ARTICLE VENDING MACHINE HAVING BONUS DISPENSING MEANS

• US 3,750,829 A
• Filed: 07/24/1972
• Issued: 08/07/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henry George Frederick Jennings
• Original Assignee: Henry George Frederick Jennings
• Inventors: Jennings, Henry George Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Tollberg, Stanley H.
• Application Number:
  US05/274,633
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 221/8 194/76,81,86,89,92
• US Class Current: 221/8
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/72 Auxiliary equipment, e.g. for lighting cigars, opening bottles

Abstract

An article vending machine comprises several dispensing units each operable by a spring to dispense an article from a magazine, rotatable indicator wheels registrable at random in any one of several index positions, coin-freed drive means operable to energize the springs and rotate the indicator wheels, a dashpot arranged to delay operation of the dispensing units by the springs until after commencement of rotation of the indicator wheels, and a locking member movable into locking engagement with the wheels to lock them in random index position, at least one of the dispensing units being arranged to dispense an article in each operational cycle of the machine, and the operation of each remaining dispensing unit being blocked by an associated indicator wheel except when the wheel is registered in a selected index position.

Claims

1. An article vending machine comprising a plurality of dispensing units each operable by biasing means to dispense an article from a magazine, rotary index means registrable at random in any one of a plurality of index positions, coin-freed drive means operable to rotate the index means and energize the biasing means, means operable to delay operation of the dispensing units by said biasing means until after commencement of rotation of the index means, and a locking member or members movable into locking engagement with the index means to arrest their movement, at least one of the dispensing units being arranged to dispense an article in each operational cycle of the machine, and the operation of each remaining dispensing unit being blocked by its associated index means unless at least that index means is registered in a selected index position.

2. An article vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each dispensing unit comprises a shutter arranged to dispense an article upon movement from a loading position to a release position, and the biasing means urge the shutters towards their release positions, the drive means being operable to move the shutters into their loading positions and thereby energize the biasing means.

3. An article vending machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the biasing means comprise springs.

4. An article vending machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking members are connected to the shutters of said remaining units for movement therewith, the locking members co-operating with abutments on the index means to arrest the rotational movement and to block operation of their associated dispensing unit except when the index means are registered in said selected position or positions.

5. An article vending machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the index means comprises one or more wheels freely rotatable upon operation of the drive means, the or each wheel having an annular series of studs spaced apart a distance to receive the associated locking member and thereby arrest rotational movement of the wheel, and the or each wheel having abutments adapted to engage the associated locking member to prevent movement of its shutter into the release position except when registered in said selected position or positions.

6. An article vending machine as claimed in claim 2 including latch means operable to hold the shutters in their loading positions, and trip means operable by said delay means to release the latch means.

7. An article vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the index means comprises one or more indicator wheels freely rotatable through index positions in response to operations of the drive means, each wheel having symbols corresponding to each of the index positions and visible outside the machine to indicate the index position of the wheel.