US1027059A - Vending-machine. - Google Patents

Description

N. N. NBHER.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION II'LBD 1330.22, 1910.

1,027,059. Patented May 21, 1912.

3 EHEETSBEEET 1.

WW Attorneys.

ventor,

N. N. NEHER.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED D110. 22, 1910.

1,027,059. Patented May 21,1912. I

, j sums-sum 2.

Ma [II/M fia Attorneys.

Witnesses Inventor,

N. N. NEHER.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED D120. 22, 1910.

1 ,O27,059. v Patented May 21, 1912.

s mama-sum: a.

jl Zahifjl aek Inventor Attorneys,

Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

NOAH N. NEHER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VENDING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOAH N. NiiI-rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Vending-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coin controlled vending machines such as are adapted particularly for use upon the seats of theaters and other places of assemblage, although the device of the present invention can be used in many other places and connections if desired.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to improve, simplify, and strengthen the construction of such devices as well as to decrease the expense attending their manufacture and use as well as to increase their efficiency in operation.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with the cover or front plate removed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation with half of the cover or front face broken away and the remainder shown in elevation. Fig. 41 is a section on the line 4.4t of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the locking member for the lid of each receptacle. Fig. 9 is a detail View showing the forward edge of the lid of one of the compartments with the projections adapted to be engaged by the overhanging lip of the member shown in Fig. 8 to lock the lid in closed position, the lower portions of said projections being beveled to facilitate the automatic locking of the lid after the contents of the receptacle have been withdrawn. Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional view showing the shank for one of the plunger bottoms of one of the receptacles Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 22, 1910.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Serial No. 598,769.

in lowermost position, a coin being shown in dotted lines in the position which it occupies when it is first dropped into the machine. Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing the releasing device after it has been slightly moved by the coin and just before the plunger bottom is released. Fig. 12 is a similar view showing the plunger rod released and the bottom of the receptacle thrown upward to eject the package therein, the releasing devices being in position to engage one of the cam notches in the shank of the plunger bottom to prevent any downward movement thereof. Fig. 13 is a similar view showing how the sliding plates move into one of the notches of the shank when an attempt is made to move the same downward. Fig. 14. is a perspective View of the plunger or ejector bottom of one of the compartments with the coin .slot closure formed integral therewith so as to be positively operated thereby. Figs. 15 and 16 are detail perspective views.

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawing.

The coin controlled vending machine of the present invention is constructed with a c: sing 1 having a top 2 through which extends the push rod or plunger 3, a pair of compartment lids 1 and 5 each provided with a spring 6 for automatically closing its respective lid after the package 7 of material to be vended has been removed from the compartment and also to hold the package in protruded position as viewed in Fig. 1 and be itself held open by said package to automatically close as soon as the package has been removed by the purchaser; a bottom 8, side plates 9, provided with triangular shaped corner plates or bracing members 10 at the upper and lower ends thereof; and a cover plate 11 which covers and incloses the entire front of the casing 1 and is hinged or pivotally connected therewith as indicated at 12, the front plate or cover 11 being provided with side plates 13 having beveled or cut away upper and lower corners 14 which fit in snugly against the corner plates 10 of the casing 1 when the cover plate 11 is thrown into closed position.

The numeral 15 indicates a key hole communicating with a lock 16 mounted on the inside of the cover plate 11 and adapted, as shown in Fig. 5 to engage the top plate 2 of the casing 1 to lock the front cover 11 in closed position. Interiorly, the casing 1 is formed with a pair of compartments 17 and 18 shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings. For the purpose of showing visually whether the compartments 17 and 18 are empty, the cover plate 11 is provided with windows 19 and 20 which register with the compartments 17 and 18 respectively.

The means for ejecting or delivering the package 7 of material to be vended from each of the compartments 17 and 18 preferably includes a plunger bottom or ejector 22 which is in the form of a plate filling the bottom of each compartment and provided with upward extensions or arms 23 and 24 which fit against the sides of the compartments 17 and 18 and slide easily thereon. The side extension 24 of each eject-or 22 is provided at its upper end with an integral wing plate or closure 25 which, when the ejector moves upward, slides over and closes the coin slot 26 shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It will be obvious therefore that the upward movement of the ejector or plunger bottom which discharges the package, positively closes the coin slot against the insertion of another coin until the compartment has been recharged.

The upward movement of the ejector bot tom 22 and slide 25, preferably is utilized for unlocking the lid 5 of the compartment. For this purpose, the lid 5 is locked closed by means of a plate 28, best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 8 of the drawings. This plate 28 is pivotally mounted in any suitable manner upon the sides of each compartment and is provided along its upper edge as shown in Fig. 8 with an overhanging lip 29 which engages the beveled projection 30 upon the forward edge of the lid 5. When the lid 5 is opened by withdrawing the partially ejected package 7 in Fig. 1, the spring 6 thereof causes said lid immediately to snap closed, the projections 30, by reason of their beveled under surfaces, sliding past the overhanging lip 29 and thus automatically looking the empty compartment so as to prevent pieces of paper or chewing gum or other substances from being dropped into the empty compartment by persons who desire to get them out of the way. The plate 28 of the locking member is provided at one edge with an extension or wing 31 which fits alongside of the wall 32 of the compartment as shown in Fig. 3 and is providedat its rear end with an upward projection 34 which is surrounded by a coil spring 35 that bears upward against the stop portion 2 of the casing 1. The spring 35 serves automatically to throw the overhanging lip 29 into locking engagement with the lid 5.

For the purpose of causing the lid 5 of each compartment to be unlocked when the bottom thereof moves upward to discharge the contents of the receptacle, the wing plate 31 is formed along its forward edge with a cam portion 36 which terminates at its upper end in a depression or cutaway por tion 37. The slot closure or slide 25, as shown in Fig. 7 is provided at its upper edge with a flange or projection 38 which engages and rides along the cam edge 36 of the wing plate 31 and thus rocks the wing plate 31 rearwardly, at the same time throwing the overhanging lip 29 forwardly so as to release the lid 5 and permit the upward movement of the package 7 to open said lid. As soon as the projection 38 reaches the cutaway portion 37 of the wing plate 31, the overhanging lip 29 is free to snap back into engagement with the lid 5 and thus lock it in closed position.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description in connection with the drawings that the upward movement of the plunger bottom 22, which is released in the manner hereinafter described by the insertion of a coin, serves first to eject the package to be vended, second, by means of the slide or closure 25, to close the coin slot 26 so as to prevent the insertion of another coin, and third, to release the lid 5 and thus, permit it to open and provide for the removal of the package 7, after which said lid is free to snap closed.

The means for throwing the plunger bottoms 22 upward when the same is released, preferably includes a coil spring 40 which surrounds a shank 41 connected with the plunger bottom 22 and is interposed between said bottom 22 and the bottom 42 of the compartment. The compartment bot tom 42 along its forward edge is formed with a depending integral plate 43 which serves to hold in position a pair oftransversely slidable members or plates 44 and 45 shown in Figs. 10 to 13 of the drawings. Both of the sliding plates 44 and 45 are provided with slots through which extends the shank 41 of the ejector or plunger bot-' tom 22. The upper plate 44 is provided at the opposite ends thereof with depending direction before it engages either the flange 46 or the flange 47 of the upper plate and thus moves the same. The lower plate 45 is provided at the inner end thereof with a pair of downwardly extending separated arms 4848. Said. plate 45 is also provided at one side thereof with a depending flange 49 having at the inner end thereof a trans verse flange or abutment 50. Said plate 45 is providedat its opposite side with a flange 51 which engages the rear wall of the casing 1 and serves to guide the plate 45 in its sliding movement.

Interposed between the abutment flange 50 and the side wall of the casing is a spring 52 shown best in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Describing the operation of these parts with particular reference to the compartment 18 in Figs. 2 and 3 and the construction shown in Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the drawings, the spring 52 normally throws the lower plate 45 to the right. Said plate thus engages the flange 46 of the upper plate 44 and throws said plate to the right, whereby one edge of said plate engages an upper notch 54 formed in the shank 41 of the ejector bottom. The parts thus normally occupy the position indicated in Fig. 10 whereby the plunger bottom 22 is locked in its lowermost position as illustrated in Fig. 2 with a package resting thereon. When a coin is inserted in the left hand coin slot 26, it drops down through the passage 55 shown in Fig. 2 and becomes lodged in the space 56 shown in Fig. 2, the coin being prevented from falling forward by means of the slide flanges 57. WVhen in this position, the coin occupies the relative position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 10. Vhen the coin is now pushed'to the left in Fig. 10 by the push rod mechanism to be hereinafter described, it is pressed against the separated arms 48 of the lower plate 45 and moves the same to the left against the tension of the spring 52.

When the lower plate 45 has moved sufficiently to the left to engage the depending J flange 47 of the upper plate 44, said upper plate 44 is also moved to the left until said plate becomes disengaged from the notch 54 of the shank 41 thus permitting the coil spring 40 to throw the ejector 22 upward at the same time closing the coin slot and opening the lid of the compartment as previously described. If the push rod mechanism is operated when no coin is resting against the separated arms 48, said push rod mechanism merely works idly between said arms 48 without operating the machine. After the lower plate 45 has been first moved by the coin from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11 and has then continued its movement to the left so as to release the shank 41 as shown in Fig. 12 as previously described, the coin drops downward into the coin receptacle 58 and the spring 52 in then free to throw the plates 45 and 44 backward into the position shown in Fig. 13. As the shank 41 is provided below the notch 54 with a pair of cam notches 59 and 60, it will be obvious that any downward movement of the plunger bottom 22 is prevented by reason of the fact that the upper plate 44 engages one of the notches 60 as shown in Fig. 13. The object in view in causing the ejector 22 to be locked in raised position after it has discharged the package 7 and remain locked in such raised position until the machine is refilled and reset by the attendant, is to prevent the coin slot closure or slide 25 from being thrown downward by an attempt to insert a coin. In other words, if the coin slot slide 25 was merely held in position over the coin slot by means of the action of a spring, it might be pushed aside sometime, 'or if the spring became weak it might fail to operate. In the present construction this slide is locked positively in position to prevent the insertion of a coin until the machine is recharged. Moreover by forming a rigid connection between the ejector bottom 22 and the coin slot closure 25, it is impossible to recharge the machine without automatically unlocking the coin slot. In other words if these two parts operated independently, an attendant might sometimes supply a new package to the compartment 18 without removing the closure 25 from the coin slot. Under this arrangement, it would be impossible to insert a coin to unlock the machine even though the compartment were filled In the present construction, when the operator unlocks the front cover 11 and inserts the new package, after releasing the plates 44 and 45 from their engagement with the shank 41, the downward pressure on the package automatically removes the slide 25 from its position in front of the coin slot and at the same time permits the shank 41 to be locked in its lowermost position as shown in Fig. 10 by the action of the spring 52 on the lower plate 45.

The means for pressing the coin against the depending arms 48 when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 preferably comprises a curved lever which is fulcrumed at 66 upon a bracket arm 67 mounted upon the wall or channel 68. The curved lever 65 is provided at its lower end with a nose piece 69 which engages the coin through a suitable opening in said wall 68. Two of the curved levers 68 are employed as shown, one of said levers being adapted to act on the coin for one of the compartments and the other on the coin for the other compartment. The two levers 65 are mounted on opposite sides of an arrow head portion 70 which is formed on the lower end of the push rod 3. The push rod 3 at its lower end is provided'with a projection 71. which extends through a perforation in the platform 72 and thus serves to guide the push rod in its vertical movement. The

ush rod is held normally in raised position y means of a coil spring 72' which bears at its lower end upon a bracket arm 73 secured to the casing 1 and at its upper end rests against a suitable collar 74 fixed upon the push rod 3. When a coin has been inserted into the machine and has dropped down into the space 56 so as to lie directly in advance of the nose piece 69 of one of the levers 65 and the push rod 3 is depressed, the arrow head portion 70 rides between the levers 65 and throws the nose pieces 69 in opposite directions. If one coin is in the machine one of the compartments is released in the manner previously described. If two coins are in the machine both compartments are simultaneously released. As soon as the pressure on the push rod 3 is removed after the compartment has ejected its contents, the spring 72 throws the push. rod upward and the arrow head portion 70 by riding in a cam like manner upon the upper ends of the curved levers 65 thus automatically retracts both of said levers into the position shown in Fig. 2 without necessitating the use of independent springs for retracting said levers. The construction is thus simple and effective in its action and not liable to become disarranged or otherwise get out of order or wear out as is the case where delicate springs are employed.

The machine of the present invention is strong, simple, durable, inexpensive and compact in construction as well as thoroughly efficient and practical in operation. By reason of the fact that the lid of each compartment automatically snaps closed as soon as the package to be vended has been removed therefrom, the obnoxious, though common habit of dropping pieces of paper, chewing gum and the like into the open receptacle to get rid of them is prevented. By reason of the fact that the coin slot closure is locked positively in closed position, said closure cannot be opened except by the regular attendant and the insertion of a coin at a time when consideration therefor cannot be returned, is prevented. The machine is thus proof against ignorant, careless and malicious persons and is easily reset and thus not liable to be damaged by even a careless attendant.

That is claimed as new is 1. A vending machine having a casing, a spring actuated package ejector mounted therein, a lid hingedly connected to the casing to be engaged by a package during the ejection thereof bythe ejector, and a spring at the hinge of said lid exerting a tension to hold the lid closed and while the package is protruded to engage the package, whereby the package will retain the lid in protruded position.

2. A vending machine of this character, having a casing, said casing being divided into two vertically disposed and parallel compartments, a lid hingedly connected to the upper end of the casing for controlling the upper end of its respective compartments, and a spring hinge to each lid and normally holding the lid in closed position, a spring actuated package ejector mounted in each compartment and normally exerting a tension upwardly and toward its respective lid, whereby the package carried by said eject-or is projected against the lid to raise the same, the spring tension of the hinge upon the lid retaining the protruded package within the compartment but above the open end of the said compartment, and said package in turn retaining the lip in open position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signa L ture in the presence of two witnesses.

NOAH N. NEHER.

Witncsses J. R. MILLER, F. M. BATES.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington. I). G.

open position and being itself retained in'

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