Patent GB-723522-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to coin controlled mechanisms
IPC: G07F5/08
Filed: 1950-10-03
Abstract: 723,522. Coin controlled vending machines. BLACK, H. D. (General Register Corporation). Oct. 3, 1950, No. 24192/50. Class 27. Coin action, weight. Totalling coins inserted. Feelers 38 and 65, Fig. 6, deflected against springs 49 and 64 by dimes and nickels respectively as they pass down corresponding coin shoots, are pivoted at 39 and 56 to a floating lever 41. Each feeler is formed with two sets of teeth 42, 43 and 58, 59 which cooperate with fixed detents 44, 60 and with detents 45, 61 on a bell crank 50 pivoted at 47 and urged by a spring 49 against a stop; the detents and teeth form escapements so that as either feeler is deflected by a coin it is allowed to move lengthwise through one tooth space under the action of a spring 51 secured to a pin 53 on the lever 41. The pivots 39, 56 are so placed that the movement of the pin 53 caused by the insertion of a dime is twice that caused by insertion of a nickel: the pin 53 thus moves in steps through a distance proportional to the total value of coins inserted. Selection from articles for sale at different prices. Price setting mechanism. The pin 53 is secured to a U-section slide 78 (Fig. 16) through a member 54 formed with a bent-over portion 86 held against a pin 88 on the slide by a spring 89 so that the connection can yield should the slide be held against its return movement. Movement of the slide with the pin 53 in response to coin insertion aligns a slot 81 in the legs of the slide with the corresponding bar of a set 91, 92, 93, 94 and 95 corresponding with successive increments in price by five cents, so that only that bar which corresponds with the total value of coins inserted may be moved through the slot. The price bars 91 to 95 are slidably carried on an anti-friction member 137 (Fig. 11) in a channel 136 and are formed, adjacent each of several columns of articles to be sold, with a set of staggered slots 142 (Figs. 12 and 19) adapted to receive correspondingly positioned lugs 145 (Fig. 14) on cams 143, one such cam being placed by the vendor, adjacent each column, in the price bar proper to the price of the articles in the column. The inclined surface 144 of each cam 143 is positioned for engagement by a corresponding surface 151 on a sliding bar 140 which is formed with a slot receiving an arm 135 of a bell crank 133 (Fig. 11) turned about its pivot 153 when a corresponding selector button 130 is depressed. The engaging surfaces 144 and 151 thus prevent depression of the corresponding button 130 unless the slot 81 in the slide 79 has been aligned, by inserting coins to the proper value, with that price bar 91 to 95 which carries the cam 143. Depression of two selector buttons simultaneously is prevented by engagement of wedge portions 146 of the bars 140 with the usual splitter bars 148. Each selector button 130 when depressed pushes a sliding pusher 124 (Fig. 11) into a position in which a pair of lugs 124b on it are disposed for engagement by a corresponding pair of forks 155 oscillated, from a shaft 154 common to all the forks, between the positions shown in full and in broken lines in Fig. 11 so as to reciprocate the pusher 124 to cause it to deliver an article 122 from a column 121. Empty machines, locking. Depression of the selector button 130 (Fig. 11) corresponding to a column which is empty is prevented by a pair of members 127 which turn under their own weight, when not depressed by an article, to obstruct the movement of the pusher 124. Delivering articles from columns; motor driven pushers. The shaft 154 is oscillated to swing the forks 155 and thus reciprocate the delivery pushers 124 by a crank 161 (Fig. 21) which has a pin and slot connection with a connecting rod 189 operated from a disc 171 rotated through a. single revolution at each operation of the machine. When one of the price-bars 91 to 95 is moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 19 by depression of a selector button a block 247 resting in normally aligned slots 248 in the bars is carried with it and through linkwork (not shown) turns a bell crank 228 (Fig. 21) about its pivot 229 against a spring to slide a slotted bar 187 guided by fixed pins 208 and 209 to the right. In consequence a spring-biased pawl 204 on the bar turns a lever 220, biased to have a toggle action between positions defined by fixed stops 223 and 224, about its shaft 200 so that a mercury switch 219 on the lever completes the circuit of an electric motor which, through step down gearing, drives a ratchet wheel 169. Simultaneously a second spring-biased pawl 185 on the bar 187 trips a latch 181 pivoted at 180 from engagement with a pawl 178 which is then turned about its pivot 174 on the disc 171 to make a driving connection with the ratchet wheel 169. After one revolution of the disc 171 the toggle lever 220 is returned by a cam 239 on the disc to the position in which the mercury switch 219 opens the motor circuit, the pawl 178 re-engages the latch 181 so that it is withdrawn from engagement with the ratchet wheel 169, and a pimple 193 on a spring-biased lever arm 194 engages a corresponding notch in the disc to index it. The bar 187 is returned to the left by the toggle lever 220 and, through linkwork (not shown), moves the block 247 (Fig. 19) to rotate the place-bars 91-95 to their initial positions. Coin discharging mechanism. Returning coins: Restoring coin mechanism. After passing down their corresponding shoots and operating the feelers 38 and 65, dimes and nickels are deflected, by a pivoted deflector 34 (Fig. 6) and by a fixed deflector 71 (Fig. 4) respectively, into a shoot 36 whence they pass to a container 96. The bottom 97 of the container is carried by a shaft 100 carried at one end in a bearing plate 102a (Fig. 5) while the other end is held by a spring 107 in the apex of a V-shaped notch 108 in a fixed plate 109. When a refund button (not shown) is depressed the shaft 100 is turned anti-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 4 so that the bottom 97 of the container hinges downwardly about one edge 97a to direct the coins in the container to a refund shoot. During the oscillation of the shaft 154 (Fig. 11) to deliver an article a member 117a carried by the shaft turns a member 112 (Fig. 5) about a pivot 111 against a spring 120 so that a cam surface 116 on the member engages an arm 101 on the shaft 100 to turn the shaft clockwise as viewed in Fig. 4 so that the bottom 97 of the container 96 hinges, about its edge 97b to discharge the coins to a money box. As the member 112 turns, an arm 113 integral with it engages the bent-over end 86 (Fig. 16) of the member 54 which has been positioned in accordance with the total value of the coins inserted and restores it, together with the lever 41 (Fig. 6) and the feelers 38 and 65, to the unoperated position.