Vending machine

Nov. 28, 1950

H. J. BURASCO

VENDING MACHINE

2,532,084

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INVENTOR.

J. Jc/rasco

BY

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Nov. 28, 1950

H. J. BURASCO

2,532,084

VENDING MACHINE

Filed Feb. 3, 1947

Sheets-Sheet 2

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BY

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Patented Nov. 28, 1950

2,532,084

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,532,084

VENDING MACHINE

Henry J. Burasco, Kansas City, Mo.

Application February 3, 1947, Serial No. 726,011

Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for automatically dispensing an article of merchandise upon receipt thereinto of a coin or the like and actuation by the operator thereof of a slidable plunger extending to the exterior of such merchandise.

The most important object of this invention is to provide a vending machine for tablet or disclike articles of merchandise having an open bottom receptacle for the articles, an outlet chute therefor and a pair of manually manipulable elements interposed between the receptacle and the outlet chute and connectable by a coin or the like inserted into the machine for controlling the vending of one of said articles into the outlet chute.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a vending machine having a slidable gate provided with a restricted opening for receiving one of the articles to be vended when the gate is at one end of its path of travel and delivering the same into the discharge chute when the gate is moved to the opposite end of its path of travel.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a vending machine having the aforesaid slidable gate or ejector gate as a part thereof, a plate underlying the receptacle for the articles to be dispensed, which plate not only serves as a sliding support for said gate but aids in maintaining an article, received by the gate, in position while the gate is being actuated and until the same is moved into a position for releasing such article.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vending machine having means for preventing a single article of merchandise from being dispensed until the coin, which serves to render the machine operable, falls into a coin box.

Many minor objects of this invention will be made clear or become apparent during the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a vending machine made in accordance with my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line H—II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof, parts being broken away for clearance.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line IV—IV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on line V—V of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view (CI. 312—67) taken on line VI—VI of Fig. 5, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed perspective view of a portion of the article con5 tainer and underlying plate, the slidable elements being entirely removed.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the ejector gate per se and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the manually 10 manipulable plunger showing the same entirely removed from association with the vending machine.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates generally a case for housing all the operative 15 mechanism forming a part of the vending machine about to be described. This case to constitutes a back wall 12 and a section 14 having front and side walls as well as a top and a bottom as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. When 20 section 14 is associated with back plate 12, the same presents a closed chamber, section i4 having a pair of hook members 16 for engagement with a pair of loops 18 mounted on the innermost face of a wall 12 as illustrated in Figs. 2 25 and 3. This back wall i'2 is also provided with a pair of laterally extending arms 20 having openings therethrough in register with aligned openings in the side walls of section !4, all to the end that the bolt 22 may be inserted into 30 locked position. In other words bolt 22 passes through the openings in the side walls of section 14 and through the openings in legs 20 whereupon a lock may be inserted in an aperture 24 formed in one end of bolt 22 extending through 35 the case.

Back wall ί 2 has mounted thereon through the medium of a number of brackets 26 a cylindrical tube 28 which serves as a receptacle for the articles of merchandise 39 to be dispensed. This 40 receptacle 28 is mounted in an upright position and has its ends open. The articles 30 are of any tablet character and in the instance shown constitute disc-like pellets or capsules. A fiat plate 32 extends laterally inwardly from wall 12 45 in underlying relation with receptacle 28 and slightly spaced therebelow. This plate 32 has a pair of overlapping tracks 34 along each longitudinal edge thereof for slidably receiving a gate 36. When this gate 36 is in the position illus50 trated in Fig. 6, a portion thereof underlies the article 30 within receptacle 28 and holds the same from passing therefrom. Gate 36 has an opening 38 formed therein of substantially the same size as the size of the individual article 55 3S not only in thickness thereof but in diameter.

2,532,084

A projection 40 on gate 36 overlaps a portion of the opening 38 and a slot 42 is provided in gate 36 near one end thereof opposite to extension 40, all for purposes hereinafter more fully described. ;

Plate 32 has an opening 44 formed therein adjacent to the wall t2 and in offset relation with respect to the receptacle 28. This opening 44 in plate 32 is in register with an outlet chute 46 which, chute 46 in turn communicates with i the exterior of housing 10 as at 48. An elongated slot 50 is formed in plate 32 near the inner-most end thereof which slot terminates in a transverse slot 52 near the inner-most end thereof.

A coin receiving opening S4 formed in the j front wall of section 14 is in communication with a coin chute 56 mounted upon the inner-most face of this front wall of section !4. Coin chute 56 is sectional and the lowermost end 58 thereof is in register with a coin box 66. o

A plunger assembly, broadly designated by the numeral 62 and shown in.detail in Fig. 9, has a pair of spaced apart tracks 34 slidable upon the outer-most faces of tracks 34 formed on plate 32^;. A bottom wall 66 of plunger assembly 62 2 underlies plate 32 when the same is in operative position and a flange @8 depending from an upper-most wall 79 thereof: engages with the gate 36 when plunger assembly 62 is manually actuated. Knob 72 extends outwardly through an 3 opening 74· formed in the normally front face of section 14 to a position where the same is accessible: to the operator. A short chute 76 extends upwardly from wall 78, plunger 62 and this chute 76 is in register with a slot 78 formed in 3 the.bottom wall 66 thereof.

A spring 88 clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 joins plunger 62 and chute 46: to yieldably maintain plunger GS-and gate 36 near the inner-most ends of their respective paths of travel. 1

A leaf , spring 82. mounted upon the inner-most face of back, plate 12 has the inner-most' free end thereof normally in overlying relation with opening 44 in plate 32 and in the path of travel of gate 38; This leaf spring 82 has a flange 4 portion 33 formed' on its inner-most end in overlying relation with gate 36 and a portion of opening 38 when this gate 3-3 is near the inner-most end of its path of travel. Assuming the component parts of the vending machine just de- g scribed to be formed and assembled as set forth, the operation thereof is as follows:

A suitable coin 34 is inserted in slot 54 where the same passes downwardly through chute 56 and into the short chute 78 of plunger assembly 5 62. Springs 80 and 82 serve to hold plunger 62 in a position where chute 76 underlies the coin chute 58 and where slot 42 of gate 36 is directly beneath chute 76. Coin 84 therefore is free to fall downwardly through slot 42 of gate 38 and e through opening 78 in bottom wall 6S of plunger assembly 62. This coin 84 then rests upon plate 32, spanning the distance across slot 53 within this plate 32.

The next step to be performed by the operator g is to grasp knob 72 and pull the same outwardly. This action causes the gate 36 to also- slide outwardly because of the connection made between assembly G2 and gate 36 by coin 84. This outward motion is limited by coin 84 striking the outer- 7 most end of slot 58 and when in such position gate 38 has its opening 38 in underlying relation with articles of merchandise 38. One of these articles 30 will then be free to fall by the action of gravity into opening 38 of gate 36 where the 7 same rests upon plate 32 between the slot 50 and opening 44 thereof. One edge of the article 30 will also be resting upon the extension 40 which covers a portion of opening 38. The operator then pushes knob 72 inwardly which causes gate 36 to move toward a position where slot 42 thereof and opening 78 of assembly 62 are in register with transverse slot 52 of plate 32. Coin 84 is then free to fall through slot 52, into section 58 0 of coin chute 56 and thence into coin box 60.

Such inward movement of gate 36 will prevent additional articles of merchandise 30 from falling out of receptacle 38.

As gate 38 approaches the inner-most end of 5 its path of travel and prior to movement of coin 84 into box 60, the same will come into engagement with leaf spring 82 and flange 83 thereof will overlie the article 30 and hold the same against projection 4G. As gate 36 is caused to be 0 moved further toward the inner-most end of its path of travel and after coin 84 has fallen, one track S4 of plunger assembly 62 will strike this leaf spring 82 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 causing the same to be moved flatly against back wall 5 12. This action moves flange 83 of spring 82 out of engagement with the article 30; and, since at this point in the operation.opening 38 of gate 36 is in register with opening 44 of plate 32, the article 30 will be free to tip on extension 40 and 0 fall downwardly into outlet chute 46 where the same is accessible to the purchaser thereof at 48. Release of the knob 72 by the operator will permit spring 82 to move gate 38 and' plunger 62 to a position for further use.

While only one embodiment of my invention has been disclosed and described, it is understood that many modifications thereof may be made, particularly in details of construction without departing from the spirit thereof or scope ^!&gt; of the appended claims.