×

Apparatus for dispensing and receiving rented articles

  • US 4,915,205 A
  • Filed: 06/05/1987
  • Issued: 04/10/1990
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1985
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. Apparatus capable of dispensing articles for rental and accepting returned articles, comprising:

  • means for enabling a user to enter a unique identification code,means for verifying the code entered to inhibit dispensing to unauthorized users,means for enabling payment for rental to be made,means for enabling a user to select from amongst the articles available for rental,a magazine having a plurality of compartments each for receiving a respective one of the articles for rental, the magazine being constructed as a cylindrical drum with two radially spaced rows of radially extending compartments for the individual articles,means defining two separate dispensing apertures formed in line with one another,a sector shaped plate for controlling the dispensing apertures, the sector shaped plate being formed with offset apertures and being pivotable between three positions, both apertures being closed in one position, and a respective one of the apertures being open in each of the other two positions,means for moving the magazine relative to the dispensing apertures to align with a dispensing aperture the magazine compartment containing the selected article, andmeans for recording data indicating the identity of the user and the selected article,the apparatus further comprising;

    means for reading from the recorded data the article previously hired to an identified user,means for moving the magazine to align with a dispensing aperture the empty compartment for containing the article previously hired to the identified user,means operative after insertion of the article into the compartment by the user to read a code on the article identifying the returned article, andmeans for recording the return of the rented article when the article code corresponds with that read from the recorded data.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×