GB1562701A

GB1562701A - Vending machines

Info

Publication number: GB1562701A
Application number: GB857676A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-06-02
Filing date: 1977-06-02
Publication date: 1980-03-12

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN VENDING MACHINES (71) I, HERMAN BERTHOLD RATZKER, stateless, of Flat 9, 55 Shepherds Hill, London N6, do here declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention concerns improvements in vending machines, and relates more especially to an improved means for maintaining vending machine drawers in a fully closed position.

In coin freed vending machines of the drawer dispensing type, a known coin freed mechanism comprises a coin receiving means provided at the back of each vending drawer, the arrangement being such that when a coin inserted into the machine is received in an appropriate position in the vending drawer, withdrawal of the drawer causes the coin to abut against a drawer releasing mechanism and thus to free the drawer for forward movement, before discharge of the coin from the drawer into a coin receptacle. Such a mechanism is, for example, described in Patent Specification No. 29331/75, (Serial No. 1,560,61).

In coin freed mechanisms of the type referred to, it is important that each vending drawer should, when in the closed position, be maintained in a position of rest in which the coin receiving means on the drawer registers accurately with a coin shute in the body of the machine. Various means have been hitherto proposed for biasing a vending drawer into its closed position, for example by means of spring loaded mechanisms or magnetic catches. However, such hitherto proposed means have either been unreliable in use or relatively complicated and expensive to produce.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a simple and reliable means for biasing a vending drawer into the rest position.

In accordance with the invention, a mechanism for biasing a vending drawer into the closed position comprises a spring Ioaded lever pivoted on mixed part of the machine with respect to which a vending drawer is slidably movable, said lever having an extremity arranged to engage within a recess or aperture in the vending drawer when the drawer is in the region of its fully closed position, the arrangement being such that when said lever engages in said recess or aperture, it serves to bias the drawer into a rest position, whereas upon withdrawal of the drawer from the machine against said spring loading, the lever can initially be pivoted against said spring loading to escape from said recess or aperture during movement of the drawer, the lever subsequently maintaining sliding engage ,ment with the drawer until the said recess or aperture is returned into engagement therewith.

Preferably, said recess or aperture is provided in a horizontal under surface of the drawer, and said lever is pivoted about a horizontal axis below said drawer and perpendicular to the direction of sliding movement of the latter.

Advantageously, in a vending machine comprising a number of adjacent drawers, a plurality of said levers are pivoted on a common shaft extending transversely of the vending machine to pass through the partitions of the vending machine defining storage columns thereof. Conveniently, each individual lever may then be biased by means of a tension spring anchored between one end of the lever and a mounting on a corresponding one of said partitions.

According to one embodiment of the invention, each vending drawer of a said vending machine is formed of wood or synthetic plastics material, and the under side of the drawer is provided with a longitudinally extending metal strip containing an aperture for engagement by said lever and providing a bearing surface on which the said lever can slide during withdrawal of a vending drawer from said machine.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation of the relevent parts of a vending machine in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in the positions occupied during withdrawal of a vending drawer, and Fig. 3 is a front view partly in section of the relevant parts of a vending machine in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a coin freed vending machine of generally known type, as described in more detail, for example in Patent Specification No. 29331/75, (Serial No. 1,560,261), comprises a plurality of generally vertical partitions 1 between which are defined storage columns for articles, for example cigarette packets, to be dispensed from the vending machine.

Slidably mounted between each adjacent pair of partitions is a vending drawer 2, the arrangement being such that by withdrawing a drawer 2 forwardly from the machine, an article can be dispensed from the base of the storage column contained within the machine. The manner in which the drawers 2 dispense articles from the machine, and the operation of a coin freed mechanism for releasing the drawers is of known type, and not shown in further detail herein. Briefly, one or more coins inserted into the machine are conducted via a coin shute to a slot arranged at the rear of the vending drawer, the coin or coins forming an abutment to engage and release a drawer latch during initial outward movement of the drawer.In order to ensure proper functioning of the coin release mechanism, thereof, it is necessary that the coin receiving slot in the drawer, and the coin shute should be accurately in register with one another when the drawer is in its idle condition. However, in coin freed mechanisms of the type concerned, when the vending drawer is fully home in its latched condition, there is a small amount of free play allowed to the drawer between its desired rest position, and a position in which it is engaged by the drawer latch when pulled forwardly from the machine without insertion of coins. This free play is necessary to enable release of the draw latch by abutment with a coin, during the initial part of the withdrawal movement of the drawer.

It is accordingly necessary to bias the drawer towards its desired rest position over this relatively small range of free movement.

In order to achieve such biasing of the drawer, there is provided for each drawer 2, a pivoted lever 3, which is freely pivotable on a shaft 4 passing transversely through the partitions 1 of the vending machine in the region below the vending drawers h. Each lever 3 is biased in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, by means of a tension spring 5 anchored between an end of the lever 3 and an anchoring screw 6 provided in the adjacent partition 1. The lever 3 is located axially on the shaft 4 by means of collars 8 fixed to the latter. In the base of each drawer 2 is provided a metal strip 7 extending parallel to the direction of sliding movement of the drawer 2, the strip 7 having an aperture 7a through which an end 3a of the lever 3 can extend into a recess 2a in the base of the drawer 2, when the drawer 2 is in the position shown in Fig. 1.Thus, with the drawer in the fully closed position as shown in Fig. 1, it is biased towards a rest position in the direction of the arrow A, by engagement of the lever 3 in the aperture 7a this ensures accurate registration of the coin slot (not shown) of the drawer with a coin shute (not shown) of the vending-machine.

When a vending drawer 2 is withdrawn from the vending machine in the direction of the arrow B of Fig. 2, after release of its latch mechanism in known manner, the lever 3 is able to pivot in an anticlockwise direction and thus to yield against its spring loading to enable withdrawal of the drawer. A soon as the extremity 3a of the lever 3 escapes from the aperture 7a, the end of the lever 3 slides along the strip 7 provided at the base of the drawer, and thus the spring biasing of the drawer 2 is removed. The dimension of the lever 3 is such that it cannot pass overcentre when in sliding engagement with the strip 7, so that it returns into biasing engagement with the aperture 7a as the drawer 2 is returned to its rest position.

From the above it will be seen that in relatively simple manner the arrangement described provides for biasing of a vending drawer 2 into a rest position only during the relatively small part of its movement over which such biasing is requ*ed, the lever 3 yielding to allow free outward movement of the drawer 2 after the inital movement thereof to release its latch mechanism and returning reliably into engagement with the drawer 2 as the latter is returned. Thus the spring biasing of the lever 3 can be made sufficiently strong to ensure reliable closure of the drawer 2 to its rest position without impeding opening of the drawer.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A mechanism for biasing a vending drawer into the close position, comprising a spring-loaded lever pivoted on a fixed part of the machine with respect to which a vending drawer is slidably movable, said lever having an extremity arranged to engage within a recess or aperture in the vending drawer when the drawer is in the region of its fully closed position, the arrangement being such that when said

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Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation of the relevent parts of a vending machine in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in the positions occupied during withdrawal of a vending drawer, and Fig. 3 is a front view partly in section of the relevant parts of a vending machine in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a coin freed vending machine of generally known type, as described in more detail, for example in Patent Specification No. 29331/75, (Serial No. 1,560,261), comprises a plurality of generally vertical partitions 1 between which are defined storage columns for articles, for example cigarette packets, to be dispensed from the vending machine.

Slidably mounted between each adjacent pair of partitions is a vending drawer 2, the arrangement being such that by withdrawing a drawer 2 forwardly from the machine, an article can be dispensed from the base of the storage column contained within the machine. The manner in which the drawers 2 dispense articles from the machine, and the operation of a coin freed mechanism for releasing the drawers is of known type, and not shown in further detail herein. Briefly, one or more coins inserted into the machine are conducted via a coin shute to a slot arranged at the rear of the vending drawer, the coin or coins forming an abutment to engage and release a drawer latch during initial outward movement of the drawer.In order to ensure proper functioning of the coin release mechanism, thereof, it is necessary that the coin receiving slot in the drawer, and the coin shute should be accurately in register with one another when the drawer is in its idle condition. However, in coin freed mechanisms of the type concerned, when the vending drawer is fully home in its latched condition, there is a small amount of free play allowed to the drawer between its desired rest position, and a position in which it is engaged by the drawer latch when pulled forwardly from the machine without insertion of coins. This free play is necessary to enable release of the draw latch by abutment with a coin, during the initial part of the withdrawal movement of the drawer.

It is accordingly necessary to bias the drawer towards its desired rest position over this relatively small range of free movement.

In order to achieve such biasing of the drawer, there is provided for each drawer 2, a pivoted lever 3, which is freely pivotable on a shaft 4 passing transversely through the partitions 1 of the vending machine in the region below the vending drawers h. Each lever 3 is biased in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, by means of a tension spring 5 anchored between an end of the lever 3 and an anchoring screw 6 provided in the adjacent partition 1. The lever 3 is located axially on the shaft 4 by means of collars 8 fixed to the latter. In the base of each drawer 2 is provided a metal strip 7 extending parallel to the direction of sliding movement of the drawer 2, the strip 7 having an aperture 7a through which an end 3a of the lever 3 can extend into a recess 2a in the base of the drawer 2, when the drawer 2 is in the position shown in Fig. 1.Thus, with the drawer in the fully closed position as shown in Fig. 1, it is biased towards a rest position in the direction of the arrow A, by engagement of the lever 3 in the aperture 7a this ensures accurate registration of the coin slot (not shown) of the drawer with a coin shute (not shown) of the vending-machine.

When a vending drawer 2 is withdrawn from the vending machine in the direction of the arrow B of Fig. 2, after release of its latch mechanism in known manner, the lever 3 is able to pivot in an anticlockwise direction and thus to yield against its spring loading to enable withdrawal of the drawer. A soon as the extremity 3a of the lever 3 escapes from the aperture 7a, the end of the lever 3 slides along the strip 7 provided at the base of the drawer, and thus the spring biasing of the drawer 2 is removed. The dimension of the lever 3 is such that it cannot pass overcentre when in sliding engagement with the strip 7, so that it returns into biasing engagement with the aperture 7a as the drawer 2 is returned to its rest position.

From the above it will be seen that in relatively simple manner the arrangement described provides for biasing of a vending drawer 2 into a rest position only during the relatively small part of its movement over which such biasing is requ*ed, the lever 3 yielding to allow free outward movement of the drawer 2 after the inital movement thereof to release its latch mechanism and returning reliably into engagement with the drawer 2 as the latter is returned. Thus the spring biasing of the lever 3 can be made sufficiently strong to ensure reliable closure of the drawer 2 to its rest position without impeding opening of the drawer.

WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A mechanism for biasing a vending drawer into the close position, comprising a spring-loaded lever pivoted on a fixed part of the machine with respect to which a vending drawer is slidably movable, said lever having an extremity arranged to engage within a recess or aperture in the vending drawer when the drawer is in the region of its fully closed position, the arrangement being such that when said

lever engages in said recess or aperture, it serves to bias the drawer into a rest position, whereas upon withdrawal of the drawer from the machine against said spring loading, the lever can initially be pivoted against said spring loading to escape from said recess or aperture during movement of the drawer, the lever subsequently maintaining sliding engagement with the drawer until the said recess or aperture is returned into engagement therewith.

2. A vending machine comprising at least one drawer having a biasing mechanism as claimed in Claim 1, in which said recess or aperture is provided in a horizontal under-surface of the drawer, and said lever is pivoted about a horizontal axis below said drawer and perpendicular to the direction of sliding movement of the latter.

3. A vending machine comprising a plurality of adjacent drawers each having a biasing mechanism as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which a plurality of said levers are pivoted on a common shaft extending transversely of the vending machine to pass through the partitions of the vending machine defining storage columns thereof.

4. A vending machine according to Claim 3, in which each individual lever is biased by means of a tension spring anchored between one end of the lever and a mounting on a corresponding one of said partitions.

6. A vending machine according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, in which each of said vending drawers is formed of wood or synthetic plastics material, and the under-side of the drawer is provided with a longitudinally extending metal strip containing an aperture for engagement by said lever and providing a bearing surface on which said lever can slide during withdrawal of a vending drawer from said machine.

7. A mechanism for biassing a vending drawer into the closed position, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A vending machine substantially as claimed in Claim 7.