US3920100A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vending of articles
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-06-10
•
Granted: 1975-11-18
•
Expires: 1994-06-10
Abstract
Abstract In a method of vending which avoids unnecessary handling of the articles before payment therefor and also reduces the risk of shop lifting, dummy articles which correspond to those offered for sale are on show in a display area along with tokens carrying information relating to the article, a customer selects various tokens and hands them to an assistant who takes the corresponding articles from convyeors leading from a storage area innaccessible to the customer and puts them in a receptacle the interior of which is also innaccessible to the customer. The receptacle is displaced along a guide path to a pay area where the customer pays for the aritcles and receives them from the receptacle.
Inventors
- 👤 Lawrence Cyril Dunphy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 10:04
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F7/00; A; A47; A47F; A47F10/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of vending in which dummy articles corresponding to those offered for sale are on show in a display area along with tokens carrying information relating to the article including the price, a customer in the display area selects at least one token corresponding to an article which he wishes to purchase and gives the token to an assistant who selects the corresponding article from one of a multiplicity of conveyors transporting the articles offered for sale from a storage area inaccessible to the customer and places it along with the token in a receptacle, the interior of which is also inaccessible to the customer, the receptacle containing the article and token is displaced along a guide path to a pay area where the information on the token is used to determine the amount which the customer is charged, the customer pays for the article and receives the article from the receptacle.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of vending in which dummy articles corresponding to those offered for sale are on show in a display area along with tokens carrying information relating to the article including the price, a customer in the display area selects at least one token corresponding to an article which he wishes to purchase and gives the token to an assistant who selects the corresponding article from one of a multiplicity of conveyors transporting the articles offered for sale from a storage area inaccessible to the customer and places it along with the token in a receptacle, the interior of which is also inaccessible to the customer, the receptacle containing the article and token is displaced along a guide path to a pay area where the information on the token is used to determine the amount which the customer is charged, the customer pays for the article and receives the article from the receptacle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
191 words
An emporium having a display area to which potential customers have access and containing dummy articles and tokens carrying information relating to the articles which are offered for sale, a serving counter separating said display area for a second area to which the customers do not have access, a multiplicity of conveyors extending from a storage area to said second area, the articles offered for sale being brought to the second area on said conveyors, said display area having at least one pay area at which a customer pays for articles corresponding to tokens selected in the display area, a receptacle in the form of a wire basket open only at one side, means on the counter and co-operating means on the basket for guiding the receptacle so that the interior of the receptacle is inaccessible to the display area but accessible to the second area, along said counter to at least one pay area whereby articles corresponding to tokens selected by a customer in the display area and placed in the receptacle in the second area are transferred to the pay area and are delivered to the customer after payment.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
191 words
An emporium having a display area to which potential customers have access and containing dummy articles and tokens carrying information relating to the articles which are offered for sale, a serving counter separating said display area for a second area to which the customers do not have access, a multiplicity of conveyors extending from a storage area to said second area, the articles offered for sale being brought to the second area on said conveyors, said display area having at least one pay area at which a customer pays for articles corresponding to tokens selected in the display area, a receptacle in the form of a wire basket open only at one side, means on the counter and co-operating means on the basket for guiding the receptacle so that the interior of the receptacle is inaccessible to the display area but accessible to the second area, along said counter to at least one pay area whereby articles corresponding to tokens selected by a customer in the display area and placed in the receptacle in the second area are transferred to the pay area and are delivered to the customer after payment.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
An emporium as claimed in claim 2 in which each of said conveyors is arranged to be displaced in the direction of its length through a distance substantially equal to the spacing of the articles which it is supporting each time one article is removed from the conveyor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
An emporium as claimed in claim 3 wherein said conveyors are arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows with the ends of the conveyors of each row in the second area being set back from the ends of the conveyors in the row positioned below it.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
An emporium as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said tokens is in the form of a plate of plastics material carrying a description and the price of the article it represents.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
An emporium as claimed in claim 2 in which said co-operating means on the basket comprise hooks by which the basket can be removably attached to a movable conveyor which forms said guide means on the counter.
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) | 1978-11-17 | 1979-05-19 | 1979-11-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-17 | 1983-05-19 | 1983-11-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-17 | 1987-05-19 | 1987-11-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |