Patent GB-884592-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to automatic vending machines
IPC: G07F11/58
Filed: 1959-06-09
Abstract: 884,592. Vending apparatus. RUSSELL, J. H. Sept. 8, 1960 [June 9, 1959], No. 19735/59. Class 27. An article vending machine comprises a conveyer 1 having a plurality of equallyspaced cross members some of which carry, at regular intervals, removable shelves 4 on which the articles to be sold are stored, a driving shaft 36 arranged to advance the conveyer 1 by steps corresponding to the spacing of the bars, an interchangeable locking means 16, 21 to prevent movement of the conveyer by the shaft 36 through a distance greater than the shelf spacing at any one operation, and releasing means to disengage the locking means 16, 21. The spacing of the shelves 4 on the conveyer depends on the article size and they are held normal to the conveyer 1 by struts 5. If, however, the articles would be damaged by inversion, the shelves may be hingemg them so that they hang vertically on one side of the conveyer and only support articles on the other side. The conveyer runs on sprockets 2 carried on shafts 3, one of which is driven by an indexing mechanism 6 through a wheel 7, belt 8 and driving sprocket 9 on the shaft 3. The indexing mechanism 6 comprises an interchangeable wheel 16 carrying twelve pins 18 and formed with notches on its periphery engageable by a pin 21 on an arm 22 and urged into the notches by a spring. An escapement device 17 co-operates with the pins 18 allowing the wheel 16 to move only one step at a time and a cam 20 prevents reverse rotation of the wheel 16 by engagement with the rear of the pins 18. An arm 12 pivoted at 13 rotatably carries an arm 14 and the arm 22 and is engaged by a cam 11 on the shaft 36 to drive the wheel 16. A solenoid. when operated momentarily, lifts the pin 21 from engagement with the wheel 16 through a slot arrangement. In operation, the cam 11 engages the arm 12 and depresses the arm 14 into engagement with a pin 18 and the escapement lever 17 and so rotates the wheel 16 through one step, which in turn moves the conveyer 1 through a distance equal to the spacing of the cross-bars. If the pin 21 does not enter a notch on the periphery of the wheel 16, the arm 12 is returned by a spring 24 and the cam 11 after one revolution reengages with the arm 12 to turn the wheel 16. If the pin 21 engages with a notch, the arm 12 is locked out of engagement with the cam 11 and further rotation of the wheel 16 is prevented until the pin is released by the solenoid. The number of pins 18 between adjacent notches is equal to the number of cross-bars between adjacent shelves and the conveyer is only advanced a distance equal to the shelf separation at each operation. The shaft 36 also drives through gearing a cam 35 which operates a switch 34 to shut off the motor driving the shaft after the cam 11 has made an integral number of revolutions greater than the number required to advance the conveyer through the required distance. To drive the conveyer in the reverse direction when filling the machine, a link 30 is operated which causes cams 38, 39 to rotate about a shaft 32 and so rotate the pawl 20 out of engagement with the pins 18 and the pin 21 away from the wheel 16. The machine may have several conveyers each provided with its own indexing mechanism 6 and driven from a common shaft 36. The switch 34 may be dispensed with, the shaft 36 rotating continuously if desired. Each shelf may be divided by a partition, a swinging baffle being provided at the bottom of the conveyer system to prevent articles from falling from one side of the shelves as the conveyer moves round. When one side is empty the baffle is swung over to free the remaining articles. The conveyer carries a projecting trip lever which operates a microswitch when the trip lever reaches a position indicating that the shelves are empty.