Dispensing/vending machine and method with lockable, portable dispensing chutes

• US 5,476,190 A
• Filed: 09/22/1994
• Issued: 12/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coast Business Credit
• Original Assignee: Lottery Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Michael C., Herrmann, Herbert L., Belka, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US08/310,932
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 221/197, 221/287, 221/312 B, 221/105, 221/114, 221/95, 221/92, 221/268, 221/258, 221/273, 221/274, 221/131, 221/13, 221/154, 221/151, 221/152, 221/108, 221/103, 221/129, 220/345, 312/293.1, 312/293.3
• US Class Current: 221/197
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/22 Pushers actuated indirectly by hand, e.g. through cranks or levers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A vending machine for dispensing relatively flat, thin articles, and particularly for dispensing valuable articles such as debit cards and tickets. The articles to be dispensed are stored in removable chutes. Lockable covers are provided for the chutes so as to provide safe transportation containers for the valuable articles. Automatic device is provided for displacing the covers upon insertion of the chutes into the dispensing mechanism so as to prepare the mechanism for immediately dispensing the articles and eliminating the need to totally remove the covers during usage.

Claims

1. A secure dispensing machine chute for holding relatively flat, thin articles of intrinsic value for dispensing, said chute comprising an elongated storage container for storing an array of said articles, said container having a dispensing outlet opening adjacent one end, a mounting structure for mounting said chute in a receptacle in a dispensing machine housing and a removable cover for covering said outlet opening, said cover and said container having mating lock surfaces capable of being locked together to lock said cover in place, said outlet opening being shaped to permit the entry of a relatively flat, thin pusher plate to push one of said articles form the bottom of said array to dispense it when said chute is mounted in said housing.

2. A chute as in claim 1 which has a loading inlet opening adjacent the end of said chute opposite said one end, said cover extending over said inlet opening to cover it as well as said outlet opening.

3. A chute as in claim 1, said cover including a panel slidable mounted in said chute to slide into first position in which it covers said opening, and a second position in which it does not cover said opening, said cover and said chute each having a lock opening, said lock openings being positioned to be aligned with one another when said cover is in said first position, whereby a locking member can be inserted through said openings to lock said cover and said chute together, said chute having a vertical slot to accomodate a feeler switch arm.

4. A chute as in claim 2, said cover being L-shaped with a sliding panel and an inlet cover portion, with holes in said inlet cover portion and a portion of said chute adjacent said inlet opening for receiving a locking member.

5. A chute as in claim 1, said cover having a surface positioned to engage a stop member adjacent said receptacle when said chute is inserted into said receptacle and thereby move said cover away from said outlet opening when said cover is unlocked.

6. A chute as in claim 1, said chute having an access opening for admitting a dispensing member into said container to dispense said articles through said outlet opening, and a cover plate for covering said access opening when said cover is locked.

7. A dispensing device for dispensing relatively flat, thin articles of intrinsic value from at least one array, said device comprising, in combination, a housing, a dispensing mechanism, at least one receptacle in said housing for receiving and holding a removable chute for containing a supply of said articles and positioning said receptacle adjacent said dispensing mechanism to facilitate the dispensing of said articles from said chute by said mechanism, said chute having a dispensing outlet opening, and a lockable cover for covering said opening.

8. A device as in claim 7 including a plurality of said receptacles for receiving a plurality of said chutes, and a separate dispensing mechanism for each of said receptacles.

9. A device as in claim 7, in which said cover is movably mounted on said chute to move into and out of covering relationship to said outlet opening, said receptacle including an engagement member for engaging said cover and moving it out of covering relationship to said outlet opening in response to the insertion of said chute into said receptacle.

10. A device as in claim 7 in which said outlet opening is located adjacent one end of said chute, and including a loading inlet opening adjacent the opposite end of said chute, said cover being adapted to cover both said inlet and said outlet opening, and a vertical slot in said chute for receiving a feeler switch arm.

11. A device as in claim 7 in which said outlet opening is adjacent one end of said chute, said cover including a panel slidable mounted in said chute to slide into a first position in which it covers said opening, and a second position in which it does not cover said opening, said cover and said chute each having a lock opening, said lock openings being positioned to be aligned with one another when said cover is in said first position, whereby a locking member can be inserted through said openings to lock said cover and said chute together.

12. A device as in claim 11 in which said chute has an inlet opening at the end of said chute opposite said one end, and said cover has a flange extending from one end to cover said inlet opening when said cover is in said first position.

13. A device as in claim 12 including a lock tab extending from one edge of said flange and a lock flange extending from an edge of said chute in abutting relationship to said lock tab, said lock openings being located in said lock tab and said lock flange.

14. A device as in claim 7 in which said cover includes a panel slidable in said chute into and out of covering relationship to said outlet opening, said mechanism including an engagement member for engaging said panel and moving it out of covering relationship to said outlet opening in response to the insertion of said chute into said receptacle, said panel having a projection extending outwardly into a position to contact said engagement member to move said panel out of covering relationship upon insertion of said chute into said receptacle.

15. A device as in claim 7 in which said outlet opening is adjacent one end of said chute, said one end having an access opening for admitting a portion of said dispensing mechanism into said chute, and a second cover member for covering said access opening.

16. A device as in claim 15 in which said chute has two side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, the lower ends of said side walls extending beyond the ends of said front and back walls and being bent inwardly to form spaced-apart flanges to hold said articles in said chute in the absence of said second cover, said outlet opening comprising the space between said flanges, said second cover comprising a plate of the same shape as one of said articles and of the thickness to pass through said outlet opening upon start-up of said dispensing mechanism.

17. A vending machine for vending relatively flat, thin articles of intrinsic value, said vending machine having a housing, a monetary exchange acceptor for accepting monetary exchange items and crediting the depositor of said items with appropriate amounts of payments, a dispensing mechanism, a removable chute for securely holding said articles while out of said housing, a receptacle for receiving and securing said chute in said housing in response to the insertion of said chute into said receptacle said chute having a dispensing opening adjacent said dispensing mechanism when said chute is in said receptacle, said monetary exchange acceptor being adapted to control said dispensing mechanism to dispense a number of said articles corresponding to the credit given to said depositor, said chute having a lockable cover for covering said outlet opening while said chute is outside of said housing, in which said articles are selected from the group consisting of tickets and debit cards and said chute has an open top end with said outlet opening at the bottom end, said cover being generally L-shaped with a vertical panel slidably contained in said chute, and an end cover portion extending outwardly from said panel to cover said open top end, said end cover portion and one wall of said chute adjacent said top end having holes which align with one another when said cover is in locking position.

18. A method of replenishing the supply of flat, thin items of intrinsic value to be dispensed from dispensing machines at spaced geographic locations, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of chutes, each having an opening, and a cover lockable to cover said opening and movable to uncover said opening when unlocked,

(b) loading said items into said chutes with said covers unlocked at a first station remote from at least some of said geographic locations,

(c) locking said covers of said chutes and transporting said chutes to said remote geographic locations, and

(d) at each of said locations, unlocking said covers and uncovering said openings in some of said chutes and installing the latter chutes in the dispensing machines at said location.

19. A method as in claim 18 in which said dispensing machines have receptacles for receiving said chutes and holding said chutes in response to the insertion of the chutes therein, said installing step comprising dropping said chutes into said receptacles.

20. A method as in claim 18 in which said dispensing machines are vending machines for vending articles in response to the deposit of units of monetary exchange by a purchaser, each of said chutes having an inlet opening in addition to the first-named opening, said cover covering said inlet opening when locked and being removable to open said inlet for loading.

21. A method as in claim 19 in which said articles are selected from the group consisting of debit cards and tickets.