CAROUSEL ALIGNING APPARATUS

• US 3,785,524 A
• Filed: 05/01/1972
• Issued: 01/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Dan Smith
• Original Assignee: John Dan Smith
• Inventors: Smith, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skaggs, Jr., H. Grant
• Application Number:
  US05/249,313
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 221/120,121,122,123,119,113,115,209,270,151,152,13,21
• US Class Current: 221/122
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes

Abstract

Disclosed is vending apparatus which includes a rotatable carousel for holding objects to be dispensed therefrom when the carousel is in any one of a plurality of different vending positions. The apparatus further includes a substantially circular index plate having a plurality of spaced slots each corresponding to a different vending position and each extending from near the center of the plate radially outward therefrom. Each slot has a substantially uniform width from near the center of the plate to a point near the perimeter thereof from which point the slot gradually widens to define a wedge-shaped introduction to the slot. The index plate is coupled to the carousel so that as the carousel is rotated the index plate is also rotated. The apparatus further includes a dispensing mechanism manually operable to dispense an object from the carousel. This dispensing mechanism includes an arm disposed near the perimeter of the index plate and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the index plate. As the dispensing mechanism is operated, the arm is caused to move toward the center of the index plate and to either engage the perimeter of the plate and prevent the complete operation of the dispensing mechanism (if the carousel is not within a certain angular distance of a vending position) or to engage a side of the introduction to a slot to cause rotation of the index plate and carousel into a vending position and enable complete operation of the dispenser mechanism (if the carousel is within that certain angular distance of a vending position).

Claims

1. In combination in vending apparatus which includes a dispensing mechanism and a rotatable carousel from which objects are dispensed when the carousel is rotated to any one of a plurality of different vending positions and the dispensing mechanism is moved with respect to said carousel, aligning apparatus including means rotatable with said carousel for preventing movement of the dispensing mechanism when the carousel is not within a certain angular distance of a vending position, means rotatable with said carousel for allowing movement of the dispensing mechanism when the carousel is in a vending position, and means moveable with said dispensing mechanism for causing the carousel to rotate to a vending position as the dispensing mechanism is moved when the carousel is within said certain angular distance of a vending position.

2. In combination in vending apparatus which includes a dispensing mechanism and a rotatable carousel from which objects are dispensed when the carousel is rotated to any one of a plurality of different vending positions and the dispensing mechanism is operated, aligning apparatus including a substantially circular index plate having a plurality of spaced slots each corresponding to a different vending position and each extending from near the center of the plate radially outward therefrom, the width of each slot being substantially uniform from the termination of the slot at near the center of the plate to a point near the perimeter thereof and then widening to form a generally wedge-shaped introduction to the slot, means coupling said index plate to the carousel so that as either is rotated, the other is rotated in concert therewith, an arm disposed near the perimeter defined by the index plate and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the index plate, said arm being caused to move toward the center of the index plate as the dispensing mechanism is operated so as to engage the perimeter of the plate and prevent the complete operation of the dispensing mechanism when the carousel is not within a certain angular distance of a vending position, and said arm being caused to engage the side of the wedge-shaped introduction to a slot, as the dispensing mechanism is operated, to cause rotation of the index plate and carousel to a vending position and enable the complete operation of the dispensing mechanism when the carousel is within said certain angular distance of a vending position.

3. A combination as in claim 2 further including a feeler arm balanced to pivot upwardly to a first position to engage the bottom surface of an object contained in a vending location in the carousel when the carousel is in a vending position and to pivot upwardly to a second position above said first position if no object is contained in the vending location when the carousel is in the vending position, means coupled to said feeler arm and responsive to the rotation of said index plate from one vending position to another causing said feeler arm to pivot downwardly away from the carousel, and means coupled to said feeler arm for preventing the operation of the dispensing mechanism when the feeler arm is in the second position.

4. A combination as in claim 2 wherein said arm is mounted on the dispensing mechanism to move as the dispensing mechanism is operated.

5. A combination as in claim 2 further including a vertically disposed shaft on which the carousel and index plate are mounted, said shaft providing a common axis of rotation for the carousel and index plate as the shaft is rotated.

6. Vending apparatus including a support frame, a carousel rotatably mounted on the support frame for containing objects to be dispensed therefrom when the carousel is rotatably positioned in any one of a plurality of vending positions, dispensing apparatus manually operable to eject objects from the carousel, said apparatus including first and second shafts mounted in parallel on the support frame and an ejector frame mounted on said shafts to slide between a rest and an eject position, a substantially circular index plate coupled to the carousel and rotatable therewith, said index plate having a plurality of spaced slots each corresponding to a different vending position and each extending from near the center of the plate radially outward therefrom, the width of each slot being substantially uniform from the termination of the slot near the center of the index plate to a point near the perimeter thereof and then gradually widening to form a generally wedge-shaped introduction to the slot, an arm vertically mounted on the ejector frame, said arm being positioned relative to the index plate so that as the ejector frame is moved from the rest position toward the eject position, the arm is moved toward the center of the index plate, said arm engaging the perimeter of the index plate to prevent further movement of the ejector frame if the index plate is over a certain angular distance from a vending position, and said arm moving into a slot if the index plate is within said certain angular distance of the index position corresponding to that slot.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said carousel includes a vertically disposed shaft rotatably mounted on said support frame, a plurality of vertically disposed longitudinal guides spaced about said shaft and mounted thereon, each corresponding to a different vending position for containing a plurality of objects stacked on top of one another, wherein the dispensing apparatus engages the bottom-most object in a guide to eject it therefrom as the ejector frame is slid from the rest position to the eject position causing the stack of objects to move downward in the guide to fill the gap left by the ejected object, wherein said index plate is mounted on said vertically disposed shaft to rotate therewith, said apparatus further including a feeler mechanism comprising a feeler arm balancEd to pivot upwardly to a first position to contact the bottom surface of a bottom-most object in the guide corresponding to the vending position to which the carousel is rotated, and to pivot upwardly to a second position above the first position if no object is contained in the guide corresponding to the vending position to which the carousel is rotated, said feeler mechanism further comprising means for engaging said ejector frame to prevent movement thereof from the rest position to the eject position when said feeler arm is in the second position.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said feeler mechanism further comprises a substantially vertical extension disposed at the perimeter of said index plate to engage the sides of the wedge-shaped introduction to said slots and the perimeter of said index plate and thereby cause said feeler arm to pivot downwardly away from said guides as said carousel and index plate are rotated.

9. Apparatus as in claim 6 further including means coupling one of said parallel shafts to said carousel for causing said carousel to rotate as said one parallel shaft is rotated.