Patent GB-871359-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in coin-operated vending machines
Inventor: SCOTT ALAN THURBORN
IPC: G07F11/58
Filed: 1959-05-06
Abstract: 871,359. Coin-freed vending apparatus. FISHER & LUDLOW Ltd. Feb. 10, 1960 [May 6, 1959], No. 15609/59. Class 27 [Also in Group XXIV] A coin-freed machine for vending articles such as packaged meals has a pair of endless article conveyers 15, each driven intermittently to bring successive articles platforms 19 level with a discharge shoot 11 and an ejector 119 arranged, during the interval between successive advance movements of the conveyer, to move across the platform level with the discharge shoot and then return, the working movement of the ejector being initiated by the insertion of a coin and the completion of its return movement being accompanied by operation of means serving to initiate advance movement of the conveyer. The two side-by-side conveyers are contained in a housing 3 and each have a separate coin mechanism with a coin slot 6 and a tray 9 for rejected coins or change. Each mechanism has a pair of selectors, one testing for size, perforations and magnetic qualities and a second testing for weight. Accepted coins pass to a shoot where they operate a switch that initiates operation of the machine. A casing 13 contains a heating or refrigerating unit and its top serves as a table for hand trays. The platforms 11 are loaded from the rear and spring-loaded stop arms for positioning articles on the rear runs of the conveyers can be swung out of the way, over centre, while loading the front runs. A motor 46, Fig. 9, drives each conveyer chain through chain and toothed gearing and separate one-revolution clutches 52, 63 to advance the chains by one platform at a time and also drives, through separate one-revolution clutches 84, 85, package ejecting and transfer mechanisms. The four clutches are similar and that within the housing 84 will be described. The driven housing 84 is keyed to a shaft 86 common to the other clutch 85 and a ratchet 155, Fig. 10, within the housing is also keyed to the shaft 86. When a plunger 139 is withdrawn from a notch 141 in the disc 87 by the energising of a solenoid 137, it also disengages from a bell-crank 143 and a pawl 144 so that the pawl engages the ratchet and the bell-crank moves under the plunger to prevent it dropping back when the solenoid is de-energised. As soon as the pawl is engaged with the ratchet, the shaft 86 and disc 87 rotate in the direction of the arrow 140. The plunger slides along the spiral circumference of the disc and in due course a stop bar 147 on the disc engages the curved edge 157 of a lever 148 and rocks it so that a switch 161 is closed for a period. Shortly before the disc has completed a revolution, the plunger rotates the bell-crank 143 and pawl 144 to disengage the drive and then drops back into the notch 141. Reverse rotation of the disc before the pawl drops back is prevented by the stop 147 lying behind the lever 148. The disc 87 is connected by a crank arm 101, Fig. 11, to a lever 102 pivoted at 103 and has a pin and slot connection at its ends with carriages 106, 107 movable on rails at the top and bottom of the conveyer. Another lever 113 pivoted at 114 has a pin and slot connection with the lower carriage 107 and with an intermediate carriage 117 movable on rails 118. The carriages have pusher arms 111, 112 and 119, respectively, and operate, before each advance of the conveyer and while it is stationary, to transfer a package forward from the top of the rear ascending run to the top of the front descending run and a package rearward from the bottom of the front run to the bottom of the rear run and at the same time eject a package from the front run on to the shoot 11. Each time the lever 102 is rocked to and fro, a link 196, Fig. 11, and slotted bar 195 move a pair of levers 193, 194 to cause ejector plates to discharge change from a pair of coin stacks. An inserted and accepted coin momentarily closes a switch 179, Fig. 19, and the energised coil 242 closes contacts 241 and 254 and the coil 252 closes contacts 263. The motor 46 is thus started, a counter 264 is operated, a reject solenoid 255 is energised to prevent the insertion of further coins, the solenoid 137 is energised to raise the plunger 139 until the closing of a switch 160 by the plunger energises the coil 253 and opens the contacts 263 to de-energise the solenoid. After the transfer of packages is completed and shortly before the clutch disc 87 finishes its movement, the closing of the switch 161 energises a solenoid 165 so that the clutch 52 is engaged for a one-step advance of the conveyer chain. Shortly before the clutch 52 is brought to rest, it closes a switch 251 to energise the coil 243 so that the contacts 241, 254 open and de-energise the motor 46 and coin reject solenoid 255. Contacts 256 shunt the contacts 254 when a coin reject button 259 is pressed. In a modification, the drive motor runs continuously,and drives a shaft common to all four clutches. In each pair of clutches, the transfer and ejection clutch is released for movement by a solenoid as before but is mechanically interconnected with the conveyer clutch by a lever one end of which is depressed by a bar on a lever corresponding to the lever 148, when the transfer and ejection clutch has completed 300 degrees, the other end then being raised from the notch in the conveyer clutch. The switch for he solenoid of the first clutch is held closed for a sufficiently long period to obviate the need for latching relays by providing the switch with a long arm with which the coin remains in contact while sliding down the coin shoot.