Improvements in Vending Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vending Apparatus.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me by
The United States Postal Service Company, a Corporation incorporated under the
Laws of the State of New York and having its principal office at No. 733, Broadway,
in the City County and State of New York, United States of America and of
which Benjamin Beekman Van Derveer is the President Hans Stevenson Beattie
is the Treasurer and Gilbert MacMaster Speir is the Secretary) and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved machine for selling stamps giving change
and distributing packets, advertisements, or the like, on the introduction of a
suitable coin, and consists in the improved combination and arrangement of parts
hereinafter fully described.
The object of the invention is to construct a machine whereby stamps or the like
may be sold and at the same time the proper amount of change returned, together
with, if desired, a small advertisement in the shape of a card, disc, or the like, all
to operate after the insertion of a coin of the proper denomination.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 represents a side view of the improved machine, the wall of the casing
being removed to display the interior mechanism.
Figure 2 is a top view of two discs that are used in said mechanism, the said figure
shewing them displaced from the relative position they occupy in the machine.
Figure 3 is a plan or top view of the mechanism of the machine, the casing being
shewn in horizontal section.
Figures 4 and 5 are vertical cross-sections on line c-c Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a vertical section on line k-k Figure 3.
Figure 7 is a detail side view of part of the mechanism used in the machine, and
Figure 8 is a detail section on line k¹¹ Figure 7.
In Figures 9 to 20 is illustrated a modified form of the apparatus,
Figure 9 being a side elevation, partly in section, of a modification of the improved
vending apparatus,
Figure 10 a horizontal section thereof on the plane of line 2-2 Figure 9;
Figure 11 an enlarged vertical section of the interior mechanism of the modifi-
cation on the plane of line 3-3 Figure 12;
Figure 12 an enlarged horizontal section thereof on line 4-4 Figure 11;
Figure 13 an enlarged vertical section thereof on line 5-5 Figure 10;
Figure 14 a vertical cross-section thereof on line 6-6 Figure 15;
Figure 15 a horizontal section thereof on line 7-7 Figure 14;
Figure 16 a vertical sectional view of a portion of the modification on line 8-8
Figure 12;
Figures 17 and 18 are cross-sections on lines 9-9 and 10-10 Figure 16;
Figure 19 a top view of one of the stamp-containing cases, which may be used in
the modification and
Figure 20 a bottom view of the reciprocating delivery slide.
In the form of apparatus illustrated by Figures 1 to 8, the letter A represents
the outer casing of the improved machine which is box-like in form, as usual, and
which at any proper part has an opening a (see Figure 7) for introducing a coin B,
the object of which coin in the machine is to move a lever C on its pivot B. The
drawing Figure 7 shows the coin B when introduced to separate two locking

page_text: levers d d from engagement with two vibrating fingers e e which fingers when they
close together behind the introduced coin under influence of their springs ff propel
the coin B against the lever C. Any chute or other contrivance that will conduct
the purchasing coin to the lever C so as to cause the coin to vibrate said lever on
its pivot will answer the purpose of this invention. The lever C is hook-shaped,
its beak being adapted to engage over a pin. that projects from a wheel D. A
spring bears against the lever C so as to hold it in either of its two positions-
that is either in engagement with the pin h, as in Figure 7, or out of engagement
therewith. The lever C is also provided with a projecting arm which is so located
that it will be in the path of the pin h when the same is revolved with the wheel D.
The wheel D is by preference connected with a ratchet wheel, as shewn, a pawl
entering its teeth to simply prevent backward movement of said wheel, the
forward movement being indicated by the arrow 1 in Figure 7. Whenever a
coin B is introduced into the machine so that it strikes the lever C and swings
the same on its pivot b, said lever C will thereby become disengaged from the
pin h and will be held by the spring i in its new position and when thus the
pin his liberated from contact with the lever C the wheel D will be free to
make a revolution around its axis in the direction of the arrow 1. This rotation
may be imparted to the wheel D by hand if desired 'but may also be imparted
to it by a spring properly wound or by a weight or in other suitable manner.
The drawing represents a handle m to be affixed to the arbor n of the
wheel D so that by turning said handle the wheel D may revolve around its
axis in the direction of the arrow 1 as soon as the lever C liberates the pin ŉ under
the influence of an introduced coin. Upon the arbor of the wheel D is also mounted
a pinion o which gears into a toothed wheel p which in turn engages with a toothed
disc E, all arranged so that one rotation of the wheel D will produce, say, one-
quarter revolution of the disc E, but these proportions may, of course, be modified
at pleasure, and it is not necessary to employ the intermediate wheel p since the
pinion o may gear directly into the teeth of the disc E, or any other means well
known to mechanics for imparting rotary motion from the arbor n to the disc E
may be employed. As the wheel D rotates, the pin / comes in contact with the
arm jof the lever C and thereby swings the lever C back into the position shewn
in Figure 7 so that at the termination of one revolution the hook 9 will again arrest
the pin h. Thus but a single revolution of the wheel D is permitted as a result of
the introduction of every single coin B. It follows that every introduction of a
coin B permits of a quarter revolution of the disc E. Said disc E is shewn in top
view, Figure.2. Its rotation is to take place in the direction of the arrow 2 shewn
in Figure 2. This rotary disc E is represented as having four apertures 1.
Directly below the disc E is a stationary plate F which has but one apertures of
the same size substantially as, or larger than, one of the holes of the disc E, the
holes in the disc E being all of equal size, or the said plate F may be cut off as
indicated by lines c-c Figure .2. Above the disc E is stationarily secured a series
of vertical packet receptacles or tubes 'G' G and G³ each being open at the 'bottom
and each arranged so that when the aperture is directly above the apertures, the
tube G will stand above the aperture r¹ the tube G' above the aperture and the
tube G above the aperture ³.
In order that the reader of this Specification may not be misled, it must be
repeated that in the machine the disc F is directly beneath the disc E and not in
the relation.shewn in Figure 2 which shews the disc F pulled away quite a distance
from beneath 'the disc E.
Each of the tubes G G G is filled with cents or other things to be sold. For
the purpose of this illustration, assume that the machine is intended to sell 'for a
five-cent piece two 2-cent stamps and to return one cent as change. In that case,
therefore, the contents of the packet receptacles G¹ G G will be the cents. But
the invention is equally useful for the sale of other things than stamps, such as
packets of chocolate or the like, in which case, of course, it is necessary that the
disc E shall have a thickness equal to the 'height of the packet to be sold.

page_text: In operation, when the disc E receives a quarter-turn it carries one of its
apertures, containing a cent or packet, into alignment with the holes of the
stationary plate F and permits, therefore, said cent or packet to drop through the
apertures into a chute t from which the purchaser may conveniently remove it.
In the drawings, three tubes G¹ G G, and three holes and to correspond
thereto, are represented but it is to be understood here that the three tubes are not
essential. One tube will answer the purpose, but for delivering a larger number of
packets or cents, space is economised by using a number of tubes side by side, as
in the drawing.
In operation, one of the tubes will be emptied before the next one begins to
empty and so on. Thus at first a cent from each tube lies in each of the holest
As one quarter of a revolution of the disc E is made, the cent. in ³ will first be
discharged but at the same time a cent from the tube G₁ enters. the aperture 1. At
the next quarter revolution of the disc E the cent from will be discharged but at
the same time a cent from Genters the aperture 2. At the third quarter revolution
a cent from r will be discharged, but at the same time the aperture.³ receives a
new coin from the tube G', and so forth. It thus appears that the tube G will
first be emptied after which the tube G³ will be emptied and finally the tube G³.
But if, instead of quarter revolutions, the disc E were to make one-third of a
revolution at each time, there would be but two tubes or receptacles G! G³
required and three holes, equally far apart, formed in the disc E.
When, as has been said, this mechanism is to be used in connection with a stamp-
delivery device, such stamp delivery device may be of the construction shewn in
Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5 comprising a stamp reel H from which the strip of stamps I
passes between a stationary drum L and a spring pressed roller M and thence under
the cutting device N again between the drum L and a lower feed roller O:
The strip feed mechanism is a segment of a hollow cylinder partly encircling the
drum L and carried by end discs of which one can turn upon the stationary axis of
drum L and the other is fast upon the shaft n which is journalled upon the end of
the drum axis, all as shown in Figure 8, so that when shaft n is rotated (as
permitted by the release of its locking mechanism before described with reference
to Figure 7) the feed cylinder segment will be rotated one revolution.
This segment is so proportioned in circumferential dimension to the intervals
between the cross rows of perforations in the strip that it will at each revolution
feed forward the strip to the extent of one stamp as bereafter described, and the
relative adjustment of the strip and feed segment is such that the latter will never
nip the adjacent parts of two stamps at a time, the operation being as follows,
supposing the strip to have been led between M and L and between L and O as
shown in Figure 4. The feed segment by the first portion of its revolution nips a
stamp between it and the spring pressed roller M as shown in Figure 4, and draws
the strip forward rather less than the length of one stamp so that the line of
perforations between the stamp so nipped and the preceding stamp will nearly reach
the knife N; then by the completion of its revolution the feed segment J nips the
preceding stamp against the rubber roller O and continues to draw the strip
forward until the segment ceases to nip the strip against the spring pressure
roller M which roller then nips the strip tightly against the stationary drum L so
that by the continued revolution of the segment the strip will be severed at the
line of perforations which at that moment or immediately afterwards coincides with
the cutter N and the stamp so detached is delivered by the segment J and roller M
as shown in Figure 5.
In Figures 9 to 20 is illustrated a modification of the invention. In these
figures the letter A represents the outer casing of the modified machine, which
is of any desired form and which at any proper point may have the opening a
(see Figure 9) for the introduction of a coin 2 which strikes against a lever C
causing it to move on its pivot thereby releasing the mechanism by which
the stamp and change are expelled as hereinafter explained. The lever C has
an arm which bears against a cam D. carried by the crank shaft E.
The

page_text: an
lever C is hung on the pivot b so that the end e being the lightest end of the
lever is normally held in the raised position shewn in Figure 13 whereby a
stop on said lever will present itself in front of the cam D at the end of
every revolution of the shaft E. When the coin 2 is introduced into the slot A
it falls against the end e of the lever C thereby depressing the same and causing
the stop to retire from in front of the cam D. The shaft E can then be
revolved, thereby moving the cam D over the stop and away from the arm d
of the lever C. This allows the coin 2 to depress still further the end e of
the lever until the coin slips by said lever and falls into a suitable tray or to
the bottom of the case. The lever now drops back, or, should it not, the cam D
by contact with the lever arm d will force it back into the original position
and thereby bring the stop again in the track of the cam checking the same
until it is again released by the introduction of another coin. When the cam D
is released the shaft E may be rotated either by a handle B or any other
suitable means. The shaft E carries a cylindrical segment F recessed, as shewn
in Figure 16, and journalled at g and on a pin G rivetted or otherwise
securely fastened to the frame i that supports the inner mechanism so that it will
not rotate. Upon this pin G is keyed a flanged drum or cylinder H, as shewn
in Figure 16. The shaft E and segment F are geared by wheels I and J with
an arbor K to which arbor is fixed a roller M, of rubber or analogous material.
Adjacent to this roller M is another roller L, preferably of rubber, on
arbor Q. The arbors Q and K are geared together as at p.
Directly below
the stationary flanged cylinder H is placed a similar flanged roller N of sub-
stantially the shape of the cylinder H. This roller is held in a suitable frame P
and pressed upward against H by a spring R (Figure 11). As the shaft E is
revolved, the segment F which revolves around the stationary body H, and is
recessed at k to accommodate the flanges of H, passes between H and N
depressing for a certain interval in every revolution and at the same time
revolving the roller N. A strip of stamps, preferably doubled together with a
thin sheet of oiled paper interposed, has previously been placed in close proximity
between H and N, as indicated by the letter S (Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14):
As the feed segment F passes between H and N it contacts with the stamps
and forces them ahead toward the delivery rollers L and M until the roller N
ceasing to be depressed by F is raised by the spring R and grips the strip of
stamps between it and the stationary druni H. Additional wires ss may be
used, as shewn in Figures 11, 12, and 14, to ensure a firmer grip upon the
stamp. These wires, when used, are secured to the frame i and curved over
the roller N and crease the stamps S. The stamps are now in the grasp of the
rollers L and M and a cutter or knife T is then depressed by the action of
cams m on shaft E (see Figures 12, 14, 16, and 17) thereby detaching the
stamp at the line of perforations. This knife T, as clearly shewn in Figure 12,
is the central member of a U-shaped frame which is pivoted at n n
to the
frame i. One arm of this U-shaped cutter frame extends beyond the pivot n
and under a spring U which keeps the knife in the elevated position shewn in
Figure 11 until the cams m depress the arms of the cutter. The cutter, in
descending, passes near the edge of a stationary platform t on which the stamps
rest, thereby facilitating the separation. The mechanism is previously adjusted,
so that one rotation of the shaft E will cause the stamps to move forward, in
the manner above described, just one stamp's length and the stamps are so placed
between the rollers that when the knife. T is depressed it cuts off the desired
length. After the cutting, the separated stamp or stamps will be moved forward
by the rollers L, M, until they are discharged into the exterior tray V.
the time this occurs, the remaining stamps in the machine stand still. It will
be seen that when the mechanism is ready for operation the end of the strip of
stamps is directly under the cutting blade T which at that time is elevated.
If at any time it is desirous to re-adjust the position of the strip of stamps, a
lever W which may be easily accessible and which projects from or bears upon
At

page_text: If
the roller frame P may be depressed, thereby separating the roller N and
block H and allowing the stamps to be freely moved forward or backward.
The wire guides (see Figures 11, 12, and 14) may be supplied, to more readily
assure the direction of the stamps and to more firmly secure the stamps from
being pulled between the rollers. X is a gear-wheel carried by the shaft E,
preferably outside of the frame work i. This gear-wheel meshes with another
gear-wheel Y which rotates the perforated disc Z. This disc Z takes and
discharges from one or more tubes Z2 coins or other packets or pasteboard discs
each containing, if desired, a printed advertisement, etc. This feature has
been explained in detail above. Another device in combination with what
has been specified, whereby an additional packet, for instance a small metal case
which may contain stamps or the like (see Figure 19) will be discharged with
every revolution of the shaft E. Directly above the disc Z are two upright
tubes, of any desired form, A' A'. Below these is a bottom plate B¹ (Figure 14)
which partially, preferably over half, closes the opening of each tube. Above
this bottom plate B¹ is a perforated slide D' (Figures 14 15 and 20) which
intervenes between the packets in each tube A¹ and the bottom plate B¹.
the slide D is reciprocated back, the packet contained in one of the tubes A'
will enter the perforation in said slide and rest on the bottom plate B¹ until
the slide is moved along and carries the packet directly over the hole in the
bottom plate R¹ whereupon the packet drops into any suitable chute and thence
into the exterior tray V. Each stroke of the slide D' takes one packet from
one of the tubes A' and at the same time a packet is also discharged from one
of the tubes Z'. The slide D' is moved in the following manner :-A wheel E
may be frictionally, or by teeth at the edge, rotated by the revolving disc Z.
To the wheel E' is secured a crank pin F which is carried in a circle by the
rotation of the wheel E' and which passes through a slot of the slide D' so
that the circular movement of the pin is transformed into a rectilinear move-
ment of the slide D', as can be readily understood. The shaft E should be
supplied with a ratchet wheel H¹ and the frame i with the pawl which will
prevent the shaft E from being turned in the wrong direction. The stamps are
fed from a spool I' (see Figure 9). A slight tension may be supplied to the
stamp spool to prevent the uncalled-for unrolling of the stamp strip. This
tension may be supplied by the spring i¹ bearing against the side of the spool I'
(Figure 9) or by the spring k' bearing against the strip of stamps. The spool
may be dispensed with and the stamps be put in cases as shown in Figure 19,
and then filled into the tubes A' as shown in Figure 14.
Amongst the many advantages of this modification of the apparatus may be
specified the following:-First, by means of this apparatus, three different kinds
of packets or merchandise may be sold at the same time, that is to say one set
of packets from the tubes Z3, one set from the tubes A¹ and one set from the
spool I; or, if the spool is dispensed with, two different sets of packets may
be simultaneously sold from the tubes A¹ and ². Another advantage is, that,
when a spool is employed, the tension upon the strip of stamps can be relaxed
for adjusting the strip in the feeding apparatus by the use of the lever W.
Other advantages respecting the character of the feed from the spool result from
the employment of the feed segment F which, when in contact with the roller N,
feeds the strip of stamps along, and which when out of contact with the
roller N, allows the latter to bear against H to prevent any feeding of the
stamp at that time. The action of the knife T being positive in manner
described, is also superior to the use of a stationary detaching blade as has
heretofore been suggested for such purposes in analogous machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manuer the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is
1. The hooked lever C having arm j combined with the wheel D having pin /

page_text: and with means, substantially as described, for turning the wheel D so that said
pin will strike the arm j and swing the lever C into position for holding the hook g
in the path of the pin h, substantially as described.
9,
2. The combination of the lever C, having projecting arm j and hook with the
spring, wheel D and pin on said wheel, all arranged for operation substantially
as herein shewn and described.
3. The combination of the coin tube or packet reservoir G₁ with a perforated
disc E and means substantially as described, for revolving said disc and with the
perforated stationary plate F, substantially as herein shewn and described.
4. The combination of a series of coin tubes or packet reservoirs G¹ G³ etc., with
a rotary disc E having series of apertures ¹³ etc., and with a stationary plate F
having aperture s, substantially as herein shewn and described.
5. The combination of the lever C having arm ; and hook 9 with the wheel D
having pin h, gearing connecting said wheel D with the apertured disc E, packet
reservoir G' and stationary perforated plate F, all arranged substantially as herein
shewn and described.
6. In a vending apparatus, the combination of a tube or tubes Z' with the per-
forated disc Z below the same and mechanism, substantially as described, for turning
said disc and with the tube or tubes A', perforated slide D' below the same, and
means for reciprocating said slide, all arranged substantially as herein shewn and
described.
7. The combination, in a vending apparatus, of the tube or tubes Z2, the perforated
disc Z below the same, tube or tubes A', perforated slide D' below the same, and
stamp spool I¹, and means, substantially as described, for feeding the stamps from
said spool, all arranged for delivering merchandise from each of said three receptacles,
as specified.
8. The combination of the tube or tubes 7, perforated disc Z, tube or tubes A',
perforated slide D¹, toothed wheel E' having crank-pin F and gearing with
the disc Z and means, substantially as described, for turning said disc; all as
specified.
9. In a vending apparatus, the combination of the lever C having cam-stop fand
arm d, with the crank-shaft E having cam D and with the coin chute all arranged
for operation substantially as herein shewn and described.
a,
10. The combination of the reel I' with the spring-pressed roller N in its movable
frame P with the feed segment F and block H carried by fixed pin G, substantially
as and for the purpose herein shewn and described.
11. The combination of the roller N and rotating feed segment F adapted to bear
upon the roller N with the frame P in which the roller N has its bearing, spring R,
and with the lever W for depressing the roller N, substantially as herein shewn
and described.
12. The combination of the reel 1¹ and suitable feed rollers N and F with the
U-shaped cutter frame T whose central member constitutes a cutter in front of said
feed rollers and with the shaft E having cam m for depressing said cutter frame
and spring U for raising it, all arranged substantially as described.
13. The combination of the reel and suitable feed-rollers N and F with the
U-shaped cutter frame T whose central member constitutes a cutter in front of said
feed rollers and with the shaft E having cam m for depressing said cutter frame
and spring U for raising it and with the delivery rollers L and M, substantially as
herein shewn and described.
14. The combination of the shaft E having toothed wheel I and hollow recessed
feed segment F and stationary spindle G carrying stationary block H with the
spring-pressed roller N, U-shaped cutter frame T, and means, substantially as
described for raising and lowering the same and with the delivery rollers L M and
with the toothed wheel J on the roller M, all substantially as herein shewn and
described.
15. The combination of the shaft E having hollow recessed feed segment F
with the stationary pin G stationary block H spring-pressed roller N and with the

page_text: curved wires ss, all arranged for operation substantially as herein shewn and
described.
16. The combination, in a stamp-vending apparatus, of the actuating shaft Ę and
means, substantially as described, for throwing the same into action by the intro-
duction of the coin, with the stamp reel I', means, substantially as described, for
feeding the stamp-strip forward and unwinding it from said reel, and with the
cam-actuated cutter-frame T and the delivery rollers L M, substantially as herein
shewn and described.
.
1001
14
A. MELVILLE CLARK,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.