Patent GB-893194-A (GB)
Title: Automatic cigarette dispensers
Inventor: ROTT HORST-GUENTHER
IPC: A24F15/10
Filed: 1960-01-22
Abstract: 893,194. Cigarette dispensers. ROTT, H. G., [trading as SCHOELLER & CO. ELEKTROTECHNISCHE FABRIK.]. Jan. 22, 1960, No. 2340/60. Class 18. An automatic cigarette dispenser comprises a cigarette magazine 1, a stationary electric igniting device 5 and mechanism for feeding the cigarette from the magazine to the igniting device and delivering the cigarette, the dispenser being operated by an axially displaceable pusher rod. 3 with a push button 2, When the rod 3 is pushed, a pin 10, Fig. 4, engages an angular lever 11 turning it clockwise about pivot pin 20, the arm 12 displacing a slider 9, Fig. 1, of which a lug portion 25 forms a trough for a cigarette Z1 together with a closure plate 15. As the plate 15 moves with the slider 9, it lifts the bottom plate 50 of the magazine chamber, closing the gap between the plates 50 and 51, whilst pushing the cigarette Z1 into a holding claw 4 which is held open by lug 25 pushing on spring-biased member 4a. At the same time the slider 9 pushes against an angular member 52 which turns about its pivot, forcing plate 51 downwardly. The reciprocating motion of plates 50 and 51 prevents clogging of the cigarette supply. The bottom piece 26 of the claw 4 is guided in a slot 27 of the trough 28 and has a head 26a connected to a lever 24 which is driven by a pin 22 of the push rod 3. The cigarette Z1 drops into claw 4 when the claw has travelled halfway along slide 27 and the cigarette is immediately clamped by the member 4a sliding off the lug 25 and is carried towards the igniter 5. Two latch pawls 29, 30 are pivotally linked to the pusher rod 3 on a pivot pin 58, Fig. 5. The pawl 29 has a recess 29a which catches on to a fixed angular bearing piece 45 and latches the rod 3 in its rear limit position. During inward displacement of the rod 3 the tip 30a of the pawl 30 abuts against a pin 31 of a control rod 32 to switch on the electric igniter 5. The cigarette 21 is lighted as it is pressed against the lighter 5 the lighting being assisted by the air draught in the chimney 47. Springs 6 and 7 control the return motion of the control rod and the pusher rod respectively, uniform motion of the pusher rod being secured by an air brake cylinder 40 and the control rod is supplied with a rack 33 meshing with a pinion 34 for driving an eddy current brake 35. During the return movement of the control rod 32 a releasing plate 39 engages the inclined edge 29b of the pawl 29 lifting it and unlatching the pusher rod which commences its return journey. delivering the cigarette Z1 to project through the front of the dispenser housing. The slider 9 is returned to its starting position by a spring 8, Fig. 6 (not shown). To prevent repeated operations of the pusher rod before the lighted cigarette is removed, a pawl 42 connected with a rod 44, Fig. 11 (not shown), engages a recess 41 of the pusher rod 3 and is disengaged when the lighted cigarette is removed from the dispenser by the claw member 4a pressing against the rod 44. In a modification (not shown) an auxiliary control rod and spring are provided between the pusher rod and the control rod, and the brake cylinder 40 is connected to the auxiliary control rod. When the pusher rod moves forward it elastically entrains the auxiliary control rod, whose speed of travel is regulated by the brake cylinder 40, so that forward movement of the conveying parts becomes substantially independent of the velocity with which the pusher rod is pushed. The pusher rod is provided with a sawtooth rack 105 which engages with a pawl 104, Figs. 13 and 15 (not shown), preventing it from returning to the starting position before the rod has completed its movement towards the igniter 5. This latching device is released by release plate 39 when the pusher rod 3 returns to its original position. The chimney 47 may terminate at the top or at the front side of the dispenser and may incorporate a further heater to improve the draught. A grating with parallel slots may be inserted at the top opening of the magazine chamber to permit insertion of cigarettes only in mutually parallel positions.