Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US3978959?oq=flatulence
Timestamp: 2018-02-18 09:10:18
Document Index: 620790802

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 24', 'art 24', 'art 24', 'arts 24', 'arts 24', 'arts 24']

US3978959A - Dispensing system for wheeled vehicles - Google Patents
Dispensing system for wheeled vehicles
US3978959A
US3978959A US05477492 US47749274A US3978959A US 3978959 A US3978959 A US 3978959A US 05477492 US05477492 US 05477492 US 47749274 A US47749274 A US 47749274A US 3978959 A US3978959 A US 3978959A
US05477492
An improved, simply operable, self-servicing vending system for wheeled vehicles, particularly of the hand-operated cart-type. A vending island is designed to guide and retainably hold a plurality of wheeled carts in consecutive alignment. The vending island includes a platform for holding the carts having vehicle handling receiving and dispensing terminals. Carts are irremovably accepted to the platform at the receiving terminal by a receiver apparatus that is positioned to engage and controllably guide in the receiving direction a support wheel of the cart being received. The receiver apparatus enables a coin refund unit to eject therefrom a predetermined monetary amount upon complete acceptance of the cart by the receiver apparatus to the platform. Carts are dispensed from the platform at the dispensing terminal by a dispenser apparatus. The dispenser apparatus operatively engages a support wheel of the foremost retained cart on the platform and enables the support wheels thereof to be released from retainment by the platform upon receipt of an activation signal by a monetary actuated control unit. The control unit provides the activation signal upon its receipt in escrow of a predetermined monetary amount. Built-in theft protection prevents multiple dispensing and multiple coin refunds on any single dispensing and receiving cycles respectively.
A platform supported in generally horizontal position with respect to the floor and having entrace and exit ramps operatively connecting its ends with the floor, has a plurality of races formed therein for holding a plurality of wheeled carts in consecutive alignment thereon. Wheel retaining members laterally extend the length of the platform and are positioned in cooperative alignment with the outer races. The retaining members prevent vertical or transverse motion of the retained cart support wheels that would tend to remove them from consecutive alignment on the platform other than at the ends of the platform.
FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram of a preferred embodiment of a self-service cart vending system of the present invention;
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, the automatic cart vending island system of the preferred embodiment is generally illustrated at 20 in FIG. 1. The vending island 20 generally has an elongated raised platform 21 supported in generally horizontal relationship with a floor 22 by means of a plurality of support legs 23. Besides providing a pleasing aesthetic appearance to the system, the support legs 23 facilitate cleaning of the floor around and under the platform 21. The platform 21 is generally designed, as hereinafter described, to retainably support a plurality of wheeled vehicles generally designated at 24.
A preferred embodiment of the dispenser apparatus 44 is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 3 through 6. The operative mechanism of the dispenser apparatus is diagrammatically illustrated as it would appear with the front panel of the dispenser apparatus 44 removed (see FIG. 1). The elements of the dispenser apparatus 44 are illustrated in FIG. 3 as they would relatively appear in a first controlling relationship with one another and with a support wheel 26 of a cart 24 to be dispensed from the vending island. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the elements of the dispenser apparatus 44 in different relative positions corresponding to various operative points in time during a dispensing cycle.
A preferred embodiment of the receiver apparatus 34 is illustrated in FIGS. 7-10. The preferred embodiment employs mechanically operative parts; however, other embodiments, hereinafter described, employ electromechanical operation. In the preferred embodiment the receiver apparatus 34 is generally positioned at the receiving terminal 32 of the platform 21 (FIG. 1) forming an integral part of and opening into the retaining member 54 situated in proximity with the forwardly located outer races 51 of the platform 21. FIG. 7 illustrates the mechanical elements of the receiver apparatus 34 as they would relatively appear in a first controlled relationship with respect to one another and with respect to a support wheel 26 of a cart 24 being received into the platform 21, if the front panel of the receiver apparatus (FIG. 1) were removed. FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the elements of the apparatus 34 in different relative positions corresponding to various operative points in time during a receiving cycle of a cart 24 onto the platform 21. Unless otherwise designated, the elements of the receiver apparatus 34 are connected to a receiver housing 35. The receiver housing 35 is generally situated above and is integrally connected to the inverted U-shaped retaining member 54 (see FIG. 1), such that a support wheel 26 being received engages receiver elements, as hereinafter described, connected to the housing 35 and extending through openings (FIGS. 7-9) provided therefor in the upper surface of the retaining member 54.
MONETARY CONTROL UNITS
The monetary actuated control unit 46 (FIG. 1) may comprise any type of mechanical, electromechanical or electrical monetary receiving unit (including a dollar-bill receptor unit) which functions to provide an appropriate output signal for activating the dispenser apparatus mechanism 44 upon receiving a predetermined monetary amount. In the preferred embodiment, that output signal required to activate the dispenser apparatus 44 is a retracting (or "pulling") force to be exerted upon the actuator cable 100 (FIG. 5) after acceptance by the monetary actuated control unit of the predetermined monetary amount. The monetary actuated control unit 46 illustrated in FIG. 1 is of the mechanically operative type requiring an operator to deposit three coins within the coin accepter lever 47, to push the coin accepter lever 47 into the monetary actuated control unit (thus depositing the coins in escrow therein) and to retract the coin accepter lever 47 back out of the monetary actuated control unit. Such coin accepter units are well known in the art and a discussion thereof will not be belaboured herein.
RECEIVER -- ALTERNATE
An electromechanical alternate embodiment of the receiver apparatus 234 embodying electromechanical principles is illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, FIG. 11 diagrammatically illustrates the relative physical positioning of the electromechanical elements of the receiver apparatus 234. FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of the electrical circuit comprising those elements illustrated in FIG. 11.
The automatic cart vending system 20 (FIG. 1) of this invention is generally operable to receive a plurality of carts 24 to the platform 21, to retainably hold the carts in consecutive alignment thereon, and to dispense the carts from the platform. The support wheels 26 and 27 of the carts 24 ride in the outer and inner races 51 and 50 respectively of the platform 21 and guide the carts therealong. The retaining members 54 positioned over the axially aligned support wheels 26 prevent lifting and twisting of the carts 24 on the platform 21, thereby preventing their removal other than at the dispensing terminal 42.
1. An improved dispenser apparatus for use in combination with a vehicle vending system of the type characterized by retaining means for retaining a plurality of vehicles each having a chassis carried by a plurality of normally floor-engaging support wheels a dispensing terminal from which the vehicles are dispensed, and monetary actuated control means for normally producing a first vend signal and for producing a second vend signal different from the first vend signal upon receipt thereby of a predetermined monetary amount, said dispenser apparatus comprising:
a. wheel control means operatively connected at the dispensing terminal configured to engage one of the floor-engaging support wheels of that retained vehicle disposed immediately adjacent the dispensing terminal for directly controlling movement of the engaged wheel in a dispensing direction, said wheel control means including a wheel release member operable between first and second positions and mounted for engagingly applying movement controlling forces directly to the circumferential tread portion of the engaged support wheel, said wheel release member being operable in its first position to engage the support wheel so as to directly block movement thereof in said dispensing direction and being yieldingly movable to its said second position in response to forces exerted thereon by the engaged support wheel to enable movement of the engaged support wheel relative thereto in said dispensing direction; and
b. dispenser actuator means operatively connected to receive firsts and second vend signals for activating in response thereto said wheel control means to selectively block and enable dispensing movement of the engaged support wheel, comprising:
i. pawl and ratchet latching means cooperatively engaging said wheel release member for controlling movement thereof between its said first and said second positions, said pawl and ratchet latching means being operable in a latched mode to engagable lock said wheel release member in its said first position, preventing movement thereof toward its said second position, and being operable in an unlatched mode to release locking engagement of said wheel release member, enabling movement thereof between its said first and said second positions; and
ii. a plurality of actuator members connected to receive the vend signals and being cooperatively responsive thereto for selectively controlling the operative mode of said pawl and ratchet latching means, said actuator members being cooperatively engageable upon receipt of a first vend signal to actuate said pawl and ratchet latching means for operative engagement in its said latched mode, and being cooperatively engagable upon receipt of a second vend signal to activate said pawl and ratchet latching means for operative engagement in its said unlatched mode.
2. An improved dispenser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pawl and ratchet latching means comprises:
a. a plurality of ratchet teeth fixedly connected to and movable with said wheel release member;
b. pawl means operatively connected with at least one of said plurality of actuator members and cooperatively engagable with said ratchet teeth for directly controlling movement of said teeth relative thereto; said pawl means being operable when in said latched mode to engage said ratchet teeth so as to enable movement of said teeth relative thereto as said wheel release member moves toward its said first position and to block movement of said ratchet teeth relative thereto when said wheel release member tends toward movement to said second position, and being operable when in said unlatched mode to disengage said ratchet teeth to enable unrestricted movement of said ratchet teeth and wheel release member relative thereto.
3. An improved dispenser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dispenser actuator means includes mechanical override means operatively connected with said plurality of actuator members, engagable by said wheel release member and responsive to movement thereof from its said first position to its said second position, for activating said pawl and ratchet latching means so as to become operable in its latched mode whenever said wheel release means is disposed in said second position and for overriding the normal effect of transmission of any second vend signal to said actuator members.
4. An improved dispenser apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of actuator members comprise:
a. a first actuating lever pivotally connected to said pawl and ratchet latching means, normally biased toward rest in a first position enabling operative engagement of said pawl and ratchet latching means in its said latched mode, and being pivotally movable to a second position causing operation of said pawl and ratchet latching means in said unlatched mode;
b. a second actuating lever pivotally connected for movement with said first actuating lever, normally biased toward a first position urging said first actuating lever toward its said first position and being pivotally movable to a second position urging said second actuating lever toward its said second position; and
c. a third actuating lever connected to received said first and said second vend signals and engagable with said second actuating lever, normally biased in a first position when in receipt of said first vend signal to engagably urge said second actuating lever toward its said first position and being pivotally movable toward a second position responsive to receipt of said second vend signal to engagably move said second actuating lever toward its said second position; and
a. a fourth lever arm connected to said second actuating lever and operatively engagable by and responsive to movement of said wheel release member from its said first position to its said second position pivotally moving said second actuating lever to a third position so as to operatively disengage said third actuating lever when said wheel release member is in its said second position, and being responsive to movement of said wheel release member to its said first position to engagably return said second actuating lever for normal operation between its said first and said second positions; and
b. a trip lever operatively connected with said pawl and ratchet latching means and engagable by said wheel release member when moving to its said second position, said trip lever being operative in a first position to maintain said pawl and ratchet latching means in its said unlatched mode when said wheel release member is positioned in its said first position, and being operative in a second position to cause engagement of said pawl and ratchet latching means in its said latched mode whenever said wheel release member is positioned in its said second position.
5. An improved dispenser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wheel control means includes a wheel restraint member connected for cooperative reciprocal movement with said wheel release member between blocking position and a neutral position, for controlling movement in said dispensing direction of a floor-engaging support wheel of that one of the retained vehicle consecutively aligned with that vehicle to be next dispensed, said wheel restraint member being operable in its said blocking position in response to movement of said wheel release member to its said second position to directly engage the outer peripheral surface of said consecutively aligned support wheel for preventing movement thereof in said dispensing direction, and being operable in its said neutral position responsive to movement of said wheel release member to its said first position for enabling unrestrained movement of said consecutively aligned support wheel with respect thereto.
6. An improved receiver apparatus for use in combination with a vehicle vending system fo the type characterized by retaining means for retaining a plurality of vehicles each having a chassis carried by a plurality of normally floor-engaging support wheels, a receiving terminal opening into the retaining means through which the vehicles are retainably accepted by the retaining means, and monetary refund means for discharging a predetermined monetary amount in response to a received refund signal, said receiver apparatus comprising:
a. a housing configured for mounting at the receiving terminal in cooperative alignment with said retaining means, said housing defining a substantially enclosed inner cavity and oppositely longitudinally disposed inlet and outlet ports providing access to and egress from the internal cavity, said housing being configured to substantially enclosedly accept within its said cavity at least one floor-engaging wheel of a wheeled vehicle being received by the vending system;
b. a door pivotally mounted to said housing adjacent said inlet port thereof, said door member being normally disposed in a closed position to substantially close access to said internal cavity through said inlet port and being pivotally movable to an open position to provide passage of a floor-engaging support wheel into said cavity through said inlet port;
c. a first actuator lever in said housing operatively connected with the monetary refund means and pivotally movable between first and second positions, said first actuator lever being operable to provide a refund signal to the refund means in response to movement between its said second and said first positions respectively;
d. first bias means for normally biasing said first actuator lever toward its said first position;
e. first latching means in said housing cooperatively engaging said first actuator lever and responsive to movement of said door member for selectively controlling movement of said first actuator lever, said first latching means being normally operative in an unlatched mode to allow unimpeded movement of said first actuator lever to its said second position, and being operable in a latched mode in response to movement of said door member from its said closed to said open positions to latchingly engage said first actuator lever for preventing movement thereof to its said second position;
f. second latching means in said housing cooperatively engagable with said first actuator lever for selectively controlling movement of said first actuator lever, said second latching means being normally operative to engagably latch said first actuator lever in its said second position once the first actuator lever has moved to its said second position, and being operative in an unlatched mode responsive to receipt of a trigger signal to disengage from said first actuator lever, enabling movement of said first actuator lever toward its said first position;
g. mechanical wheel position sensing means mounted in said cavity of said housing means and operatively connected with said first actuator lever, for sensing the relative position of a support wheel proceeding through said cavity in a receiving direction from said inlet port to said outlet port and for moving said first actuator lever in response thereto, said wheel position sensing means comprising:
i. a first wheel engaging member pivotally mounted in said housing to engage the peripheral tread portion of a floor-engaging support wheel therein and operatively engagable with said first actuator lever for moving said first actuator lever between its said first and said second positions in response to movement of the engaged support wheel in the receiving direction, said wheel engaging member being normally disposed in a first position across the path of the advancing wheel and being movable to a second position upon engagement forces applied by the advancing wheel when the wheel has advanced in the receiving direction to a predetermined position, said wheel engaging member when in its said second position cooperatively engaging said first actuator lever so as to move said first actuator lever to its said second position and into latching engagement with said second latching means; and
ii. second bias means operatively connected with said first wheel engaging member for normally urging said wheel engaging member toward its said first positions; and
h. a second actuator lever member operatively mounted in said cavity adjacent the outlet port of said housing and disposed to engage the peripheral tread portion of a support wheel passing from the internal cavity through said outlet port, said second actuator lever being pivotally operable in response to passage of the engaged support wheel through said outlet port, to apply said trigger signal to said second latching means.
7. An improved receiver apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said second actuator lever member is configured so as to produce only one trigger signal in response to passage of the support wheel through said outlet port in said receiving direction and is cooperatively operable with said first wheel engaging member to block retraction movement of the support wheel back into the outlet port and through said housing in a direction opposite to said receiving direction.
US05477492 1973-07-19 1974-06-07 Dispensing system for wheeled vehicles Expired - Lifetime US3978959A (en)
US38082273 true 1973-07-19 1973-07-19
US05477492 US3978959A (en) 1973-07-19 1974-06-07 Dispensing system for wheeled vehicles
US38082273 Continuation 1973-07-19 1973-07-19
US3978959A true US3978959A (en) 1976-09-07
ID=27009122
US05477492 Expired - Lifetime US3978959A (en) 1973-07-19 1974-06-07 Dispensing system for wheeled vehicles
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Owner name: FIRST STATE BANK OF SAINT PAUL, A MN CORP.
Free format text: MORTGAGE;ASSIGNOR:SMARTE CARTE, INC. A MN CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004015/0050
Owner name: FIRST STATE BANK OF SAINT PAUL, A MN CORP., MINNES
Owner name: HELLER FINANICAL, INC., ILLINOIS
Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:SMARTE CARTE, INC.;REEL/FRAME:007058/0116
Free format text: NOTICE OF RELEASE OF MORTGAGE ON PATENTS;ASSIGNOR:FIRST BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION;REEL/FRAME:007058/0111