engage said lug 40 and swing its support 40-aside so as to withdraw the coin tester 42 from the coin passage and open the coin entrance passage to the rejecting passage, as shown in Fig. 12. A lug 4O on said support acts to hold it in its normal position of Fig. 11.

An arm 52 is pivoted, at one end, on the casing and a roll 54 is rotatably mounted on the free end thereof, said roll having a grooved periphery and being arranged in the plane of the ath of movement of the middle lug 10 of the followers, so that when a compartment becomes empty, and the follower 10 therein therefore rests on the bottom thereof, the lug 1O on the follower will pass into the peripheral groove pended from the end of the arm 52 and extends downward in position to engage one arm 56 of a lever, which 1s pivotally supported on partition 36, the other arm 57 of which depends in position to engage the inner side of support 40, the arrangement being such that the rod is normally supported in contact with arm 56, but wlthout substantial pressure thereon, so that when the rod is depressed, through the depression of the roll 54, bv a follower 10, it will force down the arm 56, causing the arm 57 to swing outward against the support 4t), and force the latter aside, as shown in Fig. 13,

withdrawing the coin tester 42 from the coin-entrance passage and opening communication between said passage and the coin-rejecting passage, as already described.

The rear ends of the compartments 9 are preferably provided with doors 9 which are hinged at the bottoms thereof, so that they may be swung down' to permit the articles to be vended to be readily nserted. The casing is provided with an inclined delivery chute 60, at one side of the e ect1ng position of the compartments, said chute leading to an opening 1 in the side of the casing.

The operation of the machineflis as follows:

The operator first turns the crank 5 to the position corresponding to the particular form or 'kind of blade which ,he wishes to secure, and then inserts the coin, in the present instance a dime, which rolls down the receiving passage on the plate edge-portion 30, onto the coin tester 42, and against the finger 30*. If the coin is of standard Weight, the coin tester then tilts, and discharges it, so that the coin lodges against the end of the arm 45, as shown in Fig. 7. The handle 29 is then rotated forwardly, so that the plate 30 is swung forwardly and clownwardly, bringing the finger 30 into engagement with the upper edge of the coin, which, for the time being, becomes part of the mechanism, so that continued movement of the handle causes the arm 45 to be swung rearwardly until the coin is finally pushed from between the arm 45 and finger 46, and falls onto the plate 31, where it may later be recovered. -This movement of. arm 45 causes corresponding rotation of the shaft 24, so that the carrier is locked against rota tion by the finger 26, and the. arms 16 are swung so that the bottom article of the stack, in the particular compartment which of underweight has been intercepted by the coin tester 42, it will be discharged into the rejected-coin-passage 33, and fall into the cup 34.

()r, in case a slug is retained by the magnet 47, so that it does not fall into the passage 33, after the coin tester has been moved from beneath-it, the slug will be engaged by the shoulder 30 and swept into said passage, and, at the same time, any foreign matter, WlllCll may have' been pushed through the entrance slot,,will be carried down by said shoulder portion of the plate 30, so that the com entrance passage is cleared eachtime the machine is operated.

In case; the compartment which is moved 1nto e ecting position is empty, its follower 10 will cause the support 40 to be moved aside, as shown in Fig. 13, so as to open communication between the entrance and reectlng passages, as already described, so that when the coin is inserted, it will immediately fall down into the cup 34, where it may be recovered.

. which the machine is designed to receive, is

inserted;

We claim 1. A vending-machine having a coin-entrance passage, a coin-rejecting passage and a coin-receiving passage leading therefrom, a coin-tester normally arranged to close communication between said entrance and said rejecting-passages, and tiltable by the gravity of a coin of predetermined weight to deliver the coin to said receiving-passage,

and manually-controlled means to move said coin-tester bodily to one side of its normal position to open communication between said entrance and rejecting-passages.

2. A vending-machine having a coin-entrance passage, a coin-rejecting passage and a coin-receiving passage leading therefrom, a coin-tester normally arranged to close comm mication between said entrance and said rejecting-passages, and tiltable in one direction by the gravity of a coin of predetermined weight, to deliver the coin to said receiving-passage, and manually-controlled means for moving said coin-tester in a different direction to open communication to said rejecting passage.

3. A vending-machine having a coin-entrance passage, a coin-rejecting passage and a coin-receiving passage leading therefrom,

a pivotally supported coin-tester normally arranged to close communication between said entrance and rejecting-passages, and adapted to be tilted by the gravity of a coin of predetermined weight, to deliver the coin to said receiving-passage, -manually-conof predetermined weight to deliver the coin to said receiving-passage, manuallycontrolled means, and means, operated by mamas said means, on operative movement thereof, for moving said coin-tester transversely of the direction in which it is adapted to tilt, to open communication between said entrance and rejecting-passages.

5. A vending-machine havinga coin-entrance passage, a coin-rejecting passage, and a coin-receiving passage leading therefrom, a support having a coin-tester pivotally mounted thereon and arranged normally to close communication between said entrance and said rejecting-passages, and to be tilted by the gravity of a coin of predetermined weight, to deliver the coin to said receiving-passage, and means to move said support to carry said coin-tester bodily to a position in which free communication between said entrance and rejecting-passages is permitted.

6. A vending-machine having a coin-entrance passage, a coin-rejecting passage, and a coin-receiving passage leading therefrom, a coin-tester normally arranged to close communication between said entrance and said rejecting-passages, and tiltable by the gravity action of a coin of predetermined weight to deliver the coin to said receivingpassage, manually-controlled means, and means actuated by said manually controlled means, during the initial portion of its operative movement, to move saidcoin-tester bodily to one side of its normal position, to open communication between said entrance and r'ej ecting-passages.

7. A vending-machine having a coin-entrance passage, a coin-re ecting passage, and a coin-receiving passage lead ng, therefrom,

a coin-tester normally arranged to close communlcatlon between sald entrance andpartment adapted to contain a stack of articles to be vended, a follower adapted to rest on the top of such stack andat the bottom of the compartment when empty, coincontrolled apparatus including a coin-tester arranged to be moved in one direction by the gravity of a coin of predetermined weight, to retain the coin, and to be moved in a dilierent direction to reject it, and means arranged to be operated by said follower, when at the bottom of its compartment, to hold said coin-tester in its coinrejecting position.

9. In a vending machine having a downwardly-extending coin-entrance passage, a coin-rejecting passage into which said en trance passage leads, and a coin-receiving passage branching therefrom, a coin-deflector normally supported in a position to close communication between said entrance and rejecting passages, a manually-controlled operating-device, and means, arranged to be actuated by said operating-device, when moved from initial position, to move said deflector to permit a coin thereon to pass into said coin-rejecting passage.

10. In a vending machine having a coinentrance passageand a coin-rejecting passage leading therefrom, an operating-handle having a slot-clearing device arranged to be moved through said entrance passage, on operative movement of said handle, to force the contents thereof into said coin-rejecting passage.

11. In a vending machine having a downwardly-extending coin-entrance passage, a coin-rejecting passage into which said entrance passage leads, and a coin-receiving passage branching therefrom, a coin-deflector normally supported in a position to close communication between said entrance and rejecting passages, a manually-controlled operating-device, means arranged to be carried longitudinally of said entrance passage, to clear the same, on operative movementof said operating-device, to move said deflector to open communication between said entrance and discharge passages.

12. A vending machine having a coinentrance passage, a coin-rejecting passage to which said entrance passage leads, and a coin-receiving passage branching therefrom, a coin-tester normally supported to close communication between said entrance and rejecting passages and to be tilted longitudinally by the weight of the coin, to deliver it to said receiving passage, and means to move said coin-tester laterally to open communication between said entrance and rejecting passages.

llt

13. A vending-machine having a continu- Y to one side of its normal position, to permit discharge of the contents of said entrance passage into said rejecting passage,

14. A vending-machine having a downbodily movable with its support to permit wardly-extending, main coin-passage ara coin, supported thereby, to pass to the ranged to receive a coin at the upper end lower end of said main passage.

and return it at the lower end, and a coin- In testimony whereof, we have signed our 5 retaining passage branching laterally there-' names to this specification.

from, and a pivotally-supported coin-testing ARTHUR H. DU GRENIERF plate normally arranged to close said main JAMES H. MOPHERSON.

passage, and to be tilted by the gravity of Witnesses: v

a coin of predetermined weight, to deliver L. H. HARRIMAN,

10 the coin into said retaining-passage, and JAMES T. FITZGERALD.

Images