Patent GB-944236-A (GB)
Title: Universal vending apparatus
IPC: G07F11/54
Filed: 1961-05-19
Abstract: 944,236. Coin-freed vending apparatus. VENDO CO. May 19, 1961 [July 12, 1960], No. 18267/61. Heading G4V. Coin-freed apparatus, particularly for vending prepared food products, comprises verticallyspaced doors 156 giving access to compartments 113 of superposed shelf structures 126, power means common to all the shelf structures for rotating them to bring compartments into register with the doors and means for selectively coupling to the power means only the shelf structure for which a corresponding access door has been opened. The cabinet 22 has insulated walls, an insulated front door 30 and a rear door 36 which permits loading of the shelves from the rear; if both hot and cold products are to be vended, an intermediate horizontal insulated wall is provided. Coin-freeing mechanism and illuminated display panels are accommodated-in the right hand side of the door and the shelf access doors 156 are hinged centrally on it at 176. The shelf drums 104, 106 are rotatably supported by a central shaft 120 and by rollers 130 which are carried by walls 100 slidably fitted in channels 98 on each side of the cabinet. A number of holes 118 are provided so that the partitions 112 can be adjusted to vary the number of compartments and the lower plates 104 have a downturned flange 129 with indexing slots 131. The hinges of the access doors are each connected by a rod 206 to secondary shelf indexing means 232 and by a rod to cam means 272 for operating mechanism that precludes the opening of more than one door at a time. The main shelf indexing means 514 is driven by a motor through a crank 448 and linkage 436, 456, 454. Clips 532 are fitted in some of the slots 131 to alter the indexing movements to correspond to the number of compartments. The electrical system includes rotary switches for each shelf, such as 682, 704 and 732, and these can be set to vary the price at which products from a particular shelf are sold. A coin-register switch 608 is stepped forward by a solenoid 622 energized by impulses from coin switches 548, 632,652. The customer inserts a coin or coins to total the value of the desired product, as set on the switches 682, 704 or 732. In Fig. 10, the switches are shown on contacts corresponding to 10 cents and if a 10-cent coin is inserted, it changes over both switches 632 and 652 so that two impulses are sent to the solenoid 622 and the coin-register switch is moved into engagement with contact 852. Switches 298a, 298b, 298c for each shelf are thus placed in series with the switches 608 and 682, 704 732. If a 25-cent coin is inserted, the switch 548 is changed-over and a motor 736 is energized to operate a switch 616 five times and send impulses to the stopper solenoid 622. If door 156b is opened, the link 330 moves the cam means 272 and a leg changes over the switch 298b so that a solenoid 376 is energized and a hook 362 is withdrawn from above a bar 350 rigidly connected to the upper bar of a series of separate splitter bars 344 associated with each door 156. The edge 280 of the cam means 272 engages a pin to raise the associated bar 344 and all the bars above it, thus raising the common bar 350 into the space vacated by the hook 362. Pins 352 on the bar 350 then enter into notches 322 in the cam means 272 of the other doors and prevent them being opened. Opening of the door 156b also moves the rod 206 to cause the secondary indexing means 232 to enter one of the slots 131 in the shelf drum, thus moving it through an arc of 3 degrees to register the compartment accurately with the access door and also locking the drum against movement by the customer. During this indexing movement, a full-stroke pawl and ratchet ensure full opening of the door and a latch 150 and roller 144 which have prevented counter-clockwise movement of the drum are withdrawn from adjacent slots 131 as the roller rides on the flange between the slots. Towards the end of upward movement of the bar 350, a pin 352 causes an arm 388 to change over a switch 408 and solenoids 556 and 748 are energized so that a plate on which the inserted coins have been held in suspense is shifted to deliver the coins to a coin box and a stepper solenoid 742 is energized to return the coin-register switch 608 to normal position. Solenoid 376 is de-energized to free the hook 362 for return to blocking position when bar 350 moves down again and a solenoid 580 is also de-energized so that blocking means are projected into the coin shoots to deflect any inserted coins to a return shoot. Return of the door to closed position allows switch 408 to return to its previous position and the motor 414 is energized to rotate a pinion 422 six times until a pin 428 on a gear 424 operates a switch 432. Through the linkage 436, 456, 454 and a plate 496, the index pawl 514 is reciprocated and, for the first reciprocation, it engages behind the surface 538 of a clip 532 fitted in one of the slots 131 and advances the drum through 6 degrees. For the second reciprocation, the pawl takes up the 3 degrees of lost motion in the next slot 131 and then advances the drum through 3 degrees and the next four reciprocations move the drum by 6- degree increments. The indexing means for all the drums are reciprocated at the same time but the drums for which an access door has not been opened have not been indexed by the initial 3 degrees and the pawls merely ride on clips 532 without hooking behind the surfaces 538. If the customer changes his mind, he can operate an exterior handle to change over a switch 720 to energize a solenoid 722 that moves the coin suspense plate to direct the coins to a return shoot. The reset solenoid 742 is in parallel with the solenoid 722 and operates to reset the coin register switch 608. Switches, such as 664, are provided for each shelf and, when loading a shelf, its switch 664 is changed over so that the corresponding circuit to the blocking hook solenoid 376 is broken and the access door to that shelf cannot be opened although the other doors still can be opened.