US2176394A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 17, 1939. T. J. ELDER VENDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 9, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 17, 1.939. 'r. J. ELDER VENDING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1937 Oct. 17, 1 939. T. J. ELDER VENDING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 'r. J. ELDER 2,176,394

VENDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 9, 1937 Oct. 17, 1939.

Patented Oct. 17, 1939 2,176,394

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINE Thomas J. Elder, Decatur, Tex. Application March 9, 1937, Serial No. 129,896

3 Claims. (Cl. 31236) This invention relates to vending machines, wall 9 of the cabinet, is provided with discharge and particularly to vending machines designed openings l0, disposed near the lower front edge for vending bottled goods. thereof. Coin drawers H operate through suit- An important object of the invention is to able openings formed in the front wall 9 of the provide means for delivering a bottle or similar cabinet, the front wall being formed with sight 5 package, to the chamber containing the goods to openings l2 disposed directly above the coin be dispensed, simultaneously with each dispensdrawers ll, so that the discharge ends of the ing operation, thereby maintaining the container coin chutes, to be hereinafter more fully dechamber full at all times. scribed, y be viewed without the necessity of 10 Another object of the invention is to provide removing the front wall of the cabinet. 10 means for closing the discharge chute of the Horizontally disposed rods [3 are arranged cabinet, with each operation of the operating in each unit of the cabinet, and are spaced prelever to dispense a package, thereby preventing determined distances apart. These rods provide the operation of the machine through fraud, by a support for the rollers M on which the rotary l5 inserting an instrument into the discharge magazine H: of the unit, rotates. opening. The magazine of each unit, is hollow, provid- A still further object of the invention is to ing a compartment for an ice chamber indicated provide a vending machine of this character inby the reference character It), the ice chamber cluding means for maintaining the bottled goods being supported between brackets 11. The ice cold, eliminating the necessity of submerging chambers of the units, may be filled through 20 the bottled goods in cold water. the door H3, at one end of the cabinet. While I With the foregoing and other objects in view, have shown and described ice chambers for which will appear as the description proceeds, supplying the cooling medium for the cabinet, the invention resides in the combination and arit is to be understood that a suitable cooling 2:; rangement of parts and in the details of conmedium m y be p vi ed, such as el tric refris- 26 struction hereinafter described and claimed, it eration now in common use. being understood that changes in the precise Secured to the outer surface of each magazine, embodiment of the invention herein described, are partitions l9 defining opemsided C D may be made within the scope of what is claimed, ments 20 in which the bottles or packages being 30 without departing from the spirit of the indispensed, are held. Openings 2| are formed 30 vention, in the magazine, and permit cold from the ice Referring to the drawings: contained in the ice chamber, to contact with the Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet bottles or packages.

constructed in accordance with the invention. The reference character 22 designates a curved Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View through plate that forms a guard for the magazine, the 35 the cabinet, disclosing the position of the rotary plate being curved conforming to the shape of container prior to dispensing a package. the magazine, as clearly shown by Figure 3 of Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the drawings. One end of the plate 22 extends the cabinet, illustrating the position of the downwardly and forwardly, the extremity thererotary container when dispensing a package. of extending through the discharge opening of 40 Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the unit, providing a rest for the bottle or packline 4-4 of Figure 2. age, when it has passed from the unit. Because Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of the construction of the curved plate 22, it will of Figure 3. be seen that bottles or packages contained in the Figure 6 i i w illustrating the coin eonmagazine, will gravitate to a position beyond the 45 trolled operating slide plates of the machine, front wall Of the cabinet, with each operation of Referring to the drawings in detail, the'vendthe ac eing machine embodies a cabinet indicated gen- The upper edge of the curved plate 22, extends erally by the reference character 5, the cabinet upwardly and contacts with the upper wall of being constructed of a plurality of like units, the unit, as clearly shown by Figure 3, the up- 50 operated and controlled independently of each wardly extended end of the plate 22 being indiother. cated by the reference character 23. This up- The cabinet includes an outer wall 6 and an wardly extended portion 23 of the curved plate inner wall 1, spaced apart and insulated by 22, forms a continuation of the chute 24, which means of the insulating material 8. The front is of a length to contain several bottles or 55 packages being dispensed by the machine. The chute 24 is filled through the hinged door 25, which normally closes the upper end of the chute 24. Itmight be further stated, that the compartments 20, are so arranged that with and is formed with an opening to allow the bottles or packages to pass from the chute as the opening moves into registry with the chute, the sliding plate providing a support for the bottles or packages above the bottle or package which has entered a compartment, when th' plate is in its normal position. r V a This plate 26 is slidably mounted on the flanged members 21 that'are secured to the inner surfaces of the side members of the inner wall I, as clearly shown by Figure 3 of the drawings.

Extending from one end of the sliding plate .26, is a channel member 28 through which the pin 29 extends. The channel member 38 extends inwardly from one end of the sliding plate 26, and carries a wide pivoted member 3! at its inner end. The wide pivoted member being designed to engage the partitions IQ of the compartment 28, as the sliding plate is actuated or moved inwardly, rotating the magazinato deliver a bottle or package to be discharged, through the discharge opening of the unit. The channel members 28 and 33 are constructed to provide a transversely disposed coin slot 32 adapted to register with the coin slot 33 of the unit cover plate 34, that also has a slot 35 through which the bottles or packages pass from the chute 24.

. Bolts 55 extend through openings formed in the cover plate 34 and connect with the supporting plate 36, the plate being held in spaced relation with the plate 34, by means of the spacers 37, positioned on the bolts 55.

The reference character 38 designates the operating bar that operates between the spacers 31, and is provided with hook 39 at the inner end thereof, which hook is adapted to engage under V the pin 29. This operating bar 38 is of a length so that the inner end thereof is normally held at a point adjacent to the coin slot 32, to engage a coin deposited in the coin slot 32, as shown at A in Figure 2 of the drawings, with the result that the operating bar 38 may now be pushed inwardly causing the sliding plate to move inwardly and operate the rotary magazine [5 to discharge a bottle or package. It will of course be obvious that when no coin is in the coin slot 32, operation of the bar 38 will result in the bar 38 moving through the channel members 28 and 38, without operating the sliding plate 26. An elongated opening 46 is formed in the supporting plate 36, and is of a width toreceive a coin of a predetermined denomination, holding the coin against movement into the coin chute. One end of the elongated opening is substantially wide, as shown at 4!, to allow the coin to fall through the opening, when the coin reaches the inner end of the opening. Disposed directly under the Wide portion 4| of the opening 48, is a coin chute 42, which is inclined forwardly to cause a coin deposited therein, to gravitate to the coin drawer II, associated therewith.

Pivotally supported under the coin chute 42, is

a chute 43 having upstanding fingers 44 providing a stop against which the coin engages, retarding the passage of the coin into the coin drawer. It will of course be understood that the weight of the coin will tilt the chute 43 downwardly, depositing the coin.

The spring member 44, which is secured to the plate 36, provides a support for the coin which has been positioned in the coin slot.

Pivotally mounted on the shaft 45' at the forward end of each unit, is an operating frame indicated by the reference character 45, the operating frame including the plate 46 having a slot 46', the slot 46' being designed to accommodate the bar 38. The plate 46 extends between the laterally extended pins 41, carried by the bar 38, with the result that movement of the bar 38, produces a relative movement of the frame 45.

Connected with the frame 45, is a horizontal guard plate 48 which is of a length to extend inwardly to a point adjacent to the magazine, to

be engaged by the bottle or package dispensed, retarding movement of the bottle or package.

A downwardly and forwardly curved finger 49, is formed integral with the guard plate 48, and is adapted to engage the rod 50, when the guard plate 48 has been moved forwardly, thereby preventing the operation of the magazine by fraud by forcing an instrument into the discharge opening of the cabinet.

A coiled spring indicated by the reference 5|, connects with the frame 45, and normally operates to return the frame and elements connected therewith, to their inactive positions, or

to positions adjacent to the forward wall of the cabinet.

In order that reverse movement of the rotary magazine, will be prevented, a pivoted arm indicated by the reference character 52 is mounted Within each unit, the arm being of a length to engage the partitions forming the compartments of the magazine. Assuming that a coin has been deposited in the coin slot of one of the units of the machine, and the bar 38 has been moved inwardly against the coin, the operation of the machine is as follows. The pivoted member 3| contacting with one of the partitions of the rotary magazine, will rotate the magazine in a clockwise direction, and such rotary movement will be suificient to bring a bottle or package to a position as shown by Figure 3 of the drawings, where the bottle or package contacts with one end of the guard plate. As the operating bar 38 is withdrawn, the guard plate is moved forwardly, releasing the bottle or package, allowing the bottle or package to gravitate towards the front end of the cabinet and pass through the discharge opening of the cabinet, where it may be removed by the purchaser.

It will of course be obvious that with each bottle or package which is dispensed, another bottle or package is fed to the rotary magazine through the chute 24, as described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a vending machine, a cabinet, a rotary magazine mounted within the cabinet, compartments on the magazine and adapted to contain articles dispensed by the machine, a chute for delivering articles to the compartments, a plate movable in a horizontal plane and operating under the discharge end of the chute, said plate having an opening adapted to register with the discharge end of the chute with. each movement of the magazine'todischarge an article, whereby articles are delivered to the compartments, said plate normally providing a support for the contents of the chute, and means for simultaneously operating the magazine and plate.

2. A vending machine comprising a cabinet, a rotary magazine operating within the cabinet, a plurality of compartments on the periphery of the magazine and having their outer sides open to permit articles to pass into the compartments, a delivery chute above the rotary magazine and adapted to deliver articles to the compartments, a slide plate mounted under the delivery chute and having an opening adapted to register with the delivery chute whereby articles may pass through the opening to the compartments one by one, means for operating the magazine to deliver an article fromthe cabinet, and said operating means including means for operating the sliding plate to bring the opening thereof into registry with the chute.

3. In a vending machine, a cabinet, a rotary magazine operating within the cabinet, compartments on the periphery of the magazine, an operating member supported Within the cabinet and adapted to rotate the magazine a predetermined distance, whereby an article is discharged from the magazine, a sliding guard plate mounted within the cabinet said guard plate being inclined downwardly towards the interior of the cabinet and adapted to move into the path of travel of an article discharged from a compartment, temporarily holding the article against movement from the cabinet, said plate adapted to move to release the article upon reverse movement of the operating member to its normal position, and said cabinet having an opening through which the articles are discharged.

THOMAS J. ELDER.

Images