Vending machine and electrical control circuit therefor

Claim 1

A VENDING MACHINE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF DISPENSING MECHANISMS; A COMMON OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SAID DISPENSING MECHANISMS ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED DURING EACH VEND CYCLE; A RESPECTIVE SOLENOID FOR EACH DISPENSING MECHANISM, A DRIVING CONNECTION ADAPTED TO CONNECT SAID COMMON OPERATING MECHANISM TO A SELECTED DISPENSING MECHANISM IN RESPONSE TO THE ENERGIZATION OF EACH SAID SOLENOID DURING A VEND CYCLE; A FIRST POWER SUPPLY CONDUCTOR, A SECOND POWER SUPPLY CONDUCTOR; A PLURALITY OF SELECTOR SWITCHES INCLUDING A FIRST GROUP OF SWITCHES ADAPTED TO CONTROL THE SELECTION OF ARTICLES TO BE VENDED AT A LOW PRICE AND A SECOND GROUP OF SWITCHES ADAPTED TO CONTROL THE SELECTION OF ARTICLES TO BE VENDED AT A HIGH PRICE AND EACH SELECTOR SWITCH ADAPTED TO CONTROL A RESPECTIVE ONE EACH OF SAID SOLENOIDS; A COIN ACCEPTOR SWITCH HAVING A FIRST SET OF CONTACTS TO BE CLOSED UPON RECEIPT OF COINS IN THE AMOUNT OF THE LOW PRICE AND SECOND SET OF CONTACTS TO BE CLOSED UPON RECEIPT OF COINS IN THE AMOUNT OF THE HIGH PRICE; MEANS PROVIDING A FIRST CIRCUIT EXTENDING THROUGH THE FIRST AND SECOND GROUP OF SELECTOR SWITCHES IN SERIES AND THROUGH THE FIRST SET OF ACCEPTOR SWITCH CONTACTS WHEN CLOSED UPON RECEIPT OF COINS IN THE AMOUNT OF THE LOW PRICE TO SAID FIRST POWER SUPPLY CONDUCTOR, MEANS PROVIDING A SECOND CIRCUIT EXTENDING THROUGH THE SECOND GROUP OF SELECTOR CIRCUIT EXTENDING THROUGH THROUGH THE SECOND SET OF ACCEPTOR SWITCH CONTACTS WHEN CLOSED UPON RECEIPT OF COINS IN THE AMOUNT OF THE HIGH PRICE TO SAID FIRST POWER SUPPLY CONDUCTOR; EACH SELECTOR SWITCH IN THE FIRST GROUP OF SELECTOR SWITCHES BEING OPERABLE, WHEN MANUALLY ACTUATED, TO CONNECT A SOLENOID CONTROLLED THEREBY FROM SAID SECOND POWER SUPPLY CONDUCTOR TO SAID FIRST POWER SUPPLY CONDUCTOR THROUGH SAID FIRST CIRCUIT AND SAID ACCEPTOR SWITCH LOW PRICE CONTACTS, AND TO OPEN THE FIRST CIRCUIT TO THE SELECTOR SWITCHES LATER IN THE SERIES OF THE FIRST GROUP OF SELECTOR SWITCHES AND, WHEN IN NONACTUATED CONDITION, TO OPEN THE FIRST CIRCUIT TO THE SOLENOID CONTROLLED THEREBY, AND TO CONTINUE THE FIRST CIRCUIT TO THE SELECTOR SWITCHES LATER IN THE SERIES OF THE FIRST GROUP OF SELECTOR SWITCHES,