Patent US2384281A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0060643A2
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An article renting machine
Assignee: Cessione johlar Enterprises Inc
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Filing: 1982-03-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-03-01
Abstract
Abstract A method of renting an article (18) to a patron by the patron presenting a hire token (24) to a renting machine (10) for recognition (24.1) and cocking of an article selection circuit (20); the article selection circuit (20) being energised until stopped (22) by the patron when a desired article (18) registers with a delivery receptacle (30); the machine recording a code (18.1) corresponding to the article (18) and the patron taking delivery of the article (18); and the machine recording the code of the hire token (24) and holding the hire token captive until released upon return of the rented article (18) to the machine (10). The machine may be adapted to operate in a cash renting mode to accept payment tokens (32), or in credit renting mode, when the patron's account is debited and credited. Provision is also made for the payment of a penalty if the predetermined renting period is exceeded.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth John Angus Maciver
- 👤 Raoul Alastair Maciver
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 21:27
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F7/00; G07F7/06; G07F7/069; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S194/00; Y10S194/906
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
207 words
An article renting machine (10) characterized in that it is adapted for renting articles (18), such as video cassettes, to a patron holding a coded hire token (24), the machine comprising, means defining a store (16) adapted to hold a plurality of articles (18); first code sensing means (28) adapted to sense the code (24.1) associated with the coded hire token (24) which is identifiable with the patron when a hire token is presented by the patron to the machine (10); first memory means (108) adapted in use to hold details of the said code (24.1) in memory; article-selecting means (22) whereby a patron can select an article (18) for hire; second code-sensing means (42,136) adapted to sense an article code (18.1) identifiable with the selected article (18); second memory means (108) adapted to hold in memory, details of the code (18.1) of the selected article (18); article-dispensing means (30) for dispensing the selected article (18) to the patron after the article code (18.1) has been sensed and has been stored in the second memory means (l08); and article-accepting means (30, 42, 136) adapted to recognise the code of a returned article (18) and to permit the returned article (18) to pass back into the store (16).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
207 words
An article renting machine (10) characterized in that it is adapted for renting articles (18), such as video cassettes, to a patron holding a coded hire token (24), the machine comprising, means defining a store (16) adapted to hold a plurality of articles (18); first code sensing means (28) adapted to sense the code (24.1) associated with the coded hire token (24) which is identifiable with the patron when a hire token is presented by the patron to the machine (10); first memory means (108) adapted in use to hold details of the said code (24.1) in memory; article-selecting means (22) whereby a patron can select an article (18) for hire; second code-sensing means (42,136) adapted to sense an article code (18.1) identifiable with the selected article (18); second memory means (108) adapted to hold in memory, details of the code (18.1) of the selected article (18); article-dispensing means (30) for dispensing the selected article (18) to the patron after the article code (18.1) has been sensed and has been stored in the second memory means (l08); and article-accepting means (30, 42, 136) adapted to recognise the code of a returned article (18) and to permit the returned article (18) to pass back into the store (16).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it includes accounting means adapted to debit the account of the patron before delivering the article to the patron.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A machine as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the accounting means is adapted, upon the return by the patron of the previously selected article (18) to the accepting means (30) of the machine (10), to credit the account of the patron.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
A machine as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that it includes locking means (34) which in use prevents the article-dispensing means (30) from dispensing the selected article (18) to the patron, until the locking means (34) has been unlocked by being suitably fed with a payment token (32) such as a coin, note, or the like.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
A machine as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that it includes hire token-retaining means (36) which, in use, is adapted to hold the hire token (24) captive; and hire token release means (140, 140.1) operable to release the hire token (24) from the said retaining means (36) upon acceptance of a returned article (18) by the accepting means (30, 42, 136).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
107 words
A machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the store chamber includes a carousel (12) having a plurality of circumferentially spaced compartments (16), the carousel (12) being rotatably mounted about an axis (14), and each compartment (16) being adapted to house an article (18) in such a fashion that it is identifiable by a patron from outside the chamber, the carousel (12) having driving means (20, 20.1, 20.2) for drivingly rotating it about its axis (14), and the selecting means (22, 22.1) being operable by the patron when a selected article (18) registers with a . selection marking (12.4) provided.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A coded article characterized in that it is adapted to cooperate with a machine (10) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of renting articles from a machine wherein a store (16) of the renting machine (10) is charged with a plurality of articles (18), each of which is identifiable with its own code (18.1); hire tokens (24) identifiable with a patron are presented to the machine and details (24.1) of the token are automatically recorded by the machine; a particular article (18) is selected from the plurality of articles in the store; the machine automatically records details of the code (18.1) of the article (18) selected; the machine (10) thereupon delivers the article (18); and the article (18), on being returned to the machine (10), and upon recognition of the code (18.1) of the article (18), being accepted into the store (16).
Claim 10
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of renting articles from a machine wherein a store (16) of the renting machine (10) is charged with a plurality of articles (18), each of which is identifiable with its own code (18.1); hire tokens (24) identifiable with a patron are presented to the machine and details (24.1) of the token are automatically recorded by the machine; a particular article (18) is selected from the plurality of articles in the store; the machine automatically records details of the code (18.1) of the article (18) selected; the machine (10) thereupon delivers the article (18); and the article (18), on being returned to the machine (10), and upon recognition of the code (18.1) of the article (18), being accepted into the store (16).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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