Apparatus for dispensing tickets, cards and the like from a stack

• US 6,056,150 A
• Filed: 04/23/1997
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Algonquin Industries, Inc. (Rea Magnet Wire Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Algonquin Industries, Inc. (Rea Magnet Wire Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kasper, Kazmier J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SKAGGS JR, H GRANT
• Application Number:
  US08/839,061
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 221/97, 221/98, 221/102, 221/154, 221/151, 221/197, 221/282, 221/191, 221/21, 221/99, 209/656, 209/657
• US Class Current: 221/21
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/06 for separation from bottom of pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/26 with auxiliary supports to facilitate introduction or renewal of the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/28 compartmented to receive piles side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/42322 from bottom of the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/63 Oscillating, pivoting around an axis parallel to face of material, e.g. diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/692 Chute, e.g. inclined surface on which material slides by gravity
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/62 diverting faulty articles from the main streams control devices detecting faulty articles B65H43/04
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/22 by needles or the like engaging the articles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/04 Devices for coupling the turning cylinder of a single or a double cylinder lock with the bolt operating member
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 35/008 for simple tool-like keys
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 63/0034 Locks for use instead of cylinder locks, e.g. locks with cylinder lock profile and a low security operating mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/025 for lockers
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 3/04 from a stack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/22 Pushers actuated indirectly by hand, e.g. through cranks or levers

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing articles such as tickets and cards includes a cabinet. A plurality of article dispensing assemblies are disposed inside the cabinet. Each article dispensing assembly includes a base and a frame for enclosing the articles to be dispensed in a stack. The bases are mounted on a pair of vertical support plates. A gate is disposed behind each frame for receiving articles from its associated frame and allowing only one article at a time to pass through. A toothed blade is disposed underneath each frame and a motor driven rack and pinion is coupled to the toothed blade for bringing the toothed blade into engagement with the lowermost article in the stack, moving said toothed blade so that the lowermost article is transported from the stack into the gate, bringing the toothed blade out of engagement with the article and then moving the toothed blade back to engage the next article in the stack. The apparatus also includes an angled tray and a reject box, the reject box being underneath the angled tray. In the operation of the apparatus, articles dispensed by the article dispensing assemblies drop down into the top portion of the angled tray and then slide down to the bottom of the angled tray where they can be removed by a person. The intermediate portion of the angled tray includes a trap door. When an article to be dispensed is defective, the trap door opens causing the article to drop down into the reject box instead of sliding down to the bottom of the tray.

Claims

1. Apparatus for dispensing articles such as tickets, cards and the like comprising:

a. a cabinet having a front and a back,

b. an article dispensing module inside said cabinet,

c. a computer inside said cabinet,

d. an angled tray inside said cabinet for receiving articles dispensed by said article dispensing module, said angled tray comprising a pivotally mounted trap door for directing articles dispensed by said article dispensing module, and

e. a reject box inside said cabinet for collecting articles received by said angled tray which are deemed defective.

2. Apparatus for dispensing articles such as tickets, cards and the like comprising:

a. a cabinet having a front and a back,

b. an article dispensing module inside said cabinet, and

c. a reject box removably mounted inside said cabinet, said reject box collecting articles received from the article dispensing module which are deemed defective, said reject box comprising a bottom wall, a back wall, a pair of sidewalls, a front door, a top wall having an opening and a lid pivotally disposed over the opening in the top wall.

3. Apparatus for dispensing articles such as tickets, cards and the like comprising:

a. a cabinet,

b. an article dispensing module disposed within said cabinet,

c. an angled tray disposed within said cabinet beneath said article dispensing module for receiving articles dispensed by said article dispensing module, and

d. a reject box assembly disposed within said cabinet beneath said angled tray for collecting articles received by said angled tray which are deemed defective, said reject box assembly including a mounting frame and a reject box slidably disposed within the mounting frame, said reject box comprising a bottom wall, a back wall, a pair of sidewalls, a front door, a top wall having an opening and a lid pivotally disposed over the opening in the top wall.

4. Apparatus for dispensing articles such as tickets, cards and the like comprising:

a. a cabinet having a front and a back,

b. an article dispensing module inside said cabinet, said article dispensing module including at least one article dispensing assembly and a support plate, each article dispensing assembly comprising;

i. a base,

ii. a removable frame on the base for enclosing a plurality of articles to be dispensed in a stack, the frame including an open top through which articles are loaded, a cover for covering the top, a rear wall underneath through which articles exit the frame and a first locking mechanism for locking the cover in place over the open top,

iii. a second locking mechanism for locking the frame in place on the base,

iv. a gate for receiving articles from said frame and allowing only one article at a time to pass through,

v. a transport mechanism for transporting articles from said frame to said gate,

c. an angled tray inside the cabinet, said angled tray comprising a pivotally mounted trap door for directing articles dispensed by said article dispensing module, and

d. a reject box inside said cabinet.

5. Apparatus for dispensing articles such as tickets, cards and the like comprising:

a. a cabinet having a front and a back,

b. an article dispensing module inside said cabinet,

c. a computer inside said cabinet,

d. an angled tray inside said cabinet for receiving articles dispensed by said article dispensing module, and

e. a reject box inside said cabinet for collecting articles received by said angled tray which are deemed defective, said reject box including an opening through which articles can enter the reject box, a lid for closing said opening, a cover for removing articles inside the reject box and a first locking mechanism for locking said cover in a closed position.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said cabinet includes a first shelf and a said apparatus further includes a mounting frame fixedly mounted on said first shelf and a second locking mechanism for locking said reject box onto said mounting frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said reject box is removably disposed underneath said angled tray and said angled tray includes a trap door for selectively routing articles on said angled tray into said reject box.

8. Apparatus for dispensing articles such as tickets, cards and the like comprising:

a. a cabinet,

b. an article dispensing module disposed within said cabinet,

c. an angled tray disposed within said cabinet beneath said article dispensing module for receiving articles dispensed by said article dispensing module, and

d. a reject box assembly disposed within said cabinet beneath said angled tray, said reject box assembly including a mounting frame and a reject box slidably disposed within the mounting frame, said reject box comprising a bottom wall, a back wall, a pair of sidewalls, a front door, a top wall having a an opening and a lid pivotally disposed over the opening in the top wall.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said reject box comprises a lever assembly coupled to the lid for pivotally displacing the lid between an open position and a closed position over the opening in the top wall.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the front door of said reject box is hingedly mounted onto the bottom wall of said reject box.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said reject box comprises a first locking mechanism for locking the front door of said reject box in a closed position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said reject box assembly comprises a second locking mechanism for locking said reject box within said mounting frame.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said angled tray comprises a pivotally mounted trap door and a motor for displacing the trap door between an open position and a closed position.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a computer disposed within said cabinet for activating the motor for displacing the trap door.