Can and bottle vendor

Claim 2

In an automatic vending machine for dispensing cylindrical articles, such as canned and bottled commodities, storage and dispensing means comprising: at least one vertical magazine means for storing articles within an open bottom compartment enclosed by parallel side walls, such compartment being openly accessible at frontal margins of said side walls for loading articles therein; means for dividing the interior of said compartment into vertical columns of selected front to back dimension, at least one of which columns is receptive of a serpentine stack of articles to be dispensed; article dispensing means blocking the open bottom of said compartment and comprising an upper vend gate assembly having a pair of horizontal rod means paralleling said side walls for underengaging the lowermost article of a said stack thereover, means mounting each said rod means for oscillating movement along an arcuate path toward and away from the other thereof, separation of said rod means permitting passage of articles therebetween; a lower vend gate assembly mounted in parallel spaced relation to and beneath said upper assembly, with the space therebetween defining an article escrow chamber; said lower assembly comprising pivotal gate means movable about a horizontal axis toward and away from said rod means and a central vertical axis of said chamber and sequentially to and between a fully raised article receiving position, a substantially horizontal article holding position and a lowered discharge position; means for periodically oscillating each said rod means about the upper end of and non-interferingly with the interior of said chamber, means for periodically moving said gate means from said article receiving position to said article holding position when either one of said rod means moves through its oscillating cycle; said gate means and the moving said rod means cooperating to undersupport and positively guide and control movement of each lowermost article between said rod means and into said chamber for retention by said gate means at said holding position, and means for subsequently lowering said gate means to release articles from said chamber.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein the raised positioning of said gate means and its movement to said article holding position dictates the passage of a single article between said rod means and into said chamber for each separating cycle of the latter.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein said rod means comprises a pair of cylindrical rod members, each coupled to pivotal crank arms actuated by first rotatably driven cam means and operable to alternately oscillate each rod member about a horizontal axis arcuately about the upper end of said escrow chamber.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1 wherein said means dividing said compartment into vertical columns comprises a pair of divider plates and adjustably positioned guide means whereby said compartment is divisible into at least two columns, each for accommodating a serpentine stack of articles, and said lower gate assembly comprises a pair of gate means, one opposite the lower end of each of said columns and cooperable with said rod means for dispensing articles from said stack thereover one at a time.

Claim 6

The combination of claims 4 and drive means selectively conditioned to effect lowering of one of said gate means for each operating cycle thereof.

Claim 7

In an automatic vending machine for dispensing cylindrical articles, storage and dispensing means comprising: at least one magazine means for storing articles in an open bottom compartment having parallel side walls, such compartment being openly accessible between frontal margins of said walls for loading articles therein; vertical guide means and cooperating divider means adjustably mounted on and extending transversely betweeN said side walls for dividing said compartment into vertical columns of selected front to back dimension, at least one of which columns is available for stacking articles to be dispensed; article dispensing means blocking the open bottom of said compartment and comprising an upper vend gate assembly having a pair of horizontally extending rod means paralleling said side walls and spaced therefrom and from one another less than the smallest diameter of an article to be dispensed, means for alternately and periodically oscillating each said rod means arcuately toward and away from the other thereof to effect passage of articles therebetween, the limit of separating movement between said rod means determining the largest diameter of articles movable therebetween; a lower vend gate assembly mounted horizontally beneath said upper assembly, defining an article escrow chamber therewith and comprising pivotal gate means movable about a horizontal axis, arcuately toward and away from said rod means and a central vertical plane of said chamber, between raised, intermediate and lowered positions; and drive means sequentially operating said upper and lower gate assemblies, comprising means to move said gate means from said raised to said intermediate positions thereof while one of said rod means moves through its cycle of oscillating movement, the raised positioning of said gate means causing each article to be engaged and supported thereby as it enters said chamber for controlled movement therewith to said intermediate position whereby to insure the deposit of a single article in said chamber for each separating cycle of said rod means, and means operable subsequentially to move said gate means to said lowered position thereby to gravitationally discharge articles from said chamber.

Claim 8

In an automatic vending machine for dispensing cylindrical articles, storage and dispensing means comprising: at least one magazine means for storing articles in an open bottom compartment having parallel side walls, such compartment being openly accessible between frontal margins of said walls for loading articles therein; vertical guide means and cooperating divider means adjustably mounted on and extending transversely betweeN said side walls for dividing said compartment into vertical columns of selected front to back dimension, at least one of which columns is available for stacking articles to be dispensed; article dispensing means blocking the open bottom of said compartment and comprising an upper vend gate assembly having a pair of horizontally extending rod means paralleling said side walls and spaced therefrom and from one another less than the smallest diameter of an article to be dispensed, means for alternately and periodically oscillating each said rod means arcuately toward and away from the other thereof to effect passage of articles therebetween, the limit of separating movement between said rod means determining the largest diameter of articles movable therebetween; a lower vend gate assembly mounted horizontally beneath said upper assembly, defining an article escrow chamber therewith and comprising pivotal gate means movable about a horizontal axis, arcuately toward and away from said rod means and a central vertical plane of said chamber, between raised, intermediate and lowered positions; and drive means sequentially operating said upper and lower gate assemblies, comprising means to move said gate means from said raised to said intermediate positions thereof while one of said rod means moves through its cycle of oscillating movement, the raised positioning of said gate means causing each article to be engaged and supported thereby as it enters said chamber for controlled movement therewith to said intermediate position whereby to insure the deposit of a single article in said chamber for each separating cycle of said rod means, and means operable subsequentially to move said gate means to said lowered position thereby to gravitationally discharge articles from said chamber.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 6 wherein said guide and divider means are positionable to provide two columns, each receptive of articles to be dispensed, and said lower vend gate assembly comprises a pair of gate members, one opposite the lower end of each said column with each being receptive of an article from its respective column at each separating cycle of said rod means.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 6 wherein said lower vend gate assembly comprises a pair of individual gate means, a horizontal shaft supporting said gate means, and lost motion connection means between said shaft and each of said gate means whereby said gate means move with and relative to said shaft; and said drive means includes means for periodically partially rotating said shaft to drive said gate means therewith and additional means for periodically preventing movement of one of said gate means with said shaft to thereby effect relative movement between said gate means.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 7, wherein each of said gate means is lowered independently of the other to thereby discharge the articles thereon, one-by-one.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 9 wherein said drive means comprises a coin controlled motor, cam means driven thereby for sequentially driving said upper and lower vend gate assemblies, and means for selectively deactivating said motor when the first of said gate means is in its lowered discharge position whereby to preclude the discharge of more than one article for each coin controlled vending cycle.

Claim 13

In an automatic coin controlled vending machine for dispensing canned or bottled articles from vertical open bottom magazines in which articles are stored in serpentine stacks, improved dispensing means comprising: an upper vend gate assembly mounted in blocking position over the open bottom of said magazine and comprising a pair of horizontal rod means positioned to underengage the bottommost article of a stack thereover, a lower vend gate assembly mounted horizontally beneath said upper assembly to define an article receiving escrow chamber therebetween, means effecting alternate periodic oscillating movement of each said rod means relative to the other along a path about the upper end of sAid chamber and non-interferingly with the interior thereof such that the resulting separation of said rod means permits the passage of a said bottommost article therebetween for entry into said chamber; said lower assembly comprising gate means pivotal about a horizontal axis for movement toward and away from said rod means and sequentially to and between a raised position adjacent said rod means whereat the same underengages and supports said bottommost article as it enters said chamber, an intermediate position to which it carries and at which the same holds said article in said chamber, and a lowered position whereat articles thereon are released from said chamber; and means sequentially operating said rod and gate means to effect movement of said gate means from said raised to said intermediate position for each cycle of oscillating movement of said rod means and subsequent movement thereof to said lowered position.

Claim 14

In an automatic coin controlled vending machine for dispensing canned or bottled articles from vertical open bottom magazines in which articles are stored in serpentine stacks, improved dispensing means comprising: an upper vend gate assembly mounted in blocking position over the open bottom of said magazine and comprising a pair of horizontal rod means positioned to underengage the bottommost article of a stack thereover, a lower vend gate assembly mounted horizontally beneath said upper assembly to define an article receiving escrow chamber therebetween, means effecting alternate periodic oscillating movement of each said rod means relative to the other along a path about the upper end of sAid chamber and non-interferingly with the interior thereof such that the resulting separation of said rod means permits the passage of a said bottommost article therebetween for entry into said chamber; said lower assembly comprising gate means pivotal about a horizontal axis for movement toward and away from said rod means and sequentially to and between a raised position adjacent said rod means whereat the same underengages and supports said bottommost article as it enters said chamber, an intermediate position to which it carries and at which the same holds said article in said chamber, and a lowered position whereat articles thereon are released from said chamber; and means sequentially operating said rod and gate means to effect movement of said gate means from said raised to said intermediate position for each cycle of oscillating movement of said rod means and subsequent movement thereof to said lowered position.

Claim 15

The invention of claim 11, and means dividing said magazine into plural columns of selected front to back dimension, each receptive of a stack of articles, whereby the bottommost articles of the plural stacks are deposited in said chamber in response to each separation of said rod means, and wherein said gate means comprises individual gate members beneath each said column, and means effecting individual movement thereof to said lowered position thereby to discharge articles one-by-one from said chamber for each vending cycle.