Coin operated card vending machine

Claim 2

A vending machine comprising a case, and a plurality of magazines pivotally suspended in the case and being open at the bottom for holding different articles to be vended by the machine, a vending mechanism disposed beneath the magazines and movably mounted in the case so that it may be selectively operatively associated with each of the magazines, a piston carrying a suction-type gripper forming part of the mechanism and movable into the magazines through their open bottoms to withdraw one article at a time from the particular magazine with which it is operatively associated, means for generating a vacuum behind said gripper for causing the piston to withdraw the lowermost item in said magazine, means responsive to the piston being lowered so that the gripper is removed from the magazine causing the article to be discharged from the mechanism, and means including a coin controlled switch for controlling the operation of the vending mechanism.

Claim 3

A vending machine as described in claim 1 further characterized by said magazines being carried in a plurality of cradles rotatable about a horizontal axis, and means operatively connected to the cradles for rotating them in sequence into operative relationship with the vending mechanism.

Claim 4

A vending machine as described in claim 2 further characterized by a viewing window in the case for sequentially viewing each cradle, each cradle being positioned for best viewing through the window when another cradle is operatively positioned with respect to the vending mechanism, and articles carried on the magazine of each cradle which are samples of the articles in another of the cradles, whereby sample articles viewed through the window correspond to the articles in the cradle operatively positioned with respect to said vending mechanism.

Claim 5

A vending machine comprising a case and an opening in the case to view the case interior, a plurality of horizontally extending display panels mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis in the case, a plurality of holders on each panel, each holder adapted to carry card-like merchandise witH the opening in the case substantially as wide as each panel so that all the merchandise on a panel may be viewed at one time, means for rotating the display panels to move them one at a time into view through the opening so that the merchandise on the panels may be successively visually examined, a plurality of pivotally mounted magazines connected behind and rotatably about the horizontal axis with the panels in the case and equal in number to the number of holders, one magazine corresponding to each holder for carrying a plurality of copies of the merchandise corresponding to that in the holder, said magazines maintaining a constant vertical orientation because of their pivotal mounting as they rotate about the horizontal axis so that the merchandise in the magazines is not spilled from them, and a vending mechanism and discharge means disposed in the case and movable horizontally in the case parallel to the axis and into operative relation with each of the magazines for withdrawing merchandise from the magazine and feeding it to the discharge means.

Claim 6

A vending machine comprising a case and an opening in the case to view the case interior, a plurality of horizontally extending display panels mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis in the case, a plurality of holders on each panel, each holder adapted to carry card-like merchandise witH the opening in the case substantially as wide as each panel so that all the merchandise on a panel may be viewed at one time, means for rotating the display panels to move them one at a time into view through the opening so that the merchandise on the panels may be successively visually examined, a plurality of pivotally mounted magazines connected behind and rotatably about the horizontal axis with the panels in the case and equal in number to the number of holders, one magazine corresponding to each holder for carrying a plurality of copies of the merchandise corresponding to that in the holder, said magazines maintaining a constant vertical orientation because of their pivotal mounting as they rotate about the horizontal axis so that the merchandise in the magazines is not spilled from them, and a vending mechanism and discharge means disposed in the case and movable horizontally in the case parallel to the axis and into operative relation with each of the magazines for withdrawing merchandise from the magazine and feeding it to the discharge means.

Claim 7

A vending machine as described in claim 4 further characterized by selector means connected to the mechanism and operatively associated with the display panels for enabling a purchaser to position the mechanism with respect to the magazine containing the desired merchandise.

Claim 8

A vending machine as described in claim 4 further characterized by the magazines being connected to display panels adjacent the display panels carrying corresponding merchandise.

Claim 9

A vending machine as described in claim 5 further characterized by the magazines being connected to display panels adjacent the display panels carrying corresponding merchandise.

Claim 10

A vending machine as described in claim 6 further characterized by a coin operated circuit mounted in the case for controlling operation of the vending mechanism.

Claim 11

A vending machine as described in claim 7 further characterized by said selector means including a pointer for alignment with the selected merchandise on any of the display panels and thereby aligning the mechanism with the corresponding magazine, a coin operated circuit mounted in the case for controlling operation of the vending mechanism, and disabling means in the circuit and responsive to the pointer being out of alignment with all merchandise on the display panels for preventing operation of the vending mechanism.

Claim 12

A vending machine as described in claim 9 further characterized by means connected to the menas for rotating the display panels for preventing operation of that means when the vending mechanism is in operation.

Claim 13

A vending machine as described in claim 10 further characterized by said means for rotating the display panels including a motor and a control switch on the case for initiating rotation of the motor.

Claim 14

A vending machine comprising a case with a horizontal shaft and frame mounted in the case, a plurality of cradles pivotally suspended from the frame and rotatable about the shaft, means in the cradles dividing each cradle into a horizontal row of magazines with each magazine suitable for holding a quantity of identical items to be vended by the machine, sample merchandise holders mounted on and rotatable with each of the cradles with one holder in front of each magazine, each of said holders carrying a sample of the merchandise held in quantity in a magazine in a different cradle, a horizontally extending window in the case through which all of the merchandise on the holders on each cradle may be viewed simultaneously as each cradle is passed behind the window by rotation of the shaft, openings in each magazine through which the merchandise held in quantity may be withdrawn one at a time, a vending mechanism and discharge means disposed in the case and movable into operative relation with each of the magazines for withdrawing merchandise from the magazines and feeding it to the dischargE means, and selector means connected to the mechanism and operatively associated with the sample merchandise holders for enabling a purchaser to position the mechanism with respect to the magazine containing a quantity of the desired merchandise.

Claim 15

A vending machine comprising a case with a horizontal shaft and frame mounted in the case, a plurality of cradles pivotally suspended from the frame and rotatable about the shaft, means in the cradles dividing each cradle into a horizontal row of magazines with each magazine suitable for holding a quantity of identical items to be vended by the machine, sample merchandise holders mounted on and rotatable with each of the cradles with one holder in front of each magazine, each of said holders carrying a sample of the merchandise held in quantity in a magazine in a different cradle, a horizontally extending window in the case through which all of the merchandise on the holders on each cradle may be viewed simultaneously as each cradle is passed behind the window by rotation of the shaft, openings in each magazine through which the merchandise held in quantity may be withdrawn one at a time, a vending mechanism and discharge means disposed in the case and movable into operative relation with each of the magazines for withdrawing merchandise from the magazines and feeding it to the dischargE means, and selector means connected to the mechanism and operatively associated with the sample merchandise holders for enabling a purchaser to position the mechanism with respect to the magazine containing a quantity of the desired merchandise.