US1927017A - Vending machine feed mechanism - Google Patents

Description

m "m mm H. s. BENJAMIN VENDING MACHINE FEED MECHANISM Filed Nov 25. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTRNEY:

wzmn 7 Sep& M9, 11933 H. s. BENJAMHN VENDING MACHINE FEED MECHANISM Filed Nov.

2 Sheets-finest 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY$ Patented Sept. 7 1 9, 1933 omrso STATES 1,927,017' j r V VENDING MACHINE FEED -MECHANISM Harry S. Benjamin, Utica, N. Y.

Application November 25, 1931 Serial N0. 577,288

- '2 Claims. (01. 194-97 This invention relates to means for preventing the unauthorized operation of a vending machine I of the type described in my application, Serial Number 436,982, filed March 19, 1930, since pattool for operating the vending or merchandise discharge members of such machine and which members are normally rotated through the medium of suitable mechanism including a power transmitting member adapted to be rotated in one direction only, by power applied thereto when such mechanism is released by the insertion of a coin in the machine.

. A further object is to provide means for transmitting motion from said power transmitting member to another member arranged to be driven thereby, in such a manner that said power transmitting member is always connected to said member which is to be driven thereby, to transmit motionthereto, but which connection is such that the driven member will be immediately locked andheld against turning, upon the application of any turning power to said driven member or parts connected thereto, other than through the medium of said power transmitting member and its driving mechanism when said mechanism is released by the insertion ofa coin in the machine. It is also an object to provide means for the purpose, which means is simple in construction,

positive in operation, and may be readily embodied in a vending or other machine of the class or type disclosed in my said application above referred to.

7 With the above and other ends in View, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which a Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section through the lower end portion of a vending machine illustrative of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, substantially upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail, substantially upon the line 33 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail substantially upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, with parts broken away and in section to disclose'the construction.

Enough of the machine disclosed in my said pending application above referred to, is shown in the accompanying drawings to illustrate the application of the present invention thereto and detail substantially upon 7 the purpose and manner in which it operates in I connection therewith, the principal parts of the delivery mechanism and their operation, being described as follows:

The machine includes any suitable form of cas- (30 ing 1 for enclosing the vending mechanism and provided with a detachable back 2 upon which said mechanism is mounted, said back being arranged to support, preferably, four rectangular chutes or magazines 3 for holding merchandise in the form of small packages shown in Fig. 1 in one, of said chutes, in superposed relation within said chutes.

These packages are removedJone at a time from the lower ends of these chutes by means of rotatable feed members or blocks 4, one of said feed blocks being located directly beneath each chute: and each formed with a notch or recess 5 of a shape and size to receive a single package and, when the block is rotated, discharge the same into a single chute 6 leading to a delivery cup '7 opening through a Wall of the casing.

. Each of the feed'blocks is secured to a shaft 8 and secured to the rear end of each of said shafts, is a gear 9, these gears being in mesh with each other so that all of said blocks will be turned simultaneously an equal distance. The four blocks are secured to, their shafts in such relative-positions that when the recess 5 in one block is at the upper side thereof, the recess in' the next block is at one side, the recess in the next, block of the series is at the bottom or in discharge position and the recess in the last block is at the other side. Therefore at each quarter rotation of the several blocks, a package will be 9 discharged. It will be understood, however, that any suitable arrangement and construction of discharge'means may be provided, as well as one or more chutes, this arrangement being merely illustrative of one construction of machine to which the present invention may be applied.

To actuate the train of gears 9 and thus simultaneously rotate all of the blocks 4, a plate 10 is mounted on the back wall 2 of the casing for vertical movement thereon, by means of a stud or screw 11 passing through a vertical slot 12 in said plate and locatedat one side of said plate is a horizontal shaft 13 mounted at its rear end on the casing wall 2 and at its forward end in the rear Wall of the chute 6, there being sleeved 1 upon said shaft, a power transmitting sleeve 14 to the rear end of which sleeve, adjacent the plate 10, is'secured or formed integral therewith, a ratchet wheel 15, said sleeve being formed at its forward end, with an outstanding circular flange 11 16 to abut the rear side of a circular block 17 rigidly secured by a pin 18 (see Fig.3) to said shaft 13, which block is surrounded by a ring 19 which ring is held in a fixed position by a stud 20 on the adjacent side wall of the chute 6. Secured to the flange 16 on the power transmitting sleeve 14, is a stud 21 provided with a sleeve and forming a roller which projects into a notch. 22 (see Fig. 5) cut in the. periphery of the circular block 1'7, and a light coiled spring 23 is interposed between one side of this roller 21 and'the end wall of the notch, to exert a force to normally hold the parts with said roller pressed toward the reduced end of said notch. Securedto or formed integral with the forward. end of said shaft 13, is a gear 24 in mesh with anidler gear 25 which in turn is in mesh with one. of the gears 9 of the train of gears on the shafts 8 on which shai'ts the feed blocks 4 are secured.

To transmit motion from the plate 10 to turn the ratchet 1'5 and power transmitting; sleeve 14, an'arm 26 is mounted for freeturning upon, the

rear end of the shaft l 3-adiacent.saidra-tchet and: at its free end, this arm carriesra -stud 27; which projects through and isfree to slide within a horizontalv slot 28 in. said, plate 10 Y Pivotally, mounted upon thisst-ud 27 is a pawl 2 9.having a. tail portion to. which acoiled spring 30 is attached to normally exert a turning force upon said pawl andhold the same against the periphcry of the ratchet 15. A. stop pin 31. on the back wall of the casing is-positioned so that the en-.-

gaging end of the pawl will be; caught; between said pin and wheel whenthe plate 10 is at the upper endof. its stroke and the-pawl is in a horizontal position and lying within one of the notchesof. the ratchet wheel. The ratchet wheel:

is thus locked against turning andthe plate is limited inits up movement, not only, by the length said ratchet, saidhead having an inclined, topface so that theratchetwhen turned by said pawl 29,. will. slide past. said head, forcing the plunger longitudinally, against the action of a spring sleeved on said. plunger between its head and said bracket, said spring thus normally holding said. plunger engagedin a notch of the ratchet and positively preventing turning movement of, the ratchet in a directionopposite to that in which it is turned by saidipaw-l, due tov the engagement of said. head with astraight or radialside face of the ratchet. notch.

To actuate theslide platelO and to guide the lower end thereof, a. power shaft 36 (seezFig. 1*) is mountedv to extend in parallelism withv said shaft 13 through a vertical slot in the lower end portion of said. plate, andthisshaft is extendedthrough an opening in. the casing wall and is provided with suitable means, (notv shown) for turning the samernanually, On'this shaft is a cain'inember. indicatedat 337 in=l fig. 1, which is;

arranged ina suitable-manner; to lift said plate and-through such movement ofsaid-plate, actuatethe delivery mechanism.

To normally holdthis shaft 36 against turning J more than, a limited: distance. and; thusprevent; or the operation. of the delivery mechanism-to de- To control the downward movement of the actuating plate 10 so that if no coin or a coin other than a good one be inserted in the machine, the plate will be stopped to prevent the delivery ofmerchandise, coin controlled mechanism is provided, this mechanism including a laterally extending lug 41 on the upper end of said plate 10. (see Fig. l) to engage a stop rne1nberizwhich is pivotally supported to swing into and out of. the path of said lug, said stop mernher being adapted to be swung by a bar 43 pivotally, connected therewith at its upper end, the lowenend of; said bar being pivotally. connected.

to the free end of a swinging arm pivotally supported at itsopposite end upon the lower end Off a coin, chute 45 and provided with a notch or shoulder 46 tozengage a stop arm 47 having a laterally bentend portion 48 adapted to be. projected through a, side opening in the chute across the path; of; a coin passing down said chute. To swing; said arm i i and bring it into latched; or normal position with its end ii; re-

tracted iromacross said-chute, suitablemeans is provided onithe shaft 36, all as fully shown-and described in my pending application before reed-. 0. p

Asset forthin; said pending application, other mechanism is provided; in connection with the ooincontrolled mechanism, for detecting spurious coins. and; other.- substitutes, so that when substitutes for good ccins-are inserted; the machine will. not operate to, deliver merchandise, all as fully set forthand described-in mypending ap- I plication, the drawings oi the present application disclosing-only just suflicient parts of: such coin controlled mechanism-to identify the-present type of machine. and show that'it embodies such mechanisms, the present invention relating to means; in such, a, machine and in combination with such; mechanisms, for preventing the delivery niechanism of the machine from, bein operated by a. wire orother: device inserted and manipulated to engage-and move parts of the deliverymechanism, to deliver; merchandise VVlthr out the insertion of a good coin, V a

By; inserting suitable motion transmitting means between the delivery, mechanism, for ef fectingthe; delivery of. the merchandise, and the power transmitting sleeve is which is operated by the operation of the normally lockedirnanually operatedzshaft: 36, andgwhich shaft. is adapted to be. lllllOCkGd; by means of the coin. controlled mechanism, as: herein set forth, said deliverymechanism; isprevented from being operated by a wire or other tool inserted throughtheopenendof,themerchandisechute 6 andrup into engagement with one of the delivery blocks 4 or gears -9 connectedtherewith. This motion trans mitting means comprises the circular block 1 ever the sleeve is turned in a clockwise direction, itwill move said stud roller toward the large end of the notch 22 against the action of the light spring 23, and-coming into engagement with said end of the notch, will carry the block around with it and through the firm connection of this block with the shaft 13, will transmit motion to the gear 24 on the end of said shaft and thus transmit motion to the gears 9 to rotate the delivery blocks 4 and deliver merchandise. This connection is therefore always operative to transmit motion from said sleeve to the delivery mechanism, but should an attempt be made to turn said gears or delivery blocks, in a direction which will turn the block 17 in a clockwise direction, the roller 21 will immediately be wedged within the small end of the notch between said block and the fixed ring 19 and prevent rotation of the gear 24, and as the ratchet 15 and consequently the sleeve 11 are at all times prevented from counter clockwise rotation by the plunger 32, the turning of the delivery blocks in either direction is prevented atall times except when the sleeve 1% is turned through the medium of the coin controlled power transmitting mechanism after the unlocking of said mechanism by the insertion of a good coin.

Therefore the operation of the delivery mechanism to, deliver merchandise is positively prevented at all times except through the medium of the power transmitting means afterthe same has been released by the coin controlled mechanism.

Obviously the present invention relates to the combination, in a vending machine, of coin controlled power transmitting mechanism, delivery mechanism, and interposed means for transmitting motion from said coin controlled mechanism to said deliverymechanism, which means is efiective to prevent such transmission of motion when said delivery mechanism is operated by other than said coin controlled mechanism, and applies to any form or arrangement of coin controlled power transmitting mechanism and also any suitable form or arrangement of delivery mechanism in a vending machine employing such mechanisms.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is: Y

1. In a machine of the character described including motion transmitting coin controlled mechanism and merchandise delivery mechanism, of motion transmitting means interposed between said mechanisms and operative at all times to transmit motion from said coin controlled mechanism to said delivery mechanism when said coin controlled mechanism is operative and adapted to prevent the transmission of motion between said mechanisms when said coin controlled mechanism is inoperative, said means including an element movable by the coincontrolled mechanism and limited to movement in one direction by said mechanism, a second element movable with the delivery mechanism, said elements being co-operative in driving the delivery mechanism during permitted movement of the first element when the coin-controlled mechanism is operative, and a stationary guard member for said elements, said guard member being inactive in the control of element movements when the coin-controlled mechanism is operative and cooperative with said elements to prevent element movement when the latter mechanism is inoperative.

2. In a machine of the character described inmitting. motion from one to the other of said mechanisms, said means being arranged to transmit motion from said coin controlled mechanism to said delivery mechanism when said coin controlled mechanism is rendered operative by the insertion of'a coin, said means being also constructed to prevent the operation of said delivery mechanism by means other than said coin controlled mechanism, said means including an element movable by, the coin-controlled mechanism and limited to movement in one direction by said mechanism, a second element movable with the delivery mechanism, said elements being co-operative in driving the delivery mechanism during permitted movement of the first element when the coin-controlled mechanism is operative, and a stationary guard member for said elements, said guard member being inactive in the control of element movements when the coin-controlled mechanism is operative and cooperative with said elements to prevent element movement when the latter mechanism is inoperative.

3. In a machine of the character described including motion transmitting coin controlled mechanism and merchandise delivery mechanism, of motion transmitting means interposed between said mechanisms for transmitting motion from one to the other of said mechanisms said coin controlled mechanism in one direction to transmit motion to said delivery mechanism, means for preventing rotation of said member and including a rotatable member rotated by in an opposite direction, and means for trans- I mitting motion from said member to drive said.

delivery mechanism when said member is rotated by said coin controlled mechanism and for pre venting operation of said delivery mechanism by means other than said member, said means including an element movable with the delivery mechanism and co-operative with the rotatable member to drive said mechanism 'during member permitted movement, and a stationary guard member for the element and rotatable member, said guard member being inactive in the'control of element movement during permitted rotatable member movement and co-operative with the element and rotatable member to prevent element movement when the coin-controlled mechanism is inoperative.

4. In a machine of the character described including motion transmitting coin controlled mechanism and merchandise delivery mechanism, of motion transmitting means interposed between said mechanisms for transmitting motion from one to the other of said mechanisms and including a rotatable member rotated by said coin controlled mechanism in a forward direction to transmit motion to said delivery mechanism when said coin controlled mechanism is made operative by the insertion of a coin, means for preventing backward rotation of said member, and means for transmitting motion from said member to drive said delivery mechanism when said member is rotated in a forward direction and for preventing rotation of said member in said forward direction by means other than said coin controlled mechanism, said means including an element movable with the delivery mechanism and co-operative with the rotatable member to drive said mechanism during member permitted movement, and a stationary guard member for the element and rotatable member, saidguardmember being inactive in the control of element movement during permitted rotat able member movement and co-operative with the element and rotatable member to prevent element movement when the coin-controlled mechanism is'inoperative, whereby the operation of said delivery mechanism is prevented except when operated by the forward turning of said member when driven by -'said coin controlled mechanism. V

5. in a'machineof the'characterdescribedincluding manually operated motion transmitting mechanism, coin controlled means for controlling the-operation of said mechanism, and merchandise .delive'ry mechanism, of motion transmitting means interposed between said mechanisnis for transmitting motion from one to the other of said mechanisms and including a rotatable sleeve member limited to rotation in one direction by said motion transmitting mechanism when'made operative by inserting acoin in said coin controlled means, a member adapted to be rotated by said sleeve and operatively con- "nected' to said delivery mechanism, a one way connecting means between said sleeve and member, said means including an element. movable by the sleeve member, a second element movable with the delivery mechanism, said elements being co-operating in-driving the delivery mechanism during permitted movement of the first element when'the coin-controlled means is operative,.and astationary guard member for said elements inactive in the control of element move- -ments1-when the coin-controlled means is operative ;and'co-operating with said elements to prevent element movement when the coin-controlled means is inoperative.

6. In amachine of the character described in- --cluding motion transmitting coin controlled mechanism, and merchandise delivery mechanism including a gear for operating the same, of motion transmitting means interposed between v said. coin controlled mechanism and said gear 'and'including a sleeve in opposed relation tosaid gear and adapted to be rotated in a forward direction bysaid motion transmitting coin controlled mechanism, means for preventing rotation of said sleeve in a backward direction, and one way driving'means interposed between said sleeve and saidgear 'for driving said gear in aforward direction when said sleeve is rotated forwardly by said coin controlled mechanism-and for preventing 'forwardtu'rning of saidgear by external power applied to said delivery mechanism, said means including an element movable with the sleeve member, asecond element movable with'the g'ean said elements being co-Operative to'drive "the gear when the coin-controlled mechanism is operative, and a stationary guard member for said elements-said guard member being inactive in the control of elementmovemerits when the oom-controlled mechanism is operative and co-operative with said elements to prevent element'movemerit when the lattermechanism is inoperative.

7. In a machine of the character described including motion transmitting coin controlled mechanism, and merchandise delivery mechanism including 'agear for operating-the same, of motion-transmitting means interposed between said coin controlled -mechanism and said gear and including a sleeve in *opposed relation to said gearand adapted to berotated in a forwarddirection by said =motion transmitting coin controlled-mechanism, means for preventing rotation of said sleeve in 'a backward direction, a shaft to which said gear is secured and upon which said-sleeve is free to turn, a'block secured to said shaft and formed with a peripheral notch, a fixed ringmember-surrounding said block, and astudmember on said sleeve projecting into said notch, said ring member being inactive in the control 'of block and stud member movements when the coin-controlledmechanism is operative and co-operative with the block and stud member to prevent block movement when the latter mechanism i's inoperative, whereby when said sleeve is rotated'in aforward direction, said stud member will be moved toward-one end of said notch and drive said block in a forward directionto transmit forward motion from said sleeve to said gear and operate said delivery mechanismand wherebya forward turning of said gear by power-applied tosaid'delivery mechanism wille'a'use-a wedging of-said studmember within the opposite end of said notch'between said block and ringand lock said gear against forward rotation.

-I-IARRY S. BENJAMIN.

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