US2934239A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Description

April 26, 1960 E. c. SALISBURY VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2 'IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS E. C. SALISBURY VENDING MACHINE April 26, 1960 Filed May 25. 1954 Fig. 2

Ellsworfh C. Salisbury Fig. 4

April 26, 1960 Filed May 25, 1954 E. C. SALISBURY VENDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 we 65 L W W53 56: in

INVENTOR.

El/sworth C. Salisbury ATTORNEYS United States Patent VENDING MACHINE Ellsworth C. Salisbury, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Mundean Mfg. Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 25, 1954, Serial No. 432,070

3 Claims. (Cl. 221-109) other, with the ends of said shelves being in communication with a common vertically extending passage. The end of said shelves is provided with a moveably mounted member forming an extension for said shelf across said passage. Such pivotally mounted member is adapted to support articles, one at a time, as such articles are pre- Sented thereto from the inclined shelf. After articles are exhausted from a particular shelf, the member will move to a position wherein it is clear of the passage across which it had been extended. Subsequent to the exhausting of all of the articles from a particular shelf, and with the moveable member of such shelf being clear of the vertically extending passage, the next shelf, below the exhausted shelf, is adapted to release articles upwardly through the vertically extending passage since such passage has just been cleared of the moveably mounted member on the end of the shelf above. Such second stack is next exhausted of articles, and, after the last article is lifted from the moveably mounted member on the end thereof, such member is pivoted upwardly and out of the passageway. A third shelf, just below the second shelf, is thereafter cleared of articles, and in a like manner, additional shelves can be successively vended.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to prm vide an apparatus of the type described wherein a plurality of of shelves are vertically spaced and in communication With a common vertically extending passage whereby articles from the shelves can be moved into and along said passage for presentation to a common release mechanism.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the type described, including a plurality of vertically spaced shelves in communication with a common vertically extending passageway, with the end of each shelf, at said passageway, being provided with a moveably mounted member forming an extension across said passageway, with said member being adapted to support an article thereon in alignment with the other articles on the shelf.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the type described having a plurality of vertically spaced shelves, with the spaces between said shelves being great enough to support and vend articles each of said shelves at said passageway, to form an exice tension for said shelf across said passageway. With this arrangement each shelf extension supports an article inthe vertically extending passageway, with such articles being supported in spaced relationship and in alignment with the shelves. This avoids the stacking up of'the articles in the passage in direct contact, one upon the other, which would occur where the adjacent articles, from the shelves, permitted to roll partially into the passage. The articles would then jam and make it difiicult to move an article upwardly through the passage to the release mechanism. Moreover, if the moveably mounted shelf extensions were not present, upon lifting of an article upwardly in the passage, the next article on the shelf being vended, would roll into the passage, and in so doing, would drop downwardly against another bottle. Hence it is seen that the disadvantages, just mentioned, would occur absent the moveably mounted shelf extensions and such undesirable situation would be particularly aggravated in instances Where smaller articles are being vended from shelves which are spaced sufficiently far apart to selectively accommodate larger articles which might sometimes be vended from the same machine.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the type described having a plurality of verticallyspaced shelves, with such shelves being inclined with the lower end thereof in communication with a common vertically extending passage such that round articles, such as bottles, will roll downwardly, by gravity, and into said vertically extending passage which communicates with a release mechanism common to all of the shelves.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the type described which is particularly suitable for vending a multiplicity of flavors. Accordingly, a plurality of vertically spaced shelves are divided into units, with each unit including several shelves in communication with a release mechanism common to all the shelves in such unit. Each of the units can therefore be used to vend a different flavor. Hence it is seen that the present invention provides flexibility of design for a manufacturer producing various models since the number of flavor units, into which the total number of shelves are divided, can be readily varied by themanufacturer to fill the requirements of the particular purchaser. I

It is another. object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the type described, having vertically spaced shelves in communication with a common passage leading to a common release mechanism, with said shelves being readily adjustable to store and discharge both long and short articles.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the type described, having a plurality of vertically spaced shelves, with the shelves being in communication with the common vertically extending passage leading to a common release mechanism and with each of said shelves having a moveably mounted member which is extendable across said vertically extending passage for supporting an article in said passage. Together with this arrangement, each of the shelves is inclined whereby articles carried thereon will move down the incline under the force of gravity, with the potential and kinetic energy of such moving articles being utilized to maintain the moveably mounted member in a position of extension, across the vertically extending passage, against a normal bias which constantly urges the moveably mounted member clear of the passage. Hence no power means is necessary to move the member, since the kinetic energy of the moving articles is utilized.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, refermore being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: j I a Figure l is a front elevational view showing a vending machine constructed according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of an article storing and discharging apparatus constructed according to the present invention; I Figure 3 is a top elevational viewof the apparatus of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a partial side elevational view of the appatus of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a partial front elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 2 showing a portion thereof in enlarged relationship relative to Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a partial sectional view corresponding to Figure 5, with the section being taken along the line 6-56 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a partial front elevational view, corresponding to Figure 5, showing the apparatus thereof in different operational arrangement;

Figure 8 is a partial side sectional view, corresponding to Figure 7, with the section being taken along the line 8 -8 of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figure 1, a vending machine is shown havinga cabinet indicated generally at 10. The cabinet is provided with a front door 11 which provides access to a storage compartment, and with a second front door 12 which provides access to an article releasing mechanism. The door 11 is provided with a removable panel 14 which covers suitable coin release mechanism carried in a recess in the door, but not illustrated herein. The door 12 includes a transparent glass panel 16 behind which are located a plurality of separate flavor units indicated generally at 21, 22, and23, respectively. The lower portion of the cabinet forms a compartment 25 which serves to house a refrigeration mechanism.

v The general lay-out of the cabinet 10 having been set forth, the description will next be directed to the article storing and discharging apparatus which is indicated generally at 28 in Figure 2. The apparatus 28 comprises three separate flavor units 21, 22, and 23, respectively. It will be noted that each of the units is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced shelves, with the shelves in unit 21 being indicated at 30, 31, 32 and 33. The lower end of each of the shelves communicates with a common vertically extending passage 35 which leads to a release mechanism indicated generally at 37, the other fia'vor units 22 and 23 are provided with similar release units 38 and 39. I

I With reference to the unit 21 of Figure 2, the shelves 31, 32, and 33 are each provided with a moveably mounted member at the lower end thereof, with such members being indicated at 41, 42 and 43, respectively. These members form extensions for the lower ends of the shelves so that the end articles which are actually stored in the passage 35, are maintained in spaced relationship to avoid jamming of the articles. It will be understood that the articles would have a tendency to pile up and jam if members 41, 42 and 43 were not present, particularly when the articles being vended are relatively small as compared to the vertical spacing between the shelves.

Particular reference is next made to the moveably mounted members such as 41, which are adapted to pivot upwardly and out of the passage, upon exhausting of the articles from a shelf, to clear the passage for removal of the articles from the next lower shelf.

With reference to Figure 3, it will be seen that the upper member 41 is carried by a shaft 48. An eccentrically mounted weight 50 is carried on the shaft such that when the member 41 is disposed across the passageway 35, in an article supporting positiorr wherein the member 41 supports the article 53, the weight 50 extends horizontally from the shaft in a direction opposite from the direction of extension of the member 41. Hence it is seen that when the article 53 is moved along the path of discharge to the exit opening 56, the weight 50 will rotate shaft 48 and thereby pivot the member 41 upwardly to a position clear of the passage 35.

In operation, and with reference to Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, it will be seen that all of the articles have been removed from the top shelf 30 with the exception of the last article 53, which article has moved downwardly onto the pivotally mounted member 41. Article 53 is retained in passage 35 in a position to be vended. Article 53 is grasped by the portion thereof which protrudes forwardly out of a front panel 60, and is moved from the position of Figure 5 into the exit opening 56 of the release mechanism 37. A horizontal shelf 58 supports article 53 in position to be withdrawn forwardly through the release mechanism.

In general, the release mechanism 37 includes a pivotally mounted trap carried by the shaft 68. The trap 67 includes an article engaging edge portion 69 and a flange 70. A guide 65 is disposed coextensively with the article engaging edge 69 and in spaced relationship therewith. As seen in Figures 6 and 8, the guide 65 and the article engaging edge 69 both extend into the discharge opening 56 and are spaced, one from the other, only a sufficient amount to permit a portion of the article being vended to extend forwardly of a front panel 60. In the course of removal, the article will engage the trap-edge 69 and rotate the trap 67 with the flange 70 separating the discharge opening 56 from the passage 35. This arrangement prevents another article from being moved into the releasing position 56 until after the member 67 has returned to its normal position as shown in Figure 6.

When the last article to be vended, from a given shelf level, is grasped and moved towards the release mechanism, in the manner illustrated with article 53, the mem-- ber 41 will swing from the position shown in Figure 5, wherein such member is disposed across the passage 35, to the position shown in Figure 7 wherein such member is clear of the passage. It should be noted that when the member 41 is extended across the passage, a stop 72 retains the member 41 in the desired position of extension across the passage 35. Upon removal of the article 53 from the member 41, the torque produced on shaft 48 by eccentrically mounted weight 50 will cause such shaft to rotate whereby the member 41 is swung upwardly and clear of the passage.

Having exhausted the upper shelf 30, in the manner just described, it will be seen that the upper portion of the passage 35 is clear such that an article 75, as seen in Figure 7, can next be vended by lifting same upwardly and out through the release mechanism. When article 75 is lifted, the second article 76 in shelf 31, will move over onto the member 42 and retain same in position against the stop 78. All of the articles on shelf 31 are next vended in a like manner, and, upon exhausting the shelf 31, the member 42 will pivot upwardly to a position clear of the passage 35. The articles from shelf 32 can next be vended, commencing with the end article 81, and, after such shelf is exhausted the articles from shelf 33 can be vended commencing with the article 83.

With the operation of the mechanism, and the sequence of vending, having been set forth for the flavor unit 21, it will be understood that the operation of the flavor units 22 and 23 is identical. At this point, however, it should be mentioned that, since a plurality of release mechanisms are utilized, with the number of release mechanisms depending upon the number of flavor units desired, a suitable interlock mechanism is required for the release mechanism. For example, the three flavor units with the three release mechanisms 37, 38 and 39, as seen in Figure 2, are provided with shaft locking means indicated generally at 86, 87, and 88. These three shaft locking mechanisms are interconnected by any suitable interlock mechanism, not shown, which serves to maintain two of the release mechanisms locked, against the removal of articles, when an article is being withdrawn through the third release mechanism responsive to the depositing of a coin in a suitable coin detector mechanism familiar to this art. It will be understood, that by utilizing an interlock mechanism, a single common coin detector mechanism can be adapted to operate the plurality of release mechanisms utilized in the present structure. A novel electric interlock mechanism, particularly adaptable to the present multiple flavor vending machine, is set forth in my copending application Serial Number 452,108, filed August 25, 1954.

In summary, the present invention provides a novel vending machine of large article containing capacity as compared to the overall size of the machine. Moreover, the machine serves to vend a multiplicity of articles types with only a relatively few number of release mechanisms since, as a result of the present invention a plurality of vertically spaced shelves can be placed in communication with a single, common release mechanism.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A vending machine for dispensing articles comprising, in combination, rectilinear frame means, shelf means carried by said frame means in substantially transverse relationship to the vertical axis thereof, said shelf means including a plurality of vertically spaced shelves forsupporting articles thereon, each of said shelves being inclined downwardly with respect to the vertical axis of said frame means, with the lowermost point of each shelf defining the discharge end thereof, a vertically extending passageway at the discharge end of each of said shelves defining a common vertical passageway in vertical alignment with the vertical axis of said frame means for permitting the manual liftin of articles released from the discharge end of said shelves, shelf extension means pivotally mounted at one end at the discharge end of each shelf, and constituting a continuation thereof when articles are on the shelf thereby spanning the width of said vertical passageway in transverse relationship, each extension means when no articles are carried on its associated shelf being pivoted upwardly thereby clearing the passageway in association therewith and eccentrically mounted weight means for each shelf extension means and normally urging said extension means in a vertical position, said weight producing a torque of sufficient magnitude to move said extension means from an aligned substantially horizontal position spanning the vertical passageway upwardly to a vertical position clear of said passageway, said torque being of insufficient magnitude to move said extension means and an article supported thereon.

2. A vending machine for dispensing articles comprising, in combination, rectilinear frame means, shelf means carried by said frame means in substantially transverse relationship to the vertical axis thereof, said shelf means including a plurality of vertically spaced shelves for supporting articles thereon, each of said shelves being inclined downwardly with respect to the vertical axis of said frame means, with the lowermost point of each shelf defining the discharge end thereof, a vertically extending passageway at the discharge end of each of said shelves defining a common vertical passageway in vertical alignment with the vertical axis of said frame means for permitting the manual lifting of articles released from the discharge end of said shelves, a shaft rotatably secured to said frame means at the discharge end of each shelf and in transverse relationship to the long axis thereof, a shelf extension member secured at one end to each shaft and forming a continuation of each inclined shelf and spanning the width of said vertical passageway in transverse relationship when articles are positioned in its associated shelf, each shelf extension being pivoted upwardly in vertical position free of said passageway when no articles are carried on its associated shelf, and a weight eccentrically mounted to one end of each shaft to normally urge the extension member and its shaft into a vertical position, said weight producing a torque of sufficient magnitude to pivot the shaft and its extension member from a substantially horizontal position spanning the vertical passageway upwardly to a vertical position clear of said passageway, said torque being of insufiicient magnitude to pivot said extension member and an article supported thereon.

3. A vending machine for dispensing articles comprising, in combination, rectilinear frame means, shelf means carried by said frame means in substantially transverse relationship to the Vertical axis thereof, said shelf means including a plurality of vertically spaced shelves for supporting articles thereon, each of said shelves being inclined downwardly with respect to the vertical axis of said frame means with the lowermost point of each shelf defining the discharge end thereof, a vertically extending passageway at the discharge end of each of said shelves defining a common vertiele passageway in vertical alignment with the vertical axis of said frame means for permitting the manual lifting of articles released from the discharge end of said shelves, article releasing means positioned on the opposite of said common passageway in spaced, substantially longitudinal alignment with the uppermost shelf of said shelf means, said article releasing means including an inlet opening in communication with said common vertical passageway for receiving the article to be discharged therefrom, an article discharge opening in communication with said inlet opening and extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of said uppermost shelf, a first moveable element normally extending into said discharge opening for engagement with an article passing therethrough, and a second moveable element which closes said inlet opening upon the engagement of said first element with the article to be discharged, a shaft rotatably secured to said frame means at the discharge end of each shelf and in transverse relationship to the long axis thereof, a shelf extension member secured at one end to each shaft and forming a continaution of each inclined shelf and spanning the width of said vertical passageway in transverse relationship when articles are positioned in its associated shelf, each shelf extension being pivoted upwardly in vertical position free of said passageway when no articles are carried on its associated shelf, and a weight eccentrically mounted to one end of each shaft to normally urge the extension member and its shaft into a vertical position,

7 said weight producing a torque of sufficient magnitude to pivot the shaft and its extension member from a substantially horizontal position spanning the vertical passageway upwardly to a vertical position clear of said passageway, said torque being of insufficient magnitude to pivot said extension member and an article supported thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,223,189 Mann Apr. 17, 1917 1,619,006 Vaughan Mar. 1, 1927 1,628,852 Lea May 17, 1927 1,694,436 Bauer Dec. 11, 1928 2,174,712 Warner et al. Oct. 3, 1939 2,176,384 Varney Oct. 17, 1939 2,193,942 Shackelford Mar. 19, 1940 2,203,991 Johnson et a1. June 11, 1940 2,258,409 Cunningham Oct. 7, 1941 2,407,402 Clem Sept. 10, 1946 2,514,815 Warner et a1. July 11, 1950 2,628,875 Ossanna Feb. 17, 1953 2,661,992 Harris Dec. 8, 1953 2,679,143 Helsing May 25, 1954

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