U.S. patent number 3,828,971 [Application Number 05/374,270] was granted by the patent office on 1974-08-13 for divided shelf structure for helix type product dispensing machines.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Vendo Company. Invention is credited to Edward Babich, Elmer Bradley Offutt.
United States Patent |
3,828,971 |
Offutt , et al. |
August 13, 1974 |
DIVIDED SHELF STRUCTURE FOR HELIX TYPE PRODUCT DISPENSING
MACHINES
Abstract
The top-loading drawer assembly of a helix-type dispensing
machine has a vertical divider extending through the center of the
helix to separate the compartment controlled by the helix into a
pair of adjacent sections on opposite sides of the helix. Two rows
of products, on opposite sides of the divider, may thus be filled
between the convolutions of the helix, and upon rotation of the
helix, the products are dispensed alternately from opposite rows. A
special ejector on the final convolution of the helix, set back
from the terminus thereof, assures positive release of the products
from opposite sides of the divider during successive 180.degree.
rotating cycles of the helix, and a resilient deflecting finger for
the rearwardly leaning products on one side of the divider
cooperates with the ejector to prevent tumbling of such products as
they are dispensed. The forwardly leaning products on the opposite
side of the divider topple from the drawer assembly at a point
spaced rearwardly from the discharge end thereof.
Inventors: |
Offutt; Elmer Bradley
(Independence, MO), Babich; Edward (Kansas City, MO) |
Assignee: |
The Vendo Company (Kansas City,
MO)
|
Family
ID: |
23476029 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/374,270 |
Filed: |
June 27, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/75 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F
11/42 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G07F
11/02 (20060101); G07F 11/42 (20060101); G07f
011/36 () |
Field of
Search: |
;221/75 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
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. In product dispensing apparatus:
means including a product shelf and a pair of normally upright,
spaced-apart sidewall structures on said shelf defining a
top-loading product compartment between said structures and above
said shelf,
said shelf having a product discharge end at the normally
forwardmost limit of the compartment;
a normally upright divider within said compartment extending
rearwardly from said discharge end and substantially coextensive in
length with said wall structure, separating the compartment into a
pair of horizontal sections on opposite sides of the divider;
a helical product feeder having an elongated element encircling
said divider in spaced relationship to and along the length of the
latter and having a terminus adjacent said discharge end,
said feeder having a plurality of spaced-apart convolutions
defining a series of product-receiving spaces therebetween
extending along opposite sides of said divider;
drive means for rotating said feeder in a direction to advance
products within said spaces of the sections in unison toward said
discharge end and to dispense the products alternately from said
sections off said discharge end during rotation of the feeder;
and
an ejector on the final convolution of said feeder before said
terminus thereof for pushing the leading products of said sections
alternately off said discharge end during rotation of the
feeder,
said ejector including an elongated arcuate web extending along
said final convolution in concentric relationship therewith, having
substantially the same radius as said final convolution, and being
generally radially spaced from said divider for clearing the latter
during rotation of the feeder,
said web having a curved, product-engaging edge progressively
departing from the stretch of the convolution to which it is
affixed as said terminus is approached and having a point of
maximum departure approximately 180.degree. from said terminus,
said drive means being operable to rotate said feeder 180.degree.
during each actuation of the drive means, and said feeder being
disposed to position said maximum departure point of the ejector at
the bottom of one section adjacent said shelf upon the completion
of one 180.degree. cycle and at the top of the other section spaced
above said shelf upon the completion of the next 180.degree.
cycle.
2. In product dispensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said divider is supported in spaced relationship to said shelf
above the latter, said convolutions of the feeder passing around
the divider between the latter and said shelf.
3. In product dispensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said ejector is constructed of a synthetic resinous material.
4. In product dispensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said one section only is provided with a deflector adjacent said
discharge end and projecting into the path of travel of the leading
product substantially above said shelf for cooperating with said
ejector to assure that the leading product is dispensed
bottom-first.
Description
This invention relates to product dispensing or vending machines
and, more particularly, to improvements in the helix-type
dispensing modules or drawer assemblies of such machines.
Helical feeders or conveyors such as disclosed in U.S. Letters Pat.
No. 3,653,540, issued to Offutt on Apr. 4, 1972, and also disclosed
in allowed pending application Ser. No. 235,489, filed Mar. 17,
1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,071, in the names of Offutt, et al.,
provide an efficient and highly flexible means of advancing
products to a drop space in the dispensing machine when a selection
has been made by a customer. The spaces defined between adjacent
convolutions of the helix serve to confine the products prior to
the selection being made by the customer, and upon rotation of the
helix about its longitudinal axis in response to the customer
making a selection and actuating appropriate mechanism, the
products are advanced in unison by the convolutions toward the drop
space to dispense the leading product in the feeder into the
space.
The convolutions will accept virtually any type of product thereby
contributing substantially to their inherent flexibility and
popularity for use in general merchandising machines. However, such
helixes have an inherent drawback in that their capacities are
somewhat limited due to the space occupied by the convolutions that
pass between adjacent products in the series. Where product storage
space is at a premium within the cabinet of the machine, as is
almost always the case, this can be a significant factor in
deciding whether or not to employ a helix feeder. Moreover, it must
be remembered that low product capacity increases the number of
times which the machine must be resupplied with products by
servicing personnel, hence having a direct affect upon the economic
considerations involved.
Accordingly, one important object of the present invention is to
increase the capacity of a product feeding helix by providing a
normally vertical divider that passes through the interior of the
helix along the length of the latter to separate the helix into two
horizontal rows of product-receiving spaces on opposite sides of
the divider.
In connection with the foregoing object, it is an important aim of
this invention to maximize the capacity of a product-feeding helix
without detracting from the ability of the helix to be easily
loaded.
An additional important object of this invention is the provision
of a special product ejector adjacent the terminus of the final
convolution of the helix that assures positive dispensing of the
products alternately from opposite sides of the divider while
precluding accidental release of more than one product during each
dispensing cycle.
Another important object is to provide a special ejector as
aforesaid that dispenses the products alternately in the above
manner, while at the same time releasing the products into the drop
space in such a way that they will not jam therewithin. In this
respect it is important that the products on one side of the
divider, which are leaned rearwardly by the helix, are simply
pushed off the shelf associated with the helix bottom-first so that
such products do not tumble from the shelf to bridge the drop
space. On the other hand, it is important that products on the
opposite side of the divider which are leaned forwardly by the
helix, be released from the helix at a point spaced rearwardly from
the discharge end of the shelf so that such products can simply
topple off the shelf top-first without bridging the drop space.
A further important object of the instant invention is to provide
deflector means adjacent the discharge end of the shelf that
projects into the path of travel of the rearwardly leaning products
in order to engage the top margins thereof and augment the
anti-tumbling action of the ejector.
Other important objects of this invention will become apparent or
be made clear from the following specification and accompanying
drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a dual-helix drawer assembly embodying
the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front, end elevational view thereof;
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the drawer assembly
taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the assembly;
FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken transversly of the
drawer assembly along a line selected to show different
constructional details in adjacent product compartments of the
assembly at the rear thereof;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, detail view of the inner end of a helix,
parts being shown in cross-section and in elevation to reveal
details of construction;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, somewhat schematic view of the forwardmost
end of the drawer assembly illustrating the manner in which
forwardly leaning products on one side of the divider are dispensed
top-first;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, somewhat schematic view similar to FIG. 7
but showing the opposite side of the divider and the manner in
which the rearwardly leaning products thereof are dispensed
bottom-first; and
FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, top plan view of the final
convolution of a helix illustrating details of the special product
ejector.
The drawer assembly 10 selected to embody the principles of the
present invention is of the dual-helix type, although it will be
understood that the specific number of helixes utilized is not
critical to the effectiveness of the present invention. Drawer
assembly 10 is open across the top and at the forward end thereof,
having an elongated shelf 12 provided with a discharge end 14; a
pair of elongated, laterally spaced-apart and upstanding sidewalls
16; and a rear wall 18 rising upwardly from shelf 12 at the back of
assembly 10 to close the same. An intermediate sidewall 20 between
outer sidewalls 16 and extending from discharge end 14 to rear wall
18, partitions the area between sidewalls 16--16 into a pair of
identical troughlike product compartments 22. In view of the fact
that compartments 22 are identical to one another, only one of the
same will be described in detail with the understanding that the
principles hereinafter explained apply equally to both.
An elongated divider 24, disposed equi-distant from the outer
sidewall 16 and the inner sidewall 20 of compartment 22, extends
substantially the full length of the latter to separate compartment
22 into a pair of side-by-side sections 25 on opposite sides of
divider 24. The divider 24 is supported at its forwardmost end by
an elongated, upstanding bracket 26 secured to the down-turned lip
28 of shelf 12 and is supported at its rearmost end (FIG. 6) by a
spindle 30 that projects forwardly from rear wall 18. The divider
24 is rigidly affixed to the reduced end of spindle 30 and does not
rotate thereon. The front bracket 26 and rear spindle 30 are
secured to the divider 24 in such a manner that the lower extremity
of divider 24 is spaced a short distance above shelf 12.
An elongated, feeding or conveying helix 32 encircles divider 24
along the length of the latter within compartment 22 and has a
plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart convolutions 34 that
define two rows of product-receiving spaces 36 and 38 on opposite
sides of divider 24 between the convolutions 34. As shown best in
FIG. 3, sufficient space is provided between the shelf 12 and the
lower extremity of divider 24 to clear the convolutions 34 as they
pass therebetween. The rearmost portion of helix 32 has a series of
closely wound convolutions 34a that firmly wrap around the enlarged
part 40 of a generally conical coupler 42 (details in FIG. 6) that
is rotatably supported by the spindle 30. A gear 44 integral with
coupler 42 and reduced in diameter relative to part 40, meshes with
a step-up gear train 46, 48 and 50 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 5) rotatably
supported by rear wall 18. The shaft 52 of gear 50 projects through
gear wall 18 and supports a cam 54 outwardly of rear wall 18 behind
the latter. A housing 56 between coupler part 40 and rear wall 18
encloses gears 44-50.
The opposite end of helix 32 has a terminus 58 on the final
convolution thereof and a molded, synthetic resin, product ejector
60 secured to the final convolution before terminus 58. The ejector
60 (FIG. 9) is transversely arcuate with respect to helix 32,
having substantially the same radius as the convolutions 34. A
bead-like segment 62 of ejector 60 extends along a stretch of the
final convolution and is bonded thereto, there being a web 64
projecting outwardly from segment 62 and having an arcuate
edge-like surface 66. The surface 66 progressively departs from
segment 62 toward the discharge end 14 beginning at a point
slightly less than 360.degree. from terminus 58. Surface 66
continues until reaching a point of greatest departure from segment
62 approximately 180.degree. from terminus 58 as shown best in FIG.
9, whereupon the surface 66 then returns rather abruptly to segment
62.
At the forwardmost end of compartment 22 is located a resilient
deflecting finger 68 that projects laterally from intermediate
sidewall 20 into the adjacent compartment section 25 substantially
above shelf 12 and in approximate vertical alignment with discharge
end 14.
OPERATION
In use, the drawer assembly 10 is adapted to be placed within the
cabinet of a multi-purpose, general merchandising machine such as
the types disclosed in the aforementioned Patent and allowed
application. Before the drawer assembly 10 is inserted into the
machine each compartment 22 should be loaded by inserting products
70 and 72, such as gum, small candy bars, and mints into the spaces
36 and 38 respectively between convolutions 34. It will be
appreciated that such loading may be carried out very rapidly and
with ease inasmuch as drawer assembly 10 is top-loading, it being
necessary only to drop the products 70 and 72 into their proper
positions on opposite sides of the dividers 24. While different
compartments 22 may be loaded with different product choices, the
adjacent sections 25 of each compartment 22 should be loaded with
the same product choice.
After drawer assembly 10 has been loaded, it is placed within the
machine with the discharge end 14 being directly adjacent the drop
space of the machine and the rear wall 18 being adjacent the rear
of the machine cabinet. In this disposition, the cams 54 are
located to be operated by mechanism not shown but fully disclosed
in the aforesaid Patent. In view of the complete description of
said Patent of the manner of operation of such mechanism and its
relationship to the cams 54, suffice it to say that when a customer
has selected a product from one of the compartments 22 and the
proper coinage has been deposited, actuation of the driving
mechanism rotates the appropriate cam 54 associated with the
selected compartment 22 through a 360.degree. operating cycle. The
gear 50 is thus also rotated 360.degree., but by virtue of the fact
that gear 44 of coupler 42 has twice as many teeth as gear 50, the
intermediate gears 46 and 48 rotate coupler 42 through only a
180.degree. cycle. Hence, the helix 32 of the selected compartment
22 is rotated 180.degree. in a clockwise direction, viewing FIG. 2,
to advance all of the products 70 and 72 therewithin in unison
toward discharge end 14 to dispense the leading product of the two
sections 25 off discharge end 14 into the drop space of the
machine. As shown in FIG. 1, the next product to be dispensed is
product 72a, followed in the next vending cycle by product 70a from
the opposite section 25. Thus, the products of a chosen compartment
22 are dispensed alternately from opposite sides of the divider 24
during successive dispensing cycles such that the sections 25 are
depleted at substantially the same rate.
Viewing FIG. 3, it may be seen that the products 72 on the right
side of each divider 24 (viewing FIG. 2) are caused by the
convolutions 34 of helix 32 to lean forwardly within their product
spaces 38, while those products 70 on the opposite side of divider
24 are caused to lean rearwardly within their product spaces 36.
Accordingly, the leading product 72a, which is the next-to-vend
product, is braced as shown by the extremity of the final
convolution 34 adjacent terminus 58 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3
in readiness for the next vend cycle. When helix 32 is actuated,
rotating clockwise viewing FIG. 2, the terminus 58 is pulled away
from the forwardly leaning project 72a so as to remove its support
for product 72a, hence allowing the same to topple forwardly off
discharge end 14 as shown in FIG. 7. At the same time that terminus
58 releases product 72a, the ejector 60 is rotating through the
upper portion of its cycle so as to bring the ejecting surface 66
thereof progressively into position to engage the top rear margin
of product 72a. Hence, product 72a is simultaneously released by
terminus 58 and pushed by surface 66 outwwardly into the drop space
for top-first delivery.
Note in FIGS. 3 and 7 that the product 72a topples forwardly when
ejected about its lower front corner 74 and that corner 74 is
spaced rearwardly from discharge end 14 at the beginning of the
cycle. Therefore, although product 72a topples forwardly from
discharge end 14, only a portion of product 72a projects beyond
discharge end 14 during the toppling process, the remaining portion
thereof overlying the shelf between discharge end 14 and corner 74
until the top 76 of product 72a has passed below discharge end 14,
whereupon such remaining portion also leaves end 14. In this
manner, the portion of product 72a that momentarily projects beyond
discharge end 14 is insufficient to bridge the drop space between
end 14 and the proximal cabinet wall or display window, hence
eliminating any possibility of product 72a jamming the drop
space.
The ejector 60 stops in the position illustrated in FIG. 7 at the
completion of a vending cycle for the product 72a. As the next vend
cycle is initiated, ejector 60 rotates clockwise, viewing FIG. 2,
from its upper position and passes downwardly beneath the divider
24 to approach the leading product 70a on the opposite side of
divider 24. As shown in FIG. 8, continued rotation of ejector 60
brings the ejecting surface 66 progressively against the lower rear
margin of product 70a, hence pushing the same outwardly off
discharge end 14 into the drop space. Inasmuch as product 70a is
already leaning rearwardly at the beginning of its vend cycle, it
is in condition to facilitate release from shelf 12 with the bottom
78 of product 70a leading.
It will be seen that in contrast to the release of product 72a,
product 70a leaves shelf 12 without toppling, moving only directly
downwardly in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 8 as bottom 78 of
product 70a is pushed beyond discharge end 14. Hence, bridging of
the product drop space is once again precluded, although in a
different manner than with product 72a.
When the product 70a has been vended, the ejector 60 stops along
the lower half of its path of travel in the position as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 8 in readiness for the next vending cycle wherein one
of the products 72 from the opposite side of divider 24 will be
dispensed. Such process continues repeatedly, releasing products
alternately from opposite sides of divider 24 during successive
actuations of helix 32 until the compartment 22 has been completely
depleted.
The ejector 60 is important because it both assures a positive vend
of the products and helps prevent bridging of the drop space ahead
of discharge end 14. This is particularly important with the
products 70 which present their bottoms 78 to the outermost
extremity of end 14 before leaving the same. If products 70 were to
tumble forwardly at this time rather than simply dropping directly
from discharge end 14, the likelihood of bridging the drop space
could be increased.
Aiding the ejector 60 in assuring bottom-first delivery of the
products 70 is the deflecting finger 68 that is disposed to engage
the top front margins of the leading product 70a as it leaves
discharge end 14. The added resistance of deflecting finger 68,
coupled with the rearward inclination of product 70a and the
engagement thereof by ejector 60 adjacent the bottom 78 assures
that bottom 78 will lead as product 70a enters the drop space.
It is also important to point out that the location of ejector 60
with respect to terminus 58 enables ejector 60 to operate
successfully in both product sections 25 on opposite sides of
divider 24 and assures that one leading product will not be
accidentally released while another leading product in the adjacent
section 25 is being intentionally dispensed. As shown best in FIG.
1, while the ejector 60 is disposed to dispense one of the products
70, the terminus 58 of the end convolution 34 is disposed in
blocking relationship to the leading product 72a on the opposite
side of divider 24. Hence, product 72a cannot accidentally be
released during the time that one of the products 70 is being
positively dispensed. Similarly, it will be seen that as helix 32
is rotated clockwise to dispense the leading product 72a, the
corresponding leading product 70a on the opposite side of divider
24 is disposed behind ejector 60 and hence is blocked by the latter
from accidental release.
It will be apparent that minor modifications and adaptations of the
present invention could be made by those skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly,
the present invention should be limited only by the fair scope of
the claims that follow.
* * * * *