Dynamic vending machine with track insert assembly

• US 5,833,117 A
• Filed: 10/15/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: A & A Global Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Parkway Machine Corporation
• Inventors: Tegtmeier, Robert H., Kovens, Steven A., Mincher, Wayne, Gootee, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noland, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US08/730,144
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 221/24, 221/155, 221/265, 221/196, 221/195
• US Class Current: 221/24
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk

Abstract

A dynamic bulk vending machine including a merchandise globe assembly sitting on an upper hopper, an intermediate chamber containing a unitary, multi-layer, serpentine, wire-form track defining an irregular pathway for spherical merchandise which sits on a lower hopper, all of which sit on a base containing a coin receiving actuation mechanism which is mechanically linked to both hoppers.

Claims

1. A vending machine, comprising:

a merchandise storage globe, a merchandise dispensing control element associated with said storage globe, an intermediate chamber in merchandise communication with said dispensing control element, a separate base including a dispensing opening and a rotatable manipulable crank, a drive shaft linkage extending through said intermediate chamber to said merchandise dispensing control element and drivingly connecting said manipulable crank with said merchandise dispensing control element for controlled dispensing of merchandise from said storage globe to said dispensing opening.

2. The vending machine of claim 1 where said first merchandise dispensing control element is disposed below the storage globe and said vending machine further comprises a second merchandise dispensing control element disposed between said base and said intermediate chamber, drivingly connected to said manipulable crank, and connected to said drive shaft linkage to synchronized with said first merchandise dispensing control element.

3. The vending machine of claim 2 where the merchandise dispensing control elements are hoppers containing rotatable merchandise wheels, the manipulable crank is rotatable and rotatably engaged with the second merchandise wheel which is engaged to said drive shaft which in turn is connected to said first merchandise wheel;

whereupon rotating said crank causes rotation of said second merchandise wheel, said drive shaft and said first merchandise wheel.

4. The vending machine of claim 1 where said merchandise dispensing control elements are dimensioned for dispensing generally spherical merchandise, said machine further comprising a merchandise guide path disposed in said intermediate chamber for establishing a merchandise path communicating said merchandise dispensing control element with said base.

5. The vending machine of claim 4 where said first merchandise dispensing control element is disposed below the storage globe and said vending machine further comprises a second merchandise dispensing control element disposed between said base and said intermediate chamber, drivingly connected to said manipulable crank, and connected to said drive shaft linkage to synchronized with said first merchandise dispensing control element.

6. The vending machine of claim 4 where said guide path is a serpentine wire form track permitting gravity induced movement of merchandise from the first dispensing control element to the base.

7. The vending machine of claim 4 where said guide path is a serpentine wire form track forming multiple vertically disposed layers within said intermediate portion in a manner to cause the spherical merchandise to roll along the wire form track.

8. The vending machine of claim 7 where said wire form track defines a plurality of differently angled segments.

9. The vending machine of claim 8 where at least one segments comprises a vertical channel and another segment comprises a hairpin turn.

10. The vending machine of claim 4 where said guide path is a serpentine tubular raceway forming multiple vertically disposed layers within said intermediate portion in a manner to cause the spherical merchandise to roll through the tube by gravitational force.

11. The vending machine of claim 4 where said guide path defines a static, serpentine pathway disposed about said drive shaft.

12. The method of making a vending machine according to claim 1 including the step of securing the merchandise control dispensing element with the merchandise storage globe.

13. The method of using a vending machine according to claim 1 including the step of rotating the manipulable crank to dispense merchandise.

14. A machine for dispensing generally spherical articles, comprising:

means for storing a plurality of articles where the articles have a generally spherical outer surface, said means for storing including a generally open bottom;

means for controlled distribution of articles from the open bottom of the means for storing, said means for distributing selectively dispensing articles;

an intermediate chamber below said means for storing, said intermediate chamber defining a guide path for articles from said means for controlled distribution of articles; and

a base means for supporting said means for storing, said means for controlled distribution, and said intermediate chamber, said base means having a bottom wall and side walls, said top accommodating a selective operating assembly mechanically linked to said means for controlled distribution, and an article dispensing opening being located on said base, a coin actuation control means for actuating the selective operation of said distributing means, said control means being located in said base.

15. The dispensing machine according to claim 14 where said means for distributing is a multi-chambered, molded plastic wheel having a diameter corresponding to the open bottom of said means for storing and rotatably mounted relative thereto for dispensing one article at a time.

16. The dispensing machine according to claim 14 where said means for storing a plurality of articles comprises a hollow globe having an opening formed at its top and a lid corresponding in size to the opening where the lid is securable thereto to seal the opening.

17. The vending machine of claim 14 where said guide path is a serpentine wire form track forming multiple vertically disposed layers within said intermediate portion in a manner to cause the spherical merchandise to roll along the wire form track.

18. The vending machine of claim 17 where said wire form track defines a plurality of differently angled segments.

19. The vending machine of claim 18 where at least one segments comprises a vertical channel and another segment comprises a hairpin turn.

20. The vending machine of claim 18 where the selective operating assembly mechanically linked to said means for controlled distribution is a crank rod rotatably journaled about a compression rod extending between the base and the means for storage, said crank rod being rotatable able to impart rotational force from the selective operating assembly to the means for controlled distribution.

21. A dispensing machine, comprising:

a) a base;

b) a storage container for storing packets for dispensing, set on and above said base;

c) a track element defining an irregular serpentine pathway disposed between said base and said storage container;

d) a rotatable distributing member disposed between said base and said track element, said rotatable distributing element being operative to select a discrete packet for distribution quantity of merchandise to be dispensed upon operation of said machine;

e) a dispensing passage for communicating said discrete package from said track element to an opening disposed in said base; and

f) a crank element operatively engaged with said rotatable distributing member to rotate said member and dispense a packet from the storage container to the serpentine track element.

22. The dispensing machine of claim 21 where the track element is a tubular raceway.

23. The dispensing machine of claim 22 where the track element is a unitary, wire form.

24. The dispensing machine of claim 23 where the wire form track element is multi-layer.

25. The dispensing machine of claim 21 where the track element is static.

26. The dispensing machine of claim 21 where the serpentine track is a defined by a wire form structure comprised of rods.

27. The dispensing machine of claim 26 where the serpentine track is formed of metal rods establishing a half-tube.

28. The dispensing machine of claim 21 where the serpentine track is formed of a clear tube a diameter sufficient to permit passage of the packets.

29. The dispensing machine of claim 21 where the rotatable distributing member is a molded plastic merchandise wheel.

30. The dispensing machine of claim 21 where the packets are substantially spherical and clear.

31. The dispensing machine of claim 21 where the storage globe, intermediate chamber, and base, are discrete and separable.

32. The dispensing machine of claim 31 where merchandise dispensed from the storage container by the merchandise dispensing control element descends directly through the intermediate chamber to the dispensing opening.

33. A dispensing machine, comprising:

a) a base;

b) a storage container for storing packets for dispensing, set on and above said base;

c) a track element defining an irregular serpentine pathway between said base and said storage container where the serpentine track is a defined by a wire form structure comprised of rods where the rods are formed from an appropriately rigid material selected from the group consisting of metal, resinous polymers, and, glass;

d) a rotatable distributing member disposed between said base and said container for selecting a discrete packet for distribution quantity of merchandise to be dispensed upon operation of said machine;

e) a dispensing passage for communicating said discrete package to an opening disposed in said base; and

f) a crank element operatively engaged with said rotatable distributing member to rotate said member and dispense a packet from the storage container to the serpentine track.

34. A dispensing machine, comprising:

a) a base;

b) a storage container for storing packets for dispensing, set on and above said base;

c) a track element defining an irregular serpentine pathway between said base and said storage container where the serpentine track is a defined by a wire form structure comprised of rods;

d) a rotatable distributing member disposed between said base and said container for selecting a discrete packet for distribution quantity of merchandise to be dispensed upon operation of said machine where the rotatable distributing member is a molded plastic merchandise wheel, where the rotatable distributing member is a first and second merchandise dispensing wheels respectively spaced above and below the serpentine track and which are rotatably connected, and where the packets are substantially spherical and clear;

e) a dispensing passage for communicating said discrete package to an opening disposed in said base; and

f) a crank element operatively engaged with said rotatable distributing member to rotate said member and dispense a packet from the storage container to the serpentine track.

35. A vending machine, comprising:

a merchandise storage globe, a merchandise dispensing control element associated with said storage globe, an intermediate chamber in merchandise communication with said dispensing control element a merchandise dispensing pathway disposed within said intermediate chamber, and in merchandise dispensing communication with a rotatable manipulable crank, a separate base including a dispensing opening, a drive linkage within said intermediate chamber, extending to said merchandise dispensing control element, and being connected with said manipulable crank whereupon actuation of said merchandise dispensing control element, merchandise is dispensed from said storage globe to said dispensing opening.

36. The vending machine of claim 35 where manipulable crank is rotatable and gearingly inter-engaged with said merchandise dispensing control element whereupon rotation of said crank imparts rotational movement to said merchandise dispensing control element.

37. The vending machine of claim 36 where the storage globe, intermediate chamber, and base, are discrete and separable.

38. The vending machine of claim 37 where merchandise dispensed from the storage container by the merchandise dispensing control element descends directly through the intermediate chamber to the dispensing opening.

39. A vending machine, comprising:

a merchandise storage globe;

means for dispensing merchandise associated with said storage globe;

an intermediate chamber in merchandise communication with said means for dispensing;

a base over which said intermediate chamber is disposed;

a merchandise conveyance means for communicating said merchandise between said merchandise storage globe through said intermediate chamber to said base;

crank means for rotating said means for dispensing, said crank means being indirectly connected to said means for dispensing and including linkage means located in said intermediate chamber for imparting rotation to said means for dispensing.

40. The vending machine of claim 39 where the track means is a serpentine wireform.

41. The vending machine of claim 40 where the wireform extends through the intermediate chamber forming an uninterrupted, continuous dispensing pathway from the means for dispensing to the base.

42. The vending machine of claim 41 further including a merchandise dispensing chute with a dispensing opening located in said base where said opening is covered by pivotable chute cover.