Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates generally to vending
machines and particularly to an improved vending
machine for dispensing cylindrical product
containers such as bottles or cans in response to
customer selections.
It is important in vending machines of the
type under consideration to maximize storage
capability and minimize the complexity of the
delivery mechanism. The aim is that the product
should occupy as much of the available interior
space as possible thereby reducing overall size
requirements.
A problem with many conventional machines is
that they utilize a considerable number of
switches and associated wiring as well as
complicated delivery mechanisms. For example,
multiple selection machines frequently rely on
multiple solenoid operated delivery mechanisms.
Not only do such switches and mechanisms consume
valuable space but they render the machine
susceptible to high maintenance costs.
Also important, with respect to efficient
space utilization is the organization of the
storage space. The simplest and most efficient
storage lies in the use of vertical column loading
but this often presents a problem because of the
weight of the product. Accordingly, some machines
utilize slant shelf arrangements or serpentine
29 arrangements which reduces the gravity effect
3 ~ 3
often at the expense of simplicity or storage
space.
Conventional vending machines suffer from a
lack of versatility in successfully allocating
storage space for the anticipated product
consumption for each selection. In some vending
machines the problem is solved by simply providing
additional columns to anticipated prime
selections. Recent innovations have resulted in
the use of diverting techniques which can result
in some product being maintained in the machine
for unreasonable lengths of time as well as
increasing costs and decreasing reliability.
While the application of anticipated use
prediction techniques is desirable, the
development of dispensing systems capable of
utilizing these techniques has not been available.
The present vending machine solves these and
other problems not disclosed in the known prior
art.
This vending machine is provided with a
dispensing mechanism which is ideally suited to
utilize sophisticated anticipated use predicting
techniques which reduce restocking and maintain
product freshness and helps prevent depletion of
popular selections.
This vending machine provides a particularly
efficient product storage capability by reducing
29 the space requirements for switching and delivery
.
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mechanisms. In this machine switching is
virtually eliminated and the delivery mechanism is
simplified by reducing the requirement for
multiple electromagnet devices such as motors and
solenoids to a minimum by utilizing common drive
mechanisms.
The product storage capability is
additionally enhanced by independent front and
rear storage of the vertical columns.
It is an aspect of this invention to provide
an article storage means including a plurality of
substantially vertical columns disposed in
side-by-side relation, each column being adapted
to receive a plurality of vertically adjacent
generally cylindrical articles; an 210ngate,
rotatable support means disposed below each column
and having a plurality of support elements, each
support means having opposed ends and operatively
supporting an article in a first position and
tending to rotate to a second position under the
weight of the article; release means including a
ratchet means fixedly attached to one end of each
support means and rotatable with said support
means, and pawl means pivotally mounted adjacent
said ratchet means to control rotation of the
support means between the first and second
position incident to releasing an article;
actuating means for the release means including a
29 drive shaft having a plurality of angularly
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related in~P~ing members att~h~ thereto, each
indexing member ~eing engageable with an
associated pawl means, means for rotating said
drive shaft so that selected in~eYi~g member is
disposed adjacent a selected pawl means, means for
inducing alternating motion into said drive shaft
and indexing members so that said i~Pyinq member
engages said pawl means to move said pawl means
into and out of engagement with said ratchet means
to permit rotation of said support means, and
control means for the actuating means.
It is an another aspect of this invention to
provide that the means for rotating said drive
shaf~ is a first electric motor, and the means for
inducing alternating motion into said drive means
is a second electric motor including eccentric
drive means and linkage means between said
eccentric drive means and said drive shaft.
It is still another aspect of this invention
to provide that the means for inducing alternating
motion into said drive shaft is a solenoid.
Another aspect of the lnventlon ls to provlde a
vendlng machlne as defined above ln whlch the
pawl means lncludes an end portlon and means plvotally
attachlng sald end portlon to another pawl portlon for
one-way movement of sald end portlon relatlve to sald
other portlon, and sald actuatlng means lncludes means
for osclllatlng sald drlve shaft and selected lndexlng
member to lnduce sald alternatlng motlon lnto sald
lndexlng member.
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Yet another aspect of this invention is to
provide that each vertical column includes a first
portion and a second portion, each column
portion being adapted to receive a plurality of
vertically adjacent, generally cylindrical
articles, each rotatable support means includes
independent portions having axially adjacent ends
each independent portion supporting articles in
said first and second column portions, and said
release means includes a ratchet means at adjacent
ends of each support portion and rotatable with
its associated support portion and an associated
pawl means, and said actuating means drive shaft
indexing members are disposed between said pawl
means to selectively actuate each of said ratchet
means.
Still another aspect of this invention is to
provide that each ratchet means is integrally
formed with its associated support means.
Another aspect of this invention is to
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provide that each support means has a
three-pointed star configuration.
Yet another aspect of this invention is to
provide that the axis of rotation of each support
means is disposed within the associated
substantially vertical column.
Still another aspect of this invention is to
provide that each support means is formed from a
bar having a substantially uniform cross section
with a three-pointed star configuration and to
provide that the ratchet means is a ratchet wheel
integrally formed with said bar and having a
plurality of ratchet teeth at equally spaced
intervals, and to provide that the pawl means is
an escapenlent member having spaced lug members
sequentially engageable with said teeth.
Another aspect of this invention is to
provide that each column includes a lower end and
a member disposed at said lower end to narrow the
exit and direct said articles onto said associated
support means.
It is one aspect of this invention to provide
that each vertical column includes a first portion
and a second portion, each column portion being
adapted to receive a plurality of vertically
adjacent, generally cylindrical articles, each
rotatable support means supports articles in said
first and second column portions, and each of said
29 first column portions includes an escrow member
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disposed below said support means and providing a
hold position for delivering said articles in said
first column portion sequentially with said
articles in said second column portion, and to
provide that each ratchet means includes six
teeth.
It ls an aspect of thls inventlon to provlde a
vendlng machlne, comprlslng artlcle storage means
lncludlng a plurallty of storage compartments dlsposed
ln slde-by-slde relatlon, each compartment belng
adapted to recelve a plurallty of ad~acent artlcles,
a support means dlsposed at the end of each
compartment and operatlvely supportlng an artlcle ln
a flrst posltlon and tendlng to move to a second
posltlon under the welght of the artlcle, release
means controlllng movement of the support means
between the flrst and second posltlon lncldent to
releaslng an artlcle, actuatlng means for the release
means lncludlng a drlve shaft havlng a plurallty of
angularly related lndexlng members attached thereto,
each lndexlng member belng engageable wlth an
assoclated release means, means for rotating sald
drlve shaft so that a selected lndexlng member ls
dlsposed ad~acent a selected release means, means for
lnduclng alternatlng motlon lnto sald drlve shaft and
lndexlng members so that sald lndexlng member engages
and actuates sald release means to permlt movement of
sald support means, and control means for the
29 actuatlng means, the control means lncludlng a
posltlon detectlon means operatlvely monltorlng
movement of the drlve shaft lndexlng means.
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Accordlng to another aspect of thls lnvention,
there is provlded a vendlng machlne comprlslng artlcle
storage means lncludlng a plurallty of storage
compartments dlsposed ln slde-by-slde relatlon, each
compartment belng adapted to recelve a plurallty of
ad~acent artlcles, a support means dlsposed at the end
of each compartment and operatlvely supportlng an
artlcle ln a flrst posltlon and tendlng to move to a
second posltlon under the welght of the artlcle,
release means controlllng movement of the support
means between the flrst and second posltlon lncldent
to releaslng an artlcle, actuatlng means alternatlngly
engageable wlth a selected release means to release
sald release means and permlt rotatlon of the
assoclated support means, and control means for sald
actuatlng means, each storage compartment lncludlng
generally allgned flrst and second portlons, each
portlon belng adapted to recelve a plurallty of
ad~acent artlcles, each support means operat~vely
supports an artlcle ln each compartment portlon, each
release means lncludes a ratchet wheel havlng a
plurallty of teeth and a pawl means, sald ratchet
teeth belng at least twlce as many ln number as the
number of support elements on the support means, and
an escrow means ls dlsposed below sald æupport means
and the flrst compartment portlon and provldes a hold
posltlon for dellverlng sald artlcles ln sald flrst
compartment portlon æequentlally wlth sald artlcles ln
sald second compartment portlon.
- 7a -
~'
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FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of the vending machine;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the sequence of operations;
FIG. 3 is a plan view taken on line 3-3 of FIG.1;
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3
showing the delivery operation in a first column portion;
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3
showing the delivery operation in a second column portion;
FIG. 6 is a front end view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3
showing the release mechanism in a holding position;
FIG. 7 is a similar view to FIG. 6 showing the release
mechanism in a release position;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the release mechanism
(located on the same sheet as FIG. 3);
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 6,
(FIG. 9 is located on the same sheet as FIG. 3);
FIG. 10 is a partly schematic view of one form of drive
mechanism;
FIG. 11 is a similar view of a modified drive mechanism;
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view of a modified release mechanism
for a double unit;
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FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view taken on
line 13-13 of FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 is a front end view of another
modified release mechanism; and
FIG. 15 is a view taken on line 15-15 of FIG.
14.
Referring now by reference numerals to the
drawings and first to FIGS. 1 and 3 it will be
understood that the vending machine 10 includes a
frame 12 divided, in the embodiment shown, into
eight storage compartments 1-8 by end walls 14 and
18 and intermediate partition walls 16. In the
embodiment shown the compartments are
substantially vertical. As shown in FIG. 3, the
columns 1-8 are of sufficient depth to provide
forward portions la, 2a, 3a, etc. and rearward
portions lb, 2b, 3b, etc. so that each column can
accommodate two cylindrical articles or containers
C such as cans or bottles, end to end. Each of
the columns 1-8 is of sufficient width to
accommodate staggered vertical rows of said
containers C. The frame 12 also includes front
and rear plates 20 and 22, connecting the
partition walls 16; a front guard plate 24 spaced
from said front plate 20, as by spacers 26, and
side plates 28 and 30 which interconnect the rear
plate 22 and the front guard plate 24. Plates 20
and 24 cooperate to provide a housing for the
29 container release mechanism which is generally
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indicated by numeral 32 and will be described
later.
Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 it will be
understood that partition plates 16 defining
columns 1-8 are rolled at their lower end to
provide a transverse bead 34 receiving elongate
bolts 35, and that above the column exit defined
by said beads, each of said plates 16 includes a
transverse member 36, attached as by welding. The
transverse members 36 effectively narrow the
column and define the exit path of the containers
C therein, said members 36 including an upper ramp
portion 3~, a vertical portion 40 and a lower
inclined portion 42. Below the transverse member
36 is a retainer plate 50 which includes an upper
portion 52, extending between and connected to
front and rear plates 20 and 22 and, in the front
portion of the column only, a curved escrow
portion 54.
The containers are passed through the column
exit by means of a three-point turnstile member 60
disposed below each column, which is axially
supported in rotatable relation between the rear
plate 22 and the guard plate 24 and cooperates
with the retainer 50 to provide a turnstile
system. In the embodiment shown the turnstile
member 60, which is generally star-shaped in
configuration, includes three points 61, 63 and 65
29 separated by concave surfaces 66 compatibly
, 1 0
1 335373
configurated to support a container C. The
turnstile members 60 are mounted between the rear
and guard plates 22 and 24 by stub shafts 68 and
69, respectively, in freely rotatable relation.
The turnstile members provide support means for
the containers and the axis of rotation of said
members is disposed within the column and offset
from weight center of the supported container.
The result of this is that the turnstile members
tend to rotate under the weight of the containers.
In the turnstile and retainer assembly shown
in FIGS. 3-5, the three-point turnstile 60 extends
t~rough columns the front and rear columns, eg
column portions 2a and 2b and each turnstile
supports two containers C. The upper portion 52
of the retainer 50 also extends through the front
and rear columns but the lower, escrow portion
extends only through the front column portion 2a.
Corresponding containers Cla and Clb, C2a and C2b
in the front and rear column portions are axially
aligned. The containers Cla and Clb, C2a and C2b
and C3a are shown in full line representation in a
first position, and in phantom outline
representation in a second position. One hundred
and twenty degrees (120) of movement of the
turnstile member 60 are required to release a
container C.
In FIGS. 4 and 5 the turnstile projection 65
29 holds containers C2a and C2b in the front and rear
~ 335373
portions of column 2 in the position shown in full
line representation. In FIG. 4 the turnstile
projection 61 cooperates with the escrow portion
54 to hold container C3a in the position shown in
full line representation.
When the turnstile member 60 is allowed to
rotate sixty degrees (60) to the position shown
in phantom outline container C3a is delivered and
containers C2a and C2b both move to the position
shown in phantom outline in which they are
supported by turnstile projection 65 and retainer
member 52. When the turnstile member 60 is
allowed to rotate a further sixty degrees (60)
container C2a will move into the position formerly
occupied by container C3a and be held by the
turnstile member 60 and cooperating escrow portion
54 in the front column portion. Container C2b
however will be delivered since no escrow portion
is provided in the rear column portion. Thus
containers C are delivered alternately from each
column portion for each sixty degrees (60) of
rotation of the turnstile member 60 but one
hundred and twenty degrees (120) of movement
are necessary to deliver a container from the same
column.
The release mechanism which controls the
rotation of the turnstile member 60 from a first
position, in which they are supported by the
29 turnstile member to a second position incident to
1 335373
being dispensed will now be described with
particular reference to FIGS. 6-8.
As shown in FIG. 8 each turnstile member 60
extends through the front plate 20 and is provided
at its front end with a coaxially integrally
mounted and integrally formed ratchet wheel 70
which rotates with the turnstile member 60. The
ratchet wheel 70 includes a plurality of radially
extending teeth 71-76, six (6) in number in the
embodiment shown, and a circular back plate 77.
An escapement member or pawl 80 is pivotally
mounted adjacent the ratchet wheel 70 by a pivot
shaft 81 extending between the front wall 20 and
the guard wall 24. The escapement member 80 is
generally arcuate and includes lugs 82 and 84
which are engageable respectively with the ratchet
wheel teeth 74 and 76 in the position shown. At
its upper end, the escapement member 80 includes a
socket 86 providing a seat for the lower end of a
spring 88 and said spring is engageable at its
upper end with an abutment member 90 with the
result that the lug 82 is biased into engagement
with the uppermost tooth 74.
At its lower end the escapement member 80
includes an outstanding member 92, constituting a
first engagement means which is engageable by a
reciprocable member such as indexing pin 102
mounted to an elongate drive shaft 100, and
29 constituting a second engagement means. In
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effect, the turnstile members and the release
mechanism cooperate to block delivery of
containers from the columns.
In the embodiment shown the drive shaft 100
is mounted between sidewalls 28 and 30. The shaft
100 includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced,
radially outstanding pins 101 through 108 disposed
in angular relation to each other about the shaft
axis and constituting engagement means. As shown
eight (8) pins are provided at equal angles of
forty-five degrees (45) and each pin, such as
pin 102, is selectively engageable with an
associated adjacent escapement member 80. The
shaft 100 is rotatable and shiftable so that the
selected pin corresponding to a customer selection
of a product in column 2, can be rotated into an
upright position aligned with the escapement
projecting member 92. The shaft 100 can then be
shifted, as shown by reference to FIGS. 5 and 6,
into and out of engagement with said member 92 to
rotate ratchet wheel 70 and hence the turnstile
member 60. Movement of the pin 102 from point A
through engagement point B to point C pivots the
escapement lug 82 out of engagement with the
ratchet tooth 74 so that the turnstile member 60
rotates under the weight of a container C until
the second tooth engages the second lug 84 as
shown in FIG. 6. Return movement of the pin 102
29 from C to A results in reverse pivoting of the
1 335373
escapement member 80 under the biasing action of
the spring 88 so that lug 82 engages the next
tooth resulting in a total movement of the ratchet
wheel 70 of approximately sixty degrees (60).
In the embodiment shown a total lWV~I~ll~` of
one hundred and twenty degrees (120) is
necessary to release a container C so that the
front and rear containers in a column are released
consecutively as the turnstile 60 and ratchet
wheel 70 are rotated at sixty degree (60)
intervals.
The means by which the shaft 100 is rotated
and shifted will now be described by reference to
FIGS. 10 and 11 which are directed respectively to
alternative arrangements for providing this
movement.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the shaft
100 is carried by a bearing 96, mounted to wall
28, through which it can slide. At the other end
the bearing is connected to an auxiliary shaft 110
parallel to the motor shaft 112 and driven from
said motor by a drive chain assembly 114. The
drive shaft 100 is connected to the auxiliary
shaft 110 by means of a shaft coupler 116. The
shaft coupler 116 includes a longitudinal slot 118
which receives a pin 120 fixedly attached to the
auxiliary shaft 110. By this arrangement, the
drive shaft 100 and attached coupler 116 can be
29 shifted axially relative to the auxiliary shaft
-1-5-
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110 while at the same time permitting rotation of
said shaft 100 with said auxiliary shaft. The
drive shaf`t 100 is shifted axially by means of a
motor M2 which includes a motor shaft 122 having
an eccentric arm 124 rotatable with said shaft 122
and connected to the sleeve 116 by means of a
pivoted link 126. As will be readily understood
rotation of the arm 124 through three hundred and
sixty degrees (360) results in fore and aft
movement of the drive shaft 100 equal to twice the
radius of the arm 124.
Rotation of the drive shaft 100 to its proper
angular position so that a selected pin, e.g. pin
102, is conditioned to engage an escapement member
80 (FIG. 6) to initiate delivery of a container C,
is achieved by a control means such as shown in
FIG. 2. In the embodiment shown, the angular and
axial position of the drive shaft 100 is provided
by a Shaft Position Detector 130 to which
information is fed by means of cooperating encoder
elements 132 and 134 (FIG. 10). This encoding
means can be provided by photo-optic, magnetic or
other well known position detection means. The
indication of the desired product to be vended is
provided by the Product Selector 140. The motors
Ml ~nd M2 (which can be AC, DC or stepper type
motors) are actuated in accordance with
information input to a Motor Control 142 by the
29 Product Selector 140 and the Shaft Position
~ -16--
1 335373
Detector 130.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 the shaft
100 is connected to the shaft 150 of a motor M
mounted to the wall 30 by means of a shaft coupler
152. The shaft coupler 152 includes a disc flange
154 and the coupler includes a slot 156 which
receives a pin 158 fixedly attached to the motor
shaft 150. The drive shaft 100 is shifted axially
by means of a positioning lever 160, which is
pivotally mounted to the housing by pivot shaft
162 intermediate its ends. At its upper end 164
the lever is bifurcated to receive the flange 154
and at its lower end 166 the shaft is pivoted to
the core of a solenoid S. Reciprocating movement
of the shaft 100 and pins 101-108 from a first
position to a second position and back again is
experienced when the solenoid S is energized and
de-energized. A similar control means is provided
to that discussed above with respect to the
embodiment described above with respect to FIG.
10 .
In the preferred embodiment the electronic
control system utilizes a microprocessor but can
also be implemented using logic gate circuitry.
In some instances it may be desirable to
provide a second double unit, such as indicated in
phantom outline in FIG. 3 by 12a, where additional
product is required. In such an arrangement a
29 total of four (4) column portions are provided.
1 335373
In this event, in lieu of providing an entirely
independent second release system, a compound
release system can be used as indicated in FIGS.
12 and 13. As shown turnstile members 160 are
provided on each side of a partition wall 122,
which are independently rotatable on a common
shaft 168. A six-tooth ratchet wheel 170 is
provided at the end of each turnstile member 160
and individual escapement members 180 are
pivotally mounted to partition wall 122 by a
common pivot shaft 181. The turnstile members
160 and ratchet wheels 170 are substantially
identical with those discussed above. The
escapement members 180 are substantially identical
except for the inwardly turned lower portions
carrying the projecting member 192. This
arrangement permits the use of a single rod 100
having appropriate pins 101-108, in lieu of two
independent rods. The control system is modified
in order to provide for double usage.
A modified release mechanism is shown in
FIGS. 14 and 15 which1~t;1;~ a reversible drive
motor and requires no shifting mechanism. In this
embodiment the ratchet wheel 270 and the turnstile
member 260 are substantially identical to those
described above. However, the escapement member
280 is different in that it includes a pivoted
finger 292 which is upwardly movable relative to
29 the other portion of the escapement member 280 but
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1 335373
is precluded from moving downwardly relative to
said other portion by virtue of a pivot stop 293.
The drive shaft 200 is driven by a reversible
motor M3 and like the previous
embodiment includes a plurality of pins 201-208
which however are longer.When the shaft is rotated
clockwise all pins lift their associated pivot
fingers 292. A selected pin, e.g. pin 202, is
disposed in close adjacency to its associated
pivot finger 292and ~ lockwise motion of the
shaft 200 rotates pin 202 downwardly which pushes
the finger 292 downwardly together with the
escapement member 280 which pivots and the result
of this is that the engagement lug 282 pivots out
of engagement with ratchet tooth 272 so that the
turnstile member 260 rotates under the weight of a
container ~ until lug 284 engages with ratchet
tooth 273. ~lockwise motion induced into
the shaft 200 causes the end of the escapement
member 280 carrying the pivot finger 292 to move
upwardly wnder the action of spring 288 so that
lug 284 moves out of engagement with ratchet tooth
273 and lug 282 moves into engagement with ratchet
tooth 272. Thus the oscillating movement of the
pin 202 causes a total rotation of the ratchet
wheel 270, and the turnstile member 260 of one
hundred and twenty degrees (120). In other
respects the operation is similar to that
29 described above. It will be understood that the
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1 335373
length of the pins 201-208 and the angular
oscillatory motion are chosen so that the only
one pin engages its associated pivot finger at any
one time.
With respect to the loading of the forward
and rearward portions of the columns, it will be
understood that the forward portions are front
loaded while the rearward portions are top loaded.
It will be understood that the term "vending
machine" used herein is intended to include both
cash and credit merchandising machines.
Several embodiments of the vending machine
have been described above in detail and those
skilled in the art will appreciate that
modifications may be made without departing from
the spirit of this invention. For example, it
will be readily understood that the angular
relationship of forty-five degrees (45)
attained by using eight pins is not intended as a
limitation, since more or less pins can be used as
desired to suit the number of columns. Other
modifications are possible, for example the
compartments could be inclined rather than
vertical. Therefore, it is not intended that the
scope of the invention be limited to the specific
embodiments illustrated and described. Rather, it
is intended that the scope of this invention be
determined by the appended claims and their
equivalents.
