US3179289A - Article dispenser with selection from plural rotatable stacks - Google Patents

Description

April 20, 1965 v A. B. MOYER ETAL ARTICLE DISPENSER WITH SELECTION FROM PLURAL ROTATABLE STACKS Filed April 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 20, 1965 A. B. MoYER ETAL ARTICLE DISPENSER WITH SELECTION FROM PLURAL ROTATABLE STACKS Filed April 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS e. Moyen` HowARo DIESEL enc/a ARTHUR ATTORNEYS y 3,179,289 Patented Apr. 20, 1965 Our invention relates to improvements in vendingl machines and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and positive package vending mechanism wherein merchandise packages are stacked within-a plurality of Vertical open bottomed compartments peripherally arranged around and supported by a rotatable column, rotation of the column successively bringing the compartments into register with a package release element actuatable by a customer; actuation of the element permitting the lowermost package in the registering compartment to fall through the open bottom of the compartment for delivery from the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a versatile vending mechanism capable ot dispensing a variety of merchandise packages, each variety group of packages being stacked in its own compartment and visible to a customer through a window in the compartment, the package release element being so arranged to permit the customer, at will, to release a package from any desired compartment. Y

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as shall become apparent as the specitication proceeds, our invention consists of a vending machine constructed and arranged all as hereinafter more particularly described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FlG. lis a perspective view of the machine, partly broken away.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through `theI permitting actuation of the machine, as such mechanisms are well known andare not pertinent to the invention.

The unit 2 of the machine in which packages are contained is mounted upon and rotatable about a vertical shaft 3 extending upwardly from a base 4. In the form illustrated the unit 2 is divided into six similar vertical compartments 5 open in their tops and bottoms and of hexagonal cross-sectional shape, each compartment having a window 6 in one of its exposed faces. is positioned centrally of the central hexagonal sleeve 7 formed by the compartments 5. The sleeve contains several combined rotary-thrust ball bearings 8 having their outer rings attachedto the sleeve and their inner rings attached to the shaft 3 and whereby the unit is rotatable upon and supported by the shaft.

The vending machine mechanism is contained withinV a housing 9 of suitable shape, the portion of the housing containing the unit 2 being formed with several windows 16* arranged to register with the windows 6 in the unit, as theunit is rotated, to enable a customer to view the merchandise packages in the various compartments. .The portion of the housing containing the unit is open at its The Shaft 3 V United States Patent Olilce4 top and normally sealed by a removable lid 12, removal of the lid permitting merchandise packages to be dropped into and stacked within the compartments 5. p

For support of the stacks of merchandise packages the lower portion of the outer face 13 of each compartment carries a horizontally extending trigger arm 14 pivotally mounted intermediately of its length upon the face 13, the inner end of the arm being spring urged to project `vinto the compartment through a horizontal slot 15 in its face 13 and so support the lowermost package 16 of a stack of similar packages in the compartment.

The drawings illustrate the compartments 5 loaded with stacks of packages of various shapes to differentiate the merchandise, but in each shape it will be noted that the bottom ofeach package is of greater area than its top,

whereby when the packages are stacked the bottoms of the packages protrude outwardly of the tops of the pack- `ages upon which they rest.

For release of the lowermost package of a stack whereby it drops downwardly through the open bottom 17 of its compartment, as shown in FIG. 3, the stack support-1` ing trigger arm 14 of` the compartment is momentarily iiicked outwardly against'the urge of its spring to disengage from the bottom of the lowermost package, thus Y permitting the stack to drop, the lowermost package protruding through the bottom of the chamber and resting upon a plate 18 and at which ,time further rotation of the unit 2 permits the4 flicked trigger arm to`swing.in

package release the housing 9 carried a manually oper-l able vending element, movement of which is preferably controlled by a suitable coin actuated mechanism, not shown. able trip lever 19 carried by the housing 9 and having its inner end arranged to move into the path of rotation of thepackage release trigger arms 14 upon rotation of the unit 2. Upon setting the lever 19 and rotating of the unit 2, the lever engages and flicks the lirst approaching trigger arm 14 to release the lowermost package supported by the arm, the dropped package partly protruding through the open bottom of its compartment to rest upon the stationary receiving plate 1S. Uponcontinued rotation of the unit the partly protruding package is pushed unto a downwardly inclined somewhat resilient track 2t) upon which it slides, downwardly to clear the bottom of the compartment and come to rest upon a platform 2,1

supported by the lower end ofthe track rails and from` where it may be removed by the customer. In case the compartmentwas empty and no package delivered, coin p controlled retraction of theV trip lever 19 from the path of rotation of the trigger arms 14 is restrained by a weight actuated switch 22 underneath the platform 21, which-V when not actuated by the weight of a delivered package deflecting the free end of the track and platform 21 down- Wardly electrically restrains the lever 19 from returning In the drawings, such element comprises a swingl 3y l n to the inoperative position, thus permitting the lever to trigger the 'next approaching trigger arm 14.

To meet situations where it is desirable to vend a variety of merchandise packages, such as the packages `A, B, C and D, FIG. 1, from a single machine and 'which the lever 19 projects from the housing 9 is formed with a plurality of vertically spaced slots 24 in one of its vertical edges and for reception of the outer end of the swingable trip lever, each slot being in register with the path of rotation of one of the stepped trigger arms 1 4. It will thus be appreciated that in setting the trip lever 19 for delivery of a package from a particular stack it is only necessary to place the lever in the correct slot 24, when it will be ata height only to engage the trigger arm releasing the package required.

`Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, various changes in form and relative arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. An article dispenser comprising a unit rotatable about a vertical axis and comprising a plurality of peripherally arranged open bottomedY compartments disposed Ywith their longitudinal axes generally parallel to the said vertical Aaxis and spaced substantially equidistantly therefrom, each compartment being adapted to contain a plurality of packages for vending stacked one upon the other therein, the packages being so arranged that at least `a portion ofthe bottoms of the stacked packages project beyond the tops of the corresponding packages upon which they rest, Va like plurality of package supporting members each mounted in relation to a corresponding 'compartment and movable between a package supporting position in which a projecting portion of the bottom of the lowermost package in the compartment rests thereon, and a non-supporting position in which it 'is retracted from engagement with the said lowermost package projecting bottom portion, the members moving in a Vcommon circular path upon rotation of the cornpartments about the vertical axis, a package releasing element movable between Va non-releasing position and a releasingY position, the element when in the releasing position being positioned in the path of rotation of the package supporting members to momentarily engage one of the members to retract such member from support of the lowermost package in the corresponding stack,

' whereby the non-supporting package drops through the open bottom of the stack compartment in delivery from the machine', disengagement of the package releasing element from the package supporting member permitting the package supporting member to advance to position for support of the package previously resting upon the aforesaid package delivered from the machine.

a 2. A dispensing machine as defined in claim 1, where- 1n the package supporting members are swingable arms carried by the lower portions of the compartments, swingable about an axis parallel to the said vertical axis and sprlng urged into their advanced package supporting positions, the package releasing element engaging and swinging the package supportingv members to retracted position against the urge of their springs.

. 3. A dispensing machine as defined in claim 1, where- 1n the package releasing element is a swingable lever pivotally mounted intermediately of its length about a pivot axis parallel to the said vertical axis, one end of the lever being swingable into said releasing position in which it is in the path of rotation of the package supporting members to engage and actuate the members.

4. A dispensing machine as defined in claim l, wherein the package releasing element is a swingable lever pivotally mounted intermediately of its length about an axis parallel to the said Vertical axis, one end of the lever being swingable into said releasing position in which it is in the path of rotation of the package supporting members to engage and actuate the members,

Aand wherein the package supporting members are swingable arms swingable about axes parallel to the said vertical axis, carried by the 'lower portions of thecompartments and spring urged into'their advanced package supporting positions, the-manually actuatable package releasing element engaging and swinging the package supporting members to retracted position against the urge of their springs.

5. A dispensing machine as dened in claim l, wherein several of the package supporting members are stepped in height in relation to one another whereby each member rotates in its own plane, the package releasing element being adjustable in height from one plane to another to engage a selected member.

6. A dispensing machine as defined in claim l, wherein the package releasing element is a swingable lever pivotally mounted intermediately of its length about a pivot axis parallel to the said vertical axis, one end of the lever being swingable into the said releasing position in which it is in the path `of rotation of the package supporting members to engage and actuate the members, and wherein several of the package supporting members are stepped 'in height in relation to one another whereby each member rotates in its own plane,` the package releasing element being adjustable in height from one plane to another to engage a selected member.

7. An article dispenser comprising a unit rotatable about a vertical axis and comprising a' plurality of peripheral arranged open bottomed compartments disposed with the longitudinal axes generally parallel to the said vertical axis and spaced substantially equidistantly therefrom, each compartment being adapted to contain a plurality of packages for vending stacked one upon the other therein, the packages being so arranged that at least a portion of the bottoms of the stacked packages project beyond the tops of the corresponding packages upon which they rest, a like plurality of package supporting members each mounted in relation to a corresponding compartment and movable between a package supporting position in which a projecting portion of the bottom of the lowermost package in the compartment rests thereon, and a non-supporting position in which it is retracted from engagement with the said lowermost package projecting bottom portion, the members moving in a common circular path upon rotation of the compartments about the vertical axis, electrically operated means for rotating the said unit, a package releasing element positioned in the-path of rotation of the package supporting members to momentarily engage one of the members to retract such member from support of the lowermost package in the corresponding stack, whereby the non-supporting package drops through the open bottom of the stack compartment in delivery from the machine, disengagement of the package releasing element from the package supporting member permitting the package supporting member to advance to position for support of the package previously resting upon the aforesaid package delivered from the machine, a movable plate disposed beneath the unit to receive the delivered package, and an electric switch controlled by movement of the plate under receipt thereon of the delivered package to cause operation of the said means for rotation of the rotatable unit until a package is delivered onto the movable plate.

8. A dispensing machine as dened in claim 7, wherein retraction of a package supporting member from underneath the lowermost package of a stack of packages permits the stack to drop, a stationary plate spaced away v from the bottom of lthe compartment in which the stack is contained, the lowermost package of the dropped stack of packages partly dropping out of the compartment to rest upon the plate, a downwardly inclined track extending from the said stationary plate to the said movable plate for reception of the lowermost package for delivery from the machine, rotation of the unit and said compartment pushing said package off said plate unto 10 the track and down on to the said movable plate.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN ARTICLE DISPENSER COMPRISING A UNIT ROTATABLE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERALLY ARRANGED OPEN BOTTOMED COMPARTMENTS DISPOSED WITH THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE SAID VERTICAL AXIS AND SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIDISTANTLY THEREFROM, EACH COMPARTMENT BEING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A PLURALITY OF PACKAGES FOR VENDING STACKED ONE UPON THE OTHER THEREIN, THE PACKAGES BEING SO ARRANGED THAT AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE BOTTOMS OF THE STACKED PACKAGES PROJECT BEYOND THE TOPS OF THE CORRESPONDING PACKAGES UPON WHICH THEY REST, A LIKE PLURALITY OF PACKAGE SUPPORTING MEMBERS EACH MOUNTED IN RELATION TO A CORRESPONDING COMPARTMENT AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A PACKAGE SUPPORTING POSITION IN WHICH A PROJECTING PORTION OF THE BOTTOM OF THE LOWERMOST PACKAGE IN THE COMPARTMENT RESTS THEREON, AND A NON-SUPPORTING POSITION IN WHICH IT IS RETRACTED FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SAID LOWERMOST PACKAGE PROJECTING BOTTOM PORTION, THE MEMBERS MOVING IN A COMMON CIRCULAR PATH UPON ROTATION OF THE COMPARTMENTS ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS, A PACKAGE RELEASING ELEMENT MOVABLE BETWEEN A NON-RELEASING POSITION AND A RELEASING POSITION, THE ELEMENT WHEN IN THE RELEASING

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