Agitating dispenser for encapsulated articles

April 7, 1959 h. t. probasco 2,880,906

AGITATING DISPENSER FOR ENCAPSULATED ARTICLES

Filed June 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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April 7, 1959 h. t. probasco 2,8θθ,θθθ

AGITATING DISPENSER FOR ENCAPSULATED ARTICLES Filed June 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

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2,880,906

Patented Apr. 7, 1959

United States Patent Office

2,880,906

AGITATING DISPENSER FOR ENCAPSULATED ARTICLES

Harold T. Probasco, Inglewood, Calif., assignor, to Oqk 'Manufacturing Co., Inc., Culver City, Calif., a corporation of California

Application June 21, 1954, Serial N°· 437,936

Claims. (Cl. 221—203)

This invention relates to a vending machine and, more particularly, to a vending machine for; encapsulated articles.

Attempts have been made in the past to construct vending machines of the coin-operated type which would effectively vend various types of small articles such as key chains and, other relatively inexpensive merchandise having mass sales appeal, However, conventional, vending, machines were found to be incapable of dispensing such articles sipice they are designed, primarily, to dispense either spherical or flat comestibles. In order to overcome the inherent difficulties of dispensing these irregplafly shaped small articles, it has been recently proposed that the articles be. placed in two-part, substantially elliptical capsules sb, that the projecting and elongated portions' of the articles will hot catch upon the dispensing mechanism of conventional vending, machines.

Howeyer, ithasb.een discovered that, despite the encapsulated fotm of the articles, considerable difficulty is, encountered in dispensing the same since there is still a tendency of the articles to wedge and jam in a conventional vending machine.

It is, therefore, ah object of my invention to provide a vending, machine for encapsulated articles which includes a housing having a receptacle mounted thereupon for the reception of said articles and which has incorporated therein a collector meinber for agitating and aligning the encapsulated articles so that they will be properly oriented wijth respect to the dispensing mechanism of the vending machine.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a collector member for a vending machine which can be readily utilized, in conjunction with conventional vending machines for ball-type merchandise so that the collector member, when installed in the conventional vending machine for. ball-type merchandise, will adapt the vending machine for use in the dispensing of encapsulated articles.

An additional object of my invention is the. provision of a collector member of the aforementioned character, which is adapted to be secured as a unit to the dispensing means incorporated in a conventional vending machine for b,all-type articles, said collector member being rotatable in conjunction with the dispensing mechanism and being adapted to agitate and align encapsulated articles so that they will be properly oriented for delivery to the dispensing mechanism of the vending machine.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a vending machine' for encapsulated articles wherein the aforementioned collector extends upwardly into the interior of the aforesaid receptacle and is rotatable in said receptacle to agitate the encapsulated contents of said receptacle and to permit the collector member to pick off certain of the encapsulated articles from the mass of articles disposed thereabout and to property align them for delivery to the dispensing mechanism.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a vending machine of the aforementioned character wherein the collector member is driven by the same mechanism as the dispensing means of the vending njachine so tha,t as the dispensing mechanism, is energized, the collector member is simultaneously energized to sweep the contends of the receptacle of the vending: machine to align additional encapsulated articles for ultimate delivery to the dispensing mechanism of said machine.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a, collector member for encapsulated articles which can, be, readily and quickly installed ip conventional vending machines for bail-type,'merchandise, thus permitting the, relatively inexpensive and expeditious adaptation of such conventional vending machines for operation as vending machines for encapsulated articles.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the. following specification and the, accompanying drawings whichj are for. the purpose of. illustration only and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a. vending, machine, for dispensing encapsulated articles;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view taken op the. broken line 2—2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the collector member for the encapsulated articles incorporated in the vending, machine;

Fig. 4 is a transverse, sectional view taken from, the broken line 4—4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view of the vending machine with the upper portion thereof removed; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse, sectional view taken from the broken line 6—6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs, 1-3 thereof, I show a vending machine 10 for dispensing encapsulated articles 12, said'articles usually consisting of relatively small pieces of merchandise such as key chain charms and similar mass appeal low priced, merchandise which cannot ordinarily be dispensed from an automatic vending machine because of the protruding portions and; irregular conformation thereof.

The articles are enclosed in capsules 14 formed in two parts and from transparent material so that the articles incorporated therein may be readily viewed- from the exterior of the vending machine ,10.

The vending machine 10 includes a housing 16 constituted by a base 18 which mounts a glass receptacle 20_fSince many of the structural features of the vending machine 10. are well-known in the art and are readily apparent from a study of the drawings, no particular reference, will be. made thereto and the description of the invention appearing hereinbelow will be devoted solely to those aspects of the vending machine which are concerned directly with the orientation, alignment and ultimate dispensing of encapsulated articles 12 from the vending, machine 10.

Mounted in the base 18 of the vending machine. 10, is the actuating handle 22 for the coin-receiving mechanism 24 of the vending machine. The rotation of the actuating handle 22 causes the concomitant rotation of a, pinion 28 whereby a dispensing means 30, mounted in the base, 18 of the housing 16 is revolved. The dispensing means 30 in the present embodiment of the invention is constituted by a rotatable -dispensing plate 32, said, plate being provided on its periphery with gear teeth 34 engageable with the pinion 28 to cause the rotation of said plate. Also provided in the plate 32. is a plurality of orifices. 36 which are successively registerable with a dispensing opening 38 to a dispensing chute 40, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings, to permit encapsulated articles 12 to be dispensed from the vending machine 10.

The dispensing plate 32 is rotatable on the bottom 42, oj a recess 44 provided in the upper portion of. the,, base: 1$,

2,880,906 of the housing 16 about a centrally located boss 46 formed integrally with said bottom of said recess.

Mounted on the upper surface of the dispensing plate 32 and located centrally thereof, is a collector member 50 which is substantially frusto-conical in cross-sectional configuration and which is constituted by a body 52 which includes a shell 53 and a base 54. The top of the shell 53 is provided with a plurality of openings 56, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and the base is provided with a plurality of depending bosses 58 which are provided with openings 60 in their lowermost ends registerable with the openings 56 in the top wall of the shell 53, whereby elongated bolts 62 may be passed through the registering openings and have their threaded extremities engaged in corresponding threaded bores in the dispensing plate 32, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The elongated bolts 62 thus serve both to maintain the component portions of the body 52 of the collector member 50 in operative relationship with each other, and to maintain the entire assembly in operative relationship with the dispensing plate 32 so that rotation of the dispensing plate 32 by means of the actuating handle 22 will cause concomitant rotation of the collector member 50. It should also be noted at this juncture that the collector member 50 can be installed in operative relationship with any dispensing plate 32 which has been bored and tapped for the reception of the elongated bolts 62 so that conventional dispensing machines for ball-type merchandise can be readily converted to machines for the dispensing of encapsulated articles 12.

Naturally, this is a material advance since it permits the owners of large numbers of conventional vending machines to adapt them for use in the dispensing of encapsulated articles.

Since the body 52 of the collector member 50 is frustoconical in configuration, the peripheral wall 64 thereof is inclined at an angle to the vertical axis of said body and, in the present instance, at an angle of approximately 18°. Formed in the periphery of the body 52 of the collector 50 are elongated dispensing receptacles 66, the back wall of each of which is, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings, inclined from the vertical axis of the body 52 to an extent substantially less than the inclination of the peripheral wall 64 of the body 52, and, in the present instance, approximately 7’ off the vertical axis.

The dispensing receptacles 66 in the body 52 of the collector member 50 are, in essence, constituted by elongated channels whose lower ends are juxtaposed to the dispensing orifices 36 provided in the dispensing plate 32, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 6 of the drawings. The securement of the collector member 50 to the upper surface of the dispensing plate 32 by the elongated bolts 62 maintains the relationship between the dispensing receptacles 66 in the body 52 of the collector member 50 and the dispensing orifices 36 provided in the dispensing plate 32.

Provided on the base 54 are radiating sweeps 69 which have vertical protrusions 71 joined integrally therewith. As the collector 50 is rotated, the sweeps 69 break up accumulations of encapsulated articles 12 and the protrusions 71 tend to raise the ends of the articles vertically to assist the sweeps in separating the accumulated articles.

Mounted in the upper portion of the recess 44 is an annular flange 68 having an angularly oriented wall 70 which, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings, causes the lowermost of the encapsulated articles 12 in the receptacle 20 to roll inwardly toward the collector member 50. Provided on the flange 68 and overlying the dispensing opening 38 in the bottom 42 of the recess 44 is a cut-off member 72 which prevents more than one encapsulated article 12 from falling through the dispensing opening 38 and the dispensing orifice 36, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

When a coin is inserted in the coin-receiving mechanism 24, the handle 22 of said mechanism can be rotated to cause the concomitant rotation of the pinion 28 associated therewith. As the pinion 28 is rotated, it causes simultaneous rotary motion of the dispensing plate 32 in the direction of the arrow 74, as best shown in Fig.

4 of the drawings. The rotation of the dispensing plate 32 causes rotary movement of the collector member 50 and during said rotation encapsulated articles 12 juxtaposed to the periphery of said member are automatically agitated so that certain portions of the articles are en10 gaged in the elongated receptacles 66 provided in said member.

The agitation of the encapsulated articles 12 and the subsequent engagement and alignment of said articles in the elongated dispensing receptacles 66 of the collector 15 member 50 are facilitated by the fact that the inclined peripheral wall 64 permits adjacent encapsulated articles 12 to be tilted inwardly off their vertical axes toward the periphery of the collector member 50, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Therefore, there is always 20 a tendency for the encapsulated articles 12 to fall inwardly into the elongated dispensing receptacles 66 as the collector member 50 is rotated through the mass of encapsulated articles 12.

Furthermore, since the elongated dispensing receptacles 25 66 of the collector member 50 are rotated past the cocked encapsulated articles 12 with each rotation of the dispensing plate 32, as accomplished by the rotation of the actuating handle 22 of the vending machine 10, the inclined encapsulated articles 12 tend to fall into the elongated 30 dispensing receptacles 66. The retention of the encapsulated articles 12 in the elongated dispensing receptacles 66 is accomplished, in part, by the provision of the inclined wall of the receptacles so that the encapsulated articles located in the elongated dispensing receptacles 35 66 are maintained in a slightly inclined position in the receptacles 66 which prevents them from falling out of said receptacles.

It is readily apparent, therefore, that the rotation of the collector member 50 in conjunction with the dispen40 sing plate 32 to dispense an encapsulated article 12 from the vending machine 10 also causes a concomitant agitation, alignment, and ultimate collection of encapsulated articles 12 in the elongated dispensing receptacles 66 which are aligned with the dispensing orifices 36 provided 45 in the dispensing plate 32. Therefore, the lateral edges of the elongated dispensing receptacles 66 serve to sweep the encapsulated articles 12 into the confines of the elongated dispensing receptacles 66 and the inclined peripheral wall 64 of the collector member 50 serves to properly 50 orient the encapsulated articles 12 for reception in the elongated dispensing receptacles 66.

In addition, the inclined wall of each of the dispensing receptacles 66 causes the encapsulated articles to be tilted inwardly toward the axis of the collector member 55 50 in order that the encapsulated articles 12, when once engaged in the dispensing receptacles 66 will not be dislodged therefrom.

As the collector member 50 is rotated about its axis, the lowermost of a series of superimposed encapsulated 60 articles 12 is always fed through the juxtaposed dispensing orifice 36 in the dispensing plate 32, as best shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and said lowermost encapsulated article 12 is carried around by the rotation of the dispensing plate 32 in contact with the bottom 42 of 65 the recess 44 until it reaches the point adjacent the dispensing opening 38 in said bottom of said recess wherein it is discharged from the dispensing plate 32 into the dispensing chute 40 through said opening.

As previously indicated, the cut-off flange 72, as best 70 shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, engages the encapsulated article immediately above the lowermost encapsulated article, previously referred to, to prevent simultaneous dispensing of two encapsulated articles for the price of one.

The inclined peripheral wall 64 of the body 52 of the ’

2,880,906 collector member 50 is a contributing factor in the effective functioning of the elongated dispensing receptacles 66 since said receptacles are relatively shallow at their uppermost ends, while gradually widening at their lowermost ends to a depth approximately equivalent to the 5 maximum diameter of the encapsulated articles to be dispensed and the diameter of the juxtaposed dispensing orifices 36 in an associated dispensing plate 32. Therefore, it is possible for the encapsulated articles 12 to have portions of their peripheries engaged in the uppermost 10 ends of the elongated dispensing receptacles 66 so that they are ultimately drawn bodily into the receptacles and are fed downwardly to the lowermost portions thereof wherein they are substantially completely isolated from the dislodging engagement of contiguous encapsulated 15 articles. When the receptacles are full, minimum agitation occurs because the peripheries of the receptacles restore the periphery of the collector. Therefore, the encapsulated articles are not subjected to undue agitation which might result in opening or damaging the capsules. 20

I thus provide by my invention a vending machine adapted for the expedient dispensing of encapsulated articles in a manner which has not been achieved heretofore with prior art devices. I also provide by my invention a collector member of unique construction and opera- 25 tion which can be incorporated in a completely new machine or which is adaptable for use in conversion of conventional machines for vending ball-type or spherical merchandise.

The smaller angle of the walls of the elongated re- 30 ceptacles causes the encapsulated articles to move downwardly while the greater inclination of the peripheral wall maintains the adjacent encapsulated article out of engagement with those in the receptacle as they move downwardly therein. ³⁵

Characteristic of the action of the collector member of my vending machine is the fact that it constantly agitates, aligns, and collects the encapsulated contents of the vending machine in which it is installed so that the encapsulated articles are properly oriented with respect ⁴⁰to the dispensing components of the vending machine in which the collector member is installed.

The laterally projecting sweeps at the base of the collector member and the vertical protrusions thereupon serve as auxiliary agitating means to break accumulations 45 of encapsulated articles at the base of the collector member. These accumulations are due to the fact that different shapes of capsules are dispensed and tend to become engaged upon one another and pile up. The sweeps effectively break up such accumulations and the protru- ^δθ sions raise the capsules in a vertical direction to assist the sweeps in breaking the accumulations.