Patent GB-478739-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to coin-freed delivery apparatus
IPC: G07F17/42
Filed: 1936-07-24
Abstract: 478,739. Coin-freed apparatus. ERRERA, A. July 24, 1936, No. 20533. Convention date, July 26, 1935. [Class 27] In a coin-freed vending-machine, delivery is controlled by a differential mechanism operated in opposite directions by a coin-totalizing mechanism and a setting-up mechanism, for selecting the required article, the coin-totalizing mechanism including receptacles, each adapted to receive a plurality of coins of one denomination, and imparting to the differential a displacement proportional to the total value of the coins inserted in one continuous operation. Two constructional forms of the invention are described, both of which include separate sections in the coin-totalizing mechanism for units order and tens order coins, with transfer gearing operating from the units order to the tens order, and a setting-up mechanism under the control of push-buttons 1 for selecting the required article (e.g. a ticket). In the first form, the differential mechanism serves to compute the change due and to control delivery of the article, or to return the coins inserted if they are insufficient for the article selected. In the second form. the differential mechanism permits or prevents delivery of the article according as the amount inserted is correct or not, no change mechanism being provided. The whole apparatus is operated from a main shaft 3, driven by a handle or an electric motor, and provided with a plurality of cams for operating and subsequently restoring the various parts. The five following paragraphs refer primarily to the first form of apparatus, and the final paragraph wholly to the second form. Setting-up mechanism. The push-buttons 1 of the setting-up mechanism are each assigned a different value, such values corresponding to the various articles available, and operate through combinator members as described in Specification 406,175, [Group XIX], upon a set of four slides 2 corresponding to the hundredths, tenths, units, and tens orders in the values. Thus, depression of a pushbutton 1 and rotation of the handle causes each slide 2 to be displaced by an amount corresponding to the digit of its order in the selected value. Coin-totalizing sections ; coin-action. In the units section, Fig. 3, coins of 1, 2 and 5 units pass by way of shoots 38, 43 and 49 to respective arcuate pockets 37, 42 and 48 carried on quadrants 34 and 41, and a gearwheel 47 all loose on a central shaft 92, and pile on top of one another in their pockets. The shaft 92, which is driven by cams on the main shaft 3, carries an operating plate 62 provided with a pin 63 working in an arcuate slot in the side of the I-unit pocket 37. A similar pin 46 on the 1-unit quadrant 34 works in a slot in the 2-unit pocket 42, and a third pin 52 on the 2-units quadrant 41 works in a slot in the 5-units pocket 48. During forward rotation of the shaft 92, each pin in turn drives the succeeding quadrant or the gear 47 through the intermediary of the coins in the pockets, or the end wall of the pocket if no coins are present. The gear 47 is thus rotated at the end of the movement by an amount proportional to the value of all the unit order coins inserted, the radial distances of the pockets from the shaft 92 being correlated to the coin diameters and values to secure this. The final position of the pockets (shown in chain lines) is such that the coins fall out into a hopper 32 when the pins are withdrawn during the return movement. The tens-order section is similar to the units section, but has one pocket only for 10-unit coins. It is arranged adjacent to the units section, its operating plate being secured to a sleeve 61, loose on the shaft 92, and separately operated by the main shaft 3 ; and its driven element, rotated by an amount proportional to the 10-unit coins inserted, being a gear-wheel 69 loose on the sleeve 61, Fig. 5. Coin-totalizing transfer mechanism, and interconnection with differential mechanism. The units order wheel 47 meshes with a pinion 101, Fig. 5, loose on a shaft 102, and is coupled throughout the forward operation of the machine to an adjacent pinion 106 fast on the shaft 102 by an idler pinion 111 carried by a pivoted lever 113, Fig. 21. The tens order wheel 69 meshes with a pinion 103, loose on a sleeve 104 surrounding the shaft 102, and adjacent to a pinion 108 secured to the sleeve, the pinions 103 and 108 being initially coupled by an idler 112 carried by a second pivoted lever 114. The tens order section completes its operation before the units section, so that amounts in excess of nine units in the units section can be transferred to the tens section. This is effected by a cam on the main shaft 3 rocking the lever 114 to disengage the idler 112, a geneva-cross element 123, and a pinion 124 secured to an idler shaft carried by the levers 113 and 114, being simultaneously lowered into mesh respectively with a twotoothed wheel 107 fast with the pinion 106, and the pinion 108. Transfer then takes place, if necessary, from the units section pinion 101 to the tens section pinion 108. The shaft 102 and sleeve 104 are thus finally rotated by an amount proportional to the digits in the units and tens orders respectively, of the total amount inserted, this movement being communicated to the differential mechanism. Differential change-computing and delivering mechanisms. The change due is computed by means of differentially operated cams 16, 17, 18 and 19 for the tens, units, tenths, and hundredths orders respectively. The tenths and hundredths cams 18 and 19 are operated only by the setting-up mechanism ; they are loose on the shaft 102, and provided with driving pinions 145, 146 meshing with respective slides 2 of the setting-up mechanism. The units cam 17 is connected with a pinion 151 keyed to the units shaft 102 of the totalizing mechanism, a loose pinion 152 meshing with a slide 2 of the setting-up mechanism being arranged adjacent to this pinion and adapted to be coupled therewith by an idler pinion. The tens cam 16 is similarly provided with pinions 160 and 161, and in relation to the tens sleeve 104 of the coin-totalizing mechanism and a slide 2 of the setting-up mechanism. The cams are shown developed in Fig. 31, the hatched parts being raised and adapted to engage control levers 23, Fig. 1, of the change tubes 20 : they are constructed and interconnected similarly to those described in Specification 441,360, each being divided axially into sections for operating tubes 20 discharging coins of different values in the respective order, and the cams 17-19 having transfer mechanism to those of the next higher order. In operation, cams 16 and 17 are first set forward by the coin-totalizing mechanism from which the shaft 102, and sleeve 104 are then disconnected, and the gears 160, 161 and 151, 152 connected by their idler pinions. Finally, the slides 2 of the setting-up mechanism operate the pinions 145, 146, 152 and 161 to move the cams to a position corresponding to the change due. If the amount set up on any cam is less than the amount to be cashed-in in its order, and this is always the case with cams 18 and 19 which are not operated by the coin-totalizing mechanism, the transfer mechanism operates to deduct 1 unit from the cam of the next higher order, the first mentioned cam being itself set to a position to give change in its order of ten units less the amount to be cashedin in that order. The operation of the change tubes 20 by the cams is similar to that described in Specification 441,360 ; the ejectors of the tubes are connected through links 29, 25, - and 24 with levers 23 pivoted in a frame 22 secured to an operating shaft 89. When this shaft is rotated, those levers 23, whose fingers 23<1> engage raised parts of the cams, are rotated to operate respective tubes. Mechanism for preventing incorrect operation and returning coins. If the amount inserted is less than the value set-up on the keys 1, the article ejected is diverted to a receptacle within the apparatus, the change mechanism is disconnected, and the coins inserted returned. For this purpose, a cam 180, Fig. 27, secured to the tens cam 16 operates a lever connected with a pivoted guide 33 which directs the article either to a shoot 216 leading to a delivery receptacle 91, or a shoot 215 leading to the internal receptacle. The cam lever is also connected with a pawl 201 pivoted on the frame 22 secured to the operating shaft 89 of the change mechanism, this pawl 201 having a pin 202 working in an angle slot 206 on a loose arm 88 driven by cams on the main shaft 3. The alternative positions of the pin 202 in the slot 206 provide operative and inoperative connections between the loose arm 88 and pawl 201, so that the movement of the arm 88 is, or is not conveyed to the change mechanism operating shaft 89 according to the position of the cam 180, i.e. whether or not there is credit registered by the differential cams. The hopper 32 receiving the coins discharged from the totalizing mechanism is secured to a shaft 92 connected with the shaft 89. Normally the hopper 32 discharges into a return coin shoot 214, Fig. 29, but if the amount inserted is sufficient, the consequent rotation of the change mechanism operating shaft 89 displaces the hopper into register with a shoot 90 leading to an internal receptacle. Delivery of articles without change. The articles are stored in columns 300, Fig. 36, each having an ejector 301 connected with a lever 302 loose on either of two interconnected shafts 303, 303<1>. Operation of a setting-up button 1 rotates a pawl 312 pivoted to the lever 302 of the corresponding column to bring a pin 311 on the pawl into a driving part of an angle slot 310 in an element 309 secured to the shaft 303 or 303<1>, so that when these shafts are rotated, as permitted by the differential mechanism, the selected article is ejected. The differential mechanism is operated by. the setting-up mechanism and coin-