Patent GB-953346-A (GB)
Title: Vending machine
IPC: G07F5/24
Filed: 1960-07-06
Abstract: 953,346. Coin-freed vending and changegiving machines. NATIONAL VENDORS Inc. July 6, 1960 [July 27, 1959], No. 23701/60. Heading G4V. A vending machine comprises a plurality of magazines located side by side to hold the articles to be dispensed, a row of manual pull-out rods 21, Figs. 2 and 3, each of which co-operates with one magazine and has to be pulled out and then returned to dispense an article from that magazine changemaking mechanism including a price-selector shaft 149, Figs. 3 and 9, extending across the machine and adapted to be rotated through different angles on pulling out different rods, and means responsive to operation of a rod and the corresponding rotation of the price shaft for causing the discharge as change from a coin-holding unit 91, Figs 3 and 9, of a number of coins corresponding to the angle of rotation of the price slips. The machine is designed for vending cigarette packages at different prices upon the insertion of coins which are whole multiples of 5 cents and the delivery of change in from one to four one-cent coins as may be necessary having regard to the price of the article purchased. As shown in Fig. 2, two shelves 7 are provided for the support of upper and lower tiers of magazines (not shown), which may be constructed as described in Specification 833,104, and an ejector E co-operating with each magazine has an ejector head 19 and pull rod 21 for actuation by a knob 25; upon pulling any knob to deliver a package, a draw bar 13 is also pulled forwardly against the action of a spring-urged lever 27 having a toothed segment 33 engaged by a pawl 35 to ensure full-stroke operation of the ejector. The coin-holding 91, Figs. 3 and 9, consists of four vertical tubes T1.. T4, each receiving a stack of one-cent coins, carried in line on a plate 105 disposed above a shelf 101 on a bracket structure 95 which is slidable on rollers 203 to facilitate mounting and removal of the unit. Ejector slides S1.. S4, Figs. 3 and 9, for each tube slide transversely of the plate 105 on ledges on the shelf and in grooves 111 in the underside of the plate. Each slide, which is normally urged by springs 121 against a rubber stop 127 with the coin stack resting on its forward end, is operated to dispense a coin by the action of one of a set of paddles F1.. F8 on a shaft 149 withdrawing the slide so that the bottom coin in the stack drops on to the shelf and then releasing the slide for return by the springs and delivery of the coin over an apron 103 to a pan 147. The four slides are respectively operated in the course of one half-revolution of the shaft by the paddles Fl.. F4 and in the other half-revolution by the paddles F5.. F8, the angular setting of the paddles on the shaft being such that a coin is dispensed each time the shaft is rotated through oneeighth of a revolution. The shaft 149 is indexed from a vertically-slidable power bar 163, Fig. 8, connected by a chain 173 to a sprocket 151 which is rotatable on the shaft and carries a driving pawl 155 coacting with an eight-tooth ratchet 153 fixed on the shaft so that each one-tooth drive of the pawl rotates the shaft through one-eighth of a revolution; a torsion spring 179, Fig. 3, acts on the sprocket to move the power bar downwardly upon the release of a latch 183. When, after the insertion of the appropriate coins and the consequent operation of mechanism such as described in Specification 799,720, one of the knobs 25 is pulled to obtain an article from the corresponding magazine, a roller 15, Fig. 3, on the associated draw bar 13 causes a lever 233 to withdraw the latch 183 so that the power bar is then pulled down by the spring to an extent determined by which of four steps B1.. B4 on a price-differential arm 213 is then in position to engage a roller 199 carried by the bar; during this downward movement of the bar, the pawl 155 clicks idly over one, two, three or four teeth of the ratchet depending upon whether the step B1, B2, B3 or B4 is effective. Upon release of the knob 25 and return of the rod 21 and draw bar, switches 223, 251, Fig. 3, actuated, respectively, by the lever 233 through a lever 227 and a lever 255 swung by the downwardly-moving power bar, serve to close the circuit of a motor whereby the power bar is returned to its initial position through the medium of a crank pin 277 on a driven disc 267, and the pawl 155 therefore acts on the ratchet 153 to index the shaft 149 for the ejection of one to four coins as determined by which of the steps B1.. B4 of the arm 213 is operative. The setting of this arm for each transaction is effected by providing under each shelf 7 a transverse shaft 45, Fig. 2, which, when any particular knob 25 is pulled, is rocked against the action of a spring to an angular extent depending upon the number of cents to be given in change for that transaction and communicates such rocking movement to the arm 213 through crank arms 47, Fig. 3, at the ends of the shafts, slotted links 55, 61 and levers 49, 215. For this purpose, each shaft 45 is provided with a plurality of sectors 69, Fig. 2, each of which co-operates with the ejector E of one magazine and has four holes H1.. H4 for the reception in any one of them of a roller engageable by a pusher 75 on the respective ejector. The degree of rock of the shaft therefore depends upon the particular hole in which the roller is fitted, and the four holes H1.. H4 are so spaced as to provide for movements to give 1, 2, 3 and 4 cents change, respectively; if no roller is fitted, the shaft is not rocked and no change is given. Means such as described in Specification 833,303 are provided to prevent a fast pull on the knob 25 from over-riding the shaft and causing excessive change to be given.