Patent GB-324941-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in coin-controlled vending machine
IPC: G07F17/34
Filed: 1928-10-03
Abstract: 324,941. Dehn, F. B., (Mills Novelty Co.). Oct. 3, 1928. Games of chance.-Relates to coincontrolled vending machines of the kind in which two or more reels set rotating by a crank are stopped by hand-operated levers, prizes being delivered according to the positions of the reels, and an automatic device is provided for stopping the reels in positions in which no prize is delivered when the hand control is not used. The hand-operated stop-device for each reel 59 comprises a lever 112, Fig. 3, pivoted at 108 and formed with a latch arm 107 which is set to engage a stop lever 94 and hold it clear of a star wheel 69 rotating with the reel. The latch is released by depressing a plunger 116, and the stop lever 94 is then thrown by a spring 98 into engagement with the star wheel 69 to stop the reel. The hand control is not effective until a second latch arm 125, which is also set to engage the stop lever 94 and hold it clear of the star wheel, is pleased automatically after the reel has run a certain time. To operate the machine, a coin is inserted at 25, Fig. 2, and a handle is then turned to rock a crank 15 about the axis 16. Movement of the crank sets the reels in rotation, sets the two latches 107, 125, releases the automatic stop device and sets the mechanism for returning it automatically to stopping position. The crank 15 is returned by a spring 27. The reels are provided with ratchet teeth 57 and are set rotating by a pawl 55 pivoted on an arm 54 on a shaft 53 which is rocked by a pawl 49 operated from the crank 15 and is returned by a spring. The manual and automatic stop mechanisms are shown in Fig. 3. Each reel 59 is normally held by the automatic stop lever 65 which is rooked about its pivot 67 by a spring 71 to engage the star wheel 69. When the shaft 53 is rocked to start the reels, a lug on the arm 62a engages an arm 64 of the stop lever 65 to disengage the head 68 from the star wheel. At the same time a bar 74 is moved by an arm 78 on the shaft 53, and links 104 are moved upwards to turn the manually-controlled stop levers 94 in the counterclockwise direction about the pivot 95. The bar 74, shown in plan in Fig. 6, is formed with projections 88, 92, 93 which are thus brought beneath lugs 127 on the arms 77 of the levers 65. Each latch arm 125 is connected with a lever 65 by a link 126 so that the movement of the lever 65 as described brings the latch 125 into position to engage a lug 106 on the stop lever 94. On release of the operating handle, the shaft 53 is returned by its spring, the stop levers 65 are held by the bar 74, and each stop lever 94 is returned by its spring 98 until the lug 106 engages both latch arms 125 and 107. The bar 74 is returned by clockwork 86 and the projections 88, 92, 93 release the levers 65 of different reels in succession. Each lever 65 moves to its stopping position in two stages. When the bar 74 is clear of the lug 127 on the lever, the latter moves far enough to disengage the latch arm 125 from the stop lever 94 whilst the head 68 is still clear of the star wheel 69, and operation of the plunger 116 and latch 107 will now release the stop lever 94 and stop the reel. Continued movement of the bar 94 releases the arm 77 of the stop lever 65 which then returns to the stopping position, as seen in Fig. 3, which shows the mechanism stopped automatically when the manual control has not been used.