Patent ID: 8469228
Filing Date: 2013-06-25
Classification: F17C,G07F

Abstract:
1. A self-serve kiosk for storing and dispensing tanks comprising a main frame with a bottom wall, top wall and side walls defining an enclosure for storage and dispensing of tanks; a carousel rotatably mounted atop said bottom wall about a vertical axis of rotation, said carousel having a plurality of separate shelves located around said axis on a plurality of levels located along said axis for receiving a single tank on each shelf; a plurality of doors hingedly mounted to said main frame and movable to and from open positions allowing access to said shelves and closed positions limiting access to said shelves, one of said doors is provided for each level leading to a shelf located behind each door; a driver mounted on said main frame and engaged with said carousel for drivingly rotating said carousel about said axis in a single direction and position a shelf behind each door, said driver is a gas driver and includes a gas cylinder mounted to said main frame and having an extendable piston rod with a distal end, a spring loaded finger projecting upwardly from said bottom wall of said main frame and engageable with said carousel to rotate said carousel about said axis of rotation locating a separate shelf behind each door, and, a linkage connecting said distal end of said piston rod with said finger; and, a lock mounted on said main frame and releasably engageable with said carousel limiting movement of said carousel; and wherein, said bottom wall has a curved slot through which said spring loaded finger projects, said cylinder moves said rod in a first direction with said finger moving a distance along said slot while engaged with said carousel to locate said shelves behind said doors in sequential fashion, said finger disengages said carousel when said rod moves in a direction opposite to said first direction to reposition said finger to engage said carousel for the next movement of said carousel.