Vending Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1892-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Vending Machines.
I, VIRGIL ALPHONSO. KREPPs, of Kensico, in the County of Westchester,
and State of New York, United States of America, Broker, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention 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 a device of that class which is used to vend commodities
upon the introduction of a coin of a required value into the apparatus. The
invention is designed more particularly to automatically supply postage stamps
to the purchaser on the introduction of the coin, but it is also applicable to other
commodities as will be understood from the explanation hereinafter following.
The device comprises an apparatus containing a receptacle for the commodity in
the bottom of which is a spring actuated wheel train or other suitable motor
provided with a disk or wheel arranged to be driven by said train normally held
inactive by a detent which is released upon the introduction of a coin of the proper
value, when the wheel will turn a definite distance and expel a package of the
commodity in order to insure the expulsion of the package the disk or wheel is
permitted to project through a slot in the bottom of the receptacle. The invention
comprises various structural details which will hereinafter be more fully described
and definitely indicated. in the appended claims.
:
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus:
Fig. 2 is a central vertical section ;
Fig. 3 is a rear elevation on a reduced scale;
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectional views.
I represents a receptacle for the commodity, which in the case illustrated in the
drawings, is postage stamps. These stamps are enclosed in small envelopes, which
are arranged in a pile, as indicated at 2, and upon the top is a weight which fits
loosely in the chamber and is sufficiently heavy to press the envelopes firmly
against the bottom 4 of the chamber. In the front of the chamber 1 is a glass
panel 5 through which the stock of merchandise can be seen from time to time
and the necessity of renewal without opening the box ascertained. Beneath the
glass panel is a narrow opening 6 just large enough to permit the ejection of a
single package of merchandise, in this instance, of a single envelope containing
postage stamps. The bottom of the chamber 1 is slotted, as indicated at 7 in
Fig. 4, and as many slots as may be necessary may be made in the box. In the
case illustrated in the drawing two slots are made, as indicated in Fig. 4.
Secured to the bottom and beneath the chamber 1 is supported a spring actuated
wheel train, indicated at 8, upon one of the shafts of which are mounted two
disks 9 and 10 rigidly secured thereto. Upon the shaft is mounted a ratchet
wheel 11 with which co-operates a detent 12 having an arm projecting in the path
of travel of a coin inserted into the machine and held against the ratchet wheel
with a light tension by means of a spring or other equivalent device 13. Each
of the disks 9, 10, is provided upon its periphery with a series of needle points
or spurs which in the travel of the wheel pass through the slot in the bottom of
chamber and penetrate the lowermost package of the commodity so that in the
forward sweep of the wheel the package is forced out through the opening 6 .,
whence it may be removed by the purchaser. There are as many teeth in the
ratchet wheel 11 as there are points on the periphery of the wheel 9 or 10, and
their number is preferably limited so that the are between two teeth will be long

page_text: enough to expel a package far enough to ensure its possibility of removal by the
purchaser. The coin conduit terminates at the upper part in a throat 14, the
bottom of which is slotted so as to form ways, indicated at 15, 16, see Fig. 5,
upon which the coin slides by gravity after, insertion. The slot is of a proper
width to reject a coin of the smaller denomination than the one required for the
package of merchandise. In the machine illustrated the apparatus is designed to.
operate upon the introduction of a five cent piece. If a cent or dime be
introduced into the throat it will fall through the slot and drop upon the
platform, 17, whence it will fall upon the top 18 of the receptacle, thus indicating
to the purchaser than an improper coin has been deposited and enabling him to
recover the same. The throat is of such a width that a coin of greater value,
as a quarter, cannot be inserted into the machine. The projecting arm of the
lever 12.Lies immediately under the lower end of the coin conduit so that when
the coin falls from the conduit it strikes the arm, releases the detent and unlocks
the wheel train. The release, is only momentary as of course the coin immediately
rolls from the arm and drops upon the bottom 19 of the apparatus. The spring 13
then forces the detent to lock in the next tooth of the ratchet wheel. The wheel
train may thus be given any desired range of movement by providing a ratchet
with a proper number of teeth.. The spurs should correspond in number to the
teeth of the ratchet. Opposite the winding post of the wheel train is an opening 20,
indicated in Fig. 1, through which a key may be inserted and the spring wound
without necessitating the opening of the machine. In order to permit of the
convenient insertion of new packages of merchandise and the removal of
the cash, a central panel at the rear of the machine may be almost instantly
removed by reason of the following structure. The base of the apparatus is
provided with heavy flange 21 in which a groove, as indicated at 22, is made.
A bent lip 23 is secured to the lower part of the frame which houses the wheel
train, and a lock 24 co-operating with a keeper 25 serves to fasten the parts
together. When the lock is opened the apparatus may be tilted in the direction
indicated by the arrow, when the upper portion may be withdrawn from the base
and the cash removed. The rear side of the chamber is secured to the coin
conduit as is also.a portion of the chamber in which the clock movement is housed.
The top of the chamber 1 is provided with overhanging lugs or flanges 27 under
which the back may be slid. The segment 28 of the lower chamber is locked in
place by the flange 21. In case it is desired to insert inore packages in the
chamber the lock. 24 is released and the apparatus withdrawn from the base in
the manner hereinbefore indicated. As the lower end of the strip 28 is then frec
to be moved outwardly the panel 28 and the rear wall of the chamber 1 which are
secured to the coin conduit can be instantly removed.
It will thus be seen that the action of the device is. entirely automatic after the
coin has been introduced. The needle points ensure a forcible expulsion of
the envelope containing the stamps. In case more bulky merchandise were to be
vended, as, for example, confections, the spurs could be extended so as to press
against the rear side of the bottom package; with a package so small as a folded
paper containing stamps, however, the construction shown and described is much
more certain in operation. It will be noticed that the weight 3 is slotted also, this
prevents injury to the spurs in case the stamps should be exhausted and a coin
introduced. It will also be noted that the spurs normally lie out of contact with
the merchandise so that the wheel train has no load at starting but can acquire
momentum before acting on the merchandise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nattire of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
A vending apparatus comprising a receptacle for the merchandise provided with
a slot or opening in line with the bottom package, a spring actuated wheel train, a
series of radial spurs driven by a shaft of the train and adapted to sweep through an

page_text: opening in the bottom of the receptacle and engage the bottom package, said spurs
being out of contact with the package when the apparatus is inactive, and a coin:
operated detent to release the train.
Dated this Fifth day of July 1892
VIRGIL ALPHONSO KREPPS.
H. D. Fitzpatrick,
Per William Fleming,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent..
VIRGIL ALPHONSO KREPPS.
H. D. Fitzpatrick,
Per William Fleming,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent..