Apparatus for dispensing and receiving rented articles
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.
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Abstract
Machine for automatic rental of video cassettes. Cassettes are stored in a drum like magazine (32) and are made available at a dispensing slot (20, 22) after a user has identified himself by introducing a personal into a slot (12) and entered a unique personal code number on a keyboard (16) which the user also employs to enter the selection from the available video cassettes. On returning the cassette, the user again identifies himself and the machine verifies by reading a bar code that the hired film has been returned.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. Apparatus capable of dispensing articles for rental and accepting returned articles, comprising:
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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, and means 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, and means for recording the return of the rented article when the article code corresponds with that read from the recorded data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Apparatus capable of dispensing articles for rental and accepting returned articles, comprising:
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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 at least first and second rows of compartments for the individual articles, the first row being at a first radial distance and the second row being at a second radial distance greater than the first radial distance, and the cylindrical drum having a central axis inclined to the horizontal at an acute angle, means for rotating the cylindrical drum about its central axis, whereby the magazine is moved relative to a dispensing aperture to align the magazine compartment containing the selected article with the dispensing aperture, which is positioned to allow an article to be removed from its compartment by moving the article through the aperture in a direction parallel to said central axis, means for recording data indicating the identity of the user and the selected article, means for reading from the recorded data the article previously hired to an identified user, means for moving the magazine to align with the dispensing aperture the empty compartment for containing the article previously hired to the identified user, whereby the article can be replaced in its compartment by moving the article through the aperture in a direction parallel to said central axis, means operative after insertion of the article into the compartment by the user to read a code on the article identifying the returned article, and means for recording the return of the rented article when the article code corresponds with the read from the recorded data. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. Apparatus capable of dispensing articles for rental and accepting returned articles, comprising:
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a magazine having a plurality of compartments each for receiving a respective one of the articles for rental, there being at least two categories of articles, and the magazine having a central axis inclined to the horizontal at an acute angle, an encoded card issued to an authorized user, means for reading data recorded on a user'"'"'s card, means for manual entry of a codeword, means for comparing the manually-entered codeword with data read from the card and inhibiting dispensing in the event that the codeword does not match data read from the card, means for preventing articles of a predetermined category from being dispensed to an authorized user if the data read from the user'"'"'s card includes a disabling code while permitting articles of other categories to be dispensed to the authorized user, means for enabling payment for rental to be made, means for enabling a user to select from amongst the articles available for rental, means for rotating the magazine about its central axis, whereby the magazine is moved relative to a dispensing aperture to align the magazine compartment containing the selected article with the dispensing aperture, which is positioned to allow an article to be removed from its compartment by moving the article through the aperture in a direction parallel to said central axis, means for recording data indicating the identity of the user and the selected article, means for reading from the recorded data the article previously hired to an identified user, means for moving the magazine to align with the dispensing aperture the empty compartment for containing the article previously hired to the identified user, whereby the article can be replaced in its compartment by moving the article through the aperture in a direction parallel to said central axis, means operative after insertion of the article into the compartment by the user to read a code on the article identifying the returned article, and means for recording the return of the rented article when the article code corresponds with that read from the recorded data. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. Apparatus capable of dispensing articles for rental and accepting returned articles, comprising:
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a magazine having a plurality of compartments each for receiving a respective one of the articles for rental, there being at least two categories of articles, an encoded card issued to an authorized user, means for reading data recorded on a user'"'"'s card, means for manual entry of a codeword, means for comparing the manually-entered codeword with data read from the card and inhibiting dispensing in the event that the codeword does not match data read from the card, means for preventing articles of a predetermined category from being dispensed to an authorized user if the data read from the user'"'"'s card includes a disabling code while permitting articles of other categories to be dispensed to the authorized user, means for enabling payment for rental to be made, means for enabling a user to select from amongst the articles available for rental, means for moving the magazine relative to a dispensing aperture to align the magazine compartment containing the selected article with the dispensing aperture, which is constructed as two separate apertures formed in line with one another, a sector-shaped plate for controlling the two apertures, said 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 recording data indicating the identity of the user and the selected article, means for reading from the recorded data the article previously hired to an identified user, means for moving the magazine to align with the 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, and means for recording the return of the rented article when the article code corresponds with that read from the recorded data. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification