Magnetic control means for vending machines and the like

Claim 2

Control means for a vending machine having coin-receiving means including means for receiving coins of more than one denomination and means for producing pairs of output signals representing at least part of the value of each coin deposited therein, means when excited for performing a vend operation, means for selecting a vend price, said coin-receiving means including means to produce a special control output signal whenever the value of a single deposited coin at least equals the selected vend price, means for refunding amounts deposited in the coin-receiving means in excess of the vend price, and means comprising accumulator means having counting stages of changeable states therein connected operatively to the coin-receiving means and energizeable by said pairs of output signals therefrom produced when coins are deposited to accumulate the value of said deposits, said accumulator means having input means connected to the coin-receiving means and output means for producing an output signal to excite the means for producing a vend whenever the accumulated amount at least equals the vend price, other means connected between the coin-receiving means and the means for performing a vend operation, said other means including means responsive to the said special control outputs of the coinreceiving means to excite said vend performing means more directly whenever the deposit of a single coin at least equals the vend price, refund counter means for energizing the refund means to refund amounts deposited in the coin-receiving means in excess of the vend price as determined by the setting of the vend price selection means, said refund counter means having counting stages of changeable states therein, and means under control of said vend performing means to return the counting stages of the accumulator means and at least one counting stage of the refund counter means to preset initial states whenever the vend performing means are excited.

Claim 3

The control means defined in claim 1 including means under control of said refund means to return the counting stages of the accumulator means and the counting stages of the refund counter means to preset initial states whenever the refund means are energized.

Claim 4

The control means defined in claim 1 wherein each of said counting stages of said accumulator means includes at least one magnetic core.

Claim 5

The control means defined in claim 1 wherein said refund counter means include gate means which are normally in a closed condition, said gate being opened in response to signals produced by the means that return the accumulator means and at least one stage of the refund counter means to preset initial states, said gate means in an open condition allowing a preselected output signal from said coin-receiving means to pass therethrough to the refund counter means to energize the refund means.

Claim 6

The control means defined in claim 4 wherein said gate means include delay means to maintain the open condition of the gate means for a predetermined time period.

Claim 7

The control means defined in claim 1 wherein said output means for producing an output signal to excite the means for producing a vend are connected to the coin-receiving means and controlled by outputs therefrom to deenergize the means for producing a vend.

Claim 8

A control circuit for vending machines and the like comprising counting means including a plurality of serially connected stages each including a counting element capable of being in one of two distinct stable states and arranged in order to be changed from one stable state to the other stable state sequentially in response to the receipt of impulses produced when coins of selected denominations are deposited in the vending machines for accumulating the value of the coinage so deposited, each of said counting elements producing at least one output whenever it changes to a selected one of its two states, said elements being connected so that the output from one of said elements produces a change in the state of the element in the next succeeding stage, means including multiposition price switch means connected to receive outputs from selected ones of said counting elements, the setting of said price switch means determining the vend price, vend means connected to receive selected outputs of the counting means through said price switch means, said vend means also being connected to receive selected impulses produced when coins are deposited in the vending machine, said vend means initiating a vend operation whenever said selected outputs and impulses are both present at the vend means simultaneously, means for returning the counting elements to preestablished initial states in response to the occurrence of a vend operation, and refund means including refund counting means connected to respond to amounts deposited in the vending machine in excess of the selected vend price as determined by the setting of the price switch means.

Claim 9

A control circuit for vending machines and the like comprising counting means including a plurality of serially connected stages each including a counting element capable of being in one of two distinct stable states and arranged in order to be changed from one stable state to the other stable state sequentially in response to the receipt of impulses produced when coins of selected denominations are deposited in the vending machines for accumulating the value of the coinage so deposited, each of said counting elements producing at least one output whenever it changes to a selected one of its two states, said elements being connected so that the output from one of said elements produces a change in the state of the element in the next succeeding stage, means including multiposition price switch means connected to receive outputs from selected ones of said counting elements, the setting of said price switch means determining the vend price, vend means connected to receive selected outputs of the counting means through said price switch means, said vend means also being connected to receive selected impulses produced when coins are deposited in the vending machine, said vend means initiating a vend operation whenever said selected outputs and impulses are both present at the vend means simultaneously, means for returning the counting elements to preestablished initial states in response to the occurrence of a vend operation, and refund means including refund counting means connected to respond to amounts deposited in the vending machine in excess of the selected vend price as determined by the setting of the price switch means.

Claim 10

The control circuit defined in claim 7 wherein at least one of said counting elements is a magnetic core element.

Claim 11

The control circuit defined in claim 7 including means to energize said vend means more directly, bypassing the said counting means whenever the value of a single coin deposited in the vending machine at least equals the vend price, said more direct means also including means to deenergize said vend means once the single coin has ceased to produce impulses.

Claim 12

The control circuit defined in claim 7 wherein said plurality of serially connected states include 1, 2, ... n stages, where n is an odd integer at least equal to 3, the deposit of each coin producing at least one pair of input impulses, the first impulse of each of said pair of impulses producing a change in the state of the counting element of at least stage 2 and the second impulse of said pair producing a change in the state of the counting elements of at least stages 1, 2 and 3.

Claim 13

The control circuit defined in claim 7 wherein said refund means include refund motor means and means to control the energizing of said motor means, and wherein said refund counting means include at least one counting element capable of being in one of two distinct stable states, said counting element producing at least one output impulse whenever it changes to a selected one of its two states, said refund motor control means being connected to the refund motor means to energize said refund motor means upon receipt of at least one output impulse from said refund counting means, said refund motor means including motor switch means connected to said refund counting means and to said counting means to return said refund counting means and said counting means to preestablished initial conditions each time a refund takes place.

Claim 14

The control circuit defined in claim 11 wherein said refund counting means include at least one controllable magnetic core element.

Claim 15

The control circuit defined in claim 7 wherein said refund means include refund motor means and means to control the energizing of said motor means, said refund motor means having associated switch means connected to said refund motor control means to momentarily incapacitate said refund motor control means to at least momentarily terminate energization of said refund motor means.

Claim 16

Control means for vending and like machines which include coin-receiving means capable of receiving coins deposited therein and capable of producing output signals corresponding to the value of each deposited coin, means on the vending machine adjustable to establish a desired vend price, means to perform a Vend operation, and means including coin-refunding means for refunding amounts deposited in excess of the price of a selected vend, the improvement comprising a control circuit for controlling the operation of the vending machine, said control circuit including first and second counting means the first of which include a plurality of serially connected magnetic core counting elements wherein said magnetic core counting elements are connected in consecutive stages one through n where n is an odd integer, the output signals produced by the coin-receiving means when coins are deposited therein occuring as pairs of impulses, said first counting means including first and second input connections, the first of which provides means for conducting the first impulse of each pair of input impulses to the magnetic core counting elements in the odd integer stages and the second input connection providing means for conducting the second impulse of each pair of input impulse to the magnetic core elements of the first and even integer stages, said first counting means thereby accumulating the value of coins deposited in the coin-receiving means, output means associated with said first counting means producing an output to initiate the operation of the vend performing means in the vending machine whenever the magnetic core counting elements change to a condition representing an amount that at least equals the established vend price, and means operatively connected to the second counting means to enter amounts therein corresponding to amounts deposited in the coin-receiving means in excess of the established vend price, said second counting means being connected to the coin-refunding means and energizing the coin-refunding means whenever amounts representing amounts deposited in excess of the established vend price are entered therein.

Claim 17

Control means for vending and like machines which include coin-receiving means capable of receiving coins deposited therein and capable of producing output signals corresponding to the value of each deposited coin, means on the vending machine adjustable to establish a desired vend price, means to perform a Vend operation, and means including coin-refunding means for refunding amounts deposited in excess of the price of a selected vend, the improvement comprising a control circuit for controlling the operation of the vending machine, said control circuit including first and second counting means the first of which include a plurality of serially connected magnetic core counting elements wherein said magnetic core counting elements are connected in consecutive stages one through n where n is an odd integer, the output signals produced by the coin-receiving means when coins are deposited therein occuring as pairs of impulses, said first counting means including first and second input connections, the first of which provides means for conducting the first impulse of each pair of input impulses to the magnetic core counting elements in the odd integer stages and the second input connection providing means for conducting the second impulse of each pair of input impulse to the magnetic core elements of the first and even integer stages, said first counting means thereby accumulating the value of coins deposited in the coin-receiving means, output means associated with said first counting means producing an output to initiate the operation of the vend performing means in the vending machine whenever the magnetic core counting elements change to a condition representing an amount that at least equals the established vend price, and means operatively connected to the second counting means to enter amounts therein corresponding to amounts deposited in the coin-receiving means in excess of the established vend price, said second counting means being connected to the coin-refunding means and energizing the coin-refunding means whenever amounts representing amounts deposited in excess of the established vend price are entered therein.

Claim 18

The control means defined in claim 14 including means to initiate the vend operation means in the vending machine more directly, bypassing said first counting means whenever the value of a single coin deposited in the vending machine at least equals the vend price.

Claim 19

The control means defined in claim 15 wherein said more direct vend initiating means include output means connected to said second counter means, which output means conduct a signal to said second counter means representing an excess deposited over the established vend price.

Claim 20

The control means defined in claim 14 wherein said output means associated with said first counting means include multiposition switch means capable of establishing any one of a plurality of selectable connection paths to different selected ones of the magnetic core counting elements in the first counting circuit to conduct selected outputs therefrom for use in initiating the vend performing means.

Claim 21

The control means defined in claim 14 including first means for returning said first counting means to a preestablished initial condition each time a vend operation is initiated, and second means for returning said first and second counting means to preestablished initial conditions each time a coin is refunded by the coin-refunding means.

Claim 22

The control means defined in claim 18 wherein said second means for returning said first and second counting means back to preestablished initial conditions include means to prevent operation thereof for a predetermined time period after initiation of a refund operation.

Claim 23

The control means defined in claim 14 wherein the second counting means include means for producing an output refund impulse to energize the coin-refunding means whenever an amount is entered therein, and means under control of the coin-refunding means for conducting an input signal to said second counting means during the occurrence of each refund operation to cause said second counting means to produce another output refund impulse to energize the coin-refunding means again whenever the amount entered in said second counting means represented more than the amount having been Refunded by the coin-refunding means.

Claim 24

A control circuit for vending machines and the like having coin-receiving means capable of accepting coins of at least three different denominations and price control means for selecting between different vend prices, said coin-receiving means including first, second and third coin-activated input means, each of said first and second coin-activated input means including means for generating first and second input impulses each time a coin moves thereby, and said third coin-activated input means including means for generating at least one input impulse each time a coin moves by, counter means including a plurality of serially connected counter elements each having two stable states, means for changing the state of at least two of said elements each time the first coin-activated input means generate said first input impulse and means for changing the state of at least three of said elements each time the first coin-activated input means generate said second input impulse, means for changing the state of at least four of said elements each time the second coin-activated input means generate said first input impulse and means for changing the state of at least five of said elements each time the second coin-activated input means generate said second input impulse, vend control means for initiating a vend operation whenever an amount deposited at least equals a vend price as established by the price control means, said vend control means being connected to receive output signals from said counter means through said price control means, said counter means producing a vend output signal to initiate a vend operation whenever the amount entered therein at least equals a selected vend price, and means under control of said vend control means for restoring the counter elements to predetermined states after the initiation of a vend operation.

Claim 25

A control circuit for vending machines and the like having coin-receiving means capable of accepting coins of at least three different denominations and price control means for selecting between different vend prices, said coin-receiving means including first, second and third coin-activated input means, each of said first and second coin-activated input means including means for generating first and second input impulses each time a coin moves thereby, and said third coin-activated input means including means for generating at least one input impulse each time a coin moves by, counter means including a plurality of serially connected counter elements each having two stable states, means for changing the state of at least two of said elements each time the first coin-activated input means generate said first input impulse and means for changing the state of at least three of said elements each time the first coin-activated input means generate said second input impulse, means for changing the state of at least four of said elements each time the second coin-activated input means generate said first input impulse and means for changing the state of at least five of said elements each time the second coin-activated input means generate said second input impulse, vend control means for initiating a vend operation whenever an amount deposited at least equals a vend price as established by the price control means, said vend control means being connected to receive output signals from said counter means through said price control means, said counter means producing a vend output signal to initiate a vend operation whenever the amount entered therein at least equals a selected vend price, and means under control of said vend control means for restoring the counter elements to predetermined states after the initiation of a vend operation.

Claim 26

The circuit defined in claim 21 including payback means for refunding amounts deposited in the coin-receiving means in excess of the selected vend price, said payback means including payback counter means and payback logic means, said payback logic means including a gate circuit having input connections to the vend control means and the coin-receiving means and having output connections to the payback counter means to conduct a signal to said payback counter means from said second coin-activated input means whenever said gate circuit is in a predetermined condition caused by the receipt thereat of a signal from the vend control means.

Claim 27

The circuit defined in claim 21 including payback means for refunding amounts deposited in the coin-receiving means in excess of the selected vend price, and means bypassing the counter means to activate the vend control means whenever the third coin-activated input means is activated, said payback means refunding an amount that depends on the selected vend price and the amount of the deposit.

Claim 28

The control circuit defined in claim 21 wherein said price control means include means for selecting between vend prices of 15, 20 and 25 .

Claim 29

The circuit defined in claim 21 including payback means for refunding amounts deposited in the coin-receiving means in excess of the vend price, said payback means including refund counting means, refund motor means, and refund motor control means, said refund counting means including first and second counting elements each having an initial and a transferred state, a gate circuit to conduct selected input impulses from said coin-receiving means to said first element to change said first element from its initial state to its transferred state, and payback switch means having at least a first and second position and controlled by said price control means to conduct other selected input impulses from said coin-receiving means to said first element to change said first element from its initial state to its transferred state when the payback switch means are in the first switch position and to conduct The said other selected input impulses from said coin-receiving means to both of said first and second elements to change said elements from their initial states to their transferred states when the payback switch means are in the second switch position, said first element producing an output for feeding to said refund motor control means whenever it changes from its initial state to its transferred state and said second element producing an output for feeding to said refund motor control means whenever it changes from its transferred state to its initial state, said refund motor control means energizing said refund motor to refund one coin each time said refund motor control means receives an output from said refund counting means, said refund motor including means for producing outputs when a coin is being refunded thereby for use in the refund counting means to restore any of the elements thereof that are in a transferred state to the initial state thereof.