Year: 1896

page_text: I, EDWARD SHAW, of 9 Lower Castle Street, Bristol, in the County of Gloucester,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to a construction of vending machine designed to
deliver from bulk and in exchange for a proper coin, a predetermined quantity
of goods such for example as sweets, nuts, peas, rice, marbles, and other articles
of a like nature, the arrangement of the machine being such as to protect the goods
in bulk when necessary as far as possible from injurious action of the external
atmosphere and to prevent the machine being operated until after a coin of the
proper value has been inserted therein.
In one construction of machine according to this invention the receptacle for
holding in bulk the goods to be delivered (hereinafter called sweets) is provided
with a practically air tight cover or closure at the top to exclude damp air and
with a hopper-like bottom arranged above a recess having a discharge opening
at one end. Within the recess is a worm which may be made for example of
about 3 inches in diameter, with a 3 inch pitch and which terminates at the
discharge hole. In order to avoid any jamming of the machine by sweets being
caught between the outer diameter of the worm and the edge of the discharge
hole, such as is liable to take place with some kinds of sweets, the hole may be
made larger in diameter than the worm, say for example of 4 inches diameter
with a 3 inch worm, and from this point extends a worm that may be of larger
diameter, or of greater pitch than the first mentioned worm. By this means a
predetermined quantity of sweets will be delivered by the first mentioned worm
to the second one on the other side of the opening, without any danger of the
sweets being jammed when passing from the receptacle. The two worms are
fixed on the same shaft and may be made in one piece. The compound worm
or screw conveyor may, at each operation of the machine, be made to revolve
through a whole revolution or a part of a revolution.
The second worm is arranged to feed the sweets over an extension of the bottom
of the recess in which the first mentioned worm works, whence they fall into a
box located in the machine below the second worm, the top of the box being
nearly on a level with the bottom of this worm. The box has no bottom to it,
and the sweets fed into it, fall onto a stationary platform from which they can
be removed by pulling the box outwards whereby the sweets are drawn forward
and allowed to fall onto a shelf at the front of the machine. A spring or weight
is used to normally hold the box in its backward position and to automatically
return the box to this position after it has been pulled forward and released.
The box may be so constructed that when in its normal position it closes in a
רנס...מ

page_text: practically air tight manner, the opening in the machine in which it works. In
connection with the box there may be provided suitable means such as a catch,
trigger or cam that will serve to lock the box in position until after a coin has
been inserted in the machine and the screw conveyor has been worked.
In another construction the conveyor for removing the sweets from the receptacle
comprises a wheel provided on its periphery with a series of compartments, it
may be constructed with a single compartment, or with two or more compart-
ments having between each adjacent pair a plain portion, the arrangement being
such that the compartment, or one of them will normally be below the receptacle
and upon operating the machine the charged compartment will be moved opposite
a discharge opening through which the sweets will be discharged, after which
the compartment, or another one if there be two or more, will be brought below
the receptacle to receive a fresh charge. In the last mentioned arrangements, the
wheel may be arranged to work about a vertical axis instead of a horizontal one
and be provided with one or more measuring compartments or chambers that are
brought alternately below, the receptacle and above a discharge opening.
In each of the preceding arrangements, jamming of sweets may be prevented
by providing the paddles or blades, or the delivery edge of the receptacle with a
flexible tip, or the said delivery edge may be provided with a roller having vanes
-or blades thereon.
Any suitable means may be provided for operating the conveying devices here-
inbefore referred to and for testing the coin, or any substitute therefor, inserted
in the machine with a view of enabling the same to be operated so as to deliver
sweets. In one arrangement for this purpose according to this invention, there
is loosely mounted on the driving shaft of the conveyor (hereinafter called the
conveyor shaft) a wheel or drum that is provided on one side with a projection or
abutment and is connected directly or indirectly with a weight or spring. On
the same shaft is fixed a-part clutch, for example a collar carrying a spring pawl
held in engagement with a ring of teeth on the wheel or drum. The operating
handle is mounted upon a spindle arranged coaxially with the worm shaft and
provided at a point within the machine with a nut or collar in which is a slit
of a width adapted to receive a proper coin after the same has been inserted
through a slot of suitable length and width. The arrangement is such that the
handle is free to turn round idly until a coin has been inserted in the slot. When
a coin has been passed into the machine through the slot it runs into the slit in
the nut or collar and upon then turning the handle, the coin is brought against
the projection or abutment on the drum which is then rotated against the action
of the weight or spring. At a certain point of the revolution, the coin will
become disengaged from one or the other of the two parts between which it was
held, and fall out of position and so break the connection between the handle and
the wheel or drum, the former of which will be then rendered inoperative whilst the
latter will be turned in the opposite direction by the re-action of the weight or
spring, and by engaging the conveyor shaft through the ratchet and pawl, or
other equivalent clutching arrangement will turn such shaft and the conveyor
. connected therewith to a sufficient extent to 'so cause the predetermined quantity
⚫ of sweets to be delivered from the machine.
The coin is caused to break the connection between the operating spindle and
the wheel or drum by a wedge or dever arrangement that acts to move the coin
.. relatively to one or other of the connected parts when the wheel or drum has been
turned far enough.
As the force for turning the wheel or drum against the action of the spring or
weight connected therewith has to be transmitted through the coin or the sub-
stitute therefor inserted in the machine, any coin or disc of material, weaker by
any given amount than the proper coin will yield and prevent the machine being
worked.
The machine may be provided with means for delivering at each operation
thereof, a piece of paper in which the sweets delivered may be wrapped or enclosed.

page_text: For this purpose a roll of paper may be mounted in the machine and a length
thereof be fed outward by suitable means each time the machine is operated.
Dated this 12th day of June 1896.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Felds, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in Vending Machines.
I, EDWARD SHAW, of 9 Lower Castle Street, Bristol, in the County of Gloucester,
Engineer, 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 has reference to a construction of vending machine designed to
deliver from bulk and in exchange for a proper coin, a predetermined quantity
of goods such for example as sweets, nuts, peas, rice, marbles, and other articles
of a like nature, the arrangement of the machine being such as to protect the
goods in bulk when necessary as far as possible from injurious action of the exter-
nal atmosphere and to prevent the machine being operated until after a coin of the
proper value has been inserted therein.
In one construction of machine according to this invention the receptacle for
holding in bulk the goods to be delivered (hereinafter called sweets) is provided
with a practically air tight cover or closure at the top to exclude damp air and with
a hopper-like bottom arranged above a recess having a discharge opening at one
end. Within the recess is a worm which may be made for example of about
3 inches in diameter, with a 3 inch pitch and which terminates at the discharge
hole. In order to avoid any jamming of the machine by sweets being caught
between the outer diameter of the worm and the edge of the discharge hole, such
as is liable to take place with some kinds of sweets, the hole may be made larger
in diameter than the worm, say for example of 4 inches diameter with a 3 inch
worm, and from this point extends a worm that may be of larger diameter, or
of greater pitch than the first mentioned worm. By this means a predetermined
quantity of sweets will be delivered by the first mentioned worm to the second
one on the other side of the opening, without any danger of the sweets being
jammed when passing from the receptacle. The two worms are fixed on the same
shaft and may be made in one piece. The compound worm or screw conveyor
may, at each operation of the machine, be made to revolve through a whole
revolution or a part of a revolution.
The second worm is arranged to feed the sweets over an extension of the bottom
of the recess in which the first mentioned worm works, whence they fall into a
box located in the machine below the second worm, the top of the box being
nearly on a level with the bottom of this worm. The box has no bottom to it, and
the sweets fed into it, fall onto a stationary platform from which they can be
removed by pulling the box outwards whereby the sweets are drawn forward and
allowed to fall onto a shelf at the front of the machine. A spring or weight is
used to normally hold the box in its backward position and to automatically
return the box to this position after it has been pulled forward and released. The
box may be so constructed that when in its normal position it closes in a practically
air tight manner, the opening in the machine in which it works. In connection
with the box there may be provided suitable means such as a catch, trigger or cam
that will serve to lock the box in position until the required time after a coin has
been inserted in the machine.

page_text: In another construction the conveyor for removing the sweets from the receptacle
comprises a wheel provided on its periphery with a single compartment, or with
two or more compartments having between each adjacent pair a plain portion,
the arrangement being such that the conipartment, or one of them will normally
be below the receptacle and upon operating the machine the charged compartment
will be moved opposite a discharge opening through which the sweets will be
discharged, after which the compartment, or another one if there be two or more,
will be brought below the receptacle to receive a fresh charge. In the last
mentioned arrangement, the wheel may be arranged to work about a vertical axis
instead of a horizontal one and be provided with one or more measuring com-
partments or chambers that are brought alternately below the receptacle and above
a discharge opening.
In each of the preceding arrangements jamming of sweets may be prevented by
providing the paddles or blades, or the delivery edge of the receptacle with a
flexible tip, or the said delivery edge may be provided with a roller having vanes
or blades thereon.
Any suitable means may be provided for operating the conveying devices herein-
before referred to and for testing the coin, or any substitute therefor, inserted
in the machine with a view of enabling the same to be operated so as to deliver
sweets. In one arrangement for this purpose according to this invention, there
is loosely mounted on the driving shaft of the conveyor (hereinafter called the
conveyor shaft) a wheel or drum that is provided on one side with a projection or
abutment and is connected directly or indirectly with a weight or spring. On
the same shaft is fixed a part clutch, for example a collar carrying a spring pawl
held in engagement with a ring of teeth on the wheel or drum. The operating
handle is mounted upon a spindle arranged co-axially with the worm shaft and
provided at a point within the machine with a nut or collar in which is a slit of a
width adapted to receive a proper coin after the same has been inserted through
a slot of suitable length and width. The arrangement is such that the handle is
free to turn round idly until a coin has been inserted in the slot. When a coin
has been passed into the machine through the slot it runs into the slit in the
nut or collar and upon then turning the handle, the coin is brought against the
projection or abutment on the drum which is then rotated against the action of
the weight or spring. At a certain point of the revolution, the coin will, become
disengaged from one or the other of the two parts between which it was held, and
fall out of position and so break the connection between the handle and the wheel
or drum, the former of which will be then rendered inoperative whilst the latter
will be turned in the opposite direction by the re-action of the weight or spring,
and by engaging the conveyor shaft through the ratchet and pawl, or other
equivalent clutching arrangement will turn such shaft and the conveyor con
nected therewith to a sufficient extent to so cause the predetermined quantity of
sweets to be delivered from the machine.
The coin is caused to break the connection between the operating spindle and
the wheel or drum by a wedge or lever arrangement that acts to move the coin
relatively to one or other of the connected parts when the wheel or drum hás
been turned far enough.
As the force for turning the wheel or drum against the action of the spring or
weight connected therewith has to be transmitted through the coin or the substitute
therefor inserted in the machine, any coin or disc of material, weaker by any
given amount than the proper coin will yield and prevent the machine being
worked.
The machine may be provided with means for delivering at each operation
thereof, a piece of paper in which the sweets delivered may be wrapped or enclosed.
For this purpose a roll of paper may be mounted in the machine and a léngth
thereof be fed outward by suitable means each time the machine is operated.
Referring to the accompanying illustrative drawings,

page_text: Fig. 1 shows in vertical section an arrangement of apparatus according to this
invention;
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section;
Fig. 3 shows to an enlarged scale the weight winding drum and the wedge-
action coin displacer.
17 is
1 is the receptacle for holding in bulk the sweets (or goods) to be delivered;
2 its practically air tight cover or closure; the hopper like bottom; 4 the recess
and 5 the discharge opening; 6 the flexible tip in the form of a strip of vulcanized
india rubber to prevent jamming of sweets; 7 the worm of smaller diameter
8 the worm of larger diameter; 9 the shaft carrying both these worms and having
freely mounted upon it the drum 10 able to rotate independently of the shaft in
one direction but when it is rotated under the influence of the weight 11 through
the flexible connector 12 12" 12b causes the shaft and its worms to rotate through
the medium of a pawl 13 pivoted to the drum and a ratchet wheel 14 fast on the
shaft. 15 is a short shaft on the outer end of which is fixed a handle 16.
a disc fixed on the shaft 15; the disc has its periphery formed with ratchet teeth
that engage with a pawl pivoted to the inside of the casing so as to allow the disc
to rotate in a direction corresponding to the forward direction of the handle but
not the reverse direction. In this disc there is a radial coin slot which periodically
comes opposite an opening 18 in the outer casing 19. Also fixed on the shaft 15
is a bevelled collar 20 in the periphery of which, opposite the coin slot in the
disc 17 there is a groove adapted to receive the lower edge of a coin 21 inserted
through the said slot as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1. 22 is a lug or
projection on the drum so arranged that when the parts are in the normal position
with the weight 11 at its lowest the lug will occupy in relation to the said slot
the position or approximately the position indicated in Fig. 3 so that upon a coin
being then inserted and upon the handle 16 being turned in the direction indicated
by the arrow in Fig. 3, the shaft 15 will, through the medium of the inserted coin
cause the drum 10 to rotate so as to wind around it a further portion of the part 12
of the flexible connector, thereby raising the weight 11. As the handle 16 is
rotated the coin will, after a time, commence to be moved radially out of the
groove of the collar 20 by the wedge like action of the fixed coin displacer 23
(see Fig. 3) which is mounted freely on the shaft 15 but is itself prevented from
rotating by the bracket 24. The displaced coins drop into the drawer 21 which
can be locked by means of a key. The displacement of the coin releases the
drum 10 from the shaft 15 whereupon the weight 11 will descend and, through
the connector 12, 12" 12b will cause, rotation of the drum 10 in the reverse direc-
tion, so as through the pawl 13 and ratchet wheel 14 to rotate the shaft 9 and
its worms 7 and 8 in a direction to deliver from the recess 4 at the bottom of the
receptacle 1 a predetermined quantity of sweets, the worm 7 delivering through
the discharge opening 5 to the worm 8 in the space 25 which will simultaneously
deliver an equal quantity of sweets through the opening 26 into the bottomless
box 27 which can be drawn outward by pulling a handle 28 so that its contained
sweets will fall down the incline 29 in readiness to be removed by the purchaser.
Fig. 1 shows the parts in the relative positions they occupy when the box 27
contains a quantity of sweets delivered into it in exchange for a coin as above
described. Further descent of the weight has been and is prevented by means
of a fixed stop (which may be forked) 12 against which the coupling piece 12ª
of the flexible connector now rests (see Figs. 1 and 2). The box is unlocked.
The catch or trigger locking arrangement illustrated is as follows:-
To an arm 30 pivoted at 31 are pivoted two other arms 32 and 33, the lower
of which serves normally to lock the box in its closed position whilst the first
mentioned arm 30 serves to return the arm 33 into the locking position during
the opening movement of the box. The arm 33 has pivoted to it a link 34 whose
upper end is made with an elongated slot 35 that engages with a pin 36 which
projects from the arm 32 so that the arm 33 is able to move radially about its

page_text: pivot pin to a certain extent without correspondingly actuating the arm 32. It
will be seen that the arm 32 is formed with a bent or shoulder 37 adapted to engage
with a projection 38 on the casing and that at the same end there is jointed to
the said arm 32 a rod 39 able to work through a fixed eye 40 and connected at
its upper end to the lower end of the part 12b of the flexible connector that carries
the weight 11. 41 is a spring that tends normally to draw the arm 30 to the
left in Figure 1. 42 is a spring that tends normally to keep the box 27 shut.
In the relative positions of the parts shown in Fig. 1 the arms 32 and 33 are
supposed to have been raised during the upward movement of the weight so that
the shoulder 37 of the arm 32 has been raised clear of the projection 38 and the
arm 30 has been moved to the left by the spring 41 so that the lower arm 33 is held
clear of the box. Assuming the box to be now open to its full extent when the
back part 27 comes against the lower part of the arm 30 that end of the said
arm will be moved to the right so as to allow the free end of the arm 32 to descend
a short distance into a position in which its end 7" will rest on the projection 38
in which position of the parts the inclined end of the lower arm will be in
the path of the back portion 27" of the box which, during its return stroke, will
slightly raise the said inclined end without actuating the arm 32 and when
the box is completely shut the end 3" will descend sufficiently to lock the hox
until it is released by a repetition of the operation already indicated.
43 is a paper roller which may be constructed of wood or other suitable material
and is supported in bearings 44. 45 is a roll of paper thereon which is or may
be provided at short intervals with transverse rows of perforations after the
manner of a sheet of postage stamps, or they may be cuts.
46 is a roller with annular ridges 46" practically in contact with a second
roller 47 which may be smooth. The roller 46 is fast on a shaft 46b free to rotate
in suitable bearings. A sprocket wheel 48 is free to rotate upon and independently
of the shaft 46b. Between the sprocket wheel 48 and the shaft there is provided
a pawl and ratchet wheel arrangement such that whilst the handle 16 is being
turned to raise the weight 11, the sprocket wheel 48 will communicate rotary
movement to the roller 46 but during the reverse rotary movement of the sprocket
wheel, under the influence of the weight, the shaft 46 will remain stationary.
It will be seen that the free end of the roll of paper 45 is led down between the
rollers 46 and 47 from which there is a delivery passage 51 to the outside of the
machine. With this arrangement as will be evident a certain length of paper
will be drawn from the roller 45 at each forward rotation of the bandle 16 so
that the lower edge of such paper will be accessible and can be taken hold of
by the operator (see Fig. 1) but owing to the paper being nipped between the
rollers 46 and 47 and the paper being formed as aforesaid with transverse perfora-
tions or cuts, which of course must be at such intervals that after each delivery
operation a row of perforations or cuts will be at the delivery side of the pair of
rollers, improper withdrawal of paper from the machine will be prevented.
Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 of so much of a machine as is necessary
to illustrate a modification and Fig. 5 is a vertical section in a plane at right
angles to Fig. 4. In this machine the arrangement for driving the
shaft 9 and testing the coin, as also the arrangement of bottomless
box and of the locking device therefor and the arrangement for delivering a
given quantity of paper with each quantity of sweets are or may be the same as
those already described with reference to the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1
to 3 inclusive. But the form of the receptacle 1 is as will he seen somewhat
modified and in the recess at the lower part of the inclined hopper like bottom
there is provided a wheel 53 which is fixed on the shaft 9 and is constructed with
measuring compartments 54 and between these plain portions 55 and 56 which
work in a correspondingly formed space or chamber having grooved walls 57 58
which conform to the plain portions and form covers to the measuring compart-
ments 53 and 54 when these compartments are travelling opposite to such curved
walls.

page_text: 59 is a roller having vanes or plates 60 of suitable material such as india rubber
thus forming a travelling delivery edge to the receptacle to prevent jamming as
hereinbefore referred to. It is advantageous to gear the shaft of this roller to
the shaft 9 by means of toothed wheels 60 and 61 and an interposed idle wheel 62.
In this machine in order that on the termination of the operation of delivering
a paid for quantity of sweets the wheel may be in correct position for the succeed-
ing operation the ratchet wheel 14 is provided with only two teeth these being
arranged at diametrically opposite sides of that wheel. In order to get exactly
half a turn of the wheel the coin displacer is so arranged as to enable the operator
to give rather more than half a rotation of the drum 10. It results that the
weight will fall and the drum will rotate a certain distance before rotation of
the shaft has commenced and that the shaft will be caused to make exactly half
a rotation.
As will be evident my above described machines may be modified so that the
turning of the handle after the insertion of a coin will actuate the conveyor and
wind up the weight which, when released by the automatic displacement of the
coin, will, in its descent return the drum into proper position for being again
actuated by the handle after another coin shall have been duly inserted. To this
end it is only necessary to reverse the arrangement of the pawl 13 and ratchet
wheel 14 so that when the handle is being turned and the drum rotated to wind
up the weight the shaft and conveyor will also be driven and after the drum has
been released from the handle by the displacement of the coin the drum will be
able to rotate in a reverse direction freely about the shaft.
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. A vending machine in which a receptacle for holding in bulk the goods to
be delivered and means (a) for withdrawing from such receptacle a predetermined
quantity of such goods, (b) for holding and delivering paper, and (e) for actuating
the said goods withdrawing and paper-delivering means when a coin has been
inserted are so combined and arranged that on a proper coin being inserted and
the operating handle of the machine then appropriately actuated there will be
delivered so as to be accessible to the operator, not only a predetermined quantity
of goods from the before mentioned receptacle but also a piece of paper in which
the goods so delivered may be wrapped or enclosed.
2. In a vending machine the combination of a receptacle for holding in bulk
goods to be delivered, a conveyor adapted to withdraw goods from such receptacle
and to be actuated by means of a falling weight or equivalent, an operating
handle, means for connecting through the medium of a coin the said handle to
the weight in such a manner as to enable the weight to be raised, by actuating the
handle, and means for displacing the coin at the required time so as to disconnect
the handle from the weight substantially as described.
3. In a vending machine, the use for actuating a conveyor adapted to withdraw
goods from a storage receptacle of a falling weight previously raised by the opera-
tion of a handle through the medium of a coin, substantially as described.
4. In a vending machine, the combination of a receptacle for holding in bulk
goods to be delivered, a conveyor, a weight, an actuating handle, a flexible con-
nector, a device whereby through the medium of an inserted coin the actuating
handle can be connected through the flexible connector to the weight and which
device comprises a part adapted to be actuated directly by the handle and a part
adapted to be driven through the medium of the inserted coin and means for
displacing the coin in an automatic manner so as to disconnect the handle from
the flexible connector, the arrangement being such that by the action of the
weight that part of the connecting device that is adapted to be driven through
the medium of the coin will, after the coin has been displaced, move into the

page_text: proper position for being again engaged and operated through the medium of an
inserted coin.
5. In a vending machine the combination with a receptacle for holding in bulk
goods to be delivered and a conveyor for delivering or removing predetermined
quantities of such goods from such receptacles of means substantially as described
for preventing jamming.
6. My improved vending machines substantially as hereinbefore respectively
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whether or not the same
be provided with means for holding and delivering paper.
Dated UHIIS 1
Apm
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.