Combined vending machine and game

Jah. 29, 1929. 1,700,541

F. L, MILLS

COMBINED VENDING MACHINE AND GAME

Original Filed Aug. 30, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US1700541A_D0001.tif" />

Jan. 29, 1929. 1,700,541

F. L. MILLS * COMBINED VENDING MACHINE AND GAME

Original Filed Aug. 30, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US1700541A_D0002.tif" />

Jan. 29, 1929. 1,700,541

F. L. MILLS

COMBINED VENDING MACHINE AND GAME Original Filed Aug. 30, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3

<img file="US1700541A_D0003.tif" />

<img file="US1700541A_D0004.tif" />

Patented Jan. 29, 1929.

1,700,541 . UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED L. MILLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MILLS NOVELTY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION, OF ILLINOIS.

COMBINED VENDING MACHINE AND GAME. .

Original application filed August 30, 1926, Serial No. 132,506. Divided and this application filed May 31. 1927. SerialNo. '195.381.

. This invention relates to improvements in a combined vending machine and game and more especially to such a vending machine adapted for supplying small articles such as, 5 for example, candy and the like. The invention is embodied in a machine of this kind adapted to vend a single article ' for each coin, check, or slug inserted, and in connection therewith, through the game ap10 paratus, give the operator an opportunity, by the exercise of skill, to obtain an additional article. ../'....'

In connection with the vending apparatus, means, are also provided for agitating the 15 articles, in the hopper at each operation of the machine, thus insuring at all times a proper.. supply to the delivery chute_;

Means are also provided for delaying the action of the game apparatus in order to give 20 the operator an opportunity to prepare himself for the display of skill necessary to obtain an extra article.

The present application constitutes a division of my pending application Serial No.

132,506, filed August 3Qth, 1926.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown herein a machine adapted to be operated by coins and supplied with balls of candy to.be vended.

In that form of device shown in the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a combined vending machine, and game, Fig. 2 is a similar view in .rear· elevation, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken as,indicated by the line 3. of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken as indicated by the line 4 of Fig. 2, and.Fig. 5 ..is· a view taken as indicated by the line 5 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, the device is housed in a suitable case 10.made of wood or other suitable material, and preferably provided with a glass panel front 11. The lower part of the case 10 is preferably widened as .45 indicated by 10^a. and the upper, surface in front is preferably provided,, with. a glass panel or window. 12 in order to give a view into the hopper containing the articles to be vended. . .

,»0 It ’>s believed that a preliminary general description of the construction and operation of the device will assist in making the disclosure. A suitable coin, for example, one cent, is: inserted . in the coin slot. A coin pusher is then depressed whereupon the ma- 55 chine delivers one of the articles being vended, for example, a candy ball. When the coin pusher is raised, a steel ball is released at the top of the device behind the glass panel 11.

This ball tumbles downwardly in an uncer- 6o tain path between stationary pins. Arranged below these pins is a transversely movable cup operable by a knob on'the outside : of the device. Through the exercise of'skill, it is possible for the operator to move this 65 cup to catch the' steel ball.. In the event the operator succeeds in catching the steel ball in the cup, the cup is then moved to the end of its stroke whereupon upon being moved back, through suitable apparatus, an extra 70 candy ball is delivered. In order to increase the picturesque effect, the steel ball is delivered at the top,from behind a small figure representing a baseball batter, and the' clip is mounted on the rear side of a small figure 75 representing a baseball player about to catch a ball.

I will first describe the vending apparatus. 13 indicates the coin slot, and 13“ the opening at the tipper end where the coin is inserted. 8014 indicates a vertically slidable coin pusher carrying a backwardly projecting pin 15 having pivotally mounted thereon the swinging .latch 16 provided with an atm 16^a projecting through:a slot 17 in the lower end of 85 the coin slot.; ..The.upper edge of the end of the arm 16^a is slanted or beveled as indicated by 16^b, so that a coin falling downward in the coin slot engaging this bevel will swing the latch 16 out of the way and allow the coin to so pass to its position below the. arm 16^a.

indicates a beJI-crank lever for operating the mechanism pivoted at 19 and having, one end 18^a also projecting through the slot 17 under its lower end./ 20 indicates a coin 05 in the position it occupies after having been dropped in the slot and before the coin pusher is depressed. It will be seen that the coin has passed the arm 16^a on the latch 16 and is resting on fop of the arm 1.8^a of the bell- 100

1,700,541 crank 18. When in this position, it serves as a connector between the coin pusher and the arm 18^a so that when the coin pusher is depressed, it will depress the coin to also push 5 down the. arm 18^a. until the arm 18^a gets to a position low enough so that the coin can pass it and drop out of the lower end 13^b of the coin slot and into the coin box 21.

The movement of the bell-crank 18, as 10 above described, operates the vending apparatus in the following manner. The inner end of the crank 18, as indicated by 18^b, has attached thereto a link 22, which in turn is connected to one of the arms of another bell15 crank 23 pivoted at 24. The arm 23^a of the bell-crank 23. is provided with ,a pin 25 projecting through a slot 26 in the vertically slidable rod 27 which has its. lower end pivoted to the arm 28^a of the bell-crank 28 piv20 oted at 29, The other arm. 28^b of the bellcrank 28 is provided with a slot embracing the pin 30 in the article, feeder 31. As shown in Fig. 5, the. article feeder is. pivoted at 32 and cut away at 33 in order to form an open25 ing to embrace one of the candy balls 34.

Each time the article feeder is rotated, one , of the candy balls is permitted to roll out into the tray 35. It will be seen that with a coin in place as a connector between the arms 16^a30 and 18^a, downward movement, of the coin pusher will rock the bell-crank. 18 to pull the connecting bar. 22 to rock the bell-crank 23 to lift the rod 27 to move, the bell-crank 28, which will in turn swing the article feeder 31. 35 Twill now describe more in detail the agitator. The candy balls, as indicated by 34^a, are contained in a hopper 35', the bottom of : which preferably is tapered.to ward the round -- outlet tube 36. Vertically slidable on the tube 40 36 is a- collar 37 containing radially arranged wings 38 adapted to move up into the hopper through slots in the bottom thereof when the collar 37 is moved upwardly. Such upward movement of the collar 37 and the wings 38 45 serves to agitate the candy balls in the hopper causing one or more of them to roll toward , the lowest part thereof and into the tube 36. The bottom of the tube 36 leads into the slanting magazine 39 which carries at its lower encl 50 the feeder 31 above described. From the feeder 31 a delivery chute 40 is provided to direct the delivered candy balls into the tray 35, Each time.that the machine is operated, the agitator is moved by means of the link 55 41 connected to the arm. 18^b. at its upper end. and at its lower end. to the arm 42, which in turn is connected to the collar 37. The agitation of the candy balls in the hopper will insure at all times a proper supply to the. mag60 Bazine 39, thus keeping this magazine filled and insuring at all. times a supply to the feeder 31.

T will now describe more in detail the game . mechanism. At one side of the inanhine is a 65 vertical tube 50 filled with a row of balls 51.

For example, these balls may be of steel and all of the same size and weight; or, if desired, they may be made of other suitable substances, and may be of different colors and weights. Also, if desired, these balls may 70 vary in size to a certain extent. Variations in the size or weight of these balls will cause more uncertainty and irregularity in the downward falling of the ball through the pins 75, to be described more in detail herein- 75 after. Also, variations in the color of the balls may be made use of as desired in con-. nection with the operation of the device. Eor example, the catching of a ball, of a certain color can, by previous agreement of the own- 80 er of the machine, entitle the operator to an additional reward or compensation. For the purpose of illustration, 1 have assumed herein that the balls are made of steel and conse- .. quently have so referred to them hereinafter. 85 The extreme end of the arm 23^a of the bellcrank 23 is provided with a finger 52 projecting into the ball tube 50 below the last ball. Upward movement of the finger 52 is adapted to raise the column of balls and enough balls 90 are provided so that when the column is thus raised, the ball at the top will leave the tube and enter the slanting runway 53. 54 indicates a latch pivoted at'55 adapted to permit a ball lifted upwardly by the finger 52 to 95 pass, but preventing it from dropping back. The spring 54^a. urges this latch to its normal position. At the upper end of the. ball tube, another latch 56 pivoted at 57 and operated by a spiral spring. 58, as shown, serves to start 100. a ball into the runway 53 when pressed out of the top of the cup._: indicates a vertically movable wire having lower end connected to the arm 23% as shown, and its upper end adapted to project 105 up into the runway 53 when the. arm 23^a is raised. By means of this construction, when the arm 23^a is raised to lift the finger 52 upwardly a ball is expelled from the top of the tube, 50 and enters the runway 53,. but is pre- 1.10 vented from passing the upper end, of the wire 59 as long as this wire remains raised. This wire is kept raised until the coin pusher is raised in the folio wing manner. 60 indicates a latch pivoted at 61, the lower end of 115 which is yieldingly pulled to the right (as viewed in Fig. .2)” by the spiral spring 62. Upon downward moveffient of the coin pusher with the coin in place above the arm,18^a, the extreme end of the arm 18^a is engaged by the 120 lower end 60^a of the latch 60, and thus held in this position until the coin pusher is raised. When the coin pusher is raised, the pin 15 thereon engages the upper end 60^b of the latch 60, which is suitably slanted as shown, thus 125 'rocking the latch 60 to disengage the end 60^afrom the arm 18^a whereupon the spiral spring ' 63 returns the bell-crank to its original position. This movement again lowers the who 59 thus permitting the ball to pass down- 130

1,700,541 right as pressed by the arm 93 will cause the same to enter the bevel or cam-shaped upper edge of the lever 94—thus rocking the. same and lifting the bar 27 to feed another article as above- described. The spiral spring .97 op-' 70 erates to return the feeder to its original position when released, :

The left end of the lever 94 is provided-with : a series of teeth 100 adapted to be engaged by the pivoted pawl 101 controlled by the spring ,75 102 so that, movement of the lever 94 being commenced in one direction, the same muse be moved the full length of its stroke before being permitted to return.

In the event the ball is caught by the cup §0 and operated to deliver another article, upon passing the lever 94, the ball upon reaching the right hand end (as viewed in Fig. 2) of the trough 92 rolls backwardly through the: . hole 110—whence it drops onto the track 90 35 and rolls back into the bottom of the ball tube 50. The front side of the ball tube is provided with a slot in order to give a view of the balls therein.

While I have shown and described certain 00 embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without, departing from, the spirit and scope of the in· ⁹³vention as disclosed in the appended claims,. in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible in view of the prior art. ..