US3703229A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Coin-operated vending machines
Assignee: Sankey Holding Ltd
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Filing: 1970-12-08
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Granted: 1972-11-21
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Expires: 1990-12-08
Abstract
Abstract A coin-operated vending machine includes a multi-stage binary counter for totalizing the value of coinage inserted into the machine. Numerical outputs of the counter are connected to price setting switches for determining the prices at which commodities are to be vended and the totalized value of coinage inserted is registered by the numerical outputs. Change is given when the value of the inserted coinage exceeds that of the selected commodity.
Inventors
- 👤 David John Bowring
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 15:50
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F5/00; G07F5/20; G07F5/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
263 words
A coin-operated vending machine comprising: a. reversible electronic counting means having a normal totalizing condition in which input signals increase the output of the counting means and a subtraction condition in which input signals reduce said output; b. a plurality of coinage sensing means connected to the counting means to provide countEr input signals which produce a counting means output corresponding to the total of the denominations of the coinage inserted into the machine at the start of a vend cycle of the machine; c. a plurality of selectively operable commodity selection elements each corresponding to a commodity to be vended; d. comparator means operative upon operation of any one of said selection elements to compare the price of the commodity selected with the output of the counting means and, if the output is at least as great as said price, permit a signal to pass from the element to 1. operate a vend circuit to dispense the commodity, 2. set the counting means to its subtraction condition, and 3. provide a counter input signal corresponding to the price of the commodity selected which price is thus subtracted from the output; e. a detector connected to the counting means and operable after the subtraction of said price to detect if the residual output of the counting means exceeds a predetermined value; f. pay-out means associated with the detector to pay out change if said residual output is greater than the predetermined value; and g. reset means operable at the end of the vend cycle to reset the counting means to its totalizing condition.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
263 words
A coin-operated vending machine comprising: a. reversible electronic counting means having a normal totalizing condition in which input signals increase the output of the counting means and a subtraction condition in which input signals reduce said output; b. a plurality of coinage sensing means connected to the counting means to provide countEr input signals which produce a counting means output corresponding to the total of the denominations of the coinage inserted into the machine at the start of a vend cycle of the machine; c. a plurality of selectively operable commodity selection elements each corresponding to a commodity to be vended; d. comparator means operative upon operation of any one of said selection elements to compare the price of the commodity selected with the output of the counting means and, if the output is at least as great as said price, permit a signal to pass from the element to 1. operate a vend circuit to dispense the commodity, 2. set the counting means to its subtraction condition, and 3. provide a counter input signal corresponding to the price of the commodity selected which price is thus subtracted from the output; e. a detector connected to the counting means and operable after the subtraction of said price to detect if the residual output of the counting means exceeds a predetermined value; f. pay-out means associated with the detector to pay out change if said residual output is greater than the predetermined value; and g. reset means operable at the end of the vend cycle to reset the counting means to its totalizing condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
150 words
A coin-operated vending machine comprising: a. reversible electronic counting means having a normal totalizing condition in which input signals increase the output of the counting means and a subtraction condition in which input signals reduce said output; b. a plurality of coinage sensing means connected to the counting means to provide countEr input signals which produce a counting means output corresponding to the total of the denominations of the coinage inserted into the machine at the start of a vend cycle of the machine; c. a plurality of selectively operable commodity selection elements each corresponding to a commodity to be vended; d. comparator means operative upon operation of any one of said selection elements to compare the price of the commodity selected with the output of the counting means and, if the output is at least as great as said price, permit a signal to pass from the element to
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
150 words
A coin-operated vending machine comprising: a. reversible electronic counting means having a normal totalizing condition in which input signals increase the output of the counting means and a subtraction condition in which input signals reduce said output; b. a plurality of coinage sensing means connected to the counting means to provide countEr input signals which produce a counting means output corresponding to the total of the denominations of the coinage inserted into the machine at the start of a vend cycle of the machine; c. a plurality of selectively operable commodity selection elements each corresponding to a commodity to be vended; d. comparator means operative upon operation of any one of said selection elements to compare the price of the commodity selected with the output of the counting means and, if the output is at least as great as said price, permit a signal to pass from the element to
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
8 words
operate a vend circuit to dispense the commodity,
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
8 words
operate a vend circuit to dispense the commodity,
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
9 words
set the counting means to its subtraction condition, and
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
9 words
set the counting means to its subtraction condition, and
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
A machine according to claim 1 including manually operable means for initiating operation of the pay-out means whereby more than one commodity selection element can be operated during a vend cycle and provide counter input signals corresponding to the total price of the commodities selected.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
A machine according to claim 1 including memory means associated with said comparator means for enabling the vend cycle to proceed during the subtraction once the counter output determined by the coinage inserted in the machine has equalled or exceeded the price of the commodity selected.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
93 words
provide a counter input signal corresponding to the price of the commodity selected which price is thus subtracted from the output; e. a detector connected to the counting means and operable after the subtraction of said price to detect if the residual output of the counting means exceeds a predetermined value; f. pay-out means associated with the detector to pay out change if said residual output is greater than the predetermined value; and g. reset means operable at the end of the vend cycle to reset the counting means to its totalizing condition.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
93 words
provide a counter input signal corresponding to the price of the commodity selected which price is thus subtracted from the output; e. a detector connected to the counting means and operable after the subtraction of said price to detect if the residual output of the counting means exceeds a predetermined value; f. pay-out means associated with the detector to pay out change if said residual output is greater than the predetermined value; and g. reset means operable at the end of the vend cycle to reset the counting means to its totalizing condition.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
A machine according to claim 1 wherein the counting means includes a multi-stage counter which has a first, numerical, output which is associated with the comparator means and a second, stage, output which is associated with the detector and pay-out means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
97 words
A machine according to claim 4 including first and second detectors associated respectively with a first and a second of said pay-out means, the first detector and the first pay-out means being associated with the first stage of the stage output and the second detector and the second pay-out means being associated with the remaining stages of the stage output, the second pay-out means being arranged to provide a counter input signal corresponding to the change paid out thus to subtract the value thereof from the output until the residual output is reduced to said predetermined value.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
A machine according to claim 1 wherein the pay-out means provides a counter input signal corresponding to the change paid out thus to subtract the value thereof from the output until the residual output is reduced to said predetermined value.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
76 words
A machine according to claim 6 including price-setting means comprising first and second elements settable in accordance with a price of a commodity to be vended, said first element being associated with the comparator means so that the setting of the element is compared with the output of the counting means and said second element being connected to the counting means input to provide a counter input signal corresponding to the price of the commodity selected.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
40 words
A machine according to claim 7 wherein said comparator means comprises a plurality of comparators, each with said associated price-setting means individually settable to different prices, each comparator and its associated price-setting means being associated with different commodity selection elements.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
A machine according to claim 7 wherein said comparator means and associated price-setting means are associated with more than one commodity selection element so as to cooperate with the counting means whenever any one of said associated commodity selection elemEnts is operated.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-11-21 | 1976-05-22 | 1976-11-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-11-21 | 1980-05-22 | 1980-11-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-11-21 | 1984-05-22 | 1984-11-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |