Coin-operated vending machine for alcoholic beverages

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION IN A BEVERAGE DISPENSING MACHINE, A REFRIGERATED CABINET, A SOURCE OF CARBON DIOXIDE GAS UNDER PRESSURE, AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN THEIR ORIGINAL CONTAINERS HOUSED WITHIN THE CABINET, AT LEAST TWO NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES HOUSED WITHIN THE CABINET IN SEPARATE CONTAINERS, AT LEAST ONE OF THE NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES BEING COMPATIBLE WITH AT LEAST TWO OF THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, SEPARATE DELIVERY CONDUITS CONNECTED TO RECEIVE FLUID FROM EACH OF THE BEVERAGE CONTAINERS AND DELIVER SAME TO A SINGLE RECEPTACLE, A NORMALLY-CLOSED ELECTRICALLYOPERATED VALVE IN EACH OF THE DELIVERY CONDUITS OPERATIVE UPON ACTUATION TO PERMIT THE FLOW OF FLUID THERETHROUGH, SAID DELIVERY CONDUITS INCLUDING A BRANCH CONDUIT CONNECTED DOWNSTREAM OF THE ASSOCIATED ELECTRICALLY OPERATED FLOW CONTROL VALVE AND OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE, SAID BRANCH CONDUIT PROVIDING MEANS ADAPTED TO ADMIT AIR TO THE DELIVERY TUBE FOR PURPOSES OF INSURING SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE DRAINAGE THEREOF, GAS CONDUITS CONNECTED TO RECEIVE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE SOURCE THEREOF AND DELIVER SAME TO EACH BEVERAGE CONTAINER INDEPENDENTLY AT A PRESSURE ADAPTED TO FORCE THE BEVERAGES THROUGH THE ASSOCIATED DELIVERY TUBE WHEN THE ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED VALVE CONTROLLING THE FLOW THEREOF IS ACTUATED AND SAID NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE DELIVERY CONDUITS HAVING THEIR DISCHARGE ENDS TERMINATING SHORT OF THE EDGE OF THE RECEPTACLE IN ORDER THAT ANY RESIDUAL DRIPPINGS WILL FALL OUTSIDE OF THE RECEPTACLE AND ADAPTED TO DISPENSE A BEVERAGE INTO THE SAID RECEPTACLE ONLY UNDER A SUITABLE POSITIVE PRESSURE FROM SAID CARBON DIOXIDE SOURCE, A MANUALLY-OPERATED SELECTOR SWITCH ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO EACH ELECTRICALLYOPERATED FLOW CONTROL VALVE, SAID SWITCH HAVING A FIRST OPERATIVE POSITION ELECTRICALLY INTERCONNECTING THE ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED VALVES CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF ONE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE AND ONE NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE, A SECOND OPERATIVE POSITION ELECTRICALLY INTERCONNECTING THE ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED VALVES CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF ANOTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE AND THE FIRST-MENTIONED NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE, AND A THIRD OPERATIVE POSITION ELECTRICALLY INTERCONNECTING THE ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED VALVES CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF ANOTHER NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE AND ONE OF THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, AND CLOCK-CONTROLLED TIMER MEANS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO THE SELECTOR SWITCH AND OPERATIVE UPON ACTUATION TO ENERGIZE SAME IN ANY ONE OF ITS OPERATIVE POSITIONS FOR A PRE-DETERMINED TIME INTERVAL DURING WHICH DELIVERY OF THE SELECTED MIXTURE OF ALCOHOLIC AND NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES TAKE PLACE, AND COIN-OPERATED SWITCH MEANS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO THE TIMER MEANS AND ADAPTED TO ACTUATE THE LATTER UPON INSERTION OF A PRE-SET SUM IN COINS.