Patent GB-190125479-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Vending Machines.
Inventor: SHAW EDWARD
Filed: 1901-12-13
Granted: 1903-03-13
Abstract: 25,479. Shaw, E. Dec. 13. Automatic-feed weighers.-Relates to vending- machines of the kind described in Specifications No. 18,748, A.D. 1898, [Abridgment Class Coin-freed apparatus &c.], and No. 10,375, A.D. 1901, for supplying weighed quantities of goods in exchange for either one of two coins of ditferent values. A lever 6, Fig. 4, operated by the large coins is connected by links, levers, and spindles to a weight 137, Fig. 29, capable of sliding on the weight arm 11 and linked to the arm of a bell-crank lever 135 pivoted to the supporting-standard 136. In a modification, the mechanism is connected so as to support a weighted arm pivoted to the standard and connected by a fine cord or wire to the weight arm 11. The mechanism is held with the additional weights in action by the engagement of an arm carried by the lever 6 with a spring catch, which may consist of a weight on a steel wire fixed to the casing. The arm is released from the catch by a spring 144, Fig. 11, which is allowed to come into action to return the whole mechanism to its normal position when the weighing-bucket 154 is tipped. Goods may be conveyed from the drums 71 to the scale-pan 154 by an endless travelling band carried by rollers in the fixed hollow axle 109, the exit being closed by a light hinged door and the band stretched by a roller on a weighted pivoted lever. The drumoperating pinion shaft is geared to a transverse shaft operating the front endless-band roller. The scale-pan 154 may be held vertically while being filled by a tooth 184, Fig. 29, engaging a weighted pawl 185 pivoted to the standard, or the pivoted pawl may be carried by the scale-pan and the fixed tooth carried by the standard. The goods discharged from the scale-pan are led by a passage 186 to an inclined receptacle 187 in which a paper bag can be fitted. Paper bags are delivered by mechanism operated by an external handle on a sliding stem 190, having an enlarged part to operate the hooked lever arm 188, which ejects the paper bags through a slot in the casing. The handle is returned by a spring bearing against pins 194, while the lever 188 is held closing the slot by a detent 196 engaging an arm on the spindle of the lever shaft. The detent is momentarily disengaged each time the main handle is operated by a link 199 connected to a lever 200 having a bent arm extending through slots in links of a chain 64 which receives coins from the holder. A forked rod may project from the hollow axle into each drum to break up the material. Each drum may be mounted on gun-metal rings of L-section arranged back to back, and may consist of a pair of dished metal plates and a segmental ring with teeth on its outer edge and projections on its inner edge to which the buckets are riveted. Samples of the goods contained in the drums may be displayed in a series of sector-like compartments formed in a cylindrical casing having glass ends and provided with a central bearing to support a short shaft carrying an index with a handle. The casing is fixed in a hole in the casing by a bayonet joint, and is locked in position by a spring-pressed pin released by a wire extending to the money-box chamber. The rear glass is held in place by spring finger clips. The short shaft has a sliding connection with a cam clutch shaft having radial arms adjusted by the index to put the desired drum 71 into action. The rear end of the clutch shaft carries a spring- pressed arm with two V-shaped projections adapted to fall into corresponding recesses in a fixed bearing to allow the radial arm to operate the lever of the corresponding spring-freed drum-clutch mechanism. When the drums contain goods of different values, a series of weights suspended above the scale beam are put into or out of operation by the clutch shaft, which may carry a cam operating a spring-depressed lever connected to a cord passing over pulleys and carrying beads to support the weights. A detent operated by a cam on the shaft b may act in conjunction with a notched disc on the clutch shaft.