US2771215A - Container vending machine - Google Patents

Description

20, 1956 J. E. OPGENORTH ET AL CONTAINER VENDING MACHINE 3 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1952 mvzmons John E Opgenorliz J-[azallllianson BY ML ATTORNEYS Nov. 20, 1956 J QPGENORTH ET AL 2,771,215.

CONTAINER VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 24, 1952 3 Sheets-Shee-w 2 INVENTORS John E. Opgenorl/z Hazel Mffianson BY WL 7101441.,

ATTORNEYS N 1956 J. E. OPGENCFDRTH ET AL CONTAINER VENDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 24, 1952 INVENTORS John' E. Opgenoz-Z/z .hazel Mfi'anson BY 5 2 1 ATTORNEYS CONTAINER VENDING MACIME John E. Opgenorth and Hazel M. Hanson, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 24, 1952, Serial No. 322,282

3 Claims. (Cl. 221-251) The present invention is directed to, and it is a major object to provide, a novel coin controlled but manually actuated machine for dispensing cylindrical containers one at a time; the apparatus as shown and described herein being especially designed for dispensing bottles, such as'bottled beverage, but being usefulwithout substantial reconstructionto dispense cans containing beverages or other goods.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a container vending machine which embodies a novel feeding mechanism to deliver the bottles one at a time from a magazine assembly within the machine to a receiving trough open exteriorly thereof.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a container vending machine which includes side by side, longitudinal banks of vertical, bottle receiving magazines; the feeding mechanism being operative to deliver the bottles alternately from said banks. With this arrangement the machine has a relatively large capacity, yet with the magazine assemblies in compact relationship so that the machine is not-unduly large.

A separate object of the invention is to provide a container vending machine in which each magazine assembly embodies novel mechanism to prevent the delivery of the bottles from the bottom of each magazine until-the magazine immediately ahead has been emptied.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a container vending machine which embodies .a novel coin connected actuating mechanism between an exteriorly accessible hand lever, and the rotary structure which dispenses the bottles from the magazine assemblies into the bottle receiving trough.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container vending machine which is relatively simple and easy toload, and a machine for the purpose which functions smoothly without tendency tojamb or mis-function.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a container vending machine which is designed for ready and economical manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable container vending machine, and one which will be exceedingly'efiective for the purpose for'whichit is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig: 1 is a perspective-view of the improved container vending machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the machine, with the near door removed.

Fig. 3 is asimilar view, but with both the door and near side wall removed; the near rotary feeders being shown as initially engaging the adjacent bottle.

Fig. 4 is'a similar view, but only of the feeding mechanism, and shows the'near'rotary feeder after turning 90" in pick-up relation to. said adjacent bottle.

S ates Patent Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section online 5'5 of Fig. 4, showing the position of the-next bottle' on the supporting rails.

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the machine taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section on line 77 of Fig; 2.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional plan taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevation, with the housing partly broken away, of the coin-connected actuating mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section on line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the improved-container vend ing machine comprises an upstanding, box-like cabinet, indicated generally at 1, which cabinet includes-at the front and bottoma forwardly projecting. cabinet extension, indicated generally at 2.

The cabinet 1 includes a front wall 3 which terminates at its lower edge in substantially theplane of the top 4 of the cabinet extension 2; the latter including a front wall 5 which terminates at its lower edge clear of the bottom of the cabinet whereby to permit of the escape, in the manner as will hereinafter appear, of bottles into an upwardly opening bottle receivingtrough 6 whichprojects ahead of said front wall below the lower edge of the latter.

Additionally, the cabinet 1 includes sidewalls 7 which extend the full distance from back to front of themachine, includingthe trough 6; such sidewalls being substantially the height of the cabinet extension 2, except alongside the cabinet 1' where said side walls increase in height by reason of the upper edge inclining gently. upwardly to the rear.

The cabinet 1 is fitted on both sides, with full doors 8 hinged at the rear edge, as at 9, for opening from a normally closed and suitably locked position; the doors 8 above the upper edge of the corresponding portions of the side walls 7 being depressed or recessed, as'at 10; to maintain the bottles in themagazine assemblies hereinafter described. Below the recesses 10 the doors 8 clear the sidewalls 7 topermit of the mounting on' the latter of certain working parts, hereinafter described.

The machine, on opposite sides of. a centralvertical. partition 11, embodies a right hand dispensing section 12, and a left hand dispensing section 13. I

As these dispensing sections 12 and.13 are identicalin construction, except that the dispensing mechanism for one section works in alternation tothe dispensing mechanism ofthe other section, a description ofone such:

section will suffice for both.

Each dispensing section (12andf13) embodieswithin the cabinet extension 2a rotary, bottle dispensing; mechanism, indicated generally at14, and rearwardly-- within. the cabinet 1a cooperating magazine assembly, indicated generally at 15; eachsuch rotary dispensing mechanism being operative to pick up bottles one at a time from the relatedmagazine assembly 15, and todeliver such bottle into the bottle: receiving trough 6; thelatter including a front wall 16.

Each magazine assembly 15 comprises a longitudinal bank of vertical, bottle receiving magazines 17; there.

being four such magazines in each bank. Each magazine 17 is defined at theinner side by a vertical channel 18,

and. at the outer side by spaced vertical posts 19; a.

vertical stack. of. bottles 20' being. initiallyv disposed ineach magazine 17, with-the neckL end of. the bottles'irr the channels18, and-the cylindrical body'of thebottles' between the relatedposts 19i- In order that the magazines 17 may be varied in their effective horizontal depth, to accommodate different length bottles, each channel 18 is formed in the bottom thereof with a removably mounted, vertical filler strip 21.

At the bottom thereof the magazines 17 are inclined upwardly and rearwardly in spaced parallel relation to a bottle chute 22 which extends therebelow from the back of the cabinet 1 at a forward and downward incline to a termination at the bottom of said cabinet within the cabinet extension 2. As is evident, the magazines 17 deliver -the bottles 20 downwardly onto the chute 22, whence such bottles roll forwardly for dispensing by the related rotary feeder, hereinafter described.

The bottle chute 22 comprises an outer rail 23 se cured to the side wall 7, a central rail 24, and an inner rail 25 secured to the partition 11; the inner rail 25 includingat its inner edgean upstanding, longitudinal flange 26. The bottles ride the rails in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

It is desired that the bottles b fed from the magazines 17 from the front rearwardly; i. e., each magazine 17 to be emptied before the next rearward magazine begins to feed bottles. This is accomplished as follows:

A pair of transversely spaced triangular dogs 26 upstand from the chute 22, between the rails thereof, intermediate the magazines 17; each such pair of dogs being carried on a cross shaft 27 journaled in connection with the chute 22 and extending through the side wall 7. The

pairs of triangularly shaped dogs 26 are normally but releasably maintained in an upstanding position, whereby to prevent the bottles 20 from the next rearmost magazine 17 from feeding down the chute, by the following arrangemen-t:

Outside the side wall 7 each cross shaft 27 is fitted with a normally upstanding, radial holding arm 28; each such arm having a lateral pin 29 thereon at its outer end, with such pin initially engaging against a semicircular cam 30. Each cam 30 is fixed on the outer end of another and corresponding cross shaft 31 which extends transversely and horizontally through the magazine assembly between the side wall 7 and the partition 11.

Each cross shaft 31 is fitted, within the'corresponding magazine 17, with a radial finger 32 which initially upstands rearwardly of the stack of bottles in such magazine; there being a torque spring 33 coupled to each cross shaft 31 in a manner tending to rotate it in a direction to swing the related finger 32 downwardly to a stop position closing the bottom of the corresponding magazine 17. It will be recognized that as long as bottles remain in each magazine 17, the corresponding cross shaft 31 cannot rotate, nor can the finger 32 swing downward to a magazine closing position. The semi-circular cams 30 engage the pins 29 and normally maintain the radial holding arms 28 against forward and downward swinging, so that the corresponding pairs of dogs 26 upstand and block th chute '22 against escape of bottles from the rearward magazine 17.

However, when each magazine 17 empties, the corresponding finger 32 swings downwardly to a magazine closing position, and the'related cross shaft 31 and its cam 30 rotate a part-turn; the engaged pin 29 escaping the cam just prior to completion of such part-turn. This results in the corresponding radial holding arm 28 swinging forwardly so that the corresponding pair of dogs 26 swing forwardly and downwardly to a clearance position, whence the bottles from the next magazine may feed down said chute.

Stops 34 and 35 limit the up-throw and down-throw of the radial holding-arms 28. After the bottle chute 22 empties, the dogs 26 return automatically to their normal upstanding positions; this by reason of a counterweight 26a formed in connection with such dog.

In order to hold the fingers 32 in an upright position after manual setting of the radial holding arms 28 in engagement with the cams 30, but before loading of any bottles into the magazines 17, the following is provided:

The magazines 17 are exposed from the outside when the adjacent door 8 is open, and the posts 19 have holes 36 therethrough for the insertion of a stop pin 37 which lies in front of each finger 32 after it has been raised, against the torque of the corresponding spring 33, to an upstanding position. Thus, the stop pins 37 act to hold the fingers 32. upright, while the operator loads the magazines 17 with bottles.

The stop pins 37 are formed with double heads 38 which prevent closure of the door 8 until the stop'pins are removed; this being a safety feature to assure that the machine cannot be left with said stop pins in a locking position, and which would prevent proper functioning of said machine.

When the stop pins 37 are withdrawn from the holes 36 they are replaced in other out-of-the-way holes 39 having relatively deep sockets 40 in which the double heads 38 seat so that the door 8 may close. 2

With the foregoing magazine assembly it is assuredthat the magazines 17 deliver progressively their full load,

onto the bottle chute 22, to the end that bottles are.

continuously available on said chute until the entire magazine assembly is empty.

The bottles, fed in a row as above onto the chute 22,

are dispensed one at a time from said chute by a m tary, bottle dispensing mechanism 14 disposed at the end of the chute, and which is constructed as follows:

A cross shaft 41 is journaled in the cabinet extension I 2 and extends from side to side thereof, thus having a portion adjacent and above the lower end of each bottle chute 22.

A pair of elongated, S-shaped rotary feeders 42 are fixed parallel to each other on the cross shaft 41 in alinement with each chute 22; the disposition of such feeders 42 being such that they lie in the plane of the cylindrical body portion of the bottles 20 on each chute.

Starting with the rotary feeders 42 in a position with one end thereof depending as in Fig. 3, a quarter-turn of the cross shaft 41 results in the lowermost bottle of the row on the chute 22 being raised to a position as in Fig. 4, whence such raised bottle rolls frowardly down a transverse shoulder 43 fixed in the cabinet extension 2 at the lower end of said chute 22. After the bottle rolls down the transverse shoulder 43, and which is rounded on its top face, as shown, the bottle continues forwardly, passes under the lower edge of the front wall 5, and deposits in the trough 6; the shoulder 43 and trough 6 being rubber-padded, as at 44, to absorb the impact of the bottle during its dispensing travel. Similarly, the

rails 23 and 24 are rubber-faced, as at 45, to protect.

the bottles and prevent scufling of the cylindrical body portions thereof.

In order to permit the rotary feeders 42 to work in proper relation to the transverse shoulder 43, the latter is slotted or cut away, as at 46, to permit the rotary feeders 42 to swing through such cut-away part.

Upon the lowermost bottle ofv the row on the chute 22 being swung upwardly from its starting position, as in Fig. 3, to its dispensing position, as in Fig. 4, such bottle.

in the absence of preventative meanswould tend to scuff against the next following bottle, and which would be undesirable because of unsightly abrading, which would result. This is prevented by the following arrangethe foremost bottle. Consequently, when such foremost bottle is swung upwardly by the rotary feeders 42, such adjacent bottles are not in engagement and abrading does.

not result. As soon as such foremost bottle has been lifted by arms 42 until the then upper edges of said arms assume a downward slope in the direction of the trough 6, the bottle immediately rolls off the arms. This takes place at a faster rate than the rotation of the feeders 42, so that the latter hold back the foremost bottles on the chute 22 after the spring arms 47 have been disengaged by the first riow lifted bottle rolling away from said arms. These arms, urged by the spring acting thereon, immediately snap down so that the tips 49 engage between the adjacent foremostbottles on the chute 22, as indicated in Fig. 4. The foremost bottle on the. chute is therefore freed to roll ahead slightly from the. bottle immediately behind, and which is held by the arm-tips 49, as the. feeders rotate to the position necessary to engage said foremost bottle for lifting and dispensing. The arms 47, feeders 42. and.v the bottles are thus returned to the relative positions shown in Fig. 3.

A brake unit 50 cooperates with theshaft 41 at one end in order to prevent said shaft from turning other than in response to the coin-connected actuating mechanism, indicated generally at 51, which is connected to said shaft at the end opposite the brake unit 50. The brake unit 50 is on one side of the cabinet extension 2, being enclosed within a housing 52, while the coin-connected actuating mechanism 51 is on the other side of the cabinet extension 2, being enclosed in the main in another housing 53.

The coin-connected actuating mechanism 51 comprises a lever actuated disc 54 turnable on the cross shaft 41, within the housing 53; such disc being fitted with a hand lever 55 which extends out of the housing 53 through an arcuate slot 56 which limits travel of said hand lever 55 to an extent that it may workthrough the hereinafter described mechanismthe cross shaft 41 only through a quarter-turn.

A coin receiving wheel 57 is fixed on the cross shaft 41 alongside the disc 54; such wheel being formed at points 90 apart with sets of coin receiving pockets; each set including a radial, relatively deep pocket 58, andin axially spaced relation'a radial, relatively shallow pocket 59. For ten-cent operation, for example, two nickels 60 deposited in the uppermost one of the pockets 58 result in the top of the outermost nickel projecting above the periphery of the wheel 57. The same is true when a ten-cent piece is deposited in the uppermost pocket 59; i. e., a top portion of the ten-cent piece projects above the wheel 57. Each such projecting portion of the coins provides a peripheral dog against which a laterally extending pin 61 on disc 54 engages as the hand lever 55 is pulled forwardly a quarter-turn, thus advancing the coin-receiving wheel 57 a quarter-turn, whereby to actuate the cross shaft 41 and the rotary feeders 42 thereon to effect a bottle dispensing operation.

A pull-back spring 62 returns the disc 54 and hand lever 55 to starting position after each bottle dispensing operation. The coin-receiving wheel 57 advances a quarter-turn with each bottle dispensing operation, so that a set of the pockets 58 are always uppermost; the coins from such of these pockets which are lowermost escaping the wheel and falling into a coin catch box 63.

The coins are fed to the coin-receiving wheel 57 by a conventional coin feeder 64 mounted in the housing 53 above said wheels; such feeder including side by side coin chutes 65, one chute delivering to the uppermost pocket 58, while the other chute delivers to the uppermost pocket 59; segregation of the coins being accomplished automatically in the coin feeder 64. Such coin feeder includes a coin entry slot 66 open to the top of the housing 53.

As is conventional, the coin feeder 64 also embodies slug rejecting means operated by a pull link 67 worked by a. lever 68 pivoted at its ends, as at 69. The lever 69 is. actuated to pull the. link 67 and operate the slug rejecting means each time that the hand lever 55 is pulled 12 and 13. This is for the reason that the rotary feeders 42 which correspond to the dispensinglsection 12 are offset relative to the rotary feeders 42 which correspond.

to the dispensing section 13.

The container vending machine not only functions smoothly and effectively for the dispensing ofcontainers; under the control of the coin-connected actuatingrmech anism 51, but the machine has substantial capacity, which,

is desirable to avoid the need of too frequent servicing.

Additionally, the machine assures against operation. unless the proper coin (or coins) is deposited in the. coin-connected actuating mechanism 51; this for the reason that the coins provide the actual physical connec-' tion between certain of the working parts, as described.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed:

1. A dispensing machine, for cylindrical containers, comprising, with a cabinet, an inclined chute for a longitudinal row of transversely disposed containers, a magazine assembly above the chute rearwardly of the lower end of the latter adapted to feed containers into said row, a container receiving trough in front of said lower end of the chute, said trough opening exteriorly of the cabinet, 'a controlled cross shaft above the lower end of the chute, an S-shaped rotary feeder on the shaft adapted, upon turning of the latter in a predetermined direction, to engage, lift, and discharge forwardly over the shaft the lowermost container of the row, and means spacing the lowermost container of the row from the next container thereof; said container spacing means comprising a longitudinal, downwardly urged but upwardly yieldable swing arm extending above and from ahead of the lowermost container to adjacent the rear thereof, and a down-turned tip on the rear of said swing arm normally engaging said adjacent container from the front, spacing the same from said lowermost container; the swing arm being swung upward and then released downward, upon dispensing of said lowermost container, whereby to permit forward travel of the row and movement of said adjacent container to the lowermost position on the chute; the feeder including diametrally opposed arms each arranged to engage and hold back said adjacent container when one arm is lifting said lowermost container until after the swing arm has been released by the container being dispensed.

2. In a dispensing machine, for cylindrical containers, which includes, Within a cabinet, a chute for a row of containers, an upstanding magazine assembly above the chute adapted to feed containers into said row, said magazine assembly embodying a longitudinal bank of separate magazines adapted to be loaded from one side of the cabinet, said side including a door, a pivoted closure finger in each magazine tending to swing from an upstanding position alongside containers therein to a lowered position closing the lower end of the magazine when empty, removable pins operable when the door is open arranged to engage and prevent the fingers from swinging between said upstanding and lowered positions whereby to facilitate loading of containers into the magazines from said one side of the cabinet, and means be tween the pins and the door operative to prevent closure of the door unless said pins are first removed.

3. In a dispenser for bottles, an inclined chute on which a longitudinal row of bottles is disposed in transversely extending and contacting relation, a receiving trough for a single bottle mounted in front of the chute at its lower end, a rotary feeder at the lower end of the chute to engage the lowest bottle on the row and lift such bottle from the chute and discharge the same into the trough upon rotation of the feeder, and releasable means mounted in the dispenser to hold the bottle next to the lowest one from engagement with the latter; said means comprising a swing arm pivoted above and in front of the feeder and extending thence over said lowest bottle in position to be engaged thereby as such bottle is lifted by the feeder, and 21 depending tip on the rear end of the arm normally projecting between said bottles and engaging the forward face of said next to the lowest bottle;

the feeder including diametrally opposed arms each arranged to engage and lift said lowest bottle and to then hold back said next bottle until after the swing arm has been released by the bottle being dispensed References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 471,053 Henry Mar. 15, 1892 782,691 Payne Feb. 14, 1905 957,720 Starr May 10, 1910 1,004,427 Hillyer Sept. 26, 1911 1,200,724 Grover Oct. 10, 1916 1,351,589 Vons Aug. 31, 1920 1,841,926 Zuehl' Jan. 19, 1932 2,358,563 Donaldson Sept. 19, 1944 2,462,394 Heiman Feb. 22, 1949 2,549,081 Hall Apr. 17, 1951 2,549,082 Hall Apr. 17, 1951 2,569,988 Grau Oct. 2, 1951 2,626,849 James Ian. 27; 1953 2,682,440 Rogers June 29, 1954 M. L I a

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