Patent GB-746405-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in coin-operated vending machines
IPC: G07F5/18
Filed: 1954-01-22
Abstract: 746,405. Coin-freed vending apparatus. SKILLMAN & CO., PTY., Ltd., T. S. Jan. 22, 1954 [Jan. 23, 1953], No. 2045/54. Class 27 In a coin-operated machine for selling a number of differently-priced articles, the credit established by the insertion of coins of different denominations is registered by relays operated in sequence and, upon the subsequent selection and delivery of an article or several articles in succession,- the value of the article or articles is subtracted from the credit by releasing the relays in opposite sequence; if the credit exactly corresponds to the value of a selected article, the complicated subtracting cycle is automatically eliminated and the credit registering means is directly returned to zero. The invention is described as applied to a machine of the type in which articles stored on horizontal conveyer belts are released by the operation of individual electrically-operated clutches connecting the corresponding belt pulleys with a driving motor; the released articles temporarily open a trip switch to disengage the appropriate clutch and are transported by a suitable take-off arrangement, such as a wheel or belt, to a delivery position. The machine is intended to take pennies, sixpences and florins and the credit established is indicated by lamps showing from 1d.-11d. and from 1/- to 11/-, but shillings may be used if two coin switches operated in succession are used. The various relays are grouped in individual boxes as shown in Fig. 13; the numbers beside the relay reference letters indicate the Figure on which the relays appear in the circuit diagrams included in the Specification but not reproduced here. Relay box D.-The relay box D contains relays 1D to 5D for registering pennies up to fivepence, a relay 6D to carry six pennies into the next denomination and release the penny relays, a relay 5DA which operates together with relay 5D to make an addi- .tional contact available in the indicating lamp circuit, a pilot relay PD which prepares the circuit for the next coin impulse after each impulse has been counted and operates for an odd number of coins but releases for an even number and a zero penny relay OD used only during the subtracting cycle and operating together with a relay ODA to carry sixpence down from the next higher denomination when, for example, 2d. is to be subtracted from 6d. and no penny relays are operated'. Also in the relay box D are a relay SUD which operates during subtracting and changemaking cycles to switch over vertical bars of the pence section of a pricing frame from the credit checking circuits to the subtracting circuits, a relay PSA which operates in parallel with a shillings relay PS to switch over from the 1d.-5d. lamps to the 6d. -11d, lamps when an odd number of sixpences is recorded and a rectifier MRA which prevents sneak circuits that might stop release of the relay PD at the correct time. The box S has relays 1S to 4S registering sixpences up to two shillings, the relay 4S being the carry-over relay to the florin group and, in the box F, relays 1F to 5F register florins up to 10s., there being no carry-over relay as a florin is the highest denomination accepted. The relays OS, OSA, SUS and PS in the box S and PF, SUF in the box F correspond to similar relays in the box D while relay LS controls the florin indicating lamp and operates together with the relay 2S in the box S. In the event of failure of a relay box S or F, it may be replaced by a spare box D as this contains sufficient relays to be used in any position. If any one box fails and no spare is available, restricted working can be obtained in either of two price ranges-up to 1s. 11d. or, in steps of sixpence up to 11s. 6d.-by removing the faulty box, re-arranging the remaining boxes if necessary, and inserting a dummy plug to supply some necessary strappings. In some cases, the subtracting feature is retained but in other cases the credit inserted must be exactly right. Relay box M.-In the M box, relays 1C to 5C form a counting train to count the number of operations during a subtracting cycle and to terminate the cycle at the right time. They are also used as a timedelay device to ensure a long time-delay in the running of a conveyer belt if an article is out of stock and to ensure that the take-off motor runs for some time after an article has been released from the belt. Relays PC and PCA are pilot relays to "steer" the operating pulses to the next unoperated relay in the train. Relay PCH holds up the pence counting operation during carrying down periods and also controls the release of the credit-counting relays in reverse order during subtracting. Relays STA and STB form a time delay circuit and are primarily used together with relay PCH to control the stepping of the relays during subtracting and changemaking cycles, they prevent the pilot relays PO. PS and PF from operating while a deduction is in progress. Relays HDD, HDS, and HDF are used to hold the deduction in the corresponding denomination when no further deduction in that denomination is required and to permit the deduction in other denominations to proceed. Relays DB, SB and FB are normally in the operated condition and their release indicates that all the circuits in the creditcounting relay boxes have been broken by the release of the last-operated relay during the subtracting cycle. These relays are slow to release to ensure that the credit relays have time to release fully and also to help slow down the changemaking cycle so that the change-making solenoids have time to operate. Relay box C.-The relay box C contains the line pilot relay LP which operates together with any of the line relays for each type of article to control the circuits established when an appropriate article-selecting button is pressed. TR is a relay dependent on the operation of the article-operated trip switch and it also detects whether the trip switch is properly closed and prevents a credit checking operation if it is closed. Relay COK checks whether the credit registered is sufficient and operates the clutch for a selected article and also collects the inserted coins over a coincollecting solenoid. The relay CXR operates when the credit is exactly right and releases all the credit relays without going through any subtracting cycle. The relays FRA, FRB and FRC are slow-release relays that come into operation when the vending cycle is to be terminated owing to insufficient credit or to no article being delivered and they also provide time delay in the operation of the coin collecting and coin return solenoids. Relay MR operates when the credit has been checked and controls the take-off motor. Relays LRA and LRB are used when two belts are stocked with the same type of article and they control alternate operation of the belts by means of a single article-selecting button. The relay SUB is a main subtracting relay associated with the relays SUD. SUS and SUF in the boxes D, S and F. The article-sold relay AS operates whenever an article is released with some credit remaining after subtraction and it remains operated, preventing the credit from returning to zero. until an article of the value of the remaining credit is bought or if a change-maker is fitted. the credit is taken out in change, it therefore prevents a customer losing his credit by attempting to get his tendered money back after he has bought an article. The return of coins to the customer, by breaking the circuit of a solenoid that holds a coin tray in a central, untilted position, is controlled by relay RR which operates if a coin and change return button is pressed before an article is bought or automatically through the florin circuits if coins exceeding the capacity of the machine are inserted. Relays CHP, CHD and CHS operate only if a change-maker is fitted the relay CHP being a pilot relay and the other two relays controlling change-storage tubes for pennies and sixpences respectively. Line-relay box.-The last relay box contains the line relays 1LR to 8LR and sales meters 1SM to 8SM corresponding to eight different types of article. The line relays are operated each time a selection button is pressed and remain operated until the cycle of operations is completed; contacts of these relays prepare circuits for the trip switches, the clutch for the article conveyer belt, a bin-empty indicator, a sales meter SM and the horizontal bars of the pricing frame. Pricing frame.-The individual values of the articles stocked are recorded or set up pn a pricing frame having three sets of horizontal bars and three sets of crossing vertical bars, each set corresponding to the penny, sixpence and florin denominations. In each set the horizontal bars correspond to each article and the vertical bars to a unit of the particular denomination, e.g. 1d. to 6d. in the penny frame, and electrical connections are made at appropriate crossing points in each frame. For example, a 2s. 10d. article would have its three horizontal bars connected to the first florin vertical bar, the first sixpence vertical bar and the fourpence vertical bar. Zero vertical bars provide a circuit when a particular denomination is not included in the value. Operation.-The inserted coins operate a switch in each coin slot and deliver battery pulses in turn to the appropriate counting relays 1D, to 5D, IS to 4S and 1F to 5F, which then set up contacts according to the total credit, which is shown on the indicating lamps. By pressing the selecting button for the desired article, the corresponding line relay 1LR to 8LR is operated, thus operating relay LP to extinguish a "go-ahead" lamp and light up a "wait" lamp and also applying current over the pricing frame. If, for example the credit is only 2d. and a 3d. article is selected, the dircuit is through the appropriate horiontal bars and the zero vertical bars of