Patent GB-786881-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to cup dispensers
IPC: G07F13/10
Filed: 1954-12-10
Abstract: 786,881. Coin-freed vending apparatus. NATIONAL REJECTORS, Inc. Dec. 10, 1954 [May 21, 1954], No. 35784/54. Class 27 A cup dispenser for a vending machine has two pairs of arcuate stripper cams 88, 90 and 92, 94 which separate cups one at a time from nested stacks in a rotatable turret 124 for delivery on to a pivoted door 56 and each cup is deposited on the door at the end of each partial rotation of the turret so that it is ready for discharge through an opening 14 when the door is swung out of the way at the beginning of the next partial rotation. The turret, which is covered by a transparent sheet 130, is rotated by a motor 30 through gearing 36, 40 and a shaft 38 and the walls 120 forming the cup compartments of the turret extend downwards into the space between fixed cylindrical walls 24, 76 on which the cams are secured. As the turret is stepped round, the first pair of cams 88, 90 engage below the rim of the lowest cup of a stack and either support the stack above a part of the stationary base 10 that slopes downwardly beneath the cams or, as shown in Fig. 6, lift the stack above an arcuate ridge 22 on the base. During the second stepped movement, the second pair of cams 92, 94 engage between the rims of the lowest and next-above cups so that during the third step the released cup comes to rest on the door 56 during the last half of that step. At the beginning of the fourth step, the door 56 is opened and during the remainder of that step and until the end of the next step the remainder of the stack moves down the inclined trailing edge of the cams 92, 94 to rest again on the ridge 22. At the beginning of each step, a semi-circular cam 42 on the shaft 38 frees a pin 58 so that the door 56 can be opened by a spring 60 until it meets a stop 64 and after about one half of the step the cam again closes the door. The first pair of cams are adjustable in one or other of a pair of slots 84, 85 and the second pair can be secured by screws in one or other of a corresponding pair of holes 87, 89; cams of different width to suit the cup diameters may be fitted. The thin leading ends of one or both cams 92, 94 are .supported by passing through a slot such as 82 or 83 in the wall 24 and by having a notch that engages the end' of the slot. If one or more cups are separated off by the cams, but do not fall through the opening, the cup or cups will rids up the slope 18 to rest again on the ridge 22. Coin action: "empty" indicator. - An "empty" switch controlled by an actuator 110 extending into the turret 124 through a slot 100 is held by the cup stacks in a position to supply current to an electromagnet which withdraws a coin rejector finger from the coin shoot so that an inserted coin can reach and momentarily close a coin switch. A relay and holding circuit then supply current to the motor 30 so that the turret and cam 42 are rotated and the cam 42 releases the actuator 48 of a swich 46 by which the relay circuit is broken so that the coin rejector re-enters the shoot and the motor supply is dependent on the cam 42 and switch 48. When the cam re-engages the actuator 48, the switch 46 is shifted to interrupt the current to the motor and reenergize the rejector electromagnet. The actuator 110 changes over the "empty" switch as it moves into the "valleys" between the stacks but, as the relay circuit is broken at this time, the "empty" lamp is not illuminated until an empty compartment comes opposite the actuator. Specification 786,882 is referred to.