U.S. patent number 3,799,393 [Application Number 05/346,692] was granted by the patent office on 1974-03-26 for staggered stack vending machine.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Vendo Company. Invention is credited to John W. Baxendale.
United States Patent |
3,799,393 |
Baxendale |
March 26, 1974 |
STAGGERED STACK VENDING MACHINE
Abstract
Internal product storing and dispensing apparatus is provided
for a selective vending machine adapted to handle products of
various types and sizes in either single or double depth staggered
stacks thereof. With longer products such as certain bottled
beverages, the products are stored and successively dispensed from
the bottom of a single staggered stack for each selection; while,
with shorter products such as certain canned beverages, the
products for each selection are stored in a double depth pair of
staggered stacks and effectively dispensed alternately from the
bottoms thereof. The dispensing mechanism for each selection
includes a pair of alternately operable members for supporting the
stack (or stacks) for that selection through engagement with the
lowermost product(s) thereof, depending upon which column of the
stack(s) contains such lowermost product(s), and a pair of
alternately operable escrowing assemblies below the supporting
members for receiving the lowermost product(s) released from the
stack(s) upon release of a supporting member and for subsequently
discharging such escrowed product(s) successively as the mechanism
is cycled. Each mechanism is also preferably provided with its won
separate and controllable source of driving power, so that sold-out
or jammed conditions involving individual selections can be
appropriately provided for without disabling the entire
machine.
Inventors: |
Baxendale; John W. (Kansas
City, MO) |
Assignee: |
The Vendo Company (Kansas City,
MO)
|
Family
ID: |
23360615 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/346,692 |
Filed: |
March 30, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/67;
221/93 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F
11/24 (20130101); B65G 59/062 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65G
59/06 (20060101); G07F 11/24 (20060101); G07F
11/16 (20060101); B65g 059/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;221/67,93 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Tollberg; Stanley H.
Assistant Examiner: Rolla; Joseph J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Schmidt, Johnson, Hovey &
Williams
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and
desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:
1. Apparatus for storing and successively dispensing products of at
least one variety having a pair of opposite ends, an axis extending
between said ends, and a generally symmetrical cross-sectional
configuration transverse to said axis, said apparatus
comprising:
a magazine means for each variety of said products to be stored and
dispensed,
each magazine means providing a chamber for receiving a plurality
of said products of the corresponding variety,
each magazine means including structure for maintaining at least a
lower group of said products received in said chamber of said
magazine means arranged in at least one staggered stack thereof
with said axes of the individual products therein disposed in
generally horizontal and substantially parallel directions, each
stack having a pair of generally upright, laterally offset columns
of which at least the lower portions are partially interleaved, the
lowest product of one or the other of said columns being the
current lowermost product of the stack, is interengaging and
partially underlying relationship to the lowest product of the
opposite column, and in effective ultimate supporting relationship
to all other products thereabove in both columns of the stack;
a pair of shiftable product-supporting means for each magazine
means,
one of said pair of supporting means for each magazine means being
movable between (i) a product-supporting position underlying one of
said columns of at least one stack of products in said chamber of
the corresponding magazine means for engaging and supporting the
lowermost product in said one stack when it is in said one column
thereof and (ii) a product-releasing position for clearing said
lowermost product for release and separation from said one stack
when it is in said one column thereof,
the other of said pair of supporting means for each magazine means
being movable between (i) a product-supporting position underlying
the other of said columns of said one stack in said chamber of the
corresponding magazine for engaging and supporting the lowermost
product of said one stack when it is in said other column thereof
and (ii) a product-releasing position for clearing said lowermost
product for release and separation from said one stack when it is
in said other column thereof;
a pair of product escrowing means for each magazine means,
each escrowing means including a shiftable component,
said component of one of said pair of escrowing means for each
magazine means being movable between (i) a product escrowing
position for engaging and rendering said one escrowing means
operative to escrow the previously lowermost product from said one
stack of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine
means when it has been released from said one column thereof by
said one supporting means and (iii) an inactive disposition,
through (ii) an intermediate product discharging position for
clearing said product from said one stack escrowed by said one
escrowing means for discharge therefrom,
said component of the other of said pair of escrowing means for
each magazine means being movable between (i) a product escrowing
position for engaging and rendering said other escrowing means
operative to escrow the previously lowermost product from said one
stack of products in said chamber of the corresponding magazine
means when it has been released from said other column thereof by
said other supporting means and (iii) an inactive disposition,
through (ii) an intermediate product discharging position for
clearing said product from said one stack escrowed by said other
escrowing means for discharge therefrom; and
control means for each magazine means operably coupled with said
one and said other supporting means and said components of said one
and said other escrowing means for said magazine means for cycling
the same through a sequence of conditions in which, during one
product dispensing operation, (a) initially, said one supporting
means is in its releasing position, said other supporting means is
in its supporting positions, said component of said one escrowing
means is in its escrowing position, and said component of said
other escrowing means is in its inactive disposition, later (b)
said one supporting means is moved into its supporting position,
said other supporting means remains in its supporting position,
said component of said one escrowing means is moved into its
discharging position, and said component of said other escrowing
means remains in its inactive disposition, and later (c) said one
supporting means is in its supporting position, said other
supporting means is moved to its releasing position, said component
of said one escrowing means is in its inactive disposition, and
said component of said other escrowing means is moved into its
escrowing position, and then, during a subsequent product
dispensing operation, (d) said one supporting means remains in its
supporting position, said other supporting means is moved to its
supporting position, said component of said one escrowing means
remains in its inactive disposition, and said component of said
other escrowing means is moved into its discharging position, and
later (e) the condition set forth under (a) above is restored, from
which the aforesaid cycling may be continued for subsequent
dispensing operations.
2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said structure for
each magazine means includes adjustable means for laterally
confining said lower group of products in said chamber of the
corresponding magazine means.
3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said structure for
each magazine means includes adjustable means for axially confining
said lower group of products in said chamber of the corresponding
magazine means.
4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said adjustable means
includes a shiftable rear panel in said chamber, and means for
selectively positioning and holding said panel including laterally
opposed slot means in said magazine means at both sides of the
chamber, a pair of laterally reciprocal means on said panel, tab
means on opposite extremities of said reciprocable means for
reception within said slot means at the corresponding side of the
chamber, and means yieldably biasing said reciprocable means
laterally outwardly in the directions of their respective tab means
for urging said tab means on each reciprocable means into the
corresponding slot means.
5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said
product-supporting means for each magazine means are each mounted
for independent swinging movement about respective pivotal axes
disposed at opposite sides and adjacent the bottom of said
chamber.
6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said
product-supporting means for each magazine means is provided with a
cam follower mounted thereon, and said control means includes cam
means engageable with said cam followers for moving said supporting
means between said supporting and releasing positions thereof.
7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said cam means are
disposed below said follower means and support each of said
follower means upon a circularly curved cam surface whenever the
corresponding supporting means is in its product-supporting
position.
8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said
escrowing means for each magazine means includes a stationary part
toward and away from which said shiftable component is movable,
said component being relatively adjacent said stationary part when
in its escrowing position and more remote therefrom when in its
discharging position and its inactive disposition.
9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said stationary part
of said one escrowing means is disposed generally beneath said
other supporting means, and said stationary part of said other
escrowing means is disposed generally beneath said one supporting
means.
10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said components of
said one and said other escrowing means for each magazine means are
interconnected in spaced relationship to each other and are mounted
for movement together about a common axis.
11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means
for each magazine means includes a motor, a control cam, means
coupling the motor with the control cam for turning the latter,
means connecting said components of said escrowing means to said
control cam for movement therewith, and follower means on each of
said supporting means in overlying engagement with said control
cam.
12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein said coupling means
oscillates said control cam in a rocking motion as said motor is
operated.
13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said coupling means
includes a crankshaft coupled with said motor for rotation thereby,
a link pivotally connected to said crankshaft adjacent one end of
the link, a rack adjacent the opposite end of the link, a pinion
engaged with said rack, and means coupling said pinion with said
control cam.
14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein is provided
auxiliary cam means coupled with said motor for rotation thereby,
switching means operably coupled with said auxiliary cam means for
operation thereby and electrically coupled with said motor for
controlling energization of the latter, said auxiliary cam means
being operable to operate said switching means for de-energizing
said motor after each product dispensing operation is
completed.
15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein there are a
plurality of said magazine means to provide selection between a
plurality of varieties of products, and a common discharge chute
disposed for receiving products discharged from said escrowing
means of any of said magazine means.
16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said structure for
at least one magazine means maintains said lower group of received
products in a double-depth pair of said staggered stacks, one
behind the other in the direction of said axes of said products;
said product-supporting means for said one magazine means, when in
their product-supporting positions, each extend beneath the
corresponding column of both of said stacks and, when in their
product-releasing positions, release the lowermost product from
both of said stacks; said component of said one escrowing means is
provided with a width extending element thereon engageable with an
escrowed product from one of said stacks; said component of said
other escrowing means is provided with a width extending element
thereon engageable with an escrowed product from the other of said
stacks; said components of said escrowing means for said one
magazine means, when in their product escrowing positions, each
engage and escrow a previously lowermost product from the
corresponding column of both of said stacks and, when in their
aforesaid primary discharging positions, discharge only the product
previously escrowed from one of said stacks, but are provided with
an auxiliary discharging position between said primary discharging
position and said inactive disposition thereof and discharge the
product previously escrowed from the other of said stacks when
moved through said auxiliary discharging position.
17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said control means
for said one magazine means is operable for cycling said supporting
means and said components of said escrowing means, after said
condition (b) thereof and during the next product dispensing
operation thereafter, into a condition (b') in which said one
supporting means remains in its supporting position, said other
supporting means remains in its supporting position, said component
of said one escrowing means is moved into its auxiliary discharging
position, and said component of said other escrowing means remains
in its inactive disposition, and subsequently, after said condition
(d) thereof and during the next product dispensing operation
thereafter, into a condition (d') in which said one supporting
means remains in its supporting position, said other supporting
means remains in its supporting position, said component of said
one escrowing means remains in its inactive disposition, and said
component of said other escrowing means is moved into its auxiliary
discharging position.
18. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein each control means
includes an electric motor, switching means electrically coupled
with said motor for controlling energization thereof, and auxiliary
cam means operably coupled with said switching means for operating
the latter to de-energize said motor after each product-discharging
operation.
19. Apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein said auxiliary cam
includes a cam surface provided with depressions for operating said
switching means at the conclusion of each of said operating cycle
conditions (b), (b'), (d) and (d'), and a shiftable adjusting plate
for selectively masking the depressions for operating the switching
means for conditions (b') and (d') when only a single stack is to
be handled in the corresponding magazine means.
20. Apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said control means
for said one magazine means includes an electric motor, a control
cam, means coupling the motor with the control cam for oscillating
the latter, means connecting said components of said escrowing
means to said control cam for movement therewith, follower means on
each of said supporting means in overlying engagement with said
control cam, auxiliary cam means coupled with the motor for
rotation thereby, switching means operably associated with said
auxiliary cam means for operation by the latter and electrically
coupled with said motor for de-energizing the latter after each
successive discharge of a product.
21. Apparatus for storing and successively dispensing generally
cylindrical products from a plurality of plural columns, staggered
stacks thereof arranged with corresponding products of
corresponding columns of the respective stacks in end-facing,
substantially axially aligned relationship to each other, without
need to provide in said apparatus any divider means for maintaining
endwise physical separation between the stacks in order to avoid
jamming or deter pilferage, said apparatus comprising:
magazine means, including side walls and end walls, arranged to
provide an upright, horizontally uninterrupted and undivided
chamber for receiving a plurality of said stacks of said products
in said relationship to each other, there being a corresponding,
lowermost product of each of said stacks in a corresponding column
thereof upon which the remaining products of the same stack are
supported and a corresponding, next-to-lowest product of each of
said stacks in a different corresponding column thereof which will
become the lowermost product of the same stack and upon which the
remaining products of the same stack will be supported when said
first mentioned lowermost products are released from the
stacks;
a shiftable product-supporting means for each column of said
stacks, each of said supporting means being common to all of said
stacks and movable between (i) a product-supporting position
thereof underlying the corresponding column of all of said stacks
for engaging and supporting said lowermost products of all of said
stacks when said lowermost products are in the corresponding column
of said stacks, and (ii) a product-releasing position for clearing
said lowermost products of all of said stacks for simultaneous
release from said stacks when said lowermost products are in the
corresponding column of said stacks;
operating means operably coupled with said supporting means for
moving the one of said supporting means for the column then
containing said next-to-lowest products of said stacks to its said
product-supporting position, and thereafter moving the other of
said supporting means for the column then containing said lowermost
products of said stacks from its said product-supporting position
to its said product-releasing position to simultaneously release
all of said lowermost products from all of said stacks and to
thereby permit all of said stacks to concurrently descend together
until said previously next-to-lowest products of all of said stacks
have moved into supported engagement with said one supporting
means;
escrowing means, including a shiftable component, below said
supporting means for concurrently receiving and temporarily
retaining in escrow all of said lowermost products released from
all of said stacks when said other supporting means is moved to its
product-releasing position;
actuating means operably coupled with said escrowing means for
moving said shiftable component thereof through a plurality of
successive incremental steps each releasing a single product from
said escrowing means for successive dispensing thereof from said
apparatus; and
control means for operating said operating means to release another
plurality of lowermost products from all of said stacks to said
escrowing means after said actuating means has been actuated to
release from said escrowing means the last of the products
previously received by said escrowing means.
22. Apparatus as set forth in claim 21, wherein said escrowing
means includes structure for blocking substantial axial movement of
products while received therein, and said supporting means are so
arranged and juxtaposed with said escrowing means as to block
sufficient upward movement of products to clear said blocking
structure while received in said escrowing means.
Description
This invention relates to apparatus for storing and dispensing
products from a vending machine or the like and, more particularly,
to such apparatus adapted to handling bottled, canned and other
generally similarly shaped products of various types and sizes and
for selectively dispensing the same from the bottoms of magazines
in which such products are stored either in single or in double
depth staggered stack fashion depending upon the type and size of
the products for each selection to be offered.
Broadly, the primary object of this invention is to provide
improved apparatus for the purpose mentioned, which overcomes
various limitations and disadvantages of prior staggered stack
vending machines, especially with respect to adaptability for
efficiently handling various types and sizes of products,
structural simplicity, economy of manufacture, and reliability of
operation of dispensing mechanism requiring a minimum of driving
power. more specific objects and advantages of the invention will
hereinafter be made clear or become apparent to those skilled in
the art during the course of explanation of a preferred embodiment
of the invention.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The term "staggered stack," in its full and preferred sense, refers
to a storage arrangement for bottled, canned or similarly shaped
products in which the products are laterally confined in an upright
stack having a pair of laterally offset, partially interleaved
columns with the individual products in successively interengaging
relationship and each product (except the uppermost) partially
underlying and supporting the product next thereabove in the
opposite column (which may or may not also be engaging and
partially supported by the next lower product in the same column,
depending upon the product configuration and the related dimension
of lateral confinement). As commonly and herein used (unless
otherwise expressly indicated), however, the term "staggered stack"
also encompasses variants of the pure form mentioned above, such as
where the upper products are merely hoppered or the like or where
the upper portions of the column of the "stack" are merely in
side-by-side or even separated (rather than interleaved)
relationship with individual products in such upper portions of the
columns supported only by the product next therebelow in the same
(rather than the opposite) column, in which the mentioned staggered
stack relationship is limited to only a lower group of the
products. Since the successive dispensing of products from a
staggered stack is accomplished from the bottom thereof, by
releasing the lowermost product of the stack from its column while
retaining the lowest product of the other column against release,
and since, when the lowermost product of the stack is released from
its column, the lowest product of the other column then becomes the
lowermost product of the stack and must provide support for all of
the remaining products of the stock thereabove (including the
product which was next above the released product in the same
column as the latter, if the release of more than one product
during a single dispensing operation is to be prevented), it is
clear that the lower group of products that are required to be in
successively interengaging and supporting relationship in a
"staggered stack" must include at least the two lowest products
thereof (i.e., the lowermost product of the stack and the lowest
product of the other column), with the next to lowest product in
the same column as the lowermost product of the stack either
engaging and supported by the lowest product of the other column or
disposed to move into such relationship as soon as the lowermost
product of the stack is released. Although the purer form of
"staggered stack" arrangement is disclosed herein as preferred, the
broader sense of the term is also contemplated and intended as
within the scope of the invention.
For those not already familiar with the nature of typical prior
machines for dispensing products from staggered stacks, reference
is made to the following U.S. Pat., which illustrate not only the
general course of development of such machines but also specific
examples of prior dispensing mechanisms, storage arrangements and
product guiding and confining means: Brock No. 2,369,882; Johnson
No. 2,585,011, No. 2,585,012, No. 2,762,524, No. 2,814,417, No.
2,929,533 and No. 2,988,246; Manczuk No. 2,743,037; Childers No.
2,836,326, No. 2,877,924 and No. 2,890,813; Keller No. 2,872,071;
Tober No. 2,942,707; Hunter No. 2,980,288; Torres No. RE-25,321;
and Craven No. 3,231,129. As will be appreciated from such patents,
the use of staggered stacks for the storage of products to be
dispensed from a machine has certain inherent advantages,
especially in machines from which a plurality of product types are
to be selectively offered. In such machines, an essentially
separate mechanism for successively releasing or dispensing
products from a supply thereof is required for each product type to
be offered. If each such mechanism was associated with only a
limited supply of the corresponding product, such as might be
contained for instance in a single vertical column of products, it
is clear that, for machines of commercially practical size, either
the capacity of the machine would have to be seriously restricted
for each product selection or the number of releasing mechanisms
provided would have to be substantially increased to serve
duplicate single columns of the same products. In addition to
increasing the number of releasing mechanisms required for a
machine of given capacity, the use of single column product storage
also increases the amount of internal partitioning required, with
consequent adverse effect upon manufacturing time and costs,
loading convenience, refrigeration efficiency, etc. Thus, the
staggered stack arrangement for storing products to be dispensed
has come to be recognized as a practical and desirable solution to
the product storage problem, especially in selective machines.
The use of staggered stacks for product storage has, however,
presented its own unique set of problems with respect to the
provision of suitable mechanism for reliably and efficiently
dispensing products from such stacks, particularly when products of
a variety of types and sizes are to be handled. The problem of
properly confining and guiding products for storage and
gravitational advancement in a staggered stack in a manner to
minimize jamming thereof has received considerable previous
attention, as the above-mentioned patents will attest, with respect
to handling some specific type of product configuration; but the
problem has remained as to how to accomplish such function with
simple and easily adjustable structure that can reliably handle
products of various types and sizes in different, basically
identical, storage magazines of the same machine or at different
times in the same magazine. In selective vending machines of modern
type employing electrical controls for product selection among
several staggered stacks, it is normally regarded as necessary that
the product releasing mechanism for each stack be positively driven
or controlled in response to customer selection of a product from
that stack. The above-mentioned Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 2,585,011,
2,585,012 and 2,814,417, Keller, Hunter and Torres patents
illustrate earlier product releasing mechanisms employing a single
shiftable roller or bail member with means for driving it
alternately from a stack supporting 20 alternately position beneath
one to beneath the other column of a staggered stack, while the
Childers U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,836,326, 2,877,924 and 2,890,813 and
Tober patents illustrate releasing mechanisms employing a driven
rockable assembly having a pair of support members thereon adapted
to be moved alternately into supporting relationship beneath the
respective columns of a staggered stack; although effort was made
in some of such mechanisms to reduce the force component of the
weight of the stack to be borne or moved by the driving means for
such mechanisms, for example through the employment of an expensive
compound screw for coupling the roller to its driving means or a
brake to resist counter-rotation of a drive shaft, the driving
means in each of them was required to be of nature or size and
capacity to bear or move a force component of the weight of the
stack during at least some part of its operating cycle. The Johnson
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,762,524, 2,929,533 and 2,988,246, which disclose
product releasing mechanisms employing a single anti-theft or
escrowing element below a single shiftable, roller type, supporting
element, are subject to the same adverse influence upon the driving
motor for the mechanism just noted. The Johnson U.S. Pat. No.
2,988,246 also provides for double-depth storage of products in
front and rear staggered stacks, but employs the above-mentioned,
driven, shiftable, single, roller type support for simultaneously
releasing a product from both the front and rear stacks onto the
widened front and narrower rear of a lower single retainer element
from which they may be later successively discharged. The Craven
patent employs a pair of releasable supporting elements, one below
each column of a staggered stack, in conjunction with operable but
quite complex and expensive means requiring careful adjustment for
controlling their release and repositioning in manner intended to
relieve the driving means of the necessity of bearing or moving the
weight of the stack; the Craven patent also discloses the storage
of products in double-depth banks which, however, are guided and
converged into single columns of products (rather than staggered
stacks thereof) as they approach the dispensing mechanisms at the
bottom of the magazine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, this invention may probably best be categorized as an
improvement over the machines of the Johnson U.S. Pat. No.
2,988,246 and the Craven U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,129, which appear most
nearly among those noted above to have been concerned with
comparable operational problems and objectives, although the
structures and relationships employed in such prior machines will
be perceived by those skilled in the art to be markedly different
in both concept and detail from the apparatus of this
invention.
This invention approaches and solves the problems long connected
with staggered stack type machines by providing a novel arrangement
of separate supporting members below the columns of single or
double depth staggered stacks, which are successively released and
repositioned in their supporting relationships to the stacks in
such manner that the driving motor is completely isolated from the
weight of the stacks and serves merely to release one supporting
member for gravitional movement under the weight of the stack,
after repositioning and locking the other member in its supporting
position, but before the weight of the stack is lowered onto the
latter; by providing simplified and more reliable dual escrowing
assemblies below the supporting members, which are adapted by only
minor adjustments for reliably handling double as well as single
depth staggered stacks; by providing simplified and improved means
for controlling the cycling of the supporting members and the
escrowing assemblies during dispensing from either single or double
depth staggered stacks; and by providing improved and more
convenient means for even relatively unskilled personnel to quickly
adapt the apparatus of the invention for handling different types
and sizes of products by minor adjustments in the field. Various
details of construction of the preferred embodiment of the
invention disclosed for illustrative purposes, although subject to
design variations or modification into equivalent forms by those
skilled in the art, are deemed of substantial significance and
should be noted to include the use of a cam for mechanically
positioning, locking in place and releasing the supporting members,
the mounting of the shiftable components of the escrowing
assemblies for movement directly with the mechanical control cams
for the supporting members, the employment of eccentric and rack
and pinion couplings for the link connecting the drive motor with
the mechanical control cams, the alterable motor switch controlling
cams for changing the cycling of the apparatus between single and
double depth modes of operation, and the provision of the
quick-release means later described for fixing the adjustable rear
panels of the magazines in various locations required for various
sizes of products.
THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the
invention, removed from the cabinet in which it will normally be
housed, and with certain parts broken away and others shown in
cross-section for clarity of illustration;
FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-section view of the apparatus taken on
irregular line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in
cross-section of a portion of one of the sub-assemblies of the
apparatus for handling sold-out and jammed conditions;
FIG. 4 is a downwardly directed cross-sectional view of a portion
of the apparatus taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of one of the motor control cams
of the apparatus showing an alternate position of the adjustable
plate thereof in dotted lines;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the motor control cam of
FIG. 6;
FIG. 7 is a top plan view, with some parts shown in cross-section,
of the mechanical control cam and the shiftable components of the
escrowing assemblies for one of the magazines of the apparatus,
illustrating the escrowing assemblies adjusted for handling a
double-depth pair of staggered stacks;
FIGS. 8-11 are essentially schematic views of the product
dispensing mechanism for one magazine of the apparatus, with
certain parts thereof shown in elevation, others in vertical
cross-section, and others in dotted lines, illustrating, to
facilitate explanation, various stages of the cycling of such
mechanism when employed to handle a single-depth staggered stack of
products; and
FIGS. 12-15 are essentially schematic views of the product
dispensing mechanism for one magazine of the apparatus, with
certain parts thereof shown in elevation and others in vertical
cross-section, illustrating, to facilitate explanation, various
stages of the cycling of such mechanism when adjusted and employed
to handle a double-depth pair of staggered stacks of products.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first primarily to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a preferred
embodiment of the apparatus is shown and generally designated by
the reference numeral 20, it being understood that the apparatus 20
will normally be housed in a suitable cabinet (not shown), which
also may house suitable coin deposit handling equipment, electrical
power and selection control circuitry, refrigeration equipment and
the like that either may be conventional or do not constitute an
integral part of the improvements forming the subject matter of
this invention and are, therefore, also omitted from the
drawings.
The apparatus 20 broadly includes stationary frame and partition
structure 22, adjustable product confining and guiding structure
24, product dispensing mechanism 26, and product discharging
structure 28. Sold-out and jam handling means are also shown at 30
and briefly described hereunder for the sake of completeness.
The frame and partition structure 22 includes a number of spaced,
vertical, front, upper product-retaining strips 32, a lower front
panel 34, a lower rear panel 36, a pair of outer sidewalls 38 and
40, and a number of intermediate vertical partitions 42, the strips
32 being mounted on or formed integrally with the front extremities
of the walls 38 and 40 and partitions 42 and extending laterally
therefrom. Although most aspects of the invention would apply
equally to a construction for dispensing only a single product
selection and, therefore, having only a single product storage
magazine and corresponding product dispensing mechanism 26, the
preferred embodiment illustrated shows apparatus 20 for handling
four different product selections. Accordingly, the apparatus 20
presents four product storage magazines 44,46, 48 and 50, each
providing an upright, front-to-rearwardly elongated chamber 52 (see
FIGS. 8-15) for receiving a plurality of bottled, canned or
similarly shaped products 54 with their axes of general symmetry
extending in substantially parallel, forwardly rearwardly
directions and at least a lower group of such products disposed in
staggered stack relationship within either a single stack thereof
(see FIGS. 8-11) or a pair of stacks thereof one behind the other
(see FIGS. 12-15). The magazines 44,46,48 and 50 may be essentially
identical, apart from the adjustments to their individual
configurations permitted and hereinafter discussed in connection
with the adjustable confining and guiding structure 24. Each
chamber 52, which is open at the bottom (for product dispensing)
and partially open at the front (for product loading), is bounded
at its sides by an adjacent pair of the partitions 42 or one of the
side walls 38 or 40 and the adjacent partition 42, is sufficiently
bounded at its front for retention in the chamber 52 of products 54
in a staggered stack arrangement by the opposed laterally extending
strips 32 on the front of the adjacent partitions 42 or/and wall 38
or 40, and is bounded at its rear by an adjustable upper rear panel
56 forming a part of the adjustable confining and guiding structure
24 hereinafter more fully described.
The magazines 44, 46, 48 and 50 are preferably each so dimensioned
that their chambers 52, measured between their bounding partitions
42 or/and wall 38 or 40, will be of lateral extent sufficient to
just accomodate the products 54 of largest transverse dimension to
be handled by the chamber 52 in properly staggered stack
relationship therewithin. Similarly, the chambers are
longitudinally dimensioned, measured between the front retaining
strips 32 and the rearmost adjustable position of the rear panel
56, to just accomodate a double-depth pair of front and rear
staggered stacks of the products 54 of the largest axial dimension
to be handled by the chamber 52 in a double-depth stack pair
arrangement with proper clearance between such stacks (or, if some
product 54 to be handled in a single staggered stack within the
chamber 52 should be axially longer than any double-depth pair of
staggered stacks to be handled therein, the chamber 52 should be
sized to accommodate such longest product 54 to be handled).
Since various types of products 54 that it may be desired to offer
as selections from the apparatus 20 may correspondingly vary in
their diameters or other transverse dimensions, and since the
lateral spacing between adjacent partitions 42 and/or wall 38 or 40
is determined by the transversely largest products 54 to be
handled, provision for appropriate adjustment of the effective
lateral extent of at least a lower portion of each chamber 52 may
be needed, in order to assure maintenance of a proper staggered
stack relationship of at least a lower group of transversely
smaller products 54 within the lower part of such chamber 52 (with
which a corresponding dispensing mechanism 26 is associated, as
hereinafter described). This is accomplished in the apparatus 20 by
a pair of removable chamber width adjusting elements 57 forming a
part of the confining and guiding structure 24 and adapted for
quick and easy emplacement within each chamber 52 alongside the
lower part of the bounding partitions 42 and/or sidewall 38 or 40
thereof. As best shown in FIGS. 2, 8 and 9, the elements 57 are
inwardly tapered adjacent their tops as at 58, are preferably
somewhat thicker in an upper section 60 than in a lower section 62
thereof, and are outwardly tapered as at 64 from the upper section
60 to the lower section 62 thereof; this construction has been
found most reliable for initially urging products 54 of relatively
smaller transverse dimension into a definite and proper staggered
stack relationship as they progress downwardly in a chamber 52 as
products therebelow are dispensed, and for then slightly reducing
the degree of lateral confinement on such products 54 as they
approach the bottom of the chamber 52 to assure freedom for proper
interaction with and positive release from the adjacent elements of
the dispensing mechanism 26 hereinafter described. The width
adjusting elements 57 are removably held in place by the passage of
a front tab 64 thereon through an appropriately located slot 66 in
the lower front panel 34 and by the reception of a rear tab 68
thereon within an open-topped bracket 70 on the lower rear panel
36. Although more than one pair of elements 57 of different
thicknesses may be provided for alternate use in each chamber 52,
it has been found that a single pair of elements 57 will normally
be sufficient to accommodate the standard sizes of bottles and cans
used for a general class of products, such as soft drinks, in a
particular geographical area.
A somewhat greater variation is to be anticipated, however, in the
lengths or axial dimension of the various products 54 that are to
be made available as product selections in any given locale,
especially as between bottled and canned products. Thus, the
apparatus 20 should be capable of handling, for example, not only
bottled products of differing lengths in a single depth staggered
stack within any magazine 44, 46, 48 or 50, but also double-depth
pairs of staggered stacks of relatively shorter canned products of
possibly differing axial dimension with a small separation between
the stacks. This capability is provided by the adjustable product
confining and guiding structure 24 in the form of the adjustable
upper rear panels 56. The panel 56 for each magazine 44, 46, 48 and
50 is identical and is adapted not only for quick and convenient
adjustment within the latter, but for strength and stability in any
position to which it is adjusted. Each panel 56 is provided
adjacent its top with a pair of opposite, laterally extending tabs
72 adapted to be removably received within any of a
forwardly-rearwardly extending series of open-topped notches 74 in
the upper edge of each of the walls 38 and 40 and partitions 42,
for adjustably and releasably fixing the forward-rearward position
of the top of the panel 56.
Each of the walls 38 and 40 and partitions 42 is also provided with
a forwardly rearwardly extending series of upright slots 76 spaced
below the notches 74 therein and approximately halfway down the
height of the corresponding chamber 52. Each panel 56 carries a
pair of laterally reciprocable members 76 and 78, one above the
other, which are yieldably biased in opposite directions by a
spring 80 therebetween interconnected with both of them. The upper
member 76 carries a tab 82 at the end thereof which is biased
laterally outwardly, and the lower member 78 is similarly provided
with a tab 84 thereon at its opposite end. When the members 76 and
78 are in their laterally extended positions, toward which they are
normally biased, the tabs 82 and 84 are respectively received
within corresponding slots 76 of the pair of partitions 42 or/and
wall 38 or 40 within which the panel 56 is installed, for
adjustably and releasably fixing the forward-rearward position of
an intermediate level portion of the panel 56.
The members 76 and 78 are desirably provided with oppositely facing
finger notches 86 and 88 therein, which facilitate the temporary
manual movement of the members 76 and 78 laterally inwardly to
release the tabs 82 and 84 from the slots 76 when it is desired to
readjust the position of a panel 56. Once the tabs 82 and 84 are so
released, it is a simple matter to raise and relower the panel 56
to reposition its tabs 72 in other selected notches 74 and its tabs
82 and 84 at other selected slots 76 before releasing the members
76 and 78 for reseating of the tabs 82 and 84 in the newly selected
slots 76. The panels 56 are usually adjusted into the required
forward-rearward position within a chamber 52 so as to extend
vertically thereof, and the notches 74 and slots 76 are disposed
relative to each other to permit such vertical disposition of the
panels 56, which once so installed are firmly retained by the
structures and relationships mentioned against undesired
forward-rearward tilting thereof. In order to also provide
stability of the panels 56 against side-to-side tilting, however,
each panel 56 is desirably provided with a lower, laterally
extending member 90 thereon, which is secured to the panel 56 below
the members 76 and 78 and extends laterally beyond the side edges
of the panel 56 sufficiently to engage either of the partitions 42
or/and wall 38 or 40 defining the sides of the chamber 52 before
any substantial lateral swinging of the lower part of the panel 56
can occur. Without the member 90, and especially if the biasing
action of spring 80 is somewhat stronger on one or the other of the
members 76 or 78, it will be seen that some lateral tilting of the
panel 56 could occur.
It should, therefore, be appreciated, as attention is next turned
to the important improvements in dispensing mechanism represented
by the mechanism 26 now to be described, that the preferred
construction for the frame and partition structure 22 and the
adjustable confining and guiding structure 24 heretofore described,
although subject to design modification by those skilled in the art
and not absolutely essential to the utility and many of the
advantages of the improved mechanism 26, is nevertheless believed
significant to the overall improvement of product-handling
apparatus most broadly contemplated by the invention. Thus,
although the improved mechanism 26 could certainly be, and in some
applications probably will be, used to advantage with chambers 52
of fixed size each adapted to accommodate only a single,
predetermined type or size of products 54, the provision also of
the preferred structures 24 and 26 clearly will result in apparatus
20 of even more greatly enhanced versatility readily adapted to the
needs of users in various localities with a variety of product
types and sizes to be handled.
The improved dispensing mechanism 26 provided for each magazine 44,
46, 48 and 50 includes, preferably, its own selectively operable
prime mover in the form of an electric motor 100 mounted on the
lower front panel 34. The motor 100 is provided with conventional
power leads (not shown) adapted for coupling with the selection and
control circuitry of the apparatus 20 (which may be conventional
and is represented in the drawings only by certain switch and other
electrical components hereinafter identified). The drive shaft 102
of motor 100 is coupled through a reduction gear box 104 with a
driven power shaft 106 of the latter.
The power shaft 106 carries thereon for rotation therewith a hub
108, a switch-operating cam assembly 110 having a disc 112 secured
to the hub 108 and an irregularly shaped plate 114 that is
adjustable relative to the disc 112 as hereinafter described, and a
crank stub shaft 116 located eccentrically with respect to the
shaft 106 and hub 108 (see: FIGS. 5 and 6 also). The disc 114 is
provided with four camming notches 118, 120, 122 and 124 in its
circumferential edge, with the notch 122 displaced 180.degree. from
the notch 118, the notch 124 displaced 180.degree. from the notch
120, and notches 120 and 124 being displaced somewhat less than
90.degree. from notches 118 and 122 for reasons later more fully
explained in connection with the double-depth stack mode of
operation.
A control switch 126 having a cam-follower actuating arm 128 is
fixedly mounted in position disposing the arm 128 to be controlled
by the cam 110, and specifically by appropriate ones of the notches
118, 120, 122 and 124. The switch 126 is so connected with the
power leads of the motor 100 that, after operation of the motor 100
has been initiated by the general control circuitry for a brief
period sufficient to turn the cam 110 far enough for the arm 128 to
emerge from one of the notches 118 etc., actuation of the switch
126 by its arm 128 being cammed onto a circular portion of the
periphery of cam 110 will complete a holding circuit for the power
leads of the motor 100 to maintain the latter energized and running
until the arm 128 enters the next of the notches 118 etc., to be
encountered.
It will be understood, therefore, that the running of motor 100 for
a period sufficient to turn the cam 110 to align the next of the
notches 118 etc., that is being used with the arm 128 represents a
discreet dispensing cycle of the mechanism 26. For double-depth
pairs of product stacks, all four notches 118, 120, 122 and 124 are
employed with the rotation of cam 110 for each cycle being either
somewhat more or somewhat less than 90.degree. depending upon the
particular cycle involved as hereinafter explained. However, for
dispensing from a single-depth product stack, only a single pair of
notches 120 and 124 of the cam 110 are needed, and the rotation of
the cam 110 for each cycle is 180.degree.. In order to provide for
convenient adjustment of the mechanism 26 for either single or
double stack modes of operation, the plate 114, which is releasably
secured relative to the disc 112 as by a screw 130 passing through
an arcuate slot 132 and into the disc 112 or hub 108, may be
shifted between and resecured in either the double-depth position
clearing all four notches 118 etc. and shown in solid lines in FIG.
5, or the single stack position masking notches 118 and 122 and
shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5.
A generally upright link 134 is pivotally connected adjacent its
upper end with the crankshaft 116, and, as will be apparent, during
each cycle of operation and corresponding partial rotation of the
shaft 106 and cam 110, the link 134 will be correspondingly moved
in a generally upright direction (several different positions being
illustrated in FIG. 1). The link 134 has a lower, internal cutout
136 provided with a toothed rack 138 along one upright edge
thereof. Operably meshed with the rack 138 is a segmental pinion
140 secured to a short shaft 142 journalled in the lower front
panel 34 and having a mechanical control cam 144 behind the panel
34 and also secured to the shaft 142 for rotation therewith. As
will be clear from FIG. 1, the link 134, rack 138 and pinion 140
serve merely to rock the shaft 142 and control cam 144 through a
partial revolution in one direction and then the other, rather than
to fully rotate the same.
The control cam 144 has a stem portion 146 between a pair of
arcuate notches 148 and 150 leading oppositely to circularly
curved, circumferential cam surfaces 152 and 154 respectively (see:
magazine 44 of FIG. 1, wherein the components in front of the cam
144 are broken away in the drawing). The effective configuration of
the cam 144 and its working relationship to other parts of the
mechanism 26 shortly to be described are very significant to
attaining support of products 54 in the magazines 44 etc., without
the weight of the products 54 ever having to be lifted or borne by
the motor 110 through the link 134, rack 138 and pinion 140.
A pair of product-supporting assemblies 156 and 158 are provided
for each magazine 44 etc., adjacent the bottom and at the left and
right sides thereof. The left supporting assembly includes a front
arm 160 pivoted as at 162 on lower front panel 34 adjacent the left
partition 42 or wall 38 and extending behind the cam 144 (FIG. 1),
a rear arm 164 pivoted as at 166 on the lower rear panel 36 (FIG.
4), and a product-supporting member 168 interconnecting the arms
160 and 164 and extending from front to rear beneath the chamber 52
(FIG. 4). Thus, as perhaps most clearly shown in FIGS. 8-15, the
left product-supporting assembly 156 for each chamber 52 is adapted
to swing as a unit between a lowered releasing position and a
raised product-supporting position disposing the support member 168
beneath the left column of a staggered stack (or stacks) in the
chamber 52. The position of the assembly 156 is controlled and
maintained by a cam follower roller 170 carried on the front of the
front arm 160 and extending into operative engagement with the
control cam 144. When the cam 144 moves into a position receiving
the follower roller 170 in the notch 148, the support assembly 156
is lowered to its releasing position; and when the cam 144 is moved
into a position disposing its circularly curved surface 152 beneath
the roller 170, the assembly 156 is maintained in its
product-supporting position solely by the rolling engagement of the
roller 170 upon the cam surface 152 therebeneath.
Similarly, referring particularly to FIG. 2, the right product
supporting assembly 158 of each mechanism 26 includes a front arm
172 pivoted at 174, a rear arm 176 pivoted at 178, a supporting
member 180 extending between arms 172 and 176 and a cam follower
roller 182 on the arm 172, all of which bear the same general
relationships to notch 150 and circularly curved surface 154 of cam
144 and to the right column of products 54 in a staggered stack (or
stacks) thereof in the chamber 52 as heretofore explained for the
left supporting assembly 156.
Beneath the level of the releasable product-supporting assemblies
156 and 158 of each mechanism 26 are a pair of left and right
escrowing assemblies respectively including stationary parts 184
and 186 and movable components 188 and 190 (it being noted to avoid
possible confusion that the movable component 188 of the left
escrowing assembly 156 is disposed further to the right than the
movable component 190 of the right assembly 158, and vice versa).
The stationary part 184 of the left escrowing assembly is in the
general nature of an angle strip secured to the frame structure 22
and includes an upstanding leg 192 and an inturned leg 194 both
extending forwardly and rearwardly beneath the left side of the
magazine 44 etc. The stationary part 186 of the right escrowing
assembly, which backs up to and may be formed with the stationary
part 184 of the left escrowing assembly for an adjacent magazine
46, etc., similarly includes an upstanding leg 196 and an inturned
leg 198. The movable components 188 and 190 of the left and right
escrowing assemblies respectively are in the nature of spaced bars
secured at their front ends to the rear of the cam 144 by of a
bight 200 and extending rearwardly through openings 202 and 204 in
lower rear panel 36 to a rear bight assembly 206 pivoted to the
panel 36 as at 208 in alignment with the axis of shaft 142
pivotally mounting cam 144 on lower front panel 34, together with
bar width adjusting elements releasably secured thereto. As best
shown in FIG. 4, the width adjusting elements 210 and 121 for bars
188 and 190 respectively extend substantially the full length of
the bars 188 and 190 and are releasably fastened thereto by screws
or the like as at 214, this being the arrangement used for handling
a single depth staggered stack. As best shown in FIG. 7, wherein
the width adjusting elements are designated 210' and 212', it will
be noted that the element 210' extends only along a rear portion of
the bar 188, and the element 212' extends only along a forward
portion of the bar 190, which is the manner in which the escrowing
assemblies should be adjusted for handling a double-depth pair of
staggered stacks as hereinafter more fully explained. The
cooperative action between the stationary parts 184 and 186 of the
escrowing assemblies and their respective movable components
188-210 and 190-212, as well as the operative relationship thereof
to the supporting assemblies 156 and 158 will also be further
detailed later in explaining the operation of the mechanisms 26.
For the moment, therefore, it is merely noted that the left
escrowing assembly 184-188-210 is adapted to receive and hold a
product 54 released by the right supporting assembly 158 from the
bottom of the right column of a staggered stack, then discharge
such product between the left and right movable components 188 and
190; while the right escrowing assembly 186-190-212 bears a similar
relationship to the left supporting assembly 156 and the left
column of the staggered stack.
The product discharging structure 28 of the apparatus 20 is in the
nature of a gathering chute extending beneath all of the magazines
44 etc., and adapted to receive products 54 from any of the
dispensing mechanisms 26 and guide such products to a discharge
point from the machine in which the apparatus 20 is installed, so
that a product selection from any of the magazines 44 etc., may be
vended to a common point of customer access thereto.
The sold-out and jam-handling means 30 normally provided in this
general class of dispensing equipment may be of any suitable form.
For purposes of illustration, however, it is briefly noted that the
preferred embodiment of apparatus 20 employs a pivoted feeler 216
extending into each chamber 52, which feeler 216 is spring-biased
toward the position illustrated in FIG. 2 and, unless there are
products 54 remaining in the chamber 52 to maintain the feeler 216
swung to a more clockwise position thereof, it will actuate a
switch 218 coupled with the powerleads of the motor 100 or the
selection circuitry of the corresponding mechanism 26 to deactivate
the latter without affecting any of the other mechanisms for
different product selections, as well as to normal activate some
sort of sign indicating that the selection whose supply of products
54 has been depleted is "sold-out." With the improved apparatus 20
and its novel but highly reliable dispensing mechanisms 26, the
likelihood of any jamming of products 54 within a chamber 52 or the
mechanism 26 associated therewith is so greatly reduced, as
compared with conventional equipment of this class, that provision
for such a condition is probably desirable mainly to satisfy the
commercial demand therefor that carries over from experience with
jamming in earlier types of equipment and to provide such
protection in case it might be needed in severely adverse special
environments. The assembly 30 therefore provides a solenoid 220
energizable after a period longer than a normal dispensing cycle in
the event that a normal cycle has not been completed, and adapted,
when energized, to lift a latch 222 whose pin 224 clears a stop
shoulder 226 on a pivoted element 228 which then swings under the
influence of a spring 230 to a position for actuating a jam switch
232 coupled with appropriate control circuits for deactivating the
corresponding selection circuitry and mechanism 26 and giving some
suitable indication of the existence of such condition. The
provision of separate mechanisms 26 and sold-out or jam condition
handling means 30 for each product selection renders each selection
independently operable so that the control circuitry need not
deactivate the entire apparatus 20 in the event of a fault
condition with some individual selection.
The operation of the apparatus will now be described first with
reference to the dispensing of products 54 from a magazine 44 etc.
adjusted for handling a single-depth staggered stack.
Referring particularly to FIGS. 8-11, it will be seen that a single
stack of products 54, such as beverages packaged in bottles, is
arranged in staggered stack from within a chamber 52 of the
apparatus 20 presented between adjacent partitions 42. The stack of
products includes a left column containing, from the bottom up,
products 1-L, 2-L, etc. and a right column similarly including
products 1-R, 2-R, 3-R, etc. Product 1-L is the lowermost product
54 of the left column of the stack, and product 1-R is the
lowermost product of both the right column and the staggered stack
as a whole. The product confining and guiding structure 57
sufficiently restricts the lateral dimension of the chamber 52 that
at least a lower group of products 1-R, 1-L, 2-R and 2-L are in a
pure staggered stack relationship with product 1-L interengaging
and supported by product 1-R, product 2-R interengaging and
supported by product 1-L, and product 2-L is interengaging and
supported by product 2-R. The entire staggered stack is, as shown
in FIG. 8, supported by the support member 180 of the right
product-supporting assembly 158, which is disposed below the
lowermost product 1-R of the stack that in turn successively
supports the other products in both columns of the stack
thereabove. In the condition of the dispensing mechanism 26 shown
in FIG. 8, it will be understood that the cam follower roller 182
is disposed well toward the right end of the circularly curved
surface 154 of the cam 144, substantially as illustrated in FIG. 1
for the leftmost mechanism 26 associated with the magazine 44.
Thus, the stack 1-R, 1-L, 2-R, etc. has its entire weight supported
by the member 180 through the interengagement of follower roller
182 with surface 154 of cam 144.
It should also be noted that, in the condition of the mechanism 26
shown in FIG. 8, the cam following actuating arm 128 of the switch
126 will be received within one or the other of the notches 120 and
124 in the cam 110, so that the motor 100 will be stopped and the
mechanism 26 will be in one of its standby conditions. Also, in
FIG. 8, an escrowed product O-L, which has previously been released
from the left column of the stack, is shown being held in escrow by
the right escrowing assembly of the mechanism 26, by virtue of the
opposite engagement with and confinement of the product O-L between
the upper leg 196 of the stationary part 186 and the width
adjusting element 212 of the movable component 190 of the right
escrowing assembly. It is observed that, with bottles of common
diameters, the width adjusting elements 210 and 212 are normally
employed, although it will be seen that, for bottle products 54 of
unusually large diameter, the movable bar parts 188 and 190 of the
escrowing assemblies are themselves adapted to cooperate with the
stationary parts of such assemblies for retaining such a product 54
in escrow.
FIG. 9 illustrates an interim stage of the next cycle of the
mechanism shown in FIG. 8, such as would occur upon a customer
selection of the type of product to be dispensed from the stack in
question. The general disposition of the various parts of the
mechanism 26 corresponding to FIG. 9 is illustrated in the
mechanism associated with the magazine 46 in FIG. 1, and it will be
understood that the motor 100 has been energized and is running
with the switch actuating arm 128 riding the circular periphery of
a segment of cam 110 and the link 134, rack 138 and pinion 140
being in the process of rocking the cam 144 back in a clockwise
direction from its essentially most counterclockwise position
occupied while the mechanism 26 was in the condition illustrated in
FIG. 8. It will be noted in FIG. 9 that the follower roller 182 is
still riding upon the circular surface 154 or cam 144 and that the
product-supporting member 180 is still supporting the product 1-R,
which in turn successively supports products 1-L, 2-R, 2-L, etc.
The follower roller 170, that has previously been deeply seated
within notch 184 of cam 144 is, however, starting to emerge from
the notch 148 toward the circular surface 152 of cam 144, thereby
also raising the left supporting member 168 from its released
position shown in FIG. 8 toward its product-supporting position as
illustrated in FIG. 10. It is significant, however, that during
such raising of the supporting member 168, the lowest product 1-L
of the left column of the stack is still being supported by the
lowermost product 1-R, so that the supporting member 168 is not
required to bear or lift any weight during the time that it is
being raised toward its product-supporting position.
As the mechanism 26 passes through the stage illustrated in FIG. 9,
the clockwise rotation of the cam 144 carries the movable component
190-212 of the right escrowing assembly toward the left and away
from the stationary part 186 of that right escrowing assembly,
thereby clearing the previously escrowed product O-L for
gravitational discharge into the product gathering and discharge
chute structure 28 for delivery to the customer whos has made a
selection for receiving a product of that type.
FIG. 10 shows a subsequent, but still interim, stage of the
operating cycle commenced in FIG. 9 corresponding generally to the
condition of the mechanism 26 illustrated in conjunction with
magazine 48 in FIG. 1. The cam 144 has now been further rocked in a
clockwise direction sufficiently that the follower roller 170 of
the left supporting assembly 156 is riding upon the circularly
curved surface 152 of cam 144, and the left supporting member 168
has been fully restored to and is being held by the follower 170
and cam 1444 in its product-supporting position beneath the product
1-L and in readiness for receiving the latter whenever it is
sufficiently lowered to engage the supporting member 168.
Meanwhile, the cam follower roller 182 of the right supporting
assembly 158 is leaving the circularly curved surface 154 of cam
144 and is commencing to enter the notch 150, which is thereby
commencing to release the right supporting assembly 158 for
downward counterclockwise swinging movement of the right supporting
member 180 toward its release position illustrated in FIG. 11.
During this phase of the operating cycle with a single-depth stack
of products, it will be noted that the escrowing assemblies are
momentarily inactive insofar as handling any product 54 is
concerned, but are proceeding toward the dispositions illustrated
in FIG. 11 for again receiving a product in escrow ready for
discharge upon a subsequent product selection and during the next
product dispensing cycle.
FIG. 11, which corresponds generally to the condition of the
mechanism 26 associated with the magazine 50 in FIG. 1, shows the
conclusion of the operating cycle illustrated in progress in FIGS.
9 and 10 and represents the standby condition of the mechanism 26
at the end of such cycle. Stabilization of the mechanism 26 in such
standby condition is brought about by the de-energization of the
motor 100 when the switch actuating follower 128 of the switch 126
enters the next notch 120 or 124 of the cam 110. Shortly prior to
the conclusion of the cycle and the stopping of the motor 100, the
final clockwise rocking motion of the cam 144 had so aligned the
notch 150 thereof with the follower roller 182 of the right
supporting assembly 158 that the latter was released for movement
to its released position illustrated in FIG. 11. Upon the release
of the right supporting assembly 158, the supporting member 180 was
moved to a position clearing the product 1-R for gravitational
movement downwardly into initial contact with the bar 188 of the
movable component of the left escrowing assembly, and thence into
an escrowed position as illustrated in which the product 1-R is
held in escrow between the upright leg 192 of the stationary part
184 and the width adjusting element 210 of the movable component
188-210 of the left escrowing assembly. It will be observed that,
for products of somewhat smaller diameter than illustrated in FIGS.
8-11, the engagement and holding of the escrowed product by the
stationary part 184 (or 186) of the active escrowing assembly would
be accomplished by the inturned leg 196 (or 198) thereof, rather
than the upstanding leg 192 (or 196) thereof. With the mechanism 26
in the standby condition of FIG. 11, it will be seen that the
lowest product 1-L of the left column of the staggered stack has
become the lowermost product 54 of the stack, replacing product 1-R
when the latter was released into escrow condition, it being
understood that the product 1-L was lowered into supported
relationship upon the left supporting member 168 as the previously
lowermost product 1-R of the stack was released from the stack into
escrow.
The next operating cycle of the mechanism 26 is essentially similar
in all respects to the cycle described in FIGS. 8-11, except that
the cam 144 will be rocked back in a counterclockwise direction so
that the various operations are oppositely oriented, in a
left-right sense, to those described in connection with FIGS. 8-11,
and the oppositely oriented components are the active ones. At the
conclusion of the next operating cycle of the mechanism 26 it will
be restored to the cycle concluding or standby condition
illustrated in FIG. 8. The mechanism 26 thus operates during
successive cycles of actuation thereof to discharge a single
product 54 previously placed in escrow for that selection and to
release the previously lowermost product 54 of the stack into
escrow from whichever column it had previously been in, thereby
rendering the lowest product 54 of the opposite column the
lowermost product of the stack on which all of the higher products
in the stack are effectively supported.
The operation of the mechanism 26 for a magazine 44, etc., that is
handling products 54, such as canned beverages, in a double-depth
pair of staggered stacks will now be discussed. Essentially, most
of the relationships involved in the handling and dispensing of
products in a pair of front and back staggered stacks are generally
similar to those above described for single stack operation.
However, certain adjustments will normally be required, depending
upon the size of the products being handled. For example, with
canned products of the most common types, the product diameter is
larger than for a bottle product, and the width adjusting elements
57 will be removed from the chamber 52. Similarly, for handling
double-depth stacks the width adjusting elements 210' and 212'
(see: FIG. 7) will be substituted for the width adjusting elements
210 and 212 used for single stack dispensing. Also, the shiftable
plate 114 of the cam 110 will be moved from the dotted-line to the
solid-line position shown in FIG. 5, when a pair of double-depth
product stacks are to be handled, thereby clearing all four of the
notches 118, 120, 122 and 124 of the cam 110 for interaction with
the cam following actuating arm 128 of the switch 126.
It is difficult to illustrate in the schematic drawings of FIGS.
12-15 the interrelationship between the front and rear staggered
stacks of products 54, since one lies directly behind the other;
however, the distinction is of interest primarily in connection
with the escrowing aspect of the operation of the mechanism 26, and
the escrowed products 54 in FIGS. 12-15 will be identified as to
which of the stacks they came from. In the initial standby
condition of FIG. 12, which essentially corresponds to the
condition shown in FIG. 8 for single stack dispensing, the
lowermost product 54 in the right column of the front stack is
identified as 1-R, the lowest product in the left column of the
front stack is marked 1-L, and the product 54 directly above
product 1-R in the front stack is labeled 2-R. In the escrowing
portion of the mechanism 26 shown in FIG. 12, two products are
shown being simultaneously escrowed, and these are products labeled
F-O-L that has previously been released from the left column of the
front stack, and product R-O-L that has previously been released
from the left column of the rear stack.
In FIG. 12, the supporting member 180 is supporting both the
lowermost product 1-R in the right column of the front stack and
the lowermost product immediately therebehind in the right column
of the rear stack. The front escrowed product F-O-L is being held
between the movable component 212' of the right escrowing assembly
and the upper leg 196 of the stationary part 186 of that assembly,
while the rear escrowed product R-O-L is being held in escrow
between the bar 190 of the movable component and the upstanding leg
196 of the stationary part 186 of the right escrowing assembly.
Thus, it will be noted that the rear product R-O-L is disposed in
somewhat greater readiness for discharge upon initial clockwise
movement of the movable component 190-212' of the right escrowing
assembly than is the front escrowed product F-O-L.
In contrast with the interim stage showings of FIGS. 9 and 10 with
respect to single stack dispensing, FIG. 13 shows the mechanism 26
at the end of the next cycle of operation, which is a second
standby condition existing when the cam 110 has advanced
sufficiently for the actuating arm 128 of switch 126 to have moved
out of the notch 124, across the adjacent circular segmental
surface of cam 110 and into the next notch 122 of the cam 110. In
moving from the condition of FIG. 12 to the condition of FIG. 13,
the primary action that occurs is that the bar 190 of the movable
component of the right escrowing assembly has moved clockwise a
distance sufficient for discharging of the rear, previously
escrowed product R-O-L from the right escrow assembly, but a
distance insufficient for release of the front escrowed product
F-O-L from its escrowed disposition of engagement with the element
212' and the inturned leg 198 of the stationary part 186 of the
right escrowing assembly. It may also be noted that the left
supporting member 168 has started its movement back toward its
product-supporting position in FIG. 13, by virtue of the
interaction of the follower 170 with the cam 144, although no
products are yet supported by the left supporting member 168.
FIG. 14 illustrates the condition of the mechanism 26 in an interim
stage during which the cam 110 is moving in a clockwise direction
and the actuating follower arm 128 of the switch 126 is riding upon
the circular segmental surface of cam 110 between the notches 122
and 120 thereof. At this stage of the second of the operating
cycles being described, the left supporting member 168 is fully
restored to its product-supporting position but no products 54 have
yet been lowered into supported engagement thereupon, both the
front and the rear stacks still being supported by the right
supporting member 180. The most significant action occurring at the
stage of the cycle illustrated in FIG. 14 is that the movable
element 212' has now progressed sufficiently away from inturned leg
198 of the stationary part 186 of the right escrowing assembly that
the product F-O-L previously retained in escrow in FIG. 13 from the
front stack is now cleared for gravitational discharge to the
discharge chute 28.
The end of the second cycle of operation is illustrated in FIG. 15,
which is another cycle completing or standby condition of the
mechanism 26. In FIG. 15 it will be seen that the right
product-supporting member 180 has been released to its
product-releasing position thereby permitting the previously
lowermost product 1-R from the front stack to move into escrowed
condition as the product labeled F-1-R in FIG. 14, while
simultaneously permitting the previously lowermost product from the
right column of the rear stack to move into escrow as the product
labeled R-1-R. Escrowed product F-1-R is held in escrow between the
upright leg 192 of the stationary part 184 of the left escrowing
assembly and the bar element 188 of the movable component of the
same assembly, while the escrowed product R-1-R is held in escrow
between the upstanding leg 192 and the width adjusting element 210'
of the left escrowing assembly. Similarly to the condition
illustrated in FIG. 12, it will be noted that escrowed product
F-1-R in FIG. 15 is somewhat closer to being released by the left
escrowing assembly than the escrowed product R-1-R, when the
movable component 188-210' of the left escrowing assembly next
commences to move in a counterclockwise direction.
It will also be observed that during the progress of the mechanism
26 from the condition of FIG. 14 to the condition of FIG. 15, both
the lowest product 1-L of the left column of the front stack and
the product 54 immediately there-behind in the left column of the
rear stack will have been lowered simultaneously into supported
relationship resting upon the left supporting member 168, the thee
previously lowermost products of the right column of the front and
rear stacks were released by the supporting member 180 for movement
into the escrowed dispositions thereof just above described.
During the next or third cycle of operation of the mechanism 26
when handling double-depth stacks, the motor 100 will be energized
to move the cam 110 until the actuating arm 128 for switch 126 has
moved from notch 120 into the notch 118. During such third cycle,
the action of the mechanism 266 will be similar to that depicted in
FIG. 13 but oppositely oriented in a left-right sense, and the
front escrowed product F-1-R will be discharged while the rear
escrowed component R-1-R is retained in escrow, during which action
the left supporting member 168 continues to support both stacks.
Then, in the next or fourth cycle of operation during which the
mechanism 26 is restored to the condition illustrated in FIG. 12,
the action will be similar to that shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, but
oppositely oriented, and the then lowermost product 1-L in the left
column of the front stack and the product 54 immediately
therebehind will be released by the supporting member 168 into
escrowed disposition within the right supporting assembly and the
lowest product 2-R of the front stack and the product 54
therebehind will be lowered into supported relationship upon the
supporting member 180 that will have been previously restored to
its supporting position. At the completion of such fourth cycle the
switch actuating arm 128 will again be in the notch 124 of cam 110
and subsequent operations of the mechanism 26 will continue to
successively sequence in the order described as further customer
selections of a product from the particular magazine 44 etc. are
made.
Two special operating advantages of the preferred construction of
the apparatus 20 deserve special note. First, it should be observed
that the mechanisms 26 are of nature permitting double-depth pairs
of front and rear staggered stacks of products 54 to be handled
reliably in the same magazine chamber 52, without any necessity for
providing an upright lateral divider partition between the front
and rear stacks as is conventionally done in equipment for handling
double-depth pairs of stacks. Such separator partitions between the
stacks are, indeed, needed in prior equipment wherein the mode of
operation involves separately lowering the front and rear stacks
during successive dispensing cycles, because of the tendency in
such arrangements for any products in the stack that is being
lowered, which may be engaging products of the other stack, to
"hang up" and create a jammed condition. With the mechanisms 26 of
the improved apparatus 20, however, when handling front and rear
double-depth stacks in the same chamber 52, both stacks are always
lowered simultaneously, so that there is no opportunity for such
"hang-ups" to occur even when one or more products 54 of one stack
have their ends in engagement with products 54 of the other stack.
Structurally, this desirable result is achieved by the fact that
the product supporting members 168 and 180 extend beneath and
interact with the corresponding column of products 54 in both the
front and rear stacks of a double-depth pair thereof and, when
either of such members 168 or 180 is being moved from its product
supporting to its product releasing position, the lowermost
products of both stacks are simultaneously released to the
appropriate escrowing assembly and both stacks are simultaneously
lowered into supported relationship upon the other supporting
member 180 or 168.
Secondly, those skilled in the art might expect that, without the
provision of interstack dividers in chambers 52 handling
double-depth pairs of staggered stacks, there might be some
impairment of the anti-theft protection function of the escrowing
assemblies 184 and 186, by virtue of the natural initial assumption
that the elimination of such divider partitions might permit a
potential thief reaching up through the chute 28 into the bottom
portion of the chamber 52 to shift a single product remaining in
escrow to a position from which it might be removed without deposit
of coinage or operation of the apparatus 20 through its next
potential dispensing cycle. Referring initially to FIG. 12, it will
be seen that the mechanism 26 while in this condition (or in the
reversely oriented corresponding condition shown in FIG. 15) is not
subject to any such manipulation of the escrowed products F-O-L and
R-O-L (F-1-R and R-1-R in FIG. 15), because the dispositions of the
supporting member 168, which is held in the illustrated position by
the presence of the cam follower 170 in the notch 148 of cam 144,
and bar 190 of the escrowing assembly (member 180 and bar 188 in
FIG. 15) block any path of possible egress for the escrowed
products even if a potential thief attempted to lift them out of
the corresonding escrowing assembly. In the condition of the
apparatus illustrated in FIG. 13, however, as well as in the
reversely oriented corresponding later condition of the apparatus
20 described hereinabove, one of the previously escrowed products
54 has just been released from the corresponding escrowing assembly
so that only a single product F-O-L remains in the escrowing
assembly, shown in FIG. 13. Such escrowed product F-O-L has
previously been released from the front one of the pair of
staggered stacks and is being held in the front portion of the
escrowing assembly between the movable component element 212' and
the stationary leg 198. As will be apparent, however, the element
210' of the movable component of the opposite escrowing assembly is
so configured and disposed that a potential thief grasping the
product F-O-L from the bottom would still be unable to move the
same axially toward the rear for removal from between the element
210' and the opposed bar 190. However, in the condition of the
apparatus 20 illustrated in FIG. 13 or the corresponding reversely
oriented condition, it will be perceived that, except for the
constructional and functional feature next to be mentioned, it
might still be possible for a potential thief to lift the product
F-O-L, while moving the same axially rearwardly, sufficiently to
bring such product F-O-L into a rearward position for removal
between the movable component element 210' and the opposite bar
190. As will be clearly seen from FIG. 13, however, such
unauthorized movement of the product F-O-L could not occur because
of the presence and blocking effect of the supporting member 168.
Moreover, it will be further seen that with the apparatus 20 in
this condition, the supporting member 168 is firmly held against
upward swinging movement by the interengagement of the cam follower
roller 170 with the upper portion of the notch 148 presented by the
stem part 146 of the control cam 144. A comparable blocking action
involving the supporting member 180, the cam follower 182 and the
portion of notch 150 presented by stem part 146 of the control cam
144 occurs when the apparatus 20 is in that condition thereof
corresponding to the condition of FIG. 13 but oppositely oriented
from the latter. This arrangement provides positive protection
against attempted theft of escrowed products 54 even during those
stages of the operating cycle of the apparatus 20 when it otherwise
might be assumed that the mechanism 26 would be most vulnerable to
theft because of the presence of only a single escrowed product at
that particular time within the relatively longer structural
arrangement provided by the escrowing assembly.
Thus, the expense of providing and the possible necessity of
adjusting an interstack dividing partition for each chamber 52
intended to handle double-depth stacks, as well as the considerable
inconvenience which is experienced during loading of products 54
into a rear stack from the at least partial obstruction inherently
presented by the use of any such dividing partitions, is avoided,
without adversely affecting the anti-theft properties of the
apparatus. In fact, in the latter regard, it is found that the
improved apparatus 20 provides a degree of positive anti-theft
security not heretofore realizable with prior staggered stack
dispensing mechanisms either with or without interstack
dividers.
Accordingly, it is believed that those skilled in the art should
readily recognize and appreciate the versatility and other
advantages of the apparatus 20 employing the preferred embodiment
of the dispensing mechanism 26 or any substantial equivalent
thereof. It will also be clear that certain minor modifications of
some of the details of construction of the preferred embodiment
disclosed for illustrative purposes could be made as a matter of
design without departing from the essence and substance of the
invention or materially affecting the operation and benefits
provided by the improved apparatus 20. It is therefore desired that
the invention should be deemed limited only by the fair scope of
the subject matter of the claims that follow and mechanical
equivalents thereof.
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