Patent GB-775022-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in article dispensing machines
Inventor: CHURCHILL HENRY WINSTON SPENCE
IPC: G07F11/54
Filed: 1954-06-04
Abstract: 775,022. Coin-freed vending apparatus. DYNACOOLERS, Ltd. Sept. 2, 1955 [June 4, 1954; April 26, 1955; April 28, 1955], Nos. 16585/54, 11991/55 and 12272/55. Class 27. An article dispensing machine, particularly for bottled beverages, has a horizontal sectional platform comprising two or more concentric sections 114, 115 positively driven at different predetermined speeds and guide means 129 above the platform to transfer bottles from one section to another along a substantially spiral path either in an inward or outward direction. The machine may be coin freed and the platform sections may be driven by an electric motor 127 or by hand. To ensure that the machine is always full, it may be arranged to be inoperative until a replacement bottle has been placed in it and, to ensure that the machine cannot be operated when only one bottle remains for delivery, a switch 147 is normally held closed by the last two bottles. Article delivery The platform sections 114, 115 and motor 127 are housed in an upper insulated and refrigerated portion of a cabinet 101 at the top of which reserve bottles are accommodated in a tray 106. The platform sections comprise an inner disc 114 and a concentric ring 115 driven at different speeds by belt pulleys or chainssprockets 116 and 117 from the motor 127 and reduction gear-box 126. Above the platform, the scroll guide means 129 compel the bottles 131 to travel outwards in a spiral path to a discharge point where a deflector plate, or a vertically-mounted star wheel driven from the same belt as the pulley 117, guide each bottle into a cradle 133 pivoted at 135 and having an adjustable counterweight 136. Provided the bottle is of correct weight, the cradle tilts and opens a spring-loaded flap 138 over a delivery opening 137. Modifications are described in which three concentric platform sections are driven either by belts or by a radially-arranged shaft having three gear wheels in mesh with circular racks on the underside of the sections and in which the cradle 133 is replaced by a counterweighted lever having a fork which engages under the flange of a neck of a bottle, at which point the bottle is accurately dimensioned. A similar forked lever and a plate apertured to correspond to the bottle outline could be arranged at the inlet to the guide means in order to test a bottle for shape, neck flange size and weight. A number of platforms may be arranged one above the other and the bottles transferred from one down to another by a cradle 133 or by the forked lever ; the direction of rotation of the platforms may be reversed alternately so that an article delivered by progressively inward movement to the centre of an upper platform may pass directly to the centre of a lower platform and then be moved progressively outwards. Two articles may move side by side on any of the platform sections with or without additional guiding fences between them. Two platforms may deliver articles to or receive articles from a common station, the two platforms rotating in opposite directions. Alternate platform sections may rotate, if required in opposite directions, the guide means being arranged accordingly. Coin action A coin release mechanism is provided in the cabinet outside the refrigerated portion. The coin mechanism is electrically operated and brings into operation a refrigeration unit, a fan associated with the refrigerator cooling coil and also the platform driving motor 127. The circuit also includes the empty switch 147 and a normally closed switch 149 which is adapted to be opened by the cradle 133 to break the circuit until again closed by insertion of further coinage. Alternatively, the inserted coinage may bring into operation, or serve as a clutch, between the motor or the hand driving means and the shaft driving the platform sections.