A key-operated actuator includes a frame, an elongated bolt having a driving connection to the device to be actuated, a tumbler mechanism which enables bolt rotation only when a key having proper configuration is inserted. A frangible portion on the key axially displaces a non-rotatable sleeve which carries an anvil that breaks off the endmost frangible portion of the key. The driving connection between the bolt and the device to be actuated is at all times maintained, and the bolt is restricted to angular movement of a predetermined magnitude, there also being anti-backup means to ensure full bolt movement in both directions. A control disc is secured to the bolt and provides a portion of the anti-backup means, provides a portion of angular movement limiting means, provides an abutment that prevents bolt rotation when the last frangible portion has been broken off, and provides control for a further actuator that operates a further device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention pertains to a key-operated actuator for controlling a device 
or devices. 
2. Prior Art 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,625 discloses a key-actuated actuator. The device of 
this patent has a pin and slot used as a lost motion connection (for an 
unstated purpose) and a disconnectable drive connection between a 
rotatable sleeve and a device to be rotated. This device on clockwise 
rotation, as viewed by the person inserting the key, can be rotated 
continuously, with one tooth or frangible portion being knocked off the 
key per revolution. This device on counterclockwise rotation can be 
rotated continuously, the end tooth merely camming the anvil (16) away. 
With this device when there are no longer any teeth present on the key, 
the key can still be used to rotate the actuator freely in both 
directions, but without driving the device to be rotated. If the pin (10) 
thereof is not left "floating" in alignment with the slot, then when the 
next actuation with a useful key is attempted, this device will jam. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention includes various features and advantages that 
overcome the foregoing problems. With the disclosed device the mechanism 
or actuator cannot be rotated continuously in either direction but must be 
returned to the starting position by movement in the opposite direction 
from the end position. With the present structure, even if there are no 
frangible portions or teeth present on the key, the actuator still cannot 
be rotated in either direction and the drive connection is at no time 
disconnected as is the case for the prior device. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a 
key-operated actuator for a vending or dispensing machine wherein a key 
having a number of frangible portions is used in place of a corresponding 
number of correct coin deposits in a coin mechanism, whereby the need for 
a coin mechanism, a coin tester or rejector, a coin changer, and a coin 
box are all eliminated, such elimination also making theft of coinage from 
the machine impossible and also greatly reducing the cost of such machine. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide a key-operated 
actuator wherein the drive connection to the device is maintained at all 
times and conditions. 
A further object of the present invention is to eliminate any possibility 
that the mechanism or actuator could be continuously rotated in either 
direction. 
Many other features of the present invention will become manifest to those 
versed in the art upon making reference to detailed description and the 
accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment 
incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of 
illustrative example.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS 
FIG. 1 shows a system with which the actuator of the present invention can 
be used to advantage. A tank 10 contains a supply of beverage which is 
pressurized with carbon dioxide gas by a pressure regulator valve 11 to 
force the beverage through a discharge line 12 to fill a chamber 13 of a 
metering device 14 that contains a reversible diaphragm 15. Beverage on 
the opposite side of the diaphragm is thus forced to move or flow to a 
dispensing valve 16. A 4-way valve 17 is a 4-position valve that controls 
the direction of beverage flow into and out of the metering device 14. 
In a preferred embodiment, an actuator shown schematically at 18 in FIG. 1 
controls both the 4-way valve 17 and the dispensing valve 16, the actuator 
18 being shown in detail in FIG. 2. The device 17 has a stem 19 which can 
be rotated to select the position of the 4-way valve 17, and such rotation 
is effected by and controlled by the actuator 18. The device 16 is a 
dispensing valve that has an axially slidable stem, and as such is 
actuatable by a push button. 
The actuator 18 includes a frame 20 within which there is an elongated bolt 
21 supported on the frame for angular movement. The bolt 21 has an 
elongated key slot 22 receptive of a key 23 from one end of the bolt 21, 
while actuating means 24 can be driven by the other end of the bolt 21 to 
actuate the device or valve 17. A tumbler mechanism generally indicated at 
25 is carried on the frame 20 and has a set of tumblers, pins and springs 
that ride in the bores 26 of the frame, the tumblers projecting into the 
key slot 22 for cooperation with an appropriate profile on the key 23. In 
the absence of any key, pins span the interface between the frame 20 and 
the bolt 21 to prevent any angular movement of the bolt, the pins being 
retractable from the key slot 22 by a suitable amount to enable angular 
movement when a key having an appropriate profile is present. 
As best seen in FIG. 3, the frame 20 is a generally U-shaped member which 
supports an end of the bolt 21 for angular movement. The frame further 
includes a block member 27 which interconnects the ends of the U-shape and 
which supports an end of the bolt 21. The block member 27 has the bores 26 
that support the tumbler mechanism 25. The bores 26 are closed by a cover 
member 28 secured to the block member 27. A manual lever 29 is corotatably 
secured to the outer end of the bolt 21 so that turning forces may be 
applied thereto that otherwise might be either inconvenient to apply to 
the key 23 or which might damage the key 23. The key 23 has a number of 
frangible portions 30 which project radially outwardly of the bolt 21 
through the key slot 22. This relationship is well illustrated in FIG. 7. 
The actuating means 24 is driven by an end of the bolt 21 to actuate the 
device or valve 17. To that end, there is a driven pawl 31 pivotally 
carried on a mounting piece 32 which is corotatably secured to the end of 
the bolt 21. The pawl 31 is biased by a spring 33 into engagement with a 
ratchet 34 which has a positive drive with the stem 19 of the device or 
valve 17. A bearing plate 35 is secured to the frame 20 and rotatably 
supports the pawl 34 as best seen in FIG. 2. In addition, the bearing 
plate 35 has appropriate index means 36, 37 which accurately locate the 
valve 17, the valve 17 being secured to the bearing plate 35. The 
actuating means 24 is so arranged that when the bolt is moved angularly 
from its key-receiving position, then the pawl 31 rides up the slope of 
the next tooth on the ratchet 34. As is explained below, this angular 
movement is on the order of 105.degree. so that the pawl 31 will drop 
behind the next tooth of the ratchet 34. On return of the bolt to its 
original key-receiving position, the pawl 31 drivably engages the ratchet 
34 to advance the position of the valve or device 17. The bearing plate 35 
is a detachable part of the frame 20. 
The frame 20 further supports a push button 38 which is spring biased to an 
outer position and which is retained in a bore in the frame 20 by means of 
a snap ring 39 carried on an inner plunger portion 40 thereof which is 
engageable with a slidable stem 41 of the article or valve 16. Also shown 
in FIG. 2 is a fragmentary portion of a housing 64 that comprises part of 
the beverage dispensing machine. 
A tubular sleeve 42 is slidably carried on the bolt 21 and has a flange 43, 
there being a spring 44 of the helical coil compression type acting 
between the frame 20 and the sleeve flange 43. When no key is present, a 
spring 44 urges the sleeve 42 all the way to the right as viewed in FIG. 2 
until it engages a control disc 45. However, on receipt of a key 23, the 
left-most frangible portion 30 engages the sleeve 42 and slides it to the 
left against the force of the spring 44, the extreme or ultimate position 
being illustrated in FIG. 2. An end of the spring 44 surrounds the sleeve 
42 which thus also functions as a pilot for the spring 44. The sleeve 42 
has a radially projecting portion 46 shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 7 which 
engages the frame 20 to preclude sleeve rotation. More specifically, the 
radially projecting portion 46 is bifurcated as best shown in FIG. 7 and 
engages opposite sides of a flange 47 forming a part of the frame 20 as 
best seen in FIG. 3. As best shown in FIG. 6, the sleeve 43 has an anvil 
surface 48 which defines one end of a recess having an axially directed or 
facing bottom 49 which engages the end of the innermost one of the 
frangible key portions 30. The anvil surface 48 is normally angularly 
displaced from the key slot 22. The recess is of such depth that only one 
of the frangible portions 30 of the key can be received at a time. As the 
sleeve 42 is kept from rotaton by the frame flange 47, when the bolt 21 is 
turned, then the endmost frangible portion 30 of the key 23 will engage 
the anvil 48 and be broken off. 
As best shown in FIG. 5, the control disc 45 has an abutment 50. When the 
key 23 has only one frangible portion 30 remaining, it will displace the 
sleeve 42 toward the viewer in FIG. 5 so that the abutment 50 will pass in 
back of the radially projecting portion 46 of the sleeve 42. However, when 
no tooth is left, then the radially projecting portion 46 of the sleeve 42 
is in the angular path of the abutment 50 to prevent any angular movement 
of the bolt, namely any rocking of the bolt. The control disc 45 and the 
frame 20 are provided with means to limit the angular movements of the 
bolt 21 in opposite directions. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, 
the angle limiting means comprises a pin 51 on the frame 20 and an arcuate 
slot or groove 52 on the control disc 45. The dimensions utilized in the 
illustrated embodiment enable the bolt to be moved angularly for a 
distance of 105.degree., thereby ensuring that the next tooth on the 
ratchet 34 will be engaged. Thus the angle limiting means also ensures 
more than 90 but under 180.degree. of movement of the bolt 21 from its 
key-receiving position. As shown in FIG. 5, the control disc 45 also has 
an axially facing keeper surface 53 which extends from the abutment 50 
along its angular path. When the last tooth or frangible portion 30 has 
been broken from the key 23, then the sleeve 42, and in particular the 
radially projecting portion 46 thereof, under the force of the spring 44, 
moves axially against the keeper surface 53 which thus prevents the sleeve 
from getting caught behind the abutment 50. The surface 53 thus holds the 
sleeve away from the principal surface of the control disc 45 until the 
bolt has been returned substantially to its key-receiving position. 
As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 3, an anti-backup device 54 is provided on the 
frame 20 and the control disc 45. This device 54 prevents return of the 
bolt 21 after a frangible portion 30 has been broken from the key 23, and 
such return is prevented to ensure that the bolt 21 will be rotated 
sufficiently to enable the pawl 31 to engage the next tooth on the ratchet 
34, thereby preventing return of the bolt to the key-receiving position 
except when a serving or vend has taken place. Thus full actuation of the 
actuator 18 is assured. The anti-backup device 54 is double acting in that 
it also acts during the return of the bolt 21 to the key-receiving 
position. In this embodiment, the anti-backup device 54 comprises a series 
of teeth 55 on the periphery of the control disc 45, disposed between a 
pair of peripheral recesses 56, 57. Further, a dog 58 is pivotally carried 
on a pin 59 supported on an upwardly extending arm on the cover 28. The 
dog 58 extends normally into the recess 56 in the angular path of the 
teeth 55, and when the bolt 21 has been moved angularly to its fully 
actuated position, the dog 58 extends into the recess 57. As viewed in 
FIG. 5, the teeth 55 cause the dog 58 to rock in a clockwise direction 
from the neutral position illustrated, and on return, the dog rocks in a 
counterclockwise direction from the position illustrated. A spring 60 
biases the dog 58 to a neutral position so that during operation of the 
bolt in either direction, the dog is biased against the teeth 55. The 
neutral position is one that is directed toward the axis of the bolt 21. 
The push button 38 has an internal shoulder against which a biasing spring 
61 acts and a second internal shoulder 62 which is just offset from the 
control disc 45. The control disc 45 has a peripheral notch 63 through 
which the shoulder 62 of the push button 38 can pass, but only when the 
peripheral notch 63 is aligned therewith. Thus the push button 38 can be 
depressed only when the notch 63 is in registration with the push button 
38, a condition that exists only when the bolt 21 is in the key-receiving 
position. 
There are several states of operation, namely when there is no key, when a 
key is properly installed and has frangible portions 30 present, when a 
key is present and has only one frangible portion remaining, and when a 
key is present but has no frangible portion remaining. Operationally, each 
of these four states should be considered functionally for both bolt 
advancement and bolt return. 
When there is no key present, the tumbler mechanism 35 will have its pins 
bridging the interface between the block member 27 of the frame 20 and the 
bolt and thus preclude any bolt movement in either direction. Under this 
condition, the valve 17 will connect one side of the metering device 14 to 
the dispensing valve 16 so that any fluid therein will be pressurized by 
the CO.sub.2 supply. Under this condition, the peripheral notch 63 in the 
control disc 45 is in alignment with the push button 38 so that the button 
38 can be depressed to actuate the dispensing valve 16. If the user 
desires, dispensing can be interrupted and resumed as often as is desired 
until the metering chamber then connected to the dispensing valve 16 is 
empty. 
When a key 23 having two or more frangible portions 30 is inserted into the 
slot 22 in a fully inserted position as shown in FIG. 2, the profile of 
the key positions the tumbler mechanism 25 in a released position so that 
angular movement of the bolt 21 is not prevented. The innermost or endmost 
frangible portion 30 engages the sleeve 42 at the bottom of the axially 
facing recess 49 and the sleeve 42 is thus moved axially on the bolt 21 
for whatever distance is necessary to enable full reception of the key 23. 
The bolt 21 and the key 23 can now be turned in a clockwise direction as 
viewed from the right in FIG. 2. The frame flange 47 holds the sleeve 42 
against rotation, and thus the endmost frangible portion 30 is rotated 
against the anvil 48, and continued rotation breaks it off. Just before 
the endmost frangible portion 30 engages the anvil 48, the dog 58 passes 
over the first tooth 55 of the anti-backup device 54, thus preventing any 
return of the bolt to the key-receiving position until the angular 
movement of the bolt 21 has proceeded to the point where the pawl 31 has 
dropped behind the next tooth on the ratchet 34. During this movement, the 
next frangible portion 30 of the key clears the anvil 48 and engages the 
end of the sleeve outside of the recess 49 for the remainder of the 
advancing and retracting angular movement of the bolt 21. The advancing 
movement is limited by the engagement of the lower illustrated end of the 
slot 52 with the pin 51. The key 23 and the bolt 21 can now be moved 
angularly in the opposite direction, and doing so drives the ratchet 34 in 
a clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 4 to advance the device or valve 17 
by one step, here 90.degree.. The return movement is accompanied by 
corresponding action again of the anti-backup device 54 which prevents a 
reversal of direction of movement until substantially the moment when the 
upper illustrated end of the groove 52 engages the pin 51 as shown in FIG. 
5. The dispensing valve or device 16 can now be manually actuated. 
When the actuator is released using a key only having one frangible portion 
remaining, the operation is similar except that when the last portion 30 
has been broken off, there is no further portion 30 to hold the sleeve 42 
in place. So long as there is a remaining frangible portion 30 on the key 
23, it will function to keep the radially extending portion 46 of the 
sleeve 42 axially spaced from the abutment 50, but when the last frangible 
portion 30 is gone, the spring 44 will urge the sleeve 42 against the 
control disc 45 that carries the abutment 50. Under this condition, the 
keeper surface 53 will be engaged by the radially projecting portion 46 of 
the sleeve 42 to permit the cycle to be completed, and on return of the 
bolt and control disc 45 substantially to the position shown in FIG. 5, 
the spring 44 will shift the sleeve 42 into engagement with the control 
disc 45 adjacent to the abutment 50. 
If an attempt is made to operate the actuator with no teeth 30 present, 
then the abutment 50 would tend to move counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 
5 and immediately engage the radially projecting portion 46 of the sleeve 
42 before the dog 58 of the anti-backup device could engage the first 
tooth 55. 
A wide variety of cross-sectional configurations of keys may be provided 
for different installations, and each of these may be provided with a wide 
variety of key profiles and corresponding tumbler mechanisms, so that if a 
user has paid one business entity for his key 23, it is highly unlikely 
that such user would find some other business entity operating with this 
device that would both receive the key and align the tumbler mechanism. 
The key may be manufactured from general purpose styrene and as shown in 
FIG. 7, the frangible portion 30 has a relatively weak connection with the 
remainder of the key blank. 
The push button 38 may be utilized to operate various types of devices, 
such as a switch connected in a circuit to control some other type of 
dispensing or vending. With such a substitution, the actuating means 24 
could comprise a cam and switch assembly. 
Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in 
the art, it should be understood that all such embodiments as reasonably 
and properly come within the scope of the contribution to the art is 
embodied within the scope of the patent warranted hereon.