US3133671A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Description

May 19, 1964 w. c. CHRISTINE ETAL 3,133,671

VENDING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 WILLIAM c.cnms-rme,

:g sapa a meace y 1964 w. c. CHRISTINE ETAL 3,133,671

VENDINGMACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1962 AT-rozNE-Y 5 She ets-Sheet 3 W. C. CHRISTINE ETAL VENDING MACHINE May 19, 1964 Filed March 9, 1962 y 19, 1964 w. c. CHRISTINE ETAL 3,133,671

VENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 9, 1962 INVENTORS wu..\.|AM c. cmusrn a,

:rosapu E. P\ERCE.

%,, AATTORNEY 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 MANUAL WATER 5W INVENTORS ATTORNEY May 19, 1964 w. c. CHRISTINE ETAL VENDING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1962 3 L B m mmHG m G 4 1 R E T A I- H ii. I. .G l 9 4 p w 1 e 1a 5/ 5m. 5 8aP H ltlll n 42w Ehg- H p g 3,133,671 Patented May 19, 1964 3,133,671 I v a VENDING MACEHNE William C. Christine and Joseph E. Pierce, Allentown, Pa, assignors to Allen Electronics, 'Inc., llentown,'la.', a corporation of Pennsylvania I Filed Mar. 9, 1962,'Ser. No. 178,716 7J I 3 Claims. 7 ((1221-44) This invention relates to a coin operated vending machine, and more particularly to a machine for conveniently vending or dispensing foodstufis such as hot'chocolate, coffee, soups, tea or the like. p

. The primary object of this invention is to provide a vending machine which includes a cup dispensing mechanism therein wherein upon insertionof a coin or coins or" a proper denomination in a coinslot, cups will be vended or dispensed one at a time, and'wherein at thesametime q 1 packets of foodstuffs such as coiiee, soup, tea, hot chocolate or the like will be vended sothat ape'rson can readily empty the ingredients or contents of the packet into the cup which has been dispensed from the cup dispenser, and

wherein the cup with the ingredients therein can subsequently be placed in position to conveniently receive a predetermined quantity of hot water to permit the desired food product to be conveniently or readily made or on mulated. I p A further object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine which includes a novel cup drop mechanism as Well as a coin mechanism assembly and a packet drop mechanism, and wherein according to the present in- United s turated O fi indicates thevendingmachine of the present invention which is shown to comprise a hollow housing orcasing 31, and the vending machine may be suitably supported on legs if desired or required. Thehousing 31 includes horizontally disposed spaced parallel top andbottom walls 32 and 33 aswell as a vertically disposedback wall 34, FIG. 3, andthehousing 31 further includes spaced parallel vertically disposed side walls, 35 and 36. Thenumeral 37 indicates a door which is hingedly connected'as at 38 to the sidewall 36, FIG. 2. v

p Thenumeral 39 indicates a'bracket which is suitably affixed within thehousing 31 as by welding, and a container orwater bottle 40 is supported by thebracket 39,

and thecontainer 4!) is adapted to hold a suitable quantity of Water therein. Theneck portion 41 of the bottle orcontainer 49 projects through anapertureoropening 43 in the'bracket 39, and the numeral indicates a re ceptacle for receiving water from thecontainer 40 for a purpose to be later described.

Thenumeral 44 indicates a hollow body member which i is arranged within a supporting structure orframework I vention a cup is vended upon insertion of a coin or coins of a proper denomination, and wherein a food packet is i subsequently dropped into this cup so that theingredients 1 in the food packet can be emptied into the cup whereby a manually operable button on the machine can then be actuated in order to dispensea charge or quantity of hot water in order to properly dissolve the ingredients in the desired manner. I

Still another object is to provide such a vendingmachine that is economical to manufacture and eihcien't in operation and which is rugged in structure and foolproof in use.

These and. other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims, together with the accompanying drawing, wherein 7 like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference taken on theline 33 of FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5. g

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating certain structural details of the cup drop mechanism.

FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on theline 99 of FIG; 7. I

59 as shown in FIG. 3, and theconduit 45 depends fromi a receptacle 42 and has its lower end terminating within thebody member 44 so that water from the receptacle 42can flow downwardly through theconduit 45 into thebody member 44. Thenumeral 46 indicates an electrical heating element which is arranged to heat the water'in thebody member 44. There is further provided a discharge line 47 which has a valve fittingfig operatively connected thereto. Athermostat 49 is adapted to be operatively associated with thebody member 44.

' The supporting structure includes a horizontally disposed top section 51' as well as a vertically disposedfront section 52. I v

Thenumeral 53 indicates a hollow casing which is suitably affixed to the front portion 520i the supporting structurefiii, and thecasing 53 is adapted to have a screenlike member or reticulated member supported adjacent thebottom wall 55 thereof, and the'bottomwall 55 is slightly inclined and has a drainage opening 56 therein so that excess'fiuid or fiuidwhich may inadvertently or, accidentally spill can ilow downwardly through theopening 56 and be conveniently collected in adrip pan 57. Thedrip pan 57 is of the removable type so that itcan be emptied if desired or required. The door 327 has an opening 53 therein whichis adapted to register'with the'bracket or casingSSwhen thedoor 37 is in closed position as shown in PEG. 1, and theinterior of the casing'53 is hollow so that it defines or provides a well for receiving a cup there- I in, and such a cup is indicated in broken lines by the numeral oil in FIG. 3, and this cup is adapted to receive FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken ontheline 8-8 of I FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating certain structural details of the cup drop mechanism. FIG. 11 is a schematic wiring diagram illustrating the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a weighted member 'for apacket drop unit.

I Referring detail to the drawings, thenumeral 30 lypainted orprinted on the outer trout surface of the a predetermined quantity of hot water for use in preparing l the food product to be consumed by the purchaser.

Thenumeral 61 indicates a dispenserwhich is operativelyconnected to thedoor 37, and as shown in FIG. 3

thedispenser 61. includes a hollow.casing 62 whichis adapted to be detachably connected to the inner surface of thedoor 37. A horizontally disposedsupport element 63 is suitabl'yaifixed within thecasing 62, and a plurality of superimposedpackagesof sugar are adapted to'bc, sup- 7 ported in stacked relation above theelement 63. The

numeral 65 indicatesan inclined piece in the lowerportion of thecasing 62, and stirrers made of a suitable material such as wood, plastic or the like are adapted to be conveniently supported above theinclined piece 65. Aflap 67 in the door37 permits a person to readily insert the fingers through the slot or cut-out in orderto removeastirrer 66 and a package containing sugarso that the ingredientsin the cup can be properly mixed or stirred as desired or required. Suitable indicia or printed matter as indicated by thenumerals 68 and 69may be attractive- 3door 37 contiguous to theslot 67 so as to indicate that Sugar and Stirrers are available by inserting a finger or fingers through theslot 67.

Thenumeral 70 indicates a flange on thehousing 31 which is adapted to have a slot therein for receiving a keeper 71 which is actuated by atumbler 72 of a locking mechanism, and this locking mechanism is adapted to be used for selectively maintaining thedoor 37 in locked position. By inserting a key of the proper configuration or contour in the key slot '73, thetumbler 72 of the locking mechanism can be actuated in order to disengage the keeper 71 from the slot in the flange '70 so as to permit thedoor 37 to swing open about a vertical axis, and for example thedoor 37 can be opened when it is desired to gain access to the interior of the vending machine for any desired purpose such as to replenish the water in thecontainer 40 or to replenish the packets of food products or to replace or replenish the supply of cups, or to remove the coins from the coin box.

The vending machine of the present invention further includes cup dispensing mechanism which is indicated generally by thenumeral 74, and as shown in FIG. 4 for example a hollow base unit orframe unit 75 is suitably aflixed within thehousing 31, and the base unit '75 includes spaced parallel vertically disposedside pieces 76 which have an inclined wall piece 77 secured therebetween, and one or more cup holders 7 8 are mounted above thebase unit 75. Acup dispenser 79 is arranged contiguous to the lower end portion of eachcup holder 78, and thecup dispenser 79 is constructed so that the cups are dispensed individually or one at a time from the stack of superimposed cups.

Themechanism 79 includes a frame member 80 which has an enlargedcircular opening 81 therein, FIG. 9, and atop piece 82 is arranged above the frame member 80, and thetop piece 82 has an opening 83 therein which is aligned with the opening 81. Thenumeral 84 indicates a circular gear member which is rotatably supported as shown in the drawings, and thegear member 84 includes a plurality ofgear sections 85, and thegear member 84 further includes a dependingcircular shoulder portion 86 which extends into theopening 31. Afinger 88 is secured to or formed integral with therotary gear member 84, and thefinger 88 is movably mounted in a slot or cut-out S9 in theportion 90 of the frame member, FIG. 8. There is further provided a plurality of spaced parallel vertically disposed shafts orpins 91 which extend between thetop piece 82 and frame member 80, and a plurality ofsimilar cam elements 92 are rotatably mounted on the pins orshafts 91. As shown in FIG. eachcam element 92 includes'alower gear portion 93 which has its teeth meshing with theteeth 85 of thegear member 84. Eachcam element 92 further includes a generallycylindrical portion 97 which has alug 94 aflixed thereto or formed integral therewith, and the upper surface of thecam element 92 is flat as indicated by the numeral 95, and there is provided aninclined cam surface 96.

Abracket 98 is secured to the inner surface of thedoor 37, and a hingedly mountedclosure 99 is mounted for movement into and out of open and closed relation with respect to thebracket 98, there being ahandle 100 affixed to theclosure 99 for facilitating the manual movement thereof. Thereceiver 98 is hollow so as to define a well 101 for receiving therein acup 60 which is dispensed or discharged from the cup dispenser as shown in broken lines in FIG. 4.

The numeral 102 indicates a bracket or frame element which is suitably affixed to a side of thebase unit 75 adjacent the upper portion thereof, FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, and the bracket orelement 102 includes a mainstraight portion 103 as well astransverse end portions 144 and 105 which have alignedslots 106 and 107 therein. The numeral 108 indicates an elongated operating arm which is slidable through theslots 106 and 107, and a tab portion orlug portion 109 is arranged on the front end of theoperating arm 108. The numeral 110 indicates a spring contact for aswitch unit 111, FIG. 8. Theoperating arm 108 is provided with slots or cut-outs 112 therein for the projection therethrough offingers 88, and returnsprings 113 each have an end anchored to afinger 88 and the other end of the return springs 113 are anchored to theelement 102.

The numeral 114 indicates a shift lever that is pivotally connected to theoperating arm 108 as at 115, and theshift lever 114 has aflange 116 on the upper rear portion thereof, FIG. 7. Theshift lever 114 is recessed or cut away as at 117, and theshift lever 114 is also recessed or cut out as at 118 so that there is defined a generally triangular lip orshoulder 119 on the upper front edge portion of theshift lever 114.

The numeral 120 indicates a movable lock out arm that is pivotally connected to the base unit as at 121, and the lock outarm 120 is recessed as at 122 and 123, FIG. 7. Movable cup levers 124 and 125 extend throughopenings 125 in the cup holders 7 8, and thecup lever 125 has apin 127 affixed thereto as by welding. Thepin 127 is adapted to selectively engage the recessedportion 123 in the lock outarm 120.

The vending machine of the present invention further includes apacket mechanism 128 which is operatively connected to the inner portion of thedoor 37, and thepacket mechanism 128 includes a plurality of superposedholders 129 which are adapted to support therein packets or packages of foodstufis or ingredients which are to be dispensed from the machine, and these packets are indicated by the numeral 130 in FIG. 4. The numeral 131 indicates a support member that is suitably aflixed to the inner portion of thedoor 37, and a vertically disposedplate 132 is secured to thedoor 37 as shown in the drawings. Aflange 133 depends from an end of thesupport member 131, FIG. 6, and the numeral 134 indicates an elongated rod which extends between theflange 133 and theplate 132. A pair of spacedparallel arms 135 have their lower ends afiixed to therod 134, and there is provided aspring member 136 which has one end afiixed to alip 137 on theplate 132, and thespring member 136 has its other end anchored to one of thearms 135. Arod 138 extends between the upper ends of thearms 135 and is suitably connected thereto.

There is further provided a plurality of horizontally aligned plungers orshafts 139 which have manuallyoperable knobs 140 on their outer ends, and theseplungers 139 are movably connected to thedoor 37, so that for example the parts can move to and from the position shown in solid and broken lines in FIG. 5. Coil springs 141 are circumposed on theplungers 139 for urging or biasing the plungers in the proper direction when hand pressure on theknobs 140 is released.

The numeral 142 indicates retainers or body pieces which are connected to the inner end of theplungers 139. The body pieces orretainers 142 each have the same construction and each includes an upper horizontally disposedsection 143, avertical section 145, an intermediate horizontal section 146, a vertical section 147 and a lower horizontal section or portion 148, and theupper section 143 has a generallyarcuate recess 144 therein, FIG. 2, and FIG. 5. Stopportions 149 are arranged contiguous to theretainers 142. The numeral 150 indicates securing elements such as screws or bolts which serve to connect L-shapedlugs 151 to the lower portion 148 of aretainer 142, and thelugs 151 are adapted to engage and coact with theupper rod 138 as shown in the drawings.

The numeral 152 indicates a drive member which is adapted to receive thepackets 130 and theguide member 152 serves to guide thepackets 130 into position in acup 60 which is arranged in the well 101, FIG. 4. Theguide member 152 has a generally funnel-shape construction so as to accomplish a desired purpose.

Aconventional coin mechanism 153 is'operatively connected to thedoor 37 andplate 132, and there is propivotally supported as at 161.

'vided in the door 37 a coin slot 154 for the insertion of I sonnel who have the proper key to'open thedoor 37.

The numeral 157 indicates a movable body piece which is arranged contiguous to theplate 132, FIG. 5, and the body,piece 157hasan extension 158 thereon. Theextension 158 is operativelyconnected totheupper rod 138. Thebody piece 157 also has a flange 159on the upper end thereof, and the numeral 160 indicates a bell crank lever, and the bell cranklever 16% is pivotally connected bell crank lever 16b is to theflange 159 as at 162. The

As shown in FIG. 12,weighted base pieces 163 are adapted to be arranged co'ntiguous'to the top of the stack ofpackets 130, FIG. 4. V

As shown in FIG. 12, themembers 163 include a generally flat portion res which'has integralupstanding portions 164 as well as downturned flanges or skirt portions The numeral 156 indicates Theholders 129 are adapted to be filled with as hot 'water is discharged out through the line 47, the

necessary aircan enter through thepipe 172 to permit i the apparatus to function in the desired manner.

' stacks or columns of'packets 130whichcontain the ingredients to be dispensed, and suitable name platesor. indicia may be arranged adjacent the upper ends of theholders 129 to indicate the ingredients in the packets'130, For example, I

indicia such as printed stickers may be arranged adjacent the upper ends of theholders 129 to indicate that onecolumn ofpackets 130 contains black cofiee, another contains' coffee with a dairy product, another contains tea with lemon and sugar, another column contains chocolate,

' andother columns may contain soup such as beef vegetable sou chicken soup, onion sou and otato sou These examples are merely illustrative and it is to be understood that the particular ingredients being vended may be varied as desired or required. 1 I

lt is to be understood that normallythedoor 37 is maintained in a closed and locked position by means of the locking mechanism which includes thetumbler 72 and keeper 7 i, but when access is to be gained to the interior oi the housing Sifor any purpose such as to replace the 165, and theportions 165 may have indicia or printed matter thereon such as the word Black to indicate the column of packets for black coffee.portion 167 helps insure that themember 163 will exert the proper downwardly directed force on the column ofpackets 130. Also, themember 163 is constructed so that when a particular column ofpackets 130 is exhausted or used up, the fiangeslos will exert a locking action in conjunctionwith the packet dispensing mechanism so that the pltmger 13*) cannot be manually moved outward when a particular'coluntn'of packets is empty so that the cu tomer will understand that the particular item is ternporarily out of stock in the machine whereby it the customer desires he may reiusert his or her coin in the slot 154 and purchase a different product from an unexpired I or available column of packets 1349. The numeral res indicates a coin return chutewhich serves'to provide a means whereby the customer can insert a finger into the slot or chute 1nd and retrieve the coin as, for example, when a particularproduct is not available from the machine. i I p As shown in FIG. 5 for example, the packets 13th are i of the type which include a top" member 174) thathave anintegral tab 169, and thetab 169 is adapted to'be manually gripped as, for example, whenthe cover 17% is to be removed from a packet 13% inorder to permit the contents of' the packet 13% to be conveniently emptied into acup 64 The cups (it) are of 'the'type thatinclude an annular flange or beadjor rim 171011 the upper portions thereof. 1

As shown in FIG. 3, an air inlet pipe or tube 1'72 is provided for thebody member 44, and thelower end of thepipe 172 communicates with the upper portion of thehollowbody member 44, and the upper end of the pipe ortube 172 is open for the ingress therethrough of air.

- From the foregoing, it'willbe seen that there has been provided a vendiug machine which is especially suitable for use in vending food products or the like, such as hot chocolate, hot coffee, hot soups, hot tea or other such prod- An enlargement or weighted I 14% is manually pulled.

water supply in the container or ,to'refill theholders 129 withpackets 139 or to refill theholders 78 with the cups 6d, then a suitable key is adapted to be inserted in thekey slot 73 in order to disengage the keeper 71 from the slot in theflange 70,:FIG. 2, so thatthe'door 37 can readily swing open on its hinges 38.

Q Theholders 129 are open at the top thereof so that the proper number or quantity of packetscan be readilyinserted in the holders .129 by depositing or inserting the packets into the open top portions of theholders 129 andthe tabs R69 are adapted to be bent downward as, for example, as shown in FIG. 5. I I v t The cups 6d are arranged in stacked superimposed fashion in the holders 7S, and the drawings illustrate a pairof the holders 7% and a corresponding pair of dis-' ensers 7 5, but it is to be understood that the number of I the holders or dispensersin a particular vending machine can vary as desired or required In FIG. 11 the numeral173 indicatesa plug whichis adapted to be used for connecting the vending machine of the present invention to a suitable sourceof electrical energy.

In use, a suitable coin such as a dime is inserted inthe slot 154- and then the knob 14%) is pulled for the selection I that is-desired. The cup and packet areremoved from the well 161 by opening theclosure 99 by means of the handle 1G9, and by grasping the tab 169'the cover is removed from thepacket 130 and the contents of the packet Share emptied into the cupfit). Then, the'cup is placed in the well 59-under the spout, and thebutton 174 is pushed to cause hot water to be dispensed in the cup 6t therebelow, Sugar and stirrers can be conveniently removedthrough theslot 67 for use with the vended ingredients. I As shown in FIG. 1, suitable indicia or printed matterasindicated by'the numeral 175 is adapted to be arrangedcontiguous to such as above andin alignmentwith theknobs 140 to indicate to the purchaser or user which items will be dispensed The ingredients in the pack ets are adapted to be of the I instant variety as, 'for example, one column of packets may contain instant coffee in dried or powdered form so that by emptying the contents of a packet into a cup and then'addinghot water and stirring, the desired end prodnot will beconveniently available. a

a coin such as a dime is insertedin the coin slot or chute 1554, and the coin moves downwardly and rests in a cradle and the coin acts as a cam to release alocking mechanism 176 which is pivotally, mounted as M177, and there is when a particular knob 7 provided a spring member 178 for urging or biasing thelocking mechanism 176 in the proper direction, FIG. 6. When an ingredient vend handle or knob 148 is pulled, a single cup 68 is dispensed and dropped downwardly onto the inclined wall 77, FIG. 4, and this cup 68 then is received in the well 101, and also onepacket 130 having the desired ingredients therein is dropped into the cup in the ingredient well 101, and the coin is released into thecoin box 156, and at the same time the arm orlever 160 is pivoted on its pivot pin 161 so that theend portion 179 of thelever 168 engages and actuates theend portion 199 of thearm 188 to move the parts from the solid line position of FIG. 6 to the broken line position of FIG. 6 and this actuates the cupdrop dispensing mechanism 74 to drop one cup into the ingredient well 181 and this starts the electrical cycle.

With particular reference to the electrical cycle, atten tion is directed to FIG. 11 wherein the numeral 173 indicates'a wall plug, and the numeral 111 indicates the cup drop switch. When thecup drop switch 111 is actuated by thearm 188 being pushed in by theend portion 179 of the lever 16th, the circuit is completed through therelay 180 back to the line or conductor 181 at the Wall plug 173. Now theright relay 180 is pulled in and switches 183 and 184 are actuated. The schematic wiring diagram in FIG. 11 shows bothrelays 189 and 189 in standby or relaxed position. Theright relay 180 stays actuated even after thecup drop switch 111 is released because of a hold circuit. From the point 181 of the plug 173 to the common ofswitch 184, then throughswitch 184 to switch 185, through the coil ofrelay 188, back to thepoint 182 at the plug.

At this point, according to instructions given on the front of the machine, the customer removes theingredients cup 60 with theingredient packet 138 therein, and the ingredients are emptied into the cup and the cup with the ingredients therein is placed in thewater well 59. Then, themanual Water switch 174 is depressed by the customer. At this time the circuit is completed from the point 181 at the wall plug to theswitch 183 and then through theswitch 183 to themanual water switch 174 which is now being depressed by the customer, then through themanual water switch 174 to theleft relay coil 189 so as to complete the circuit through the coil of theleft relay 189 back to thepoint 182. The, leftrelay 189 pulled in, actuating switches 185, 186 and 187 and 188. The hold circuit to theright relay coil 188 is now broken becauseswitch 185 is pulled in and open.Relay 180 relaxes back to standby at this time.

Now thetimer motor 190 will start. From point 181 at the plug 173 to switch 188 (now closed), throughswitch 188 to the timer, completing the circuit through thetimer motor 190 back topoint 182 at the plug. Thetimer motor 190 starts running and a leaf or earn 191 on the motor actuates thetimer switch 192. Thetimer switch 192 acts as part of the hold circuit for the coil of theleft relay 189 after themanual water switch 174 is released by the customer. From point 181 at the plug 173 to theswitch 187, then through theswitch 187 to the timer switch 192 (now actuated because the timer is running), through thetimer switch 192 to the coil of theleft relay 189, this completes the circuit through the coil of theleft relay 189 back to thepoint 182. During this time, that is the time that themotor 190 is running and theleft relay 189 is actuated, thewater solenoid coil 193 will actuate the-water valve or fitting 48 to dispense the water into the cup 68 in thewell 59. Thus, the circuit at this time is from point 181 at the plug to switch 186, through theswitch 186 to the water solenoid orcoil 193 completing the circuit through the water solenoid or coil back to thepoint 182.

When thetimer motor 190 runs for a preset time (preset to allow just enough water to fill the cup 68) thetimer switch 192 is released, breaking the hold circuit to the coil of theleft relay 189. This puts theleft relay 189 back into standby and the machine is ready for another vend.

Normally thelocking element 176 is in the position shown in FIG. 6 so that theelement 176 serves to block or prevent sliding movement of abar 194 in its groove orpassageway 196 since with thebar 194 connected to thebody piece 157 by means of apin 197, it will be seen that as thebody piece 157 moves thebar 194 will have a tendency to move therewith so that with the lockingelement 176 in the position of FIG. 6, theedge 195 of thebar 194 will strike the lockingelement 176 so that movement of thebar 194 through itspassageway 196 is prevented. However, when a coin of the proper denomination is inserted through the slot 154, the coin is adapted to actuate aconventional coin mechanism 153 which may be provided with a suitable coin rejecting arrangement, and when a proper coin such as a dime moves downwardly through the slot or chute 154, a coin will move or pivot the lockingelement 176 in a clockwise direction, FIG. 6, so that theelement 176 will pivot about an axis extending through the pivot pin 177. The spring 178 serves to normally bias or urge theelement 176 in a counter-clockwise direction, FIG. 6, but the coin serves to overcome the holding power of the spring 178. Thus, the coin functions or serves as a cam to move theelement 176 out of the path of thebar 194 so that when a knob or handle 148 is manually pulled on, the following will take place. Pulling on a knob moves acorresponding plunger 139 outwardly to compress thespring 141 thereon and this causes corresponding movement of aretainer 142 so that for example the parts can move from the solid line position of FIG. 5 to the broken line position of FIG. 5. As aretainer 142 moves from the solid to the broken line position of FIG. 5, it moves the corresponding L-shapedlug 151 which is connected thereto so that thelugs 151 will pull therod 138 from left to right, FIG. 5, and since therod 138 is secured as by welding to the upper ends of the pair ofarms 135, and since therod 138 is also secured to theextension 158 to thebody piece 157, it will be seen that this action will cause thebody piece 157 to shift, and with thebody piece 157 connected as at 197 to thebar 194, thebar 194 will be shifted from left to right, FIG. 5. If aknob 140 is pulled on before the proper coin is inserted in the slot 154, the lockingelement 176 will be engaged by the edge of thebar 194 so that theelement 176 will exert a blocking action in order to prevent the machine from being operated without use of the proper coin therein. The insertion of the proper coin serves to pivot theelement 176 out of the way so that the parts such as theplunger 139 and theretainer 142 connected thereto can move from left to right in FIG. 5 in order to permit asingle packet 130 to be dispensed into theguide member 152, and theguide member 152 serves to guide the packet into the well 101.

As shown in FIG. 6, thelugs 151 haveteeth 198 thereon for coaction with pawls ordogs 199, and thedogs 199 are pivotally connected to thesupport member 131 as at 280, there being springs 281 connected to theelements 199 for exerting the proper pressure thereon, and thecoacting elements 199 and 198 serve to insure that thepackets 138 will be dispensed or released from theholders 129 in the desired manner. 7

Normally aretainer 142 is in the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 5 so that the upperhorizontal portion 143 is below thelowermost packet 130, but when the proper coin is inserted in the chute 154, the parts including theretainer 142 can move from left to right from the solid line to the broken line position of FIG. 5 whereby thelowermost packet 130 can drop down a short distance so that theflange 203 and thepacket 130 will be engaged or held by diametrically opposed shoulders 204 on a horizontal plate 285, and then when theretainer 142 returns from the broken line position to the solid line position of FIG. 5, that is when theretainer 142 moves from right to left in FIG. 5, the recessededge 143 will abut or engage the lower portion of thelowermost packet 130 to dispense or push the packet 130 'into theguide member 152. Slots orcutouts 202 in thesupport member 131 provide clearance to permit the securingelements 150 to move therethrough as the knobs or handles 140 are manually actuated. I p I It is to be noted that with themember 163 arranged contiguous to'theuppermost packet 130, asthepackets 139 are dispensed from a particular column thereof, when the last packet of a column is dispensed theelement 163 will move down into locking position so as to prevent the particular knob 14-9 correspondingto the emptyfcolumn of packets frombeing used. This occurs because when theelement 163 reaches the bottom ofaholder 129, as for example when the packets in the particular column are all used up or dispensed, the flangeiltw ontheelement 163 will move down into engagement with a slot or opening 2&8 in theretainer 142 so that when aknob 140 is pulled on, the flanges or lugs 164 will move against theback wall ass of aholder 129 whereby theflanges 1 64 will function as stop members to prevent the foodstuffs can be sold or merchandised in retail establish therod 138 from left to right in MG. 5 for example, and 7 since theextension 15% of thebody piece 157 is connected to therod 133, it will be seen that thismovernent or therod 138 will cause'corresponding left to right movement of thebody piece 157, and with thebody piece 157 connected as at 162 to the lever 164i, it will be seen that this movement of thebody piece 157 will resultin pivotal,

movementof the levcrldll on its axis or pivot lldli so that the extensionllfi of the lever 16th will strike theportion 109 and move thearm 108 inwardly. Since the fingers '88 of the gear members extend through the slots 11?.

in thearm 1%, it will be seen that as the arm 1th; is shifted by the action oflever 169, the fingers 2'58 will be moved so as to cause rotation of the gear member 8d, and with theteeth 85 of thegear member 84 meshing with theteeth 93 of thecams 92, it will be seen that this rotation of the,gear member 84 will result in corresponding rotation of thevcams 92. Thecams 92 each have the wedge shaped surfaces '96 as well as the lugs 94- and this construction is such that thelowermost cup 66 from the stack of cups in theholder 73 will be separatedand caused to drop downwardly through the opening 811, and

this cup will follow the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 4 so that the cup will be guided downwardly by the inc-lined wall 77 and this cup will subsequently be received in the well M91 as previously described. The Wedge shaped surfaces 96 and thelugs 94 function cooperatively to insure that only the lowermost cup from the stack of cups will be separated, and the-parts 94 and 96 are adapted to coact with and engagethe bead or, shoulder 17} on the upper portion of a cup 6h. .Whenthe supply of cups in aparticular holder 78 is used up, acup lever 125 01 124; will function as a stop piece, and while two holders for two columns of cups have been illustrated, it is to be understood that the number of columns canbe varied as desired or required, and one cup dispenser iscontact 110 to actuate or energize the cup drop switch Some of the important features or aspects of the presem invention are the packet drop mechanism, the switch column cup drop. mechanism, the principles of vending a cup and dropping into this cup a food packet, and the constructionot the vending machine of the present invention itself. p I I I I I It, is tobe'noted thatpachets such as the 'packetslllfl;

are adapted to contain dehydrated products, such asde hydrated colfee, tea, soups,-or the like, and while the drawings illustrate the use of such packets in a vending machine, nevertheless such packets can be used for other purposes, and'for' example such packets of dehydrated ments to individualpurchasers or consumers for subsequent use as desired or required. Furthermore the packets can be" used by civilians, as well as by military personnel, and can also be used for civil defense purposes. Thus the packets can be conveniently carriedaround or stored until needed, and when the contents are to be used, it is only necessary to manuallygrip'the tab portion 169 and then pull oit or remove thecover 17% from the packet 13h, whereby the material in the packet 13% can be used in ,a desired manner. For example, the ingredients can be added to and mixed with a suitable quan-.

tity of hot water to provide a highly palatable and nutritious food product.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

What is claimed is; I

1. A coin operated vending machine comprising a hollow housing, a door hingedly connected to said housing, a cup mechanism comprising a base unit including spaced parallel side pieces having an inciined wallpiece secured therebetween, at least one cup holder mounted above said base unit, cup dispensers arranged contiguousto the lower por ions of said cupholders'said cup dispensers each intherein, upstanding flanges aiiixed toan edge of said frame member, a top piece arranged above said frame mernber, a circular gear member having a plurality oftoothed sections thereon, and said gear member including a depending circular shoulder portion extending through the opening in said framernernber, a movably mounted finger afiixerl to said gear member, a plurality of spaced apart pins extending between said frame member and top piece, rotary shaped cam surface on each cam element, a bracket affixed to a side of said base unit adjacent the upper portion thereof, said bracket including a main straight portion,a bottom portion and spacedparallel end portions and said end portions having slotstherein, an elongated operating arm slidable in the slots in the end portions of the bracket, a transverse lug portion on the front end of the operating arm, a cup drop switch engagea'ble by said transverse lug portion, there being slots in said operating arm for the projection therethrough of said fingers, return springs conne'cted to said fingers, a shift lever pivotally connected to said operating arm, and said shift lever having a flange on the upper rear portion thereof, there. being a cutout and recessedportion in said shift lever, a lock out arm pivotally connected to said base unit, and said lock out arm having a recessed portion, movable cup levers operatively connected to said cup holders, and a pin afiixedto one of said cup levers for selectively engaging the recessed portion of the lock out arm.

2. in a device of the character described, a housing having a door operatively connected. thereto, a packet mechanism comprising a plurality of superposed packet holders mounted on theinside of the door, a support mem- 1 1 said flange and plate, a pair of spaced parallel arms having their lower ends affiXed to said lower rod, a spring member having an end affixed to said plate and said spring member having its other end connected to one of the last name-d arms, an upper rod extending between the upper ends of said pair of spaced parallel arms and connected thereto, a plurality of horizontally disposed movable plungers mounted in said door adjacent said support member, and said plungers having knobs on their outer ends, coil springs on said plungers, retainers connected to the inner ends of said plungers and said retainers being arranged contiguous to the lower ends of said packet holders, L- shaped lugs affixed to said retainers for selectively engaging the upper rod, each of said retainers including an upper portion having an arcuate recess in an edge thereof, a movable body piece contiguous to said plate, an extension on said body piece connected to said upper rod, :1 bell crank lever pivotally connected to said body piece, a slidable bar arranged contiguous to said plate, a locking element adapted to be actuated by a coin, and said locking element being arranged in coacting relationship with said sliding bar, and a blocking element having means thereon for engaging a retainer to block movement of a plunger and retainer when a column of packets in a packet holder is used up. 1

3. -In a vending machine, a cup dispenser including an operating arm having a transverse lug portion on an end thereof, a cup drop switch selectively engageable by said transverse lug portion, a packet dispenser including a plurality of manually movable plungers having retainers operatively connected thereto, lugs connected to said retainers, a rod selectively engageable by said lugs, a body piece operatively connected to said rod, a bell crank lever pivotally connected to said body piece and said bell crank lever adapted to engage said transverse lug portion, a slidable bar arranged adjacent said body piece, and a coin controlled locking element for coaction with said bar.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,029,460 Brady t Feb. 4, 1936 2,157,194 Web-ber May 9, 1939 2,682,984 Melikian July 6, 1954 2,729,376 Gould et al Jan. 3, 1956 2,852,043 Cooper Sept. 16, 1958 3,027,261 Samara Mar. 27, 1962

Claims (1)

1. A COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE COMPRISING A HOLLOW HOUSING, A DOOR HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID HOUSING, A CUP MECHANISM COMPRISING A BASE UNIT INCLUDING SPACED PARALLEL SIDE PIECES HAVING AN INCLINED WALL PIECE SECURED THEREBETWEEN, AT LEAST ONE CUP HOLDER MOUNTED ABOVE SAID BASE UNIT, CUP DISPENSERS ARRANGED CONTIGUOUS TO THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID CUP HOLDERS, SAID CUP DISPENSERS EACH INCLUDING A FRAME MEMBER HAVING AN ENLARGED OPENING THEREIN, UPSTANDING FLANGES AFFIXED TO AN EDGE OF SAID FRAME MEMBER, A TOP PIECE ARRANGED ABOVE SAID FRAME MEMBER, A CIRCULAR GEAR MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF TOOTHED SECTIONS THEREON, AND SAID GEAR MEMBER INCLUDING A DEPENDING CIRCULAR SHOULDER PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID FRAME MEMBER, A MOVABLY MOUNTED FINGER AFFIXED TO SAID GEAR MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART PINS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FRAME MEMBER AND TOP PIECE, ROTARY CAM ELEMENTS MOUNTED ON SAID PINS, SAID CAM ELEMENTS INCLUDING TOOTHED GEAR PORTIONS MESHING WITH THE TOOTHED SECTIONS OF THE GEAR MEMBER, A LUG AND INCLINED WEDGESHAPED CAM SURFACE ON EACH CAM ELEMENT, A BRACKET AFFIXED TO A SIDE OF SAID BASE UNIT ADJACENT THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF, SAID BRACKET INCLUDING A MAIN STRAIGHT PORTION, A BOTTOM PORTION AND SPACED PARALLEL END PORTIONS AND SAID END PORTIONS HAVING SLOTS THEREIN, AN ELONGATED OPERATING ARM SLIDABLE IN THE SLOTS IN THE END PORTIONS OF THE BRACKET, A TRANSVERSE LUG PORTION ON THE FRONT END OF THE OPERATING ARM, A CUP DROP SWITCH ENGAGEABLE BY SAID TRANSVERSE LUG PORTION, THERE BEING SLOTS IN SAID OPERATING ARM FOR THE PROJECTION THERETHROUGH OF SAID FINGERS, RETURN SPRINGS CONNECTED TO SAID FINGERS, A SHIFT LEVER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID OPERATING ARM, AND SAID SHIFT LEVER HAVING A FLANGE ON THE UPPER REAR PORTION THEREOF, THERE BEING A CUTOUT AND RECESSED PORTION IN SAID SHIFT LEVER, A LOCK OUT ARM PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BASE UNIT, AND SAID LOCK OUT ARM HAVING A RECESSED PORTION, MOVABLE CUP LEVERS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CUP HOLDERS, AND A PIN AFFIXED TO ONE OF SAID CUP LEVERS FOR SELECTIVELY ENGAGING THE RECESSED PORTION OF THE LOCK OUT ARM.

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