Patent GB-1514846-A (GB)
Title: Article vending machine
IPC: G07F11/52
Filed: 1976-04-05
Abstract: 1514846 Vending machines M KRAKAUER 5 April 1976 [30 May 1975] 13769/76 Heading B8U A coin-operated vending machine comprises an upper and lower row of article holders 40, each of which holders 40 includes an outer and inner circular stationary shroud 46, 47 and a rotatable plate 42 having partitions 43 secured thereto so that compartments 45 for articles are thereby provided, and in the embodiment described there are eight upper and eight lower such holders 40, each vertical pair of which is mounted on an associated slidable panel 37 to which is connected a display compartment 50, one for each holder 40, which are visible through upper and lower windows 21, 22. Associated with each row of holders 40 is a U-shaped yoke 75 whose cross bar 78 extends through arcuate openings 36 in stationary side panels 34, 35 of the machine and whose arms are pivotally mounted at 79 on those panels, and a plurality of solenoid drive mechanisms 80, are for each holder 40, is mounted on the cross bars 78, each mechanism 80 having a finger 83 which is engageable with protrusions 68 on the rotatable plate 42 of its associated holder 40. Each compartment 50 has an upper 56 and a lower 57 open end, as well as a pivotally-mounted arm 62 bearing upper and lower flanges 66, 65 which is biassed by a spring 64 such that the lower flange 65 closes the lower end 57 while the upper end 56 is open and in communication with an opening 48 in the associated shroud 46, each of the compartments 50 normally holding an article which is visible through the associated window. When a customer requires an article which is on display in one of the compartments 50, he presses a button corresponding to that compartment and inserts the appropriate coins whereupon the finger 83 of the mechanism 80 associated with that compartment is rotated clockwise in Fig. 3 into the path of the protrusions 68 of the associated plate 42, and an electric motor (71, Fig. 7, not shown) is also actuated to drive a vertically displaceable linkage bar 73 so that the yoke 75 and the mechanisms 80 start to move upwardly along their respective slots 36 and the mechanism 80 associated with the selected compartment 50 engages, by means of its finger 83, with a protrusion 68 of the plate 42 of the associated holder 40 so that the latter is rotated through an angle sufficient to bring one of its compartments 45 into juxtaposition with the upper end of the compartment 50, but at the same time another protrusion 68 on the same plate 42 engages with a hook portion 67 of the flange 66 of the arm 62 of the selected compartment 50 so that the arm is rotated clockwise, thereby unblocking the lower end of the compartment 50 so that the article contained therein drops therefrom to a location behind a delivery opening 29, while the upper end of the compartment 50 is temporarily blocked by the flange 66, and when the protrusion 68 has passed the hook portion 67 the arm 62 returns to its initial position so that the article within the compartment 45 then drops by gravity into the compartment 50 where it is retained. Further movement of the mechanism 80 along the slots 36 causes the finger 83 to engage a cam 93 on the end of a pivotally-mounted linkage arm 87 whose resultant rotation causes an ejector arm 90 to be pushed through the compartment 45 in order to eject the article therefrom if it has failed to drop out by gravity. The article which dropped to a location behind the delivery opening 29 is removed by outwardly pivoting a door 28.