US2700333A - Used cup packing means - Google Patents

Description

Jan- 25, 1955 s. D. PoLsEN ETAL. 2,700,333

USED CUP PACKING MEANS A TTORNEY S. D. POLSEN ET AL.

USED CUP PACKING MEANS Jan. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 2, 1950 gli INVENToRs. EVEN H NELSII 5A "L PULSEN United States Patent USED CUP PACKING MEANS Samuel D. Polsen and Sven H. Nelson, Fairfield, Conn.

Application November 2, 1950, Serial No. 193,578

3 Claims. (Cl. 100-229) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in vending machines and has particular relation to a means for packing into a relatively small package or bundle a very large number of the paper cups employed with liquid or drink vending machines.

An object of the invention is to provide a used paper cup packing means in association with a liquid vending 0r dispensing machine, the packing means being automatically operated by the vending machine and functioning to compact or compress a large number of used paper cups into a relatively small package, the mechanism and arrangement of the parts being such that a rigid or incompressible article which may be discarded in the machine will not cause any breakage therein or any jamming of the parts.

Another object is to provide in a liquid or drink vending machine a mechanism for the purpose described and which mechanism is of simple and inexpensive construction, reliable in operation and including an arrangement whereby a bundle or package of compressed used cups may be easily removed from the machine as a single package or bundle, i. e., a unit.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing the means of the invention, the view being taken as along the plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but at right angles to Fig. l and taken along the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l showing the packing mechanism in extended position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view showing the coupling mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken along the line 6-.6 of Fig. l.

Referring in detail to the drawings, at 10 is generally indicated a portion of a cabinet which preferably is the cabinet of a milk or other drink vending or dispensing means such, for example, as that disclosed in Patent No. 2,426,707 of September 2, 1947, or in our Patent No. 2,354,349 of July 25, 1944. Such cabinet includes a lateral extension 11. Extension 11 refers to that portion of the cabinet laterally of a wall 12 and which extension, at the front of the cabinet, is defined by a wall 13 substantially normal to the wall or partition 12. Normally, this extension in its side opposite the wall 12 is adapted to be closed by a door (not shown) one edge of such 1door opening being closed as by a wall portion 14 in In the present instance, a driving shaft 15, which may be and preferably is the shaft 45 of our application Serial Number 598,110, filed June 7, 1945, now Patent 2,556,739, has mounted on its free end portion a small gear 16. This gear is fast with the shaft 15 and is actually located at the outer side of the Wall 12 within the extension or space 11. Shaft 15 is driven by a motor 17 disposed on a suitable base 18 located on the upper side of a top wall 2,700,333 Patented Jan. 25, 1955 ICC 19, the latter being at the upper end of the wall 12 and extending inwardly thereof. Motor 17, through its shaft 20, drives a worm (not shown) within a housing 21 and such worm meshes with and drives a worm gear (not shown) fixed on the shaft 15 within said housing. Thus, housing 21 encloses a reduction gearing.

In its forward wall portion 13 the cabinet extension 11 is provided with a relatively small doorway or opening normally closed by a door 22 hinged toward its upper edge as at 23 and adapted to be pushed inwardly to permit of the insertion of a used paper cup into the cabinet extension 11 through said doorway. In this connection it is noted that the machines disclosed in the above identified application for patent and the patents are vending or dispensing machines of the type designed to dispense milk or other liquid.

According to the plan, the machines dispense this liquid into paper cups which are also supplied by the machine and in the present instance we are seeking to provide for the sanitary and economical disposal of these used paper cups. These cups are somewhat bulky and unless telescoped or stacked one within the other are in their normal condition such as to occupy considerable space and such that a few cups will occupy a relatively large space.

According to the present invention, the used cups will be automatically packed by the machine so that they will occupy a relatively small space and they will be packed in a paper bag or other inexpensive and disposable container whereby a large number of the used cups may, as a single unit or package, be removed from the machine.

A person having used a cup merely pushes the same through the doorway normally closed by the hinged door 22 and as this door is hung from its upper end or edge, it is designed to gravitate to closed position, although it may lbe provided with a spring means for normally maintaining it closed land for returning it to closed condition when moved therefrom and released.

In the lower portion of the cabinet extension 11 is a metal receptacle 24. This receptacle is shown as relatively rectangular in any section and including a bottom wall 25, end walls 26 and 27, side walls 28 and 29, and open at its upper end 30. Within the receptacle 24 is a paper or other disposable container 31, such as a paper bag or the like. This paper bag 31 is preferably of a shape to it within the receptacle 24 with its bot-v tom, edge and side walls lying against the corresponding walls of the container 24. However, the bag is also preferably of a height greater than that of the receptacle 24 and thus has its upper end or edge portion folded over the upper edges or ends of the edge and end Walls of the metal receptacle 24 as at 32.

The receptacle 24 may be outside the cabinetextension 11 when the bag 31 is placed in such receptacle and the upper edge portions of the bag folded over the upper edge portions of the receptacle 24. Then the receptacle is placed within the extension 11 and is of a width to fit therein, as best shown in Fig. 2, and is of a height to have its upper end disposed below the small doorway above referred to and which is normally closed by the hinged door 22. Before the receptacle is placed within the cabinet extension, a metal clip 33 including an inner portion 34 and a shorter outer portion 35 is slipped over the folded portion of the bag 31 and the upper edge of the end wall 27 of the receptacle anchoring such bag poltion in its relation folded over the upper edge of said wa Somewhat similarly, a device 36 is slipped over the folded portion of the bag which portion is folded over the wall 26 of the metal receptacle. Device 36 includes `an outer arm or lip 37 disposed at the outer side of the receptacle and inwardly of the receptacle an inclined wall portion 38 is held in such relation by a foot portion 39 bearing against that portion of the bag 31 which lines the inner side of the wall 26 of the metal receptacle. From what has been said, it will be understood that the receptacle 24 with the paper inner bag or lining 31 is located in the extension 11 in position to have used cups inserted through the doorway closed by the door 22, drop into the receptacle.

Means are provided for packing these used cups and particularly for packing them in the paper or other bag 31 so that on removal of said bag from a metal receptacle, after clip 33 andv element36 are removed, the bag may be withdrawn from the receptacle together with the used cups and the upper end portions of the bag folded over the packed cups so they are all contained in a unit to be taken to an incinerator or to be otherwise disposed of. Such a bag may contain a great many cups when they are packed according to the present invention and as will hereinafter appear.

The packing means is operated by the motor 17. As explained above, when this motor is in operation it is driving the small gear 16 which is fixed to the shaft 15 geared to the shaft 20 of the motor. A short or stub shaft Litimounts a somewhat larger gear 41 constantly meshing with the gear 16 and having fixed to it a crank arm 42. At its outer end this crank arm mounts a pivot pin 43 on which is turnable a lug 44. Passing through and turnable in this lug is a pin 45, the axis of which is nor-mal to the axis of the pivot pin 43. A bifurcated member 46 has its arms receiving end portions of the pin 45 whereby such member is pivoted to the lug 44 for swinging movement about an axis represented by the longitudinal center line of the pin.

Rigidly fixed to the bifurcated member or head 46 as by a pin, screw or the like 47, is a lever-like member 4S comprising the upper member of an adjustable pitman. generally designated 49. Element 4S comprises a piece of flat stock and along one longitudinal edge is provided with a series of notches t), four such notches being shown. The lower end portion of the member 48 is received in a flat tubular vmernber 51' comprising the other part of the mentioned adjustable pitman 49. Carried by the upper portion of the member 5i is a latch device or connecting means generally designated 52 and more particularly disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5.

This device includes a rectangular housing portion 53 located about the upper end portion of the at tubular member Si and secured thereto as by means of a screw 54, although it will be understood that these parts may be secured together by other means or in some other manner. A small handle-like or finger portion or element 55 carries a stud S6 passing into and through the body 53 and pivotally mounting such element 55 on the body. At its end opposite element 55, stud 56 is anchored by means of a screw 57 passing through a metal washer 58 and a leather or other compressible washer 59 and threaded into the stud. This compressible washer 59 is to prevent loosening of the screw due to vibration in the machine.

Eccentric with respect to the stud 56 is a locking pin 6)iturnable with the said stud and when the finger elementSS is in the position shown in the drawings located in one of the notches 50 of the pitman member 48 whereby the pitman members 48 and 51 are locked together. On swinging of the finger piece 55 in a clockwise direction with the stud 56 as an axis, the locking stud or pin 60 is carried out of a notch 50 and then the members may be moved relatively downwardly or upwardly so thatthe members 43 and 51 telescope less or telescope more whereby to change the length of the pitman 49. Thus, it will be clear that'after the locking device 52 is released from the lowerrnost notch 5d of the member 48 and that member and member 51 telescoped to a considerable extent, the locking element may be manipu- "i lated to engage its locking pin 6* in the uppermost of the notches 50 thereby making a relatively short pitman. Contrariwise, thereafter on release of the locking element from the uppermost of said notches 50 and the shifting downwardly of the pitman element 51 so that the locking f means is engaged with the lowermost of the notches 59, the pitman will be in its maximum length.

Rigidly xed to the lower end of the pitman and specically to the lower end of the pitman member 51 is a crusher foot, generally designated 6i. This crusher foot 61 includes a bottom substantially horizontal portion 62 fixed to the pitman member 51 as by rivets or the like 63 and then the crusher foot, toward its forward end, includes an upwardly inclined portion 64. Generally, the length of the crusher foot measured along its portion 62 is lessthan the distance betr-.veen the end -wails 26 and 27 of the receptacle 22. However, the width of the mentioned portion of the crusher foot is substantially equal to the distance between the side Vwalls 28 and 29 ofthe container.

Toward its lower end, the pitman member 51 passes between a pair of rollers 65 and 66 rotatably mounted by studs 67 on a head-like portion 68 of a bracket 69. In addition to head portion 68, bracket 69 includes an arm portion 74B and a plate portion 71. Head 68 and plate portion 7l are located at the respective opposite ends of the arm 70 of the bracket 69. A channel-like guide means 72 is fixed to the wall 12 by screws or the like '73 and plate '71 of the mentioned bracket is received in this guide member with its edge portion located in channels in such member. This is all as best illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

lt will be seen from an inspection of the drawings that the screws 73 are at the upper and lower ends of the guide means 72 and that their heads proiect into the channel in which plate 71 is slidable. However, the bracket 69 is otherwise unsupported and so it may be raised and lowered in the guide member within the limitation provided by the heads of the screws 73. When the mechanism is in use, this bracket occupies its lowermost position relative to the guide member, as illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

Normally, the pitman is extended as in the drawings. A person, to dispose of a used paper cup, merely pushes the same through the doorway which is normally closed by the door 22. The cup falls and attempts to enter the receptacle 24. However, when the machine is in use, the uppermost position of the crank 42 does not result in the crusher foot 61 being withdrawn entirely from or through the open upper end 39 of the receptacle 24. In operation of the mechanism, the uppermost position of the crusher foot is that shown in Fig. l. Thus, it will be seen that a cup 74 having been inserted through the mentioned doorway falls to a position between the inclined portion or wall 38 of the device 36 and the upwardly inclined portion 64 of the crusher foot. The latter being in its uppermost position, its next motion must be to descend and as it descends with the pitman,

the crusher foot does notV move downwardly with its bottom 62 in a horizontal position.

The crank pin 43 is offset with relation to the guide 72 and thus the pitman, in addition to being moved up and down between the rollers 65 and 66, is rocked laterally as the pin 43 moves across from one side to the other of a center line running through the shaft 40 and the guide 72. Thus, the crusher foot is moved up and down and is given a sort of rocking movement, one extreme of which is shown in Fig. 3. As the crusher foot moves down from the position of Fig. l, the cup 74 will, of course, move down and at approximately the end of the downward movement of the crusher foot the cup is substantially crushed or folded as in Fig. 3. Beyond this movement, as the crank pin 43 comes into the center line mentioned, the crusher foot is further rocked to dispose its bottom 62 in substantially horizontal position L'somewhat further folding or crushing the cup and then as the crusher foot moves upwardly, it is rocked in the opposite direction, or to an opposite angle to that of Fig. 3, as it is drawn upwardly and the cup falls to a position within the bag 31 and below the crusher foot.

Each time the machine .is operated (as disclosed in our above identified application Serial Number 598,110) the crank arm 42 is operated and the crusher foot is reciprocated upwardly and downwardly crushing a cup so that it may fall to a position under the crusher foot and then, on subsequent downward movement, the crusher foot presses this cup into those already in the bag 31. As the downward movement of the crusher foot is limited, it will be seen that when a new bag is placed in the receptacle 24, a considerable number of used cups may be received in the bag before the crusher foot performs any packing function, it at this time servino only to fold the cups, as the cup 74 is folded in Fig. J. Then, as the number of cups builds up in the bag, the crusher foot at the lower limit of its movement begins to engage and pack these cups making room for other cups. After the bag is partially lled, as suggested by the cups 75 in Figs. l, 2 and 3, newv cups are packed and the packing or pressing downwardly on the new cups serves to pack and compress the entire package.V

The dispensing Vmachine above mentioned will ybe equipped with .a limited number of cups far below the capacity of the'bag 31. and it is the plan that each time new cupsare placed inthe machine and a new supplyof liquidis placed in' themachine, lbag v31 and its contents will be removed from the machine. Thus, a condition wherein the present mechanism can no longer pack the cups will never be reached. When a bag 31 is to be removed from the receptacle, the operator swings the nger piece 55 of the latch mechanism 52 in a clockwise direction, releasing the pin from one of the notches 50 and then he slides the pitman member 51 upwardly into further telescopic relation with the pitman member 48 and swings the finger member back to dispose pin 60 in the upper or in the uppermost of the notches 50. This locks the pitman members 48 and 50 in fully telescopic relation drawing the crusher foot upwardly out of the receptacle 24 and the bag 31.

Now the receptacle and bag may both be lifted out of the cabinet extension portion 11, whereupon clip 33 and device 36 are removed and the bag lifted out of the receptacle. Thereafter, the upper portions of the bag are folded to closed position and all used cups are removed in a package or as a single unit. Additionally, these used cups are packed or compressed into a sort of bale so that a great many cups are easily handled and occupy a very small space on a disposal truck or the like.

After the bag of used cups is removed, the attendant places a new bag in the receptacle with the upper edge portions 32 of such bag folded over the upper edge port.

tions of the receptacle and reapplies clip 33 and device 36 and places the receptacle and bag in the cabinet extension 11. Thereafter, he releases the latch device 52, lowering the crusher foot 61 and extending or adjusting downwardly the pitman members 48 and 51 and reverses the lock means to engage its pin 60 in the lowermost of the notches 50 whereupon the pitman is the full length and the pack* ing means of the invention is ready to operate whenever the machine is again set in motion.

Having thus set forth the nature of our invention, what we claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a cabinet having a doorway for the insertion into the cabinet of used paper cups and having a vertically disposed receptacle receiving space below said doorway having a laterally open side, a receptacle laterally movable into and out of said space through said open side and having vertical side walls and an open upper end normally disposed below said doorway in position to have paper cups inserted through said doorway drop therein, a driven shaft above said receptacle receiving space, a crank arm rotated by said shaft, a pitman pivotally connected at its upper end with said crank arm for up and down movement, a crusher foot on the lower end of said pitman disposed within said receptacle below its upper end in both the up and down positions of said pitman, said pitman comprising relatively longitudinally adjustable members whereby the pitman is adjustable from an extended operating condition in which said crusher foot is below the upper end of said receptacle to a non-operating shortened condition in which said crusher foot is located above said receptacle to permit lateral movement thereof into and out of said receptacle receiving space.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a cabinet having a doorway for the insertion into the cabinet of used paper cups, a receptacle in said cabinet having Vertical side walls and an open upper end normally disposed below said doorway and having one side wall positioned adjacent said doorway to have paper cups inserted through said doorway drop into said receptacle, a driven shaft above said receptacle, a crank arm rotated by said shaft, a pitman pivotally connected at its upper end with said crank arm, a crusher foot rigidly connected on the lower end of said pitman and movable by the latter up and down in the upper portion of said container as said l crum for said pitman at a point below said shaft whereby not only is said crusher foot raised and lowered by the pitman as the crank arm is rotated but said crusher foot is rocked to have its inclined front piece incline away from the mentioned inside means and then incline towards parallel relation with said means as the pivotal connection between the crank arm and upper end of the pitman moves to one side and then the other of a line pass-v ing through said shaft and the center of said fulcrum.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a cabinet having a doorway for the insertion into the cabinet of used paper cups, the space in the cabinet below the doorway being adapted to contain a receptacle, one wall of the cabinet below the doorway being provided with an opening to permit the insertion and removal of the receptacle; a receptacle laterally movable into and out of said space through said opening and having vertical side walls and an open upper end normally disposed below said doorway in position to have paper cups inserted through said doorway drop therein, a driven shaft above said receptacle receiving space, a crank arm rotated by said shaft, a pitman pivotally connected at its upper end with said crank arm for up and down movement, a crusher foot rigidly connected on the lower end of said pitman disposed within said receptacle below its upper end in both the up and down position of said pitman, said pitman being rigid between its pivot connection with said crank arm and said crusher foot, a fulcrurn device including a pair of spaced guide rollers between which said pitman passes and by which the latter is guided whereby not only is said crusher foot raised and lowered by the pitman as the crank arm is rotated but said crusher foot is rocked within said receptacle, said pitman comprising relatively longitudinally adjustable members whereby the pitman is adjustable from an extended operating condition in which said crusher foot is moved below the upper end of said receptacle to a non-operating shortened condition in which said crusher foot is located above said receptacle to permit lateral movement thereof into and out of said receptacle receiving space, a mounting means immediately above the upper edge of said receptacle, said fulcrum device mounted by said mounting means and having an operating position at the lower end thereof, and said fulcrum device being vertically slidable on said mounting means to a raised position to permit of said adjustment of the pitman to a non-operating shortened condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 863,374 Gamel et al Aug. 13, 1907 1,578,037 Jourdan Mar. 23, 1926 2,354,349 Polsen et al. Iuly 25, 1944 2,493,193 Hait Ian. 3, 1950 2,497,319 Mott Feb. 14, 1950 2,591,510 Clark Apr. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 573,198 France June 19, 1924

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