Patent GB-767084-A (GB)
Title: Checking means for coin-operated vending machines
IPC: G07F5/18
Filed: 1951-03-01
Abstract: 767,084. Digital electric calculating-apparatus. PUNCH ENGINEERING PTY., Ltd. March 1, 1951 [March 8, 1950], No. 3647/54. Divided out of 767,083. Class 106 (1). [Also in Group XVIII] A price frame for comparing the price of an article with the credit established by inserting coins in a coin freed machine gives the same indication whether the credit is greater than or equal to the price. The machine illustrated sums the values of inserted coins of several denominations and delivers articles selected by manuallyoperated keys, provided the price is less than or equal to the credit. It then subtracts the price from the credit. It may employ the article delivery devices of Specification 767,083. Should selection be unduly delayed the driving motor for the article delivery devices is switched off. The machine may be modified to serve several customers simultaneously, one customer crediting while another is receiving articles. Totalling coin insertion.- Contacts operated respectively by the weights of halfpennies, pennies and threepenny, sixpenny, one shilling and two shilling pieces are designated in Fig. 3 as ¢ DC, 1DC, 3DC, 6DC, 1SC and 2SC. Each controls a corresponding relay ¢D ... 1S which, when operated, locks over its contact ¢d1 ... 2sl and a resistor R1 ... R6, closes a circuit for a pilot relay CP over its contact ¢d2 ... 2s2, and at its contact ¢d3 ... 2s3 prepares a circuit for adding the value of the coin inserted to any credit already registered. The latter circuit comprises normally operated relays SX (Fig. 4), B and C normally released relays A (Fig. 3), F and G, rotary stepping switches SA and PA, respectively registering the number of units of sixpence and one halfpenny in credit, and a rotary stepping switch CS which controls the switches SA and PA according to the indications of the contacts ¢d3 ... 2s3. The operation of pilot relay CP completes a circuit for the magnet of switch CS from earth on the wiper and contacts of band cs4, over unoperated contact ¢D3 ... 2s3 contacts k4, cp1, n2, c4 and b4, interrupter springs cs1 and contacts n3, f3 and g3. The switch CS thus hunts until it finds the contact ¢D3 ... 2s3 which has been operated, when either relay F, or relay G, is operated from the earth on the wiper of bank cs4 and locks over contacts f1 and f2, or g1 and g2, and a resistor R7 or R8. Earth from the wiper of bank cs5 is extended over contacts f7 ... f9 or g7 ... g9 to release the operated relay ¢D ... 2S. The switch. CS then makes a number of steps determined by the value of the coin inserted in unison with either switch PA or SA. Thus if a threepenny piece has been inserted, so that switch CS has hunted to its sixth contact and relay F has operated, contact f4 will short contact cp1, shortly to be released, and contact f3 will close a circuit for relay A which locks over contacts a2, b3 and f10 as well as over contacts a1 interrupter springs cs1 and contacts n3 and f3. Contacts a5 and f5 close a circuit for the magnet of switch PA the interrupter springs pa1 of which release relay B which in turn opens one locking circuit of relay A at contacts b3 so that when the magnet of switch CS is operated over contacts a3 its interrupter springs cs1 can release relay A. The circuits of the magnets of switches PA and CS are thus broken at contacts a5 and a3 so that the wipers of these switches step and the interrupter springs pa1 close the circuit of relay B over switch bank pa3 and interrupter springs cs1 and contacts b4 extend the earth from bank cs4 to re-operate relay A. The switches CS and PA make six steps (corresponding to six halfpenny units) in this way. When the wiper of bank cs4 reaches its twelfth contact it earths contact f1 so that F releases; the crediting action is now complete. A similar action takes place when other denominations are inserted, except that when a sixpenny, shilling, or two shilling piece is inserted switch CS steps once in unison with switch SA for each sixpenny unit inserted, relay C performing a function similar to that of relay B. Carry-over.-When the wipers of halfpennyrecording switch PA reach their thirteenth contacts during crediting, or during debiting (see below) relay V (Fig. 4) instead of relay B is operated from the earth placed on wiper pa3 when the interrupter springs pa1 close. Relay V locks over contact b5 at v1, at v2 closes the circuit of the magnet of switch SA, and at v3 prepares a circuit for relay B over contact c1 when relay C is released by the interrupter springs sa1. When relay B operates contact b6 extends the earth on the wiper and thirteenth contact of bank pa3 to operate magnet PA; interrupter springs pal then open and, when relay V, which is slow to release, is released by contact b5, the magnets PA and SA are released and the wipers of these two switches step together, the wipers of switch PA thus returning to their home contacts; During this action the open contact c4 prevents operation of relay A so that continuation of the normal crediting action is deferred until the action is complete. Registering coins inserted.-The resistors R1 ... R6 in Fig. 3 may each be replaced by a message register such as the G.P.O. 100-type meter. Selection from articles for sale at different prices.-Articles are selected by depressing pushbuttons SK1 ... SK13 (Fig. 1) which control a rotary article selecting switch SS. Any button which is depressed disconnects a corresponding contact in a bank ss2 from a line 40 which it earths through contacts cp3, f11 and g11 which prevent selection while crediting or debiting is incomplete. The unoperated buttons extend the. earth on line 40 to the corresponding contacts of bank ss2 to operate the magnet of switch SS so that this switch hunts for the contact corresponding to the depressed button. At the same time relay N operates and completes a circuit for the magnet of switch CS (Fig. 3) from the earth on wiper cs2 over contacts n2, c4, b4, interrupter springs cs1 and contact n3 so that switch CS, which is used subsequently in debiting the price of the article delivered, homes. Relay N locks over contact n1 and arc and wiper cs3, and contact n7 connects line 40 to the earth on the wiper and home contact of bank cs3 so that relay N'remains operated, at least until the depressed button SK1 ... SK13 is released, to prevent delivery of more than one. article. Article delivery circuits.-When the wipers of switch SS (Fig. 1) reach the contacts corresponding to the operated button SKl ... SK13 relay. K is operated from the earth on line 40 in series with magnet SS which does not operate under these conditions. Contact k3 completes a circuit over wiper and bank ss4, contact 1TC ... or 13TC opened by delivery of an article, and contact m3, for relay TR which locks over contact tr1 and at contact tr4 completes a further lock. for relay N. Contact k4 (Fig. 3) prevents further crediting. Contacts k5 (Fig. 2) and tr2 (Fig. 1) complete a circuit for comparing the price of the article selected with the amount in credit; if the credit is not less than the price, relay M operates from the earth at contact k5 over the circuit provided by the price frame (see below), lead 46 or 47, contact t2 or t3, and contact tr2 and n5, and locks itself over contacts m1, k2 and n4, and relay K over contacts m7 and k1. Closure of contact m6 completes a circuit over contact tr5, and wiper and bank ss3 for the delivery clutch 1CL ... 13CL corresponding to the article selected in the delivery device described in Specification 767,083, and this circuit is broken when the corresponding contact 1TC ... 13TC is opened by the article as it is delivered to release the relay TR. Relay N, by ensuring that relay M remains locked over contact n4 until it is disconnected from the price frame at n5, prevents a repetition of the delivery action of relays M and TR, e.g. should relays F and G be operated by further coin insertions. Checking coin insertion against price. Price setting mechanism.-Separate connections are set up on the price frame shown in Fig. 2 for the number of halfpenny and sixpenny units in the price of each article, and rectifiers W1 to W12 and W21 to W32 provide a circuit where the credit marked on switches SA and PA exceeds the price of the article indicated by the switch SS. With the connections indicated the article corresponding to the seventh contacts of switch SS is priced at 7d. Circuits are thus provided from the seventh contact of bank ss6 through the ¢ shilling lead directly to the contact of bank sa3 corresponding to a credit of sixpence and thence over contact t4, the seventh contact of bank ss5, and the one penny lead, both directly to the contact of bank pa4 corresponding to a credit of one penny, and through one or more rectifiers W1 ... W12 to the contacts of bank pa4 corresponding to credits of more than one penny. Further circuits are provided from the seventh contact of bank ss6 over the ¢ shilling lead directly to the contact of bank sa4 corresponding to a credit of one shilling and through one or more rectifiers W21 ... W32 to the contacts of bank sa4 corresponding to credits of more than one shilling. Thus if the credit marked on switches SA and PA exceeds the price of the article selected earth is extended from contact k5 to lead 46 or 47 to operate the relay M as described above. Subtracting price of article from credit.-The switch CS and the relays F and G used in adding the value of the coins inserted to the credit indicated on the switches SA and PA are also used to subtract the price of delivered articles from the credit. As described above the switch CS homes when an article is selected. Each contact of banks cs7 and cs8 (Fig. 2) respectively is connected to the price lead representing the complement in halfpennies on sixpence and in sixpences on six shillings respectively of the credit represented by the corresponding contacts of switches PA and SA. Thus w