Patent GB-1007085-A (GB)
Title: A control system for vending machines
IPC: G07F5/18
Filed: 1964-08-04
Abstract: 1,007,085. Automatic vending; electric digital calculators. TATEISI ELECTRONICS CO. Aug. 4, 1964 [July 17, 19631, No. 30721/64. Headings G4A and G4V. A machine for vending different articles at different prices comprises means for registering the price of a selected article as a number of electrical pulses corresponding to the price, means for subtracting from the registered number the number of electrical pulses corresponding to a coin inserted, and means for actuating change-delivery mechanism to give any appropriate change, the registering, subtracting, and actuating means having no moving components. In the embodiment described, these means are electric digital computing circuits composed of OR gates, AND gates, reversing elements, flip-flops, and delay elements. The articles to be vended are priced at 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 cents, and one dollar; 10-cent, 50-cent, and one-dollar coins can be inserted; change is given in 10-cent coins up to 40 cents, with or without a 50-cent coin. In Fig. 1, an article is selected by pressing one of push-buttons PS-1, PS-2 . . . corresponding to prices of 40 cents, 50 cents ...  say button PS-1. This sets a flip-flop M1-1, the output from which is available at T1, and is fed over the corresponding one of lines L-17 through OR gates such as 02-1 to hold the other flip-flops M2-1 ... reset, and prevent any of the other push-buttons PS-2 . . . from being operational. The output from M 1-1 also sets a flip-flop M1-2, the output from which holds relay R1 on, to light a lamp (e.g. in push-button PS-1) to indicate the article selected. The output from any of terminals T1, T2 ... T7 is passed by OR gates O-10, O-11, Fig. 2, reverse N-10, and OR gate O-12, to AND gate A-10, the other input to which is from a pulse generator PG, so that when any button PS-1 ... is pressed, a pulse from AND gate A-10 sets flipflop M-10, and no output from a reverser N-12 passes to an OR gate O-13, which thus passes only the pulses from PG. Reverse pulses from reverser N-13 set a flip-flop M-11 the output from which passes to reverser N-11, so that the output from AND gate A-10 ceases. The reverse pulses from N-13 are fed to a counter C-10, so that a signal appears on line CT-1, CT-4 ... CT-10 at a count of 1, 4 ... 10. The signals on lines CT-4 ... CT-10 and the signals on terminals T1 . . . T7 are fed to respective AND gates A-12M . . . A-18, so that when the count reaches the price of the article divided by ten, e.g. four for button PS-1, the corresponding AND gate passes a signal through OR gate O-16 to a gate DIH-10, which is opened when the next pulse from generator PG reaches reverser N-14, and passes a signal through OR gate 17 to reset flip-flop M-10, so that the output from reverser N-12 results in no output from reverser N-13, and the pulse count stops. The output from reverser N-12 resets counter C-10. The output from N-12 is passed through gate INH-31, opened by de-energizing line L-15 when the push-button is released (see now Fig. 1), to energize line L-25 and reset flip-flop M1-1 through OR gate O1-1. This opens gate INH-40, whereby the output from flip-flop M1-2 holds flip-flop M1-1 reset, to prevent repeated use of the same push-button PS-1. A further push-button may now be pressed, and will result in a corresponding number of further reverse pulses from N-13. All such pulses are fed over line L-14 to a reversible counter RC, Fig. 3, which has been set to add by a signal in line RL at the end of the previous sale. These pulses are also added and displayed by a decimal counter energizing digital display tubes (not shown) to show the total price of articles selected. The signal on line L-15 also sets flip-flops M-40 and M-41, Fig. 6, so that a solenoid MG-40 opens the coin slots. The insertion of 10-cent, 50-cent, and one-dollar coins is detected by proximity switches SA-1, SA-2, SA-3, Fig. 2, respectively. Insertion of a coin sets the appropriate flip-flop M-30, M-31, or M-32, applying one input to the corresponding AND gate A-11, A-13, or A-18, and applying a signal through OR gate O-30 and delay device D-10 to OR gate O-11, so that reverse pulses from N-13 operate counter C-10 until the count reaches one, five, or ten, as appropriate, whereupon the count is stopped in the same way as when terminals T1 . . . T7 are energized. On completion of the count, the signal from OR gate O-16 sets a flip-flop M-33 to apply one input to an AND element A-31. The other input is energized as soon as a pulse from PG opens gate INH-10 to reset flip-flop M-10. The output of AND gate A-31 resets the set one of flip-flops M-30 . . . M-32, so that AND gate A-30 passes a signal to reset flip-flop M-33, and the machine is ready to receive any further coin. On insertion of a coin, line L-24 is energized by OR gate O-30, to energize the SU terminal of counter RC, Fig. 3, so that the coin count pulses are subtracted on counter RC from the price total. Also, a flipflop M-42, Fig. 6, is set, and resets flip-flop M-40. The coin count pulses are also added and displayed by a decimal counter energizing digital display tube (not shown) to show the total value of coins inserted. As soon as that valve equals or exceeds that of articles selected, charge of 0 to 90 cents is indicated by energizing of one of lines RCL-0 to RCL-9, Fig. 3, setting the corresponding slow response flip-flop M-50 . . . M-59 (signals appearing temporarily as subtraction proceeds being ineffective). An output from flip-flop M-50 energizes line L-60 through OR gate O-50, and any output from flip-flops M-51 . . . M-59 energizes line L-60 through OR gates O-56 and O-50, so that as soon as sufficient coins have been inserted, a flip-flop M-43, Fig. 6, is set, and this resets flip-flop M-41 to close the coin gate. The same signal on line L-50 or CL-50 resets counter RC to zero. The " change required " signal on line CL-50, and lines CL-1 ... CL-9 from second output terminals of flip-flops M-51 ... M-59 are used to control a " change to be given " indication on a digital display tube (not shown). A signal on line L-51 ... L-54 indicates that one ... four 10-cent coins are to be given, and the setting of flip-flop M-60, that a 50-cent coin is to be given. At this point, the customer can complete the sale, by pressing button SS, Fig. 6, or refrain, by pressing button CS. On pressing button SS, one input of AND gate A-40 is energized, the other being energized by setting of flip-flop M-43 when sufficient coins have been inserted. A transient signal is passed by circuit DF-40 to set flip-flop M-44, so that solenoid MG-42 effects the dropping of inserted coins into a coin box, and relay XG effects delivery of the articles corresponding to those relays R1 . . . R7 which have been energized. Also, a pulse generator PG-2 is energized, and pulses on line L-61 pass to a counter CC, Fig. 4. A transient signal from line L-56 (" change to be given ", Fig. 3) is passed by circuit DF-60 to set flip-flop M-61. Each pulse on line L-61 opens gate INH-61 to operate a 10-cent coin delivery solenoid SC-10. When the required count is reached, the corresponding AND gate A-51 . . . A-54, connected to counter CC and to lines L-51 . . . L-54 respectively, applies an output through OR gate O-60 to gate INH-60, opened when the pulse on line L-61 ceases, and thence through OR gate O-61 to reset flip-flop M-61, so that coin delivery ceases. The second output from flip-flop M-61, delayed by capacitor CO-60, resets counter CC. The " complete sale " output from flip-flop M-44, Fig. 6, also energizes line L-64, supplying one input to AND gate A-55, so that if the other input is energized (i.e. a 50-cent coin is to be given), a transient signal from circuit DF-61, Fig. 4, operates a 50-cent solenoid SC-50. Line L-64 also energizes one input of AND gate A-56. When the other input is energized by line L-63 (10-cent coin delivery completed) flip-flops M-51 ... M-59 are reset. The " complete sale " output of flip-flop M-44 also passes through OR gate O-45 to reset flip-flop M-70 and de-energize relay XR, thus energizing a line RL, which resets all flip-flops (except M-70), zeroizes all counters, and sets counter RC to add, a delay device D-40 ensuring that counter CC can first complete delivery of 10-cent coins. The machine is now ready for the next sale, pressing of any push-button PS-1 ... energizing line L-15 so that a transient from circuit DF-42 sets flip-flop M-70 and de-energizes line RL. This function of line L-15 is prevented by gate INH-80 until flip-flop M-43 has been reset by pushing button SS and consequent setting of flip-flop M-44. On pressing button CS, solenoid MG-41 is energized to pass the inserted coin to a return shoot, and flip-flop M-70 is reset through OR gate O-45 to energize line RL and reset the machine for another sale. Fig. 10 shows the reversible counter RC, which comprises a cascade of single input flip-flops BC-1 ... BC-7, AND gates PA-i . -- PA-7, SA-1 ... SA-7, each connected to one of the flip-flop output terminals 1 . . . 12 and to line PL or line SL, OR gates O-81 . . . O-86, and a flip-flop M-81 which energizes line SL only when reset by a signal at AD, and line PL only when set by a signal at SV. When the counter is zeroized, lines 2, 4, 6 ... 14 only are energized. With line SL energized (ADD) an input pulse on line L-14 changes over flip-flop BC-1. A second pulse changes flip-flop BC-1 back, so that the signal at lines 2 and SL energize AND gate SA-1, which passes a signal to change over flip-flop BC-2. Similarly, flip-flops BC-3 . . . BC-7 are changed over by the fourth ... sixtyfourth pulse, and the counter registers up to 127 pulses. When line PL is energized (SUBTRACT) further pulses reduce the count, the gates PA-1 ... PA-6 being energized when appropriate instead of SA-1 ... SA-6. When a count of zero is reached, the next pulse changes over all the flip-flops, indicating minus one, and subtr