Improvements in Coin Freed Vending Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1899-Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Freed Vending Apparatus.
I, ROBERT BOLTON RANSFORD, of 41, Waldegrave Road, Upper Norwood, in
he County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
which has been communicated to me from abroad by Edgar H. Cook, of the
City of New York, Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings and State of New
York, United States of America,) and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to coin freed vending apparatus.
Figure 1 is a vertical section, on the line 1-1 of Figure 4, through the
box or case of the mechanism and the frame of the machine, giving a side view
of the mechanism and a vertical sectional view of the goods within the chute,
showing the parts of the mechanism in their normal position;
Figure 2 is a like view of the mechanism showing the movable carriage pushed
part way in;
Figure 3 is a like view of the mechanisın, on the line 3-3 of Figure 4,
showing the movable carriage pushed in to the extreme limit; in this view the
gauge screw for the coin carrier is omitted.
Figure 4 is a top view of the apparatus showing the coin openings, with the
case partly cut away to show the mechanism within; and
Figure 5 is a vertical section, on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.
This invention relates to coin actuated vending apparatus, in which the articles
are vended or ejected by means of a reciprocating carriage, and consists in the
operation of the delivery lever carried on the reciprocating carriage by the intro-
duction of a predetermined coin, and the various combinations and modifications
hereinafter described and claimed.
In the drawings A represents the frame or case of the machine, which may be
made in any of the usual ways of making vending machines, having the coin
slot or slots at B of a proper size to receive the predetermined coin. C is the
reciprocating carriage and has attached to it the several parts which I will
now proceed to describe.
The push-rod D rigidly attached to the carriage C projects through the frame
of the machine and by it the carriage is pushed inward. The spring retracted
lever E is pivoted at to the reciprocating carriage and has attached at its
end the spring F, which at its other end is attached to the frame G of the
mechanism, and by which the carriage is returned to its normal position when
the force on the push-rod is removed. The slot-closer H is a piece of metal
carried on the upright H¹ and slides just beneath the slot so as to close the same
when the reciprocating carriage is moved inward. There is also the cam K
attached to the reciprocating carriage, which operates the lever L carrying the
adjustable pin M.
The delivery lever E is provided at one end with an arm which, when the
lever is in one position, passes beneath the lowest package in the stack of packages,
but when the delivery lever is in another position, the position given it by the
introduction of the proper coin to the coin carrier I, impinges against the lowest
Attached to the delivery
5 package in the stack of packages and delivers the same.
lever at one end is the pin P having a bevelled side and a straight side, and

page_text: which pin takes into the ratchet O when the end of the delivery lever is raised
to come in contact with the goods to be delivered. On the delivery lever E
is arranged the coin carrier I rigidly attached thereto and forming
part thereof.
The coin carrier I is made of such dimensions as to
receive and hold the predetermined coin, and it has at the same time
a longitudinal cut or opening through the centre so that the adjustable coin
impinging pin M may pass through. the coin carrier I without coming in contact
therewith when no coin is present therein. This coin carrier I is also provided
with an adjustable screw Q having a tapered end whereby the exact size of the
passage through the coin carrier may be adjusted, so that a thin or small coin
will run through the coin carrier, and the predetermined or thicker coin will be
held therein.
The normal position of the reciprocating carriage is such that the coin carrier I
is in line with the coin guide S so that a coin introduced at the coin slot and
passing over the coin guide S will fall in the coin carrier I.
There is provided also in the path of the coin, as it passes over the coin
guide S to the coin carrier I, a fixed magnet R, against the ends of which coins
introduced at the coin slot B come in contact as they pass over the coin guide S.
By this magnet all slugs of magnetic metal are held and prevented from going
into the coin carrier. The ends of the magnet it will be observed, are rounded,
so that when the reciprocating carriage is pushed inward, the magnetic slug held
on the magnet will be pushed into a vertical position and then pushed from
contact with the magnet by the upright part H₁ of the carriage which supports
the slot closer H and passes between the two arms of the magnet.
Attached to this upright part H¹, on the front side thereof, is the claw-like
piece T, which, as shown in Figure 1, when the parts are in their normal position,
is below the line of the coin guide S. This claw-like piece catches any coin
that may be introduced attached to a thread and prevents the drawing out of the
coin by the attached thread.
Pivotted on the fixed frame of the mechanism is the lever L, which, at one
end, is weighted, so as to cause it to come in contact with the cam K, and, at
the other end, carries the adjustable coin impinging pin M, and is also provided
with a secondary pin m. The pin M is so adjusted that when the reciprocating
carriage is pushed inward, having in the coin carrier I a predetermined coin,
the cam K as the carriage moves inward, will turn the lever L and force the
end of the pin M against the top of the coin in the coin carrier I, thereby turning
the delivery lever on its pivot c and raising the pin P up on the ratchet O, the
upper end of the delivery lever being at the same time brought in line with
the under package of the stack of packages, and, as the ratchet prevents the
reciprocating carriage from being withdrawn, the lowest package of the stack of
packages will be delivered by pushing the carriage in to the furthest position
as shown in Figure 3. As soon as the pin P' drops off the end of the ratchet O.
the spring F turns the lever E on its pivot e thus restoring the coin carrier I
to its former elevated position, while at the same time the delivery arm of the
lever is lowered. The further retractile power of the spring then acts to return
the carriage C, together with the parts mounted upon or supported thereby. It
will thus be seen that the function of lever L and pin is to cause an impinge-
ment of the latter upon the top of the coin sufficient to move or eject it from
the coin carrier, while at the same time the said carrier is quickly lowered to a
limited extent to assist in the discharge of the coin into the receptacle below.
Instantly the carrier as shown in Figure 2 passes beyond the pin M the return
of the carrier and lever L to their former positions takes place. The tendency of
the spring F therefore is to elevate the coin carrier and to depress the delivery
arm which, however, is prevented from being lowered too far by means of a
stop pin engaging the upper edge of the carriage.
Should an iron, or other magnetic slug be introduced in the slot B, it would
be held by the magnet until brushed off by the part H', as already described.

page_text: D
, however, a pasteboard slug of proper size were introduced it would find its
ay to the coin carrier I, ready to operate the machine, but as the cam K
urns the lever L, the pin M presses down on the coin or slug in the coin carrier
ith such force that a pasteboard or lead dummy would be bent and thrown
ut of the carrier before the pin P' had reached the ratchet O, thus the delivery
ever would not be brought in contact with the lowest package.
Coins attached to a fine thread have been inserted in coin actuated vending
machines, and, after operating the machine; withdrawn therefrom by means of
he thread attached, or replaced in the coin carrier so as to operate the machine
second time, to prevent which the claw-like piece T is attached to the upright
art H of the reciprocating carriage, so as to prevent the withdrawal of the coin
by the thread, as the thread would come between the claws of the piece T.
The lever L is provided with a secondary pin m to remove from the coin carrier
any bent or broken parts of slugs or dummies which may be left therein by
the adjustable pin M, thus the clearing of the coin carrier is doubly guaranteed.
The end of this secondary pin m extends far enough down to pass through the
coin carrier almost in direct contact with the bottom thereof, and the entrance
and passage of the pin takes place simultaneously with the ejection of the coin
by pin M. It will thus be seen that the secondary pin m has no part in the
removal of the coin from the carrier, but is simply for the purpose of following
after the coin to clear the carrier of any possible obstruction to succeeding coins.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup-
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, and a separate movable device for depressing the carrier to eject
a predetermined coin and to elevate the arm, substantially as described.
2. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup-
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm,
and a separate movable device for depressing the carrier to eject a predetermined
coin and to elevate the arm, substantially as described.
reciprocating carriage sup-
3. The combination in a vending machine, of a
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm,
and a movable device operated from the carriage for depressing the carrier and
elevating the arm and ejecting a predetermined coin from said carrier, substantially
as described.
4. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup-
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm,
a movable device for depressing the carrier and elevating the delivery arm.
and a cam on the carriage for operating said movable device, substantially as
5 described.
5. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm
a pivotted weighted lever having a pin for impinging upon a coin to depress the
50 carrier and to elevate the arm, and a cam for elevating the weighted end of
said lever on the inward movement of the carriage, substantially as described
6. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other en
a coin carrier open at the top, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depres
55 the arm, a pivotted weighted lever having a pin for impinging upon a co'n to depres
the carrier and to elevate the arm, and also a follower pin passing throug

page_text: said carrier, and means for elevating the weighted end of said lever on the inward
movement of the carriage, substantially as described.
7. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup-
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm, a
pivotted weighted lever, an adjustable pin carried by the latter for impinging
upon a coin in the carrier, and means for lifting the weighted end of said lever
on the inward movement of the carriage, substantially as described.
8. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup-
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm, means
for regulating the size of the passage in the carrier, and a movable device for
depressing the carrier and elevating the arm, and ejecting a predetermined coin
from said carrier, substantially as described.
9. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup-
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm, an
adjustable screw having a tapered end for regulating the size of the passage
in the carrier, and a movable device for depressing the carrier to eject a coin
and to elevate the arm, substantially as described.
10. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup-
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, a pivotted lever with one arm thereof engaging the underside
of the carrier, a retracting spring for the carriage acting on the other arm of
said lever, to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm, and a movable device
for depressing the carrier to eject a coin and to elevate the said arm, substan-
tially as described.
11. The combination in a vending, machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm, a
separate movable device for depressing the carrier to eject a coin and to elevate
the arm, a coin guide, and a magnet projecting into the path of the coin to the
carrier, substantially as described.
12. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup-
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm, a
separate movable device for depressing the carrier to eject a coin and to elevate
the arm, a coin guide, a magnet projecting into the path of the coin to the carrier,
and means for stripping said magnet of any attracted object, substantially as
described.
13. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup-
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other-end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm, a
separate movable device for depressing the carrier to eject a coin and to elevate
the arm, a coin guide, a magnet projecting into the path of the coin to the carrier,
and a slot closer having a support passing between the arms of the magnet to strip
the latter of any attracted object, substantially as described.
14. The combination in a vending machine, of a reciprocating carriage sup-
porting a pivotted lever having at one end a delivery arm and at the other end
a coin carrier, means tending to elevate the carrier and to depress the arm, a
separate movable device for depressing the carrier to eject a coin and to elevate
the arm, and a slot closer moving with the carriage, substantially as described.