U.S. patent number 3,828,904 [Application Number 05/325,577] was granted by the patent office on 1974-08-13 for automatic vending machine including a plurality of customer units interconnected with a single processing and dispensing unit.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Omron Tateisi Electronics Company. Invention is credited to Keizi Baba, Sigehisa Huziwara, Nobuyosi Naitou, Takesi Yamanaka.
United States Patent |
3,828,904 |
Naitou , et al. |
August 13, 1974 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CUSTOMER UNITS
INTERCONNECTED WITH A SINGLE PROCESSING AND DISPENSING UNIT
Abstract
An automatic vending machine which comprises at least two
customer serving units which are individually used by customers to
input purchase data into the machine and a single processing unit
commonly serving the customer serving units so that in accordance
with the input data the processing unit causes an article to be
dispensed through the outlet of that customer serving unit through
which the purchase data have been entered.
Inventors: |
Naitou; Nobuyosi (Kyoto,
JA), Baba; Keizi (Kyoto, JA), Huziwara;
Sigehisa (Kyoto, JA), Yamanaka; Takesi (Mountain
View, CA) |
Assignee: |
Omron Tateisi Electronics
Company (Kyoto, JA)
|
Family
ID: |
11781498 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/325,577 |
Filed: |
January 22, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 27, 1972 [JA] |
|
|
47-11567 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
194/216 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F
5/18 (20130101); G07F 9/002 (20200501); G07F
5/24 (20130101); G07F 17/42 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G07F
5/18 (20060101); G07F 5/00 (20060101); G07F
17/42 (20060101); G07F 5/24 (20060101); G07F
17/00 (20060101); G07f 011/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;194/10,4
;221/129,131,125,132,123 ;222/2 ;133/8 ;186/1A,1B |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Tollberg; Stanley H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Christensen, O'Connor, Garrison
& Havelka
Claims
What we claim is:
1. An automatic vending machine comprising:
a plurality of customer units, each customer unit including
customer-operated means for entering purchase data into said
customer unit, a coin inlet means for entering coins into said
customer unit and an outlet for dispensing articles to the customer
which are purchased through said machine, and,
a processing unit interconnected with said plurality of customer
units, said processing unit including means storing articles to be
purchased from said machine, and article dispensing means
responsive to said purchase data and the monetary value of the
coins entered into any one of said plurality of customer units to
dispense articles from said storing means through the outlet of
said one of said plurality of customer units.
2. An automatic vending machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said
processing unit further includes control means inhibiting the
operation of said article dispensing means in response to the entry
of purchase data and coins from any other one of said plurality of
customer units until said processing unit has completed the
dispensing of articles through the outlet of said one customer
unit.
3. An automatic vending machine as recited in claim 1, wherein each
one of said plurality of customer units includes means for
detecting coins entered through said coin inlet, means responsive
to said detecting means for calculating and storing the value of
coins so entered, and means responsive to said customer-operated
means for storing purchase data entered through said
customer-operated means.
4. An automatic vending machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said
processing unit includes change calculating means responsive to
said purchase data and to the value of coins entered into said one
customer unit for calculating change to be paid to customer by said
one customer unit.
5. An automatic vending machine as recited in claim 4, wherein said
processing unit includes means storing change for purchases from
said machine, and change dispensing means responsive to said change
calculating means to dispense change from said change storing means
through the outlet of said one customer unit.
6. An automatic vending machine as recited in claim 5, wherein said
change dispensing means includes a plurality of passages connecting
said change storing means to said outlets of said customer units, a
change directing means including plate means for opening that one
of said plurality of passages connecting said change storing means
to said one customer unit, and means inhibiting said plate means
from opening any of the remaining ones of said plurality of
passages until said processing unit has completed the dispensing of
change through said outlet of said one customer unit.
7. An automatic vending machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said
article dispensing means includes a plurality of passages
connecting said article storing means to said outlets for said
plurality of customer units, an article directing means including
plate means for opening that one of said plurality of passages
connecting said article storing means to said one customer unit,
and means inhibiting said plate means from opening any of the
remaining ones of said plurality of passages until said processing
unit has completed the dispensing of articles to said one customer
unit.
8. An automatic vending machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the
articles stored and dispensed by said machine are railway
tickets.
9. An automatic vending machine as recited in claim 8, wherein the
purchase data entered into any one of said plurality of customer
units is the monetary value of a fare for a railway trip.
10. An automatic vending machine as recited in claim 9, wherein
said article dispensing means is responsive to the purchase data
entered through said one customer unit to print on the railway
ticket to be dispensed through the outlet of said one customer unit
numerals expressing said monetary fare value.
Description
This invention relates to an automatic vending machine and more
particularly to those which deal with railway tickets or other
articles.
Generally, the essential components of an automatic vending machine
comprise means for calculating the value of the coins introduced by
a purchaser and means for dispensing an article whose value does
not exceed that of the coins introduced. Those automatic vending
machines which are in wide use at present are additionally provided
with means for dispensing change when the article purchased has
been overpaid. Some machines are capable of vending different kinds
of articles. Other machines are provided with such change
dispensing means and article selecting means.
Known vending machines of the above-mentioned types comprise a
single box or housing which have provided at the front panel
thereof a customer serving unit by which the customer operates the
machine and inputs thereinto purchase information or data such as
the kind or price of the article he or she wishes to purchase from
the machine. Inside the housing there are provided means for
handling the money introduced, means for processing the input
purchase data, means for dispensing an article in accordance with
the money and data, and so forth. All these interior means may be
referred to comprehensively as the processing unit, and the
customer serving unit will be referred to as the customer unit.
Known vending machines comprise a single housing, single customer
unit and a single processing unit. At a place where many people
swarm there usually are many such vending machines installed side
by side. In such a case, however, there is no relation between
adjacent machines. In other words, each of the machines operates
independently of the others. Even at the busiest hours, however,
each one of the machines as observed individually is not always
used incessantly.
Suppose that there are five machines installed at one place. It
seldom happens that more than five persons simultaneously use the
machines. Experience shows that in most cases less than four people
use the machines at one time. Therefore at least one machine stands
idle at that time.
Suppose that five persons use the five machines separately. From
the time one person standing in front of the customer unit inputs
purchase data into the machine until an article is dispensed out of
the machine, the processing unit inside the housing is not
continuously operating all the time. In other words, some component
means of the processing unit remain idle after they have completed
their operations till new purchase data are entered in the next
purchasing operation. In short, compared with the length of the
time the machine is being used, the length of the time the
processing unit operates is considerably shorter, and the various
devices constituting such a processing unit are expensive.
Therefore, if their working efficiency is low, it certainly is
uneconomical.
Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to improve the
working efficiency of the processing unit of an automatic vending
machine.
Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic vending
machine which is provided with a plurality of customer units and a
single processing unit commonly serving the customer units, thereby
improving the working efficiency of the processing unit.
Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic vending
machine which is provided with a plurality of customer units and a
single change dispensing device commonly serving the customer
units, thereby improving the working efficiency of the change
dispensing device.
Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic vending
machine which is provided with a plurality of customer units and a
single article dispensing device commonly serving the customer
units, thereby improving the working efficiency of the article
dispensing device.
Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic vending
machine which is provided with a plurality of customer units each
having an outlet through which change is dispensed, and a single
change dispensing device commonly serving the customer units, with
a change directing device which directs the change dispensed by the
dispensing device to the outlet of that one of the customer units
which is now being used.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic
vending machine which is provided with a plurality of customer
units each having an outlet through which an article purchased is
dispensed, and a single article dispensing device commonly serving
the customer units, with an article directing device so arranged as
to direct the article dispensed by the dispensing device to the
outlet of that one of the customer units which is now being
used.
A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic
vending machine which comprises a single housing or box having at
least two customer units and a single processing unit commonly
serving the customer units, so that the machine substantially
equals a plurality of prior art machines in function and ability
and can be manufactured at a far lower cost.
The invention will be described in detail with reference to the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic railway ticket vending
machine embodying the invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system of the machine;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a circuit for controlling the change
calculating and dispensing device and the ticket issuing device
used in the machine of the invention;
FIG.4 is a side view of one form of the change directing device
used in the machine of the invention;
FIG. 5 is a front view of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a front view of one form of the ticket directing device
used in the machine of the invention;
FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6; and
FIG. 8 is a diagram of a circuit receiving an output signal from
the ticket directing device to produce a signal to reset the ticket
directing device.
In the illustrated embodiment, the principle of the invention is
shown as applied to an automatic railway ticket vending machine.
The machine comprises a housing of box at the front side of which
there are provided a pair of customer units each including a
purchase information or data input device to be operated by a
customer to input into the machine necessary data for purchase of
an article therefrom. Inside the housing there is provided a
processing unit which is conditioned to alternately serve the
customer units. The arrangement may also be such that the
processing unit is always conditioned to serve one of the customer
units and when the other customer unit is used, the processing unit
is switched over to serve that customer unit. If one of the
customer units is used while the other unit is being used at the
same time, the processing unit serves only one of the two customer
units. In this case, it is possible to input purchase data into the
other customer unit which is not operatively connected to the
processing unit. The input data, however, are temporarily stored
till the operation of the processing unit connected to the one
customer unit is finished, whereupon the unit is switched over to
the other customer unit and operates in accordance with the
purchase data memorized therein.
While the processing unit is serving one customer unit which is
being used by one person, another person who is using the other
customer unit must wait, but the waiting time generally is only a
few seconds so that the customer does not feel being kept waiting a
long time. A sign "Wait a monent" may be indicated on the front
panel of the customer unit.
In the illustrated embodiment, the processing unit which is
commonly used by the two customer units includes a change
calculating and dispensing device and a ticket issuing device.
Each customer unit is provided with a set of push buttons for
entering purchase data, means for memorizing the data entered
corresponding to the pressed push button, and means for calculating
and memorizing the value of the introduced coins. When the two
customer units are used at the same time, so long as the users and
introducing coils into the machine and operating the push buttons
on the front panel, the users do not feel like they are being kept
waiting since the processing unit will soon finish its operation
for one of the customer units and then is switched over to operate
for the other one of the customer units. The change dispensed from
the change dispensing device and the ticket issued from the ticket
issuing device are directed by a change directing device and a
ticket directing device, respectively, to the outlet of the
customer unit which is being served by the processing unit. Then
the processing unit is switched over to the other customer unit,
whereupon in accordance with the purchase data entered and the
value of the coins introduced by the waiting customer, the change
dispensing device and the ticket issuing device of the processing
unit again operate. Thus, the processing unit alternately serves
the two customer units, with a resulting higher working efficiency
of the unit than if the unit serves only one customer unit. If the
two customer units are used at the same time and the processing
unit first serves one of the customer units, the other customer
does not feel like he is being kept waiting. The invention thus
provides an automatic vending machine at a low cost which is
capable of efficiently and rapidly dealing with many customers.
Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown an
automatic ticket vending machine generally designated at 10 and
adapted to be installed adjacent the ticket gates of a railway
station. At the front side of the machine there are provided two
customer units 11 and 12 arranged side by side. As is customary
with this type of ticket vending machines, the unit 11 is provided
at its front panel with a coin inlet 15, a plurality of push
buttons 17a and an outlet tray 19. Similarly, the other unit 12 has
a coin inlet 16, a plurality of push buttons 18a and an outlet tray
20. Above both units there is a panel 21 on which the whole
stations of the railway line are indicated with the fares to the
respective stations, so that the passenger is able to know the fare
to his destination.
The push buttons 17a and 18a are arranged in four rows, each of
which is designated generally by 17 and 18. On the surface of each
push button 17a there is indicated a monetary value successively
different by a unit value from that on the next push button.
Suppose that coins of yen 10, yen 50 and yen 100 are acceptable to
the machine. If the push button at the left-hand end in the
uppermost row has an indication of yen 10, the next one to the
right has an indication yen 20 and the third from the left end has
an indication of yen 30 and so on. The same is true with the other
group of push buttons 18a.
Each of the push buttons enclose a lamp so that the lamp of the
push button which corresponds to the value of the coins introduced
by the customer as well as all the other lower value push buttons
are turned on. Suppose that coins of yen 30 have been put into the
slot 15. The lamps of the three left-hand push buttons 17a are
turned on. With this arrangement, it is possible for the customer
to know how much money he has put into the machine. Then the
customer pushes that one of the push buttons the value indication
on which corresponds to the fare to his destination. The button to
be pushed must of course be the one whose the lamp is on at that
time. If the customer pushes a button whose lamp is not turned on,
no ticket is dispensed. The ticket comes out through the outlet 19
or 20 with or without change. The outlets 19 and 20 project
outwardly from the front panel of the units 11 and 12 to make it
easier for the customer to pick up the ticket and change and at the
same time are depressed in the upper surface of a counter 22
provided at the foot of the units 1 and 12 thereby to prevent the
ticket or change from jumping out onto the ground.
Turning to FIG. 2, the coins introduced through the inlet 15 or 16
are detected by a coin detector 31 or 32, which detects the kinds
of the coins and counts their number and applies a corresponding
signal to a calculating and memorizing device 33 or 34. The device
calculates and memorizes the amount of value of the coins
introduced, and at the same time applies a signal to the group of
push buttons 17 or 18 to turn on the lamps of those push buttons up
to the value of the introduced coins. When the customer then
presses that one of the push buttons the value indication of which
corresponds to the fare to his destination, a pressed-button
memorizing device 35 or 36 memorizes that push button that has been
pressed and provides a corresponding signal. The signal from the
calculating and memorizing device 33 or 34 which corresponds to the
value of the introduced coils and the signal from the
pressed-button memorizing device 35 or 36 are applied to a change
calculating and dispensing device 37 through gates 38 and 39 or 40
and 41, respectively.
The change calculating and dispensing device 37 comprises a
pinboard matrix which receives the signal from the pressed-button
memorizing device 35 or 36 and converts the monetary value
expressed by the signal to a corresponding, say, binary code; a
first calculating device which subtracts the binary code value from
the value of the coins that have been introduced; a change
dispenser which dispenses as change coins the value of which
corresponds to the result of the subtraction; and a second
calculating device which subtracts the value of each coin as it is
dispensed from the above-mentioned result of the subtraction
whenever the device receives a signal G produced by a change
directing device (to be described later) in response to each coin
that is dispensed, and produces a signal E when the result of this
subtraction becomes zero. All these devices per se are well known
so that no detailed description will be required.
A change directing device 42 directs the coins dispensed out of the
change calculating and dispensing device 37 to the outlet 19 or 20
of that unit 11 or 12 that has been operated by the purchaser. A
ticket issuing device 44 receives from the pressed-button
memorizing device 35 or 36 the signal corresponding to the value
indicated on that one of the push buttons that has been pressed by
the purchaser and prints the value on a ticket and then sends the
ticket to a ticket directing device 45, which operates to direct
the ticket to the outlet 19 or 20 of that unit 11 or 12 that has
been operated by the purchaser.
As is easily understood from the above description, the various
devices per se included in and utilized by the system of the
invention are well known. However, the invention markedly differs
from the prior art arrangements in that the two customer units 11
and 12 including the coin detectors 31 and 32, the calculating and
memorizing devices 33 and 34 and the pressed-button memorizing
devices 35 and 36 share the single change calculating and
dispensing device 37 and the single ticket issuing device 44 with
the help of the change directing device 42 and the ticket directing
device 45.
FIG. 3 shows by way of example an electrical circuit for
controlling the operations of the change calculating and dispensing
device 37 and the ticket issuing device 44. A pulse generator 51
produces a series of pulses which are applied as one input directly
to an AND element 52 on the one hand and through a NOT element 53
to an AND element 54. With this arrangement, so long as the pulse
generator 51 is producing a pulse, the AND element 52 receives one
input but the AND element 54 receive no input through the NOT
element 53. When the pulse from the generator 51 has disappeared,
the one input to the AND element 52 disappears, but the NOT element
53 produces an output to be applied as one input to the AND element
54. Thus, as the generator 51 produces a succession of pulses, the
two AND elements 52 and 54 alternately receive an input. If the
width of the pulses is made equal to their interval, the times
during which the two AND elements receive an input become equal.
When any one of the push buttons 17a of the unit 11 has been
pressed, a signal A is produced to be applied as the other input to
the AND element 52. Similarly, when any one of the push buttons 18a
of the other unit 12 has been pressed, a signal B is produced to be
applied as the other input to the AND element 54. When the AND
elements 52 and 54 receive the two inputs, they produce an output.
However, even when the two push buttons 17a and 18a of both units
11 and 12 have been pressed at the same time, both AND elements do
not produce an output at the same time since the AND elements do
not simultaneously receive an input caused by the pulses from the
generator 51.
The outputs of the AND elements 52 and 54 are applied as a set
input to flip-flops 55 and 56, respectively, the set outputs of
which are applied as one input to AND elements 57 and 58,
respectively. Signals RA and RB are applied as a reset input to the
flip-flops 55 and 56, respectively. The reset output of the
flip-flop 55 is applied as the other input to the AND element 58
while the reset output of the flip-flop 56 is applied as the other
input to the AND element 57. The outputs of the AND elements 56 and
57 are applied to differentiators 59 and 60, respectively, which
produce output pulses C and D, respectively, corresponding to the
rising edges of the outputs of the AND elements 57 and 58. The
signal C is used as a gate signal to the gates 38 and 49 (FIG. 2)
and the signal D is used as a gate signal to the gates 40 and 41.
The signal C is also applied as a set input to flip-flops 61 and 62
and the signal D is also applied as a set input to flip-flops 63
and 64. The previously mentioned signal E from the change
calculating and dispensing device is applied as a reset input to
the flip-flops 61 and 63, and the signal F from the ticket
directing device 45 is applied as a reset input to the flip-flops
62 and 64.
An AND element 65 receives the reset outputs of the flip-flops 61
and 62 and produces an output to be applied to a differentiator 66,
which produces an output pulse RA corresponding to the rising edge
of the output of the AND element 65. Similarly, an AND element 67
receives the reset outputs of the flip-flops 63 and 64 to produce
an output to be applied to a differentiator 68, which produces an
output pulse RB corresponding to the rising edge of the output of
the AND element 67. The signals RA and RB are used as a reset input
to the flip-flops 55 and 56, the calculating and memorizing devices
33 and 34, and the pressed-button memorizing devices 35 and 36. The
set outputs of the flip-flops 63 and 64 are designated by H and I,
respectively, while there is no set output from the flip-flops 61
and 62.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show an example of the change directing device 42 in
FIG. 2. The device comprises an inlet 70, two passages 73 and 74
connecting to and extending from the inlet 70 and a directing plate
75 at the connecting point of the two passages. A conveyor belt 71
receives the coins to be dispensed as change from the calculating
and dispensing device 37 and carries and drops them into the inlet
70 one by one as shown at 72. The directing plate 75 is pivotable
about a pin 76 by means of a solenoid 77 whose plunger rod 78 is
connected to the plate 75 for control of the pivotal movement of
the plate. When the solenoid 77 is energized by the signal H to
pull in the rod 78, the plate 75 is moved leftward to the real line
position in FIG. 5 where it closes the inlet of the passage 73
thereby to direct the coins into the other passage 74. When the
solenoid 77 releases the rod 78, a spring or the like device not
shown causes the plate 75 to pivot to the opposite broken line
position where it closes the passage 74 thereby to direct the coins
falling through the inlet 70 into the passage 73. The passages 73
and 74 lead to the outlets 19 and 20, respectively.
The coins being carried by the conveyer 71 are detected one by one
by a coin detector 79 (FIG. 4), which produces an output G in
response to each coin but with a time delay sufficient to allow the
coin detected to enter the passage 73 or 74.
FIGS. 6 and 7 show an example of the ticket directing device 45.
The ticket 81 issued by the issuing device 44 is dropped into an
inlet 82 which is connected to two passages 83 and 84. A plate 85
is pivotable about a pin 86 by means of a solenoid 87 having a rod
88 connected to the plate 85. When the solenoid 87 is energized by
the signal I to pull in the rod 88, the plate 55 is moved to close
the passage 83 as shown in FIG. 6. When the solenoid 87 is
deenergized, the plate 85 is pulled by a spring or otherwise moved
to close the other passage 84.
The ticket 81 passing through the passage 83 rides on a conveyor
belt 90 with a roller 89 and another conveyer belt 92 facing the
upper surface of the belt 90. The belt 90 is always running in the
direction of an arrow 91 and the ticket 81 on it passes below the
roller 89 and is conveyed by the belts 90 and 91 to the outlet 19.
Similarly, the ticket passing through the passage 84 is conveyed by
a conveyor 94, a roller 93 and another conveyer corresponding to
the above-mentioned conveyer 92 as far as the outlet 20.
A detector 97 detects the ticket 81 on the belt 91 to produce a
signal FA to energize a solenoid 96, which pulls the roller 98
toward the belt 90. A similar detector and a solenoid not shown are
provided for the same purpose in connection with the belt 94 and
the roller 93. The detection signal from this detector will be
referred to as FB.
The signals FA and FB which continue until the ticket leaves the
detection area of the detector detecting the ticket are applied to
an OR element 98 (FIG. 8), the output of which is applied through a
NOT element 99 to a differentiator 100. As will be easily seen, the
differentiator produces an output pulse F corresponding to the
trailing edge of the output of the OR element 98.
The system of the invention operates as follows. Suppose that a
purchaser puts into the inlet slot 16 one yen 100 coin and one yen
50 coin. In the coin detector 32 the coins are directed through
different passages corresponding to their denominations into
different receptacles, not shown. As the coins pass through the
passages, they are counted and the calculating and memorizing
device 34 calculates the total value of the coins introduced as yen
150 and memorizes the value. In response to this memorized value,
the lamps of those push buttons up to yen 150 in the group 18 are
turned on thereby to show the purchaser the amount of money he has
put into the machine. Suppose that he wishes to have a yen 120
ticket. Then he presses the yen 120 push button 18a, whereupon the
signal B is produced and at the same time the pressed push button
is memorized by the pressed-button memorizing device 36.
The signal B is applied as one input to the AND element 54 (FIG.
3). Since the cycle of the pulses from the generator 51 is set far
shorter than the time from the pressing to the releasing of the
push button, the AND element 54 produces an output to set the
flip-flop 56, the set output of which causes the differentiator 60
to produce the signal D. At this time, no reset output is produced
by the flip-flop 56, so that the AND element 57 produces no output
even if the signal A is applied to the AND element 52 to set the
flip-flop 55. Therefore, when the signal D is produced, the signal
C is not produced.
The signal D sets the flip-flops 63 and 64. The set output H of the
flip-flop 63 is applied to the solenoid 77 to move the coin
directing plate 75 to the real line position in FIG. 5 to
communicate the opening 70 with the passage 74. The set output I of
the flip-flop 64 is applied to the solenoid 87 to move the ticket
directing plate 85 to the real line position in FIG. 6 to connect
the inlet 82 to the passage 84.
The signal D is also applied to the gates 40 and 41 to open the
gates. When the gate 40 is opened, the value of yen 150 as stored
in the calculating and memorizing device 34 is applied to the
change calculating and dispensing device 37. When the gate 41 is
opened, the value of yen 120 as stored in the pressed-button
memorizing device 36 is applied to the change calculating and
dispensing device 37 and the ticket issuing device 44. The device
37 subtracts the fare of yen 120 from the value of yen 150 and
produces a signal corresponding to the difference of yen 30, in
response to which the coin dispenser in the device 37 memorizes the
value of yen 30 and dispenses three yen 10 coins.
The coins are carried on the conveyor 71 (FIG. 4) and dropped into
the inlet 70 of the directing device 42 from which the coins pass
through the passage 74 to come out of the outlet 20. The coins on
the coneyer 71 are detected by the detector 79, which produces one
pulse G in response to one coin detected. The signal G is applied
back to the change calculating and dispensing device 37 so that the
value of yen 10 is substrated from the value of yen 30 as stored in
the device 37 every time the signal G is applied thereto until the
result of subtraction becomes zero, whereupon the signal E is
produced. Needless to say, if there is no change to be paid, the
signal E is produced immediately. The signal E resets the flip-flop
63.
The information stored in the pressed-button memorizing device 36
is also transferred to the ticket issuing device 44 to issue a yen
120 ticket. On the basis of the information received, the device 44
prints on a ticket the symbols and numerals expressing yen 120
and/or the names of the stations within the section the yen 120
fare can cover. The ticket is then sent to the ticket directing
device 45. Since at this time the inlet 82 communicates with the
passage 84, the ticket is conveyed by means of the roller 93 and
the belt 94 onto the outlet 20.
As the ticket 81 is being conveyed by the belt 93, the ticket
detector (corresponding to 97) detects it to produce the signal FB,
which is applied through the OR element 98 to the NOT element 99,
so that when the signal FB disappears, the differentiator 100
produces the output F to reset the flip-flop 64. When the flip-flop
63 is reset by the signal E to produce a reset output, the reset
outputs of the flip-flops 63 and 64 coincide, so that the AND
element 67 produces an output. This output causes the
differentiator 68 to produce the signal RB to reset both the change
calculating and memorizing device 34 and the pressed-button
memorizing device 36 to remove the stored values therefrom.
The signal RB is also applied as a reset input to the flip-flop 56,
the reset output of which is applied to the AND element 57.
Therefore, if one of the push buttons 17a on the other unit 11 has
been pressed while the operations caused by the pressing of one of
the push buttons 18a are being conducted, after the coin directing
device 42 and the ticket directing device 45 have finished their
respective operations to produce the signal F, the change
calculating and dispensing device 37 and the ticket issuing device
44 perform their respective operations in response to the
introduction of coins into the slot 15 and the pressing of one of
the push buttons 17a on the unit 11.
When the flip-flops 63 and 64 are reset, their respective set
outputs H and I disappear so that the solenoids 77 and 87 are
deenergized to bring the plates 75 and 85 to the dashed line
positions in FIGS. 5 and 6. Therefore, when the coins and the
ticket come in the next operation of the machine, they are properly
directed to the outlet 19 of the unit 11.
In the above description, the unit 12 alone is used. When the unit
11 alone is used, the flip-flop 55 is set so that the
differentiator 59 produces the signal C to set the flip-flops 61
and 62. The flip-flop 61 is reset by the signal E and the flip-flop
62, by the signal F. When the two flip-flops 61 and 62 are both
reset, the AND element 65 produces an output to cause the
differentiator 66 to produce the signal RA. This signal RA resets
the calculating and memorizing device 33 and the pressed-button
memorizing device 35. Since the flip-flops 63 and 64 are not set,
they do not produce the set outputs H and I. Therefore, the
solenoids 77 and 87 are not energized and the plates 75 and 85 are
at the dashed line position to communicate the inlets 70 and 82
with the passages 73 and 83, respectively, so that the change and
the ticket are directed to the outlet 19.
When the push buttons 17a and 18a are pressed at the same time, the
AND element 52 produces an output if the generator 51 produces an
output at that time, whereas the AND element 54 produces an output
if the generator 51 produces no output at that time. Therefore, the
devices 37, 42, 44 and 45 and the circuit of FIG. 3, which are
comprehensively referred to as a processing unit, operates only for
either one of the customer units and not for both of them at one
time.
* * * * *