Variable thickness for reciprocable-type article ejector of a vending machine

Claim 2

An attachment for the ejector mechanism of an article-vending machine which includes a magazine having an ejector reciprocal on an ejector plane provided by a support extending beneath the lower open end of the magazine, said ejector having an upper face movable at a predetermined level above said plane between a position beneath the magazine where it suuports the lowermost article therein to a retracted position to permit the article to drop into a position ahead of the ejector for ejection by subsequent advancing movement of the ejector, said attachment comprising: filler means having a supporting portion located at a predetermined level above said ejector plane which is exposed upon retracting movement of the ejector from below the lowermost article in the magazine to receive and support said article as it drops ahead of said ejector; said supporting portion being at a level to support the dropped article with its upper face substantially in a common plane with the upper face of said ejector; said filler means comprising an accordion-like spring set on edge and having one end fixed to the ejector at its inner side and another end anchored to a fixed support so that it unfolds as the ejector is retracted to support the article on its upper edge and folds flat as the ejector reaches the extent of its ejecting movement.

Claim 3

An attachment according to claim 1 in which said support is a flat plate extending from a point outwardly of the magazine to a point adjacent its rear vertical wall where a discharge slot is provided for the dropped article, said filler means including: an upstanding bracket adjacent the discharge slot to which the one ene of the spring is anchored; said spring consisting of flat leaves of spring material disposed upright with alternating opposite ends secured together; the outermost leaves being respectively secured to said ejector and said bracket at opposite ends.

Claim 4

An attachment according to claim 2 in which: said bracket terminates below the upper edge of the spring; and a plate extending down over said discharge opening to change its vertical extent to prevent the next article from feeding therethrough as the dropped article is ejected.

Claim 5

An attachment for the ejector mechanism of an article-vending machine to adapt the machine to the vending of thinner articles, said machine including a magazine with an outlet end toward which the articles therein are fed, the magazine containing the articles in face-to-face contact, a support extending across the ejector end of the magazine providing an ejector plane along which the leading face of the leading article is adapted to slide in being ejected, an ejector reciprocably mounted on the support having an article-engaging face thereon spaced from the ejector plane of the support and being reciprocably mounted on the support for movement from a position where its article-engaging face engages the leading face of the leading article in the magazine to a retracted position to permit the leading article to feed into a position on the ejector plane of the support ahead of the ejector for ejection by sub-sequent advancing movement of the ejector which also causes its face to engage the next article in the magazine, said attachment comprising: filler means mounted in cooperative relationship with said support and said ejector so that when the ejector moves to its retracted position the filler provides a different article-engaging stop for engaging the leading face of the leading article and positioning the article ahead of the ejector, said stop being disposed in a predetermined location intermediate the ejector plane provided by the support and the article-engaging face of the ejector; and said filler means having its article-engaging stop spaced outwardly from the ejector plane of the support a distance which is substantially the difference in thickness between the thinner article being vended with the attachment and that of the article which the machine was constructed to vend.

Claim 6

An attachment for the ejector mechanism of an article-vending machine to adapt the machine to the vending of thinner articles, said machine including a magazine with an outlet end toward which the articles therein are fed, the magazine containing the articles in face-to-face contact, a support extending across the ejector end of the magazine providing an ejector plane along which the leading face of the leading article is adapted to slide in being ejected, an ejector reciprocably mounted on the support having an article-engaging face thereon spaced from the ejector plane of the support and being reciprocably mounted on the support for movement from a position where its article-engaging face engages the leading face of the leading article in the magazine to a retracted position to permit the leading article to feed into a position on the ejector plane of the support ahead of the ejector for ejection by sub-sequent advancing movement of the ejector which also causes its face to engage the next article in the magazine, said attachment comprising: filler means mounted in cooperative relationship with said support and said ejector so that when the ejector moves to its retracted position the filler provides a different article-engaging stop for engaging the leading face of the leading article and positioning the article ahead of the ejector, said stop being disposed in a predetermined location intermediate the ejector plane provided by the support and the article-engaging face of the ejector; and said filler means having its article-engaging stop spaced outwardly from the ejector plane of the support a distance which is substantially the difference in thickness between the thinner article being vended with the attachment and that of the article which the machine was constructed to vend.

Claim 7

An attachment according to claim 4 in which the magazine of the machine is substantially vertical disposed and, the articles stacked therein are in flat horizontal face-to-face contact, and said support is substantially horizontally disposed and is located below the magazine so that the leading article will drop from the magazine onto the support upon retraction of the ejector, said ejector having its article-engaging face in the form of a supporting surface at its upper side which is spaced above the ejector plane of the support a distance substantially the thickness of the articles which the machine is designed to vend, said ejector having a forward edge for engaging and pushing the dropped article along the ejector plane of the support beyond the magazine to a point of discharge: said filler means having its article-engaging stop at a level intermediate the ejector plane of the support and the supporting surface at the upper side of the ejector and spaced below that surface a distance corresponding substantially to the thickness of the thinner articles which the machine with the attachment is adapted to vend so as to provide a different ejector plane spaced above the ejector plane of the support.

Claim 8

An attachment according to claim 4 including: a depending plate cooperating with the magazine at the said point of discharge and having a lower extremity spaced above the level of the stop of the filler means to prevent the next article above in the magazine from feeding from the magazine as the ejector moves beneath said article so that its supporting surface engages and supports that article.

Claim 9

An attachment according to claim 5 in which said filler means comprises: an accordion-like spring set on edge above said ejector plane of the support to provide the article-engaging stop at its upper edge and having one end fixed to the ejector at its forward edge and another end anchored to a fixed bracket adjacent said discharge point so that it unfolds as the ejector is retracted to support the article on its upper stop edge and folds flat as the ejector reaches the extent of its ejecting movement.

Claim 10

An attachment according to claim 5 in which said filler means comprises: an additional horizontal support mounted on the first support to provide the article-engaging stop at the intermediate level and extending beneath said magazine; said ejector being reciprocably mounTed on said first support so as to cover the portion of said additional support extending under the magazine when the ejector is moved under the magazine and to expose it when the ejector is retracted so that it can receive and support the dropped article to provide the different ejector plane.

Claim 11

An attachment according to claim 8 in which: said additional horizontal support is in the form of horizontal rods carried at a predetermined level above said first support and extending through bores in said ejector so that the ejector reciprocates relative to said rods.