US2255007A - Shift container vending mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Sept; 2, 1941. R. z. GREENE E'I'AL 2,255,007

' SHIFT QONTAINERQVENDING MECHANISM I Filed Sept. 25 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IQyENTOR 5 6W :3}. M W

ATTORNEY P 1941- R. z. GREENE ETAl I 2,255,007

SHIFT CONTAINER VENDING MEQHANISM ATTORNEYS in an adjacent hopper.

Patented Sept. 2, 1941 2,255,007 SHIFT CONTAINER MECHANISM Robert Z. Greene, Glen Ridge, and Christian Gabrielson, Belleville, N. J., assignors to Rowe Manufacturing 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 23, 1938, Serial No. 231,290

6 Claims. (01. 312-67) machines.

It is an object of the invention to provide, in the class of vending machine in which several difierent kinds of brands of merchandise are vended, means for varying.tne ratios between the numbers of the various kinds or brands of merchandise carried by providing reserve storage spaces for certain brands, and-preferably utilizing portions of the containers for certain brands as storage spaces for others.

In the cigarette vending field, which may be taken as typical, machines are customarily pro-. vided with a number of verticalchutes or hoppers adapted to hold columns of packages of cigarettes, the usual number of such hoppers being six or eight. As will be apparent, the variation in the numbers of different brands of cigarettes which the machine can 'hold is severely limited. For example, in a six column machine,.if five brands are to be vended, the only possibility is to carry an equal number of four brands and twice as many of a fifth. It is, however, desirable to approximate the number of packages of various brands stocked in the. machine to proportionality to the sales volume of the various brands. In accordance with the present invention in its preferred form, one or more of the hoppers may be divided into two sections, one of which may contain a short column of a slow between the numbers of various brands carried.

A still further object of the invention is to carry out the foregoing objects in a simple and rugged construction and to adapt the normal delivery mechanism of the machine to carrying out the desired shifts from one container to another in a reliable and fool-proof manner.

With the foregoing and other objects, which will appear in the following full description, in mind, the invention consists in the combinations, arrangements and details of parts which will first be described in connection with theaccompanying drawings and then more particularl pointed' out in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a container unit for a cigarette vending machine embodying the invention in a preferred form;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the lower part of the device of Figure l, and on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and on the same scale as Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is an'enlarged sectional detail taken I on the line 55 of Figure 4.

moving brand and the other of which may contain a short column of a popular brand and is adapted to replenish the supply of that brand As will be apparent, if but one hopper in a six-hopper machine is so adapted by dividing it into two sections of equal capacity, it becomes possible to load the machine with equal numbers of four brands, half as many of a fifth, and one and one-half times as many of a sixth. Where five brands are stocked it is possible to carry, for example, equal numbers of three brands, half as many of a fourth, and two and one-half times as many of a fifth, and still other variations will be readily apparent. Where more than one 'hop'per in a machine is so adapted the possibility-of variation is even more increased.

A further object of the invention is to adapt certain of the hoppers in a machine to carrying either a single column in the manner well known in the art or a divided column in accordance with the present invention, which still further increases the possibility of variation in the ratios 5 be of any usual or suitable type.

Referring to these figures generally, the device illustrated comprises a container unit generally of a type familiar in the art and such as is shown, for example, in co-pending Rowe and Gabrielson application No. 26,734. The coin control mechanism and cabinet to be employed form no part of the present invention and may Accordingly, these features are not illustrated or described.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, the con- 'tainer unit illustrated ,comprises six vertical chutes or hoppers numbered from I to 6, of which numbers 3 and 5 are adapted to split column operation in the manner to be described. As will be apparent from the following full description, it is possible with the mechanism disclosed, to

adapt as many as half of the 'hoppers in a machine of this type to such operation. As shown, the hoppers comprise side walls I and back walls 8 and are welded or otherwise fastened together to form a row of adjacent hoppers reinforced by cross bar 9 at the front and plate I 0 at the rear, and forming a unitary structure adapted to be inserted in or removed from a vending machine as a whole. These hoppers are of generally conventional shape and are open at the front save for flanges H, and are open at the top for loading and adapted to hold by members l3 carried on delivery plungers l4,

which are movably borne in grooves, not shown, in a bed plate I5. Cigarettes are delivered in the usual manner by pulling a plunger |4 out as far as it will go (to the left in Figure 2) which removes the support |3 from the column of cigarettes, which thereupon descends by gravity until the lowermost package is resting on the bed plate l5. Upon return of the plunger to the position of Figure 2, the lowermost package is expelled for delivery and the column and plunger are again in the condition of Figure 2 except that there is one less package of cigarettes in the container.

Mounted on the rear of each of the hoppers I to- 6 is a match hopper l6 adapted to contain a vertical column of books or packages of matches ll. Each column of matches is supported by the upper end of a bell'crank lever i8, which is pivoted at I9 to a bracket 29 onthe plate l and biased rearwardly-to the position of Figure 2 by a spring 2|. Formed on one arm of bell crank lever I8 is a stop 22 which prevents rearward motion beyond the position of Figure 2 and the other arm of the lever I8 is pivotally connected at 23 to a link 24, the other end of which is in turn pivotally connected at 25 to a second bell crank 26' pivotally mounted at 21 in bracket 28 upon the rear wall of the cigarette hopper. The

lower arm of bell crank 26 forms a shoe. positioned in the path of a package of cigarettes during ejection by the plunger M of that cigarette chute. Through the mechanism just described a package of cigarettes during ejection will rotate bell crank l8 forwardly (counterclockwise in Figure 2), removing the support 3' to move over to a position similar to that of hopper 6', and in which position the column of cigarettes therein will'no longer be supported by shelf 31 and will descend into hopper 2 for delivery therefrom. As also shown in Figure 1, this action has already taken place in hopper 4 which is being supplied with cigarettes from the 1 swingable hopper 6'.

, when partially depleted.

Each of the swingable upper hoppers 3' and 5' is biased to the left by a spring 42, one end of which is afllxed to' the body ofp' he unit, as at 43, and the other is attached through a piece 44 to the upper stud 33, previously referred to.

These hoppers, however, are normally prevented from swinging over by a stop 45 positioned in front of the other, or lower, stud 34. Stop 45 is formed on an arm 46 pivoted on shaft 41 carried in brackets 48 on the rear wall of the casing and normally held in the position of Figure 4 where the stop45 prevents movement of stud 34. When, however, the column of cigarettes in a hopper to be replenished is depleted to the point indicated in colunm 2 of Figure 1, toe 38 is free tov move into this hopper through opening 4| and the next operation of the delivery mechanism for this hopper releases hopper 3' in the following manner: As shown in Figures 3 and. 4, a cross bar gages the lower end of arm 46. When, however,

the other end 49 of the arm 49 is free, this results merely in rotating arm 49 about its pivot by a pair of pins 30, one of which is affixed to the rear wall of the container unit and the other of which is carried by an upright 3|, fastened to cross bar 9; These upper portions 3 and 5' are advantageously strengthened by cross braces 32 are adapted for loading either from the top or from the front, flanges I being 'cut away, as shown in Figure 1, to permit the latter, and have at their upper ends shelves or supports 31 which are clipped onto walls I at their upper ends, as

shown in' Figure 1, and'may beremoved if desired. These shelves 3'! serve to support columns of cigarettes in containers 3 and 6 when the latter are in the position of container'3' in Figure 1.-

As shown in Figure 1, the column of cigarettes contained in hopper 2 has been depleted to a point where its top is just below shelf 31 in the adjoining hopper 3 and mechanism is about to be operated when another package is 'delivered from the hopper 2 to cause the swingable hopper point 60 and arm 46 is not moved. Toe 38, previously referred to, is provided with a second and U-shaped arm 62 which, in the position of Figures 4 and 5, lies in the path of the end 49 of arm 49. With this member 62 in such position motion of lever It brings the end 49 in contact with arm 52 and further motion causes the other end 49' to engage arm 46, rotating it about its pivot point and clearing stop 46 from stud 34. Thereupon the associated hopper 3 or plenished has not reached the point shown in column 2 of Figure l, toe 36' and arm 62 attached thereto will be held in the dotted line position of Figure 5, so that arm 62 is not in position to be engaged by arm 49when the latter 62, also, is a projection 63 which engages the wall of the unit in the ull line position of Figure 5 and prevents rotation ast the position of this We. I I

" of the arrangement.

. stocked the machine of the prior art is adapted elm As it may be desired to employ column 3 or Ii of the machine in the usual manner. theshelves 31, as has been mentioned previously, are made shift mechanism inoperative when desired. This catch consists of a rotatable piece 54 pivoted to the rear wall of the unit at 55 and having an arm 58 adapted to pass between toe 38 and the rear wall of the unit to withhold the same in the manner shown in Figure 5. The other arm 51 of this catch is slotted, as'shown in Figure 3, to receive a screw driver or the like, and an'opening in the rear wall of the unit is provided to .fumish access to it (see Figure 1). As is apparent,.th'e catch 54 may be set in the position shown in Figure 3 in solid lines to permit shifting of hopper 3' or Ii or may be rotated counterclockwise so as to bring arm 56 in front of toe {I and prevent shifting of either or both of the hoppers 3' and 5' in the manner described.

In the embodiment illustrated, the machine is provided with six hoppers, two of which are adapted to shift container operation. As will be apparent, however, the invention is applicable to machines having different numbers of hoppers without change in any of the features described and in a six-hopper machine can readily be applied to three instead of two of the hoppers,in

such case alternate hoppers being adapted to shift operation. As is also apparent, the length of the shiftable hoppers such as 3 and 5' may be varied. In the embodiment shown, hoppers 3' and 5' are adapted to contain about two-thirds of the entire capacity. of thehoppers 3 and 5,

but it will be readily understood that the capacity of these hoppers could be any desired fraction of the total capacity within reasonably wide limits. Similarly, while the capacity of shift hoppers 3' and 5' is shown as the same, these hoppers can readily be made of different lengths if'desired.

A comparison of the embodiment illustrated with a standard six-hopper machine of the prior art reveals immediately the extreme flexibility Where six brands are to contain the brands only in equal amounts, if the entire capacity is to be utilized. The machine oi the present invention, however, can contain sixbrands also in'approximately the following ratios:

r-4-za-4-s |-.|-s-: -s-I The possibility of variation is greatly increased where only five brands are stocked, and

is also increased by the adaptation of three, instead of two, columns to shift operation accordin! to the invention.

What is claimed is: -.1. In a machine of the class v combination,- a plurality of chutes arranged in an alined series adapted to hold oolumnsof articles to be vended,.means for dis-I charging articles from the bottoms-of columns so held,rmeans for holding reservesupplies of means responsive to depletion of articles in a given chute to a predetermined level to effect er of a reserve supply into the adjacent described, and in ed, means for selectively discharging articles from thebottoms of columns so held, one of said chutes comprising a movable upper portion adapted to hold a reserve supply of articles, and

means for shifting said upper portion 'over to discharge such reserve supply into an adjacent chute upon depletion of a column therein to a predetermined level.

3. In a machine of the class described, and in combination, a plurality of adjacent chutes adapted to hold columns of articles to be vended,

means for selectively discharging articles from the bottoms of columns so held, one of said chutes comprising a movable upper portion adapted to hold a reserve supply of articles, and

means for shifting said .upper portion over to discharge such reserve supply into an adjacent chute comprising actuating means and control means therefor operable by a column of articles within said adjacent chute upon said column being depleted to a predetermined level.

4. In a machine of the class described, and in combination, a plurality of adjacent chutes adapted to hold columns of articles to be vended,

means for selectively discharging articles from the bottoms of columns so held, one of said .chutes comprising a movable upper portion adapted to hold a reserve supply of articles, and meansfor shifting said upper portion over to discharge such reserve supply into an adjacent chute, comprising a controlling member positioned at a predetermined level on said adjacent chute, adapted to extend into said adjacent chute and withheld therefrom by'art'icles within said adiacent chute when a column therein extends above said level.

5. In a machine of the class described, and'in combination, a plurality of adjacent chutes adapted to hold columns of articles to beyonded, means for selectively discharging articles from the bottoms of columnsso held, means for holding a reserve supply of articles comprising a movable upper portion of one of said chutes. and means for shifting said upper portion over to discharge such reserve supply into an adjacent chute, comprising a controlling member, positioned at apredetermined level on said adacent chute, adapted to extend into said chute and withheld therefrom by articles within said chute when the column in said chute extends above said level,-and an actuating member operable by said discharging means in discharging an article from said last mentioned chute and controlled by said controlling member. '6. In a machine of the class described, and in combination, a plurality of adjacet chutes adapted to hold. columns of articles to'be vended. means for selectively discharging articles from the bottoms of columns so held, means for a reserve supply of articles in the upper, "portion of one of said chutes and for transferring said reserve supply into an adjacent chute upon depletion of the column therein to a predetermined level, and means for rendering said transferring means inoperative and directing said reserve supply into the lower portion of the chute within which it is held.

ROBERT z. GREENE. L cnmsmn Game m N.

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