Patent GB-460573-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in coin-freed vending apparatus
IPC: G07F5/18
Filed: 1935-07-23
Abstract: 460,573. Coin-freed article-delivery apparatus. WEILER, E. G. July 23, 1935, No. 20968. [Class 27] Articles stored in piles ; storage.-In a coin-freed vending-apparatus for a number of different kinds of articles stored in a number of compartments each with a separate ejector, a manual selecting device controlling electric circuits is provided for engaging the ejector of the desired compartment with a common actuating mechanism and for determining the coin or coins which must be inserted for operation of the common actuating mechanism to secure delivery. As shown, the articles are stored in piles between partitions 13 on sloping shelves 11 within a casing having a glazed opening in front for viewing the articles, and removable top and rear portions. The shelves 11 slope downwardly towards the front of the apparatus, and also to one side, so that the piles of articles rest against fixed stops 15, Fig. 5, situated in front of each shelf, and against the partitions 13. Also housed in the casing are a coin-freed unit, Figs. 17 and 18, and a selector unit Fig. 14 ; the arrangement being that, after rotation of a knob on the selector unit until an indicator drum 53 shows the number corresponding to that of the pile from which an article is desired, and insertion of the necessary coin or coins, an article is ejected from that pile and falls into a delivery receptacle. At the lower end of each of the piles of articles is a pivoted ejector 181, all the ejectors of each shelf being operable by a common pivoted bar 23 carrying a series of electromagnets 31 whose armatures 135 are engageable with respective ejectors 181. All the pivoted bars 23 are connected together at one end by arms 32 and a link 179 which is connected by a link 34 to a crank-pin on a worm-wheel 105 driven bv an electric motor 103. The electromagnets 31 are connected to respective contacts 73 arranged in a fixed insulating ring 57, and engaged by a moving contact arm 71 carried by the indicator drum 53 which is connected through bevel gears 47, 63 with the selector knob. Insertion of a coin or coins closes the circuit of a relay 115 controlling the motor which therefore drives the disc 105 and its shaft 106 through one revolution to cause operation of all the bars 23, and that ejector 181 whose electromagnet 31 is energized by the selector mechanism, the ejector raising the lowermost article of the selected pile above the stop 15 whence it falls into the delivery receptacle. The circuit of the motor is maintained until the operation is completed by a cam 111 on shaft 106 operating contacts 193. The opening to the delivery receptacle is closed, except at the moment of delivery, by a shutter operated by a cam element 172 on the wheel 105 connected with the shutter through lever mechanism 173, 175. Empty machines, locking.-Contacts 128 at the lower end of each pile of articles, and closed by the weight of the lowermost article, serve to break the circuit to the corresponding magnet 31 and prevent operation of the machine, so that the inserted coins can be recovered, in the event of the selected compartment being empty. Coin action, weight and multiple coin.-In the construction shown, two coin shoots 98 are provided, and a coin must be inserted in one or both shoots according to the article selected. More than two shoots may be provided where it is desired to vend articles requiring more than two coins. The inserted coins actuate levers 122 passing into the shoots and operating series connected contacts 99, 100 controlling the relay 115. These contacts are connected in parallel with additional double-bladed contact arms 74, 75 mounted on the drum 53 adjacent to the contact arm 71, and engageable with removable contact pins 126 arranged around the fixed ring 57, these pins serving to short-circuit the contacts 99 and 100 when engaged by the arms 75 and 74 respectively. By this means, the owner of the machine can set the removable pins 126, 127 so that coins must be inserted in either or both shoots 98 according to the value of the articles in the different compartments. Coin-discharging mechanism ;returning coins ; exhibiting coins.-The inserted coins are retained in the upper parts of the shoots 98 to maintain the contacts 99, 100 closed, by arms 118 on a shaft 187 which is subsequently turned to release the coins, as the motor 103 operates to effect delivery, by a pin 185 on a disc 109 secured to the shaft 106. Under these circumstances (delivery of an article), an electromagnetic latch 139 releases a rod 142 to cause arms 146 to enter the lower ends of the shoots 98 so as to direct the released coins to lower shoots 189. If, however, the motor fails to operate owing, for example, to insufficient coins being inserted or the selected compartment being empty, the coins are released from the arms 118 by depression of a push-button 204, and pass straight down the shoots 98 to a return coin receptacle 96 accessible to the operator. The connection between the pushbutton 204 and arms 118 is broken during successful operation of the apparatus by an electromagnet 192, to prevent fraudulent recovery of the coins. The lower shoots 189 conduct the coins before an inspection window where they are held by arms 163 on a shaft 161 which is turned at the next operation of the apparatus to release them into the cash till, by engagement of a pin 155 on the disc 109 with a rod 157 connected with the shaft 161.