VENDING MACHINE

Abstract: A vending machine (1) has a hopper (3) for gifts, a feed mechanism (4) for delivery of a gift, and a dispensing outlet (6), a gift being conveyed from the feed mechanism (4) to the dispensing outlet (6) during a play cycle. The feed mechanism (4) comprises a supply outlet from the hopper (3), and two relatively movable members (10, 13) cooperating to control the supply of a gift through said supply outlet by exposing the supply outlet so as to dispense a gift therethrough.

Description: VENDING MACHINE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a gift vending machine. BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART There have been gift vending machines proposed in the past and one such machine was known as BAKER BOY. In that machine a manually operable crank was manipulated by the user to cause a baker figure to turn to an oven, open the oven door and collect a * gumball from a feed hopper. The figure then turned away from the oven and sent the gumball down a dispensing shute to the user. However, such machines had no feed control and, as such, tended to dispense in a random manner so that a gift may or may not be secured by the user or two or more gifts may be dispensed at once. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a gift vending machine having an improved dispensing mechanism so that the machine will produce a gift every time whilst also providing an amusement factor. According to the present invention there is provided a gift vending machine comprising a hopper for gifts, a gift feed mechanism for delivery of a gift, and a dispensing outlet, a gift being conveyed from the gift feed mechanism to the dispensing outlet during a play cycle characterised in that the gift feed mechanism comprises a supply outlet from the hopper, and two relatively movable members of a gift through said supply outlet by intermittently exposing the supply outlet so as to dispense a gift therethrough. Preferably the gift vending machine includes an animated scene comprising a figure in the form of a baker carrying a scoop in one hand, the figure being movable so as to collect a gift in the scoop and convey it to the dispensing outlet. In the preferred embodiment the gift feed mech¬ anism has upper and lower relatively rotatable members, each having an opening therein the upper of the two relatively rotatable members being rotatable relative to a stationary lower member•so as to intermittently align the openings with one another to define said supply outlet at a dispensing position, and further includes means at the position of alignment of the openings in the said members, prevent more than one gift being dispensed at a time. In order to ensure that.no more than one gift is dispensed at a time a spring may be disposed over one of the openings in a position such that only a single gift can pass under the spring. Preferably the spring stretches during dispensing so that the gift is projected from the aligned openings. If desired there may be two such springs. BRIEF- DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective front elevation of the preferred gift vending machine; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section on 2-2 in figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional plan view of the gift feeding mechanism of the vending machine on 3-3 in figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic perspect¬ ive view of the gift feeding mechanism shown in figure 3; and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic front view of the synchronising 1inkage. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings a gift vending machine 1 comprises a casing 2 having a gravity feed hopper 3 for gifts which has a sloping bottom so as to feed gifts to a gift feeding mechanism 4. The gi fts are suitably retained in gift capsules to facilitate dispensing. The feed hopper 3 is disposed above an animated scene 5 which serves as an amusement device for delivering a gift to a dispensing outlet 6. The animated scene 5 illustrated consists of a baker figure 7 holding a scoop 8 in one hand and opening an oven door 9 with the other. As will be described below the baker figure 7 is adapted to collect a gift from the oven door 9 in a scoop 8 and then to deliver it to a shute 32 leading to the dispensing outlet 6. The gift feeding mechanism 4 comprises a support plate 10 having an opening therein (not shown) about the underside of which is attached a tubular duct 11 leading to the oven door 9. In the centre of the support plate 10 is a circular boss 11 through which protrudes a drive spindle 12 for a rotatable feed disc 13. ■ The feed disc 13 is provided with a single opening 14 which, during rotation and in cooperation with the support plate 10, forms a gift receiving pocket which once during each revolution is aligned with the opening in the ' support plate 10. At the position of alignment o.f the two openings, two fixed springs 15 are provided which serve to prevent more than one gift being dispensed at a time and also to apply a f rce to the gift so that it is forced down the tubular duct 11 into the waiting scoop. A fixed bar 16 prevents a gift capsule passing over the aligned openings without being dispensed. The hopper 3 may receive several hundred gift capsules and, in order to ensure that a gift is dispensed, spring stirrers 17 are secured to the spindle 12 to encourage entry of a gift capsule into the pocket defined by the opening 14. Preferably the outside of the disc 13 and fixtures for the springs 15 and bar 16 are covered by a protective plate (not shown). The rotation of the drive spindle 12 and the operation of the baker figure 7 is controlled by a synchronising linkage 18 shown in figure 5. The linkage 18 is operated by an electric motor 19 which, through gearing 20, drives the drive spindle 12. The linkage consists of five rods 21,22,23,24 and 25; rod 21 is fixed at one end to the drive spindle 12 so as to rotate therewith and provides a knuckle joint 26 at the other end for rod 22. Rod 23 is pivotally mounted on rod 22 at one end and has its other end pivotally connected to the rod 24. Rod 24 mates with a knuckle joint 27 on the rod 25 which in turn is secured to a second spindle 28. The second spindle 28 effects movement of the baker figure 7. The rods 21 to 25 and their respective connections cause the second spindle 28 to undergo a reciprocal movement whilst the spindle 12 undergoes undirectional rotation. In order to move the arm of the baker figure 7 carrying the scoop 8 a Bowden cable 29 is fixed to the casing 1 at 30 and a guide sleeve 33 is secured to the rod 25. As the baker figure 7 is moved by the second spindle 28 the arm is caused to move up or down according to the position of the figure. A spring (not shown) normally holds the arm in its position of rest shown in figure 1. In use the gift vending machine is coin operated by means of a conventional coin-slot mechanism 31. Insertion of an appropriate coin effects actuation of the motor 19 which in turn causes movement of the spindles 12 and 28. Due to the synchronising linkage 18 the spindle 12 causes the gift feeding mechanism 4 O to dispense a gift into the duct 11 just as the oven door 9 is opened and the ' scoop 8 positioned at the bottom of the duct 11. The gift is therefore caught by the scoop and carried by movement of the figure, to the shute 32 to the dispensing outlet 6. At the shute to the dispensing outlet 6 the baker figure 7 is in such a position that the cable 29 pulls the scoop arm down causing the gift to fall from the scoop by gravity. As seen from figures 1 and 2 the dispensing outlet 6 is provided with a flap 34 which operates a micro- switch which terminates the play cycle. If for any reason a gift is not dispensed, the mechanism will continue to operate thereby ensuring a gift each time providing there are gifts in the hopper. A tape recorde or other music source may also be included to play tunes, such as nursery rhymes, during the operation cycle. The tape recorder may play for a time interval determined by insertion of a coin or may actually be tied in to the motion of the parts mechanism. 0.,_?I

Claims: CLAIMS : 1. A gift vending machine comprising a hopper for gifts, a gift feed mechanism for delivery of a gift, and a dispensing outlet, a gift being conveyed from the gift feed mechanism to the dispensing outlet during a play cycle characterised in that the gift feed mechanism comprises a supply outlet from the hopper, and two relatively movable members cooperating to control the supply of a gift through said supply outlet by intermittently exposing the supply outlet so as to dispense a gift therethrough. 2. A gift vending machine according to claim 1 characterised in that the gift feed mechanism has upper and lower relatively rotatable members each having an opening therein the upper of the two relatively rotatable members being rotatable relat¬ ive to a stationary lower member so as to inter¬ mittently align the openings with one another to define said supply outlet at a dispensing position, and further includes means at the position of alignment of the openings in the said members, to prevent more than one gift being dispensed at a time. 3. A gift vending machine according to claim 2 characterised in that the prevention means comprises at least one spring which is loaded as a gift approaches the dispensing position so as to apply a force to the gift when the openings are aligned so that the gift is projected therethrough. 4. A gift vending machine * according to claim 2 or 3 characterised in that the gift feed mechanism further includes means preventing a gift passing over the aligned openings at the dispensing position without the gift being dispensed. ' 5. A gift vending machine according to any..one of the preceding claims 2 to 4 characterised in that the gift feed mechanism further includes means for stirring the gifts within the hopper to encourage entry of a gift into the feed pocket defined by the opening in the upper member. 6. A gift vending machine according to any one of the preceding claims characterised by the provision of an animated amusement scene including a figure, means for moving the figure from a first position, in which the figure is adapted to receive the gift, to a second position in which the figure releases the gift into said dispensing outlet, and synchron- 5 ising means for synchronising the movement of the figure with the dispensing of the gift. 7. A gift vending machine according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the 10 dispensing outlet includes sensor means to sense the dispensing of a gift. 8. A gift vending machine according to claim 8 characterised in that the sensor means comprises a 15 flap valve having a microswitch operative to . terminate a dispensing cycle.

Inventors: BAILEY FREDERICK DAVID, BAILEY, FREDERICK, DAVID
Applicants: GAME WORLD LIMITED
Application year: 1982
Main classification: G07F11
IPC codes: G07F11