Patent GB-525009-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to amusement, vending or display apparatus
IPC: G07F17/32
Filed: 1939-02-11
Abstract: 525,009. Amusement and delivery apparatus. HAWTIN, F. Feb. 11, 1939, Nos. 4525 and 11385. [Class 132 (ii)] [Also in Group XVIII] Relates to amusement, vending, or display apparatus of the kind involving a boom or the like provided with a grab and mechanism for moving the boom over articles on a table or support in such a manner that when it is over a selected or pre-selected part of the support the grab will close and grasp an article and bring it into a position for display or delivery. According to the invention the grab is provided with a plurality of fingers or claws each movable independently of the others so as to be capable of grasping articles of various shapes and sizes. The grab is preferably in the form of a human hand. In the construction shown a boom or arm 10, provided with a grab or hand 59 having individually movable fingers 60 and thumb 61, can swing in a vertical plane about a pivot 15 carried by a vertical shaft 17 which can be rotated to swing the arm horizontally. One, or a number of arms, may be mounted over a stationary or rotatable table 12, Fig. 9, and can be rotated horizontally by an operator or player until the hand is over an article on the table, the arm can then be lowered and the fingers made to grab the selected article, after which the arm is raised and swung horizontally over an outlet 14 and the article released so that it is delivered through the outlet. The shaft 17 is oscillated, so as to swing the arm 10 horizontally, by a motor 22 driving a cam shaft 27 through gearing 23, 26, a cam 33 on the shaft 27 operating a spring- loaded rocker 34 connected by a link 36 to an arm 37 on the shaft 17. The arm 10 is swung up and down about the pivot 15 by a second motor 41 mounted on a bracket 42 on the shaft 17 and driving a cam shaft 47 provided with a cam 54 operating a rocker 55 connected by link 58 to the arm 10. The fingers and thumb are controlled by another cam 53 on the cam shaft 47, this cam operating a rocker 76 connected by link 75 to a cranked lever 64 connected by wires 63, 72 to the fingers and thumb so as to cause them to close. The fingers and thumb are normally held in the open position by springs 65, 73 the latter acting on a cranked lever 69 connected to the thumb and the thumb wire 72. In order to allow individual movement of each finger and thumb, springs 78 are inserted in the operating wires 63, 72 so that when a finger and thumb first grasp an object their springs yield and the other fingers continue their closing movement until all are gripping the object. The circuits of the motors 22, 41 controlled by (1) a coin-freed mercury switch 79, (2) two switches C, D, Fig. 8, controlled at will by the operator, and (3) two sets of contacts 98... 101 and 105 ... 109 operated by cams 29 ... 32 and 48 ... 52 on the cam shafts 27, 47 respectively. In the normal position of the arm 10 contacts 99, 108, and 109 are closed and the other contacts are open, as shown in Fig. 8. When the operator inserts a coin in the machine it passes through a coin shoot 86, Fig. 6, and by its weight acting on arm 84 of the switch 79 rocks this switch from the open position shown into the closed position, a counter-weight 83 on the switch being then held by a catch 90. If the operator now closes switch C the motor 22 is energized and swings the arm 10 horizontally until, when the hand is over a selected part of the tray 12, the operator opens the switch and the arm stops. The cam shaft 27 has now closed contact 100 and the operator, by closing switch D, can now energize motor 41 to lower the arm 10 to any desired position. As the arm descends the fingers and thumb will close and grab the selected article. When the arm has reached its lowest position the cam shaft 47 will break the circuits through the swiches C and D so that the operator has no further control over the motors and arm. The remainder of the operations are carried out automatically. The motor 41 is still energized, and its cam 54 causes the arm to rise again. At the upper position of the arm the motor 41 is automatically stopped and motor 22 re-started to swing the arm horizontally. When the arm is over the dispensing outlet 14 switch 79 is opened by means of an arm 94, Fig. 3, on the shaft 17 connected by a link 93 to an arm 92 which releases the catch 90 and allows the weight 83 to open switch 79 and stop the motor 22. The motor 41 is now energized through contacts 98, 107 and opens the fingers so that the article is released, after which motor 41 is stopped and motor 22 started to bring the arm 10 back to its starting position where motor 41 is also stopped. A pusher (not shown) may be mounted on the pivot 15 of the arm 10 its outer end extending between the thumb and the first finger of the hand. When the arm is in its raised position with the hand open the outer ends of the pusher bears upon the tray 12 so as to help in moving an article on the tray into position for grasping by the hand. The pusher is preferably movable vertically by a cam 111 on the cam shaft 47 so that when the fingers are opened the pusher descends and helps to eject the article from the hand.