Vending machine with tiered turn table construction

Claim 2

For use in a vending or like machine, a tiered turntable type structure providing receptacles for articles to be vended or dispensed comprising upper and lower plates spaced apart by channel shaped elements providing vertically orienting channels the sides of which are bridged by means providing horizontal partitions dividing said channels into a vertical series of said receptacles, said channel shaped elements being circularly spaced, at least in part, and the vertical spaces thereby provided between said upper and lower plates and between adjacent of said channel shaped elements which are circularly spaced being similarly bridged by horizontal partition means to form an additional vertical series of receptacles, said upper and lower plates being each comprised of a plurality of plate segments the mating of which produces a composite structure having a circularly configured periphery, each of said upper plate segments being paired with a lower of said plate segments by a plurality of said channel shaped elements which extend therebetween to form therewith a separable section of said tiered turntable structure, said structure being made up of mating separable sections each comprising plural vertical series of receptacles and each being formed by an upper and a lower plate segment and a plurality of interconnecting channel shaped elements.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in that said sectioned tiered structure is releasably connected for rotation with a vertically positioned motor driven shaft having in association therewith means to step said shaft and said structure an increment of rotation to successively present at least one of said receptacles in a position to align with a dispensing station.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein means are provided for releasably latching said sections in a mating relation.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in that said structure is mounted for rotation with and about the axis of a rotatable shaft which has in operative connection therewith means for interrupting its rotation as said tiered turn table structure is moved an increment sufficient to move a receptacle in a tier thereof from a position adjacent and displaced from a dispensing station to a position in alignment with said station and means are operatively related to provide for a shifting of said station from one tier to another of said structure.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 2 characterized in that a housing is provided for said tiered structure incorporating means defining a plurality of said dispensing stations arranged to align with a vertical series of said receptacles and means are provided to maintain all but one of said stations in a sealed condition, said means being under the control of said turntable structure in the stepping thereof with said shaft to provide for successive stations to be opened on each substantially 360° rotation of said turntable structure.

Claim 7

For use in a vending or like machine, a tiered turntable type structure providing receptacles for articles to be vended or dispensed comprising upper and lower plates spaced by channel shaped elements orienting to define vertical channels and circularly arranged to at least in part define spaces therebetween, means bridging the sides of said channel shaped elements in said channels and in the spaces therebetween forming vertically spaced horizontal partitions cooperating with said channel shaped elements mutually to define at least three tiers of circularly arranged receptacles opening outwardly of said tiered turntable structure, said tiered structure being releasably connected for rotation with a vertically positioned motor driven shaft having in association therewith means to step said shaft and said structure an increment of rotation to successively present at least one of said receptacles in a position to align with a dispensing station, a housing provided for said tiered structure incorporating means defining a plurality of said dispensing stations arranged to align with a vertical stack of said tiered receptacles and incorporating means provided to maintain all but one of said stations in a sealed condition, said dispensing stations being provided by openings in said housing and all but the lower of said openings being normally sealed in commencing with the use of said apparatus, by door elements included in said means provided to maintain all but one of said stations in a sealed condition, and means being provided to function subsequent to an emptying of the receptacles in the lower tier to induce a shifting of the door element sealing the next higher tier dispensing station to move to close the dispensing station of the lower tier and open that of the next higher tier.

Claim 8

For use in a vending or like machine, a tiered turntable type structure providing receptacles for articles to be vended or dispensed comprising upper and lower plates spaced by channel shaped elements orienting to define vertical channels and circularly arranged to at least in part define spaces therebetween, means bridging the sides of said channel shaped elements in said channels and in the spaces therebetween forming vertically spaced horizontal partitions cooperating with said channel shaped elements mutually to define at least three tiers of circularly arranged receptacles opening outwardly of said tiered turntable structure, said tiered structure being releasably connected for rotation with a vertically positioned motor driven shaft having in association therewith means to step said shaft and said structure an increment of rotation to successively present at least one of said receptacles in a position to align with a dispensing station, a housing provided for said tiered structure incorporating means defining a plurality of said dispensing stations arranged to align with a vertical stack of said tiered receptacles and incorporating means provided to maintain all but one of said stations in a sealed condition, said dispensing stations being provided by openings in said housing and all but the lower of said openings being normally sealed in commencing with the use of said apparatus, by door elements included in said means provided to maintain all but one of said stations in a sealed condition, and means being provided to function subsequent to an emptying of the receptacles in the lower tier to induce a shifting of the door element sealing the next higher tier dispensing station to move to close the dispensing station of the lower tier and open that of the next higher tier.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 6 characterized in that said door elements are originally retained in their respective sealing positions covering the dispensing stations for the upper of said tiers of receptacles by having means projected therefrom bearing on means operatively connected for rotation with a further shaft and said further shaft has means operatively related to said tiered structure to be indexed thereby and provide for successive shifting of said door elements to close the dispensing station of each tier of receptacles the contents of which have been dispensed and to provide for the opening of the dispensing station of the next tier of receptacles, as a signal is given to present a first of said receptacles the contents of which are to vended from said next tier.

Claim 10

Vending machine apparatus comprising a tiered turntable embodying tiers of receptacles, in each tier of which the receptacles are arranged in a circular pattern to open outwardly therefrom, and a housing for said structure embodying means defining a plurality of dispensing stations vertically stacked to align with respective tiers of receptacles, means being included to seal all but one dispensing station having means operatively related thereto controlled by a rotary movement of said structure including said tiers of receptacles following the emptying of the receptacles of a tier to cause a shifting of a portion of said sealing means to open the dispensing station at a tier the receptacles of which are next required to have their contents dispensed, said turntable being mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having means connected thereto for inducing successive increments of rotation thereof to successively present the receptacles therein to a dispensing station, said shifting means including a rotatable shaft arranged to be indexed by said tiered turntable structure upon a substantially 360° rotation thereof and said shaft having in connection therewith means to support the respective sealing means which are in the form of doors capping openings in said housing which provide said dispensing stations, said supporting means being arranged to successively release said doors following each substantially 360° revolution of said tiered turntable structure to provide for a seal of the dispensing station at a tier including receptacles the contents of which have just been dispensed and an opening of the dispensing station at a tier the contents of the receptacles of which are next required to be dispensed.

Claim 11

Vending machine apparatus comprising a tiered turntable embodying tiers of receptacles, in each tier of which the receptacles are arranged in a circular pattern to open outwardly therefrom, and a housing for said structure embodying means defining a plurality of dispensing stations vertically stacked to align with respective tiers of receptacles, means being included to seal all but one dispensing station having means operatively related thereto controlled by a rotary movement of said structure including said tiers of receptacles following the emptying of the receptacles of a tier to cause a shifting of a portion of said sealing means to open the dispensing station at a tier the receptacles of which are next required to have their contents dispensed, said turntable being mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having means connected thereto for inducing successive increments of rotation thereof to successively present the receptacles therein to a dispensing station, said shifting means including a rotatable shaft arranged to be indexed by said tiered turntable structure upon a substantially 360° rotation thereof and said shaft having in connection therewith means to support the respective sealing means which are in the form of doors capping openings in said housing which provide said dispensing stations, said supporting means being arranged to successively release said doors following each substantially 360° revolution of said tiered turntable structure to provide for a seal of the dispensing station at a tier including receptacles the contents of which have just been dispensed and an opening of the dispensing station at a tier the contents of the receptacles of which are next required to be dispensed.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 8 characterized in that said turntable structure has connected for rotation therewith a radially oriented element operatively associated with an indexing means and switching means embodied in a circuit for rotating said tiered turntable structure and characterized in that said radially oriented element is arranged to successively index said indexing means associated therewith on each rotation thereof to cause the related switching means to signal the emptying of all said receptacles in said turntable structure.

Claim 13

Vending machine apparatus comprising a cylindrical structure providing multiple tiers of dispensing pockets including a plurality of elongated members each of which defines a vertically orienting channel, said members being circularly arranged, with at least some of the adjacent thereof in a circularly spaced apart relation, and oriented to have their open sides facing outwardly of said cylindrical structure, plate means uniting said members at opposite ends thereof, plate-like inserts positioned within said channels and between the adjacent of said members which are circularly spaced so as to be horizontally diposed and to form thereby a plurality of tiers of dispensing pockets in each of which tiers there is a plurality of said pockets, means defining a base for said cylindrical structure which is mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, a housing enclosing said cylindrical structure and providing therefor a series of dispensing stations including one for each tier of said pockets, means in operative connection with said base and said cylindrical structure for the rotation thereof in step by step fashion to successively present the dispensing pockets in each tier of said cylindrical structure to the related dispensing station and means including independently operable doors for controlling access to respective tiers of said dispensing pockets by way of said dispensing stations in correspondence with and in response to a predetermined degree of rotation of said cylindrical structure, the respective positions of said doors being determined by means indexed under the influence of means in connection with said cylindrical structure and in correspondence with a predetermined degree of rotation of said cylindrical structure.

Claim 14

Vending machine apparatus comprising a cylindrical structure providing multiple tiers of dispensing pockets including a plurality of elongated members each of which defines a vertically orienting channel, said members being circularly arranged, with at least some of the adjacent thereof in a circularly spaced apart relation, and oriented to have their open sides facing outwardly of said cylindrical structure, plate means uniting said members at opposite ends thereof, plate-like inserts positioned within said channels and between the adjacent of said members which are circularly spaced so as to be horizontally diposed and to form thereby a plurality of tiers of dispensing pockets in each of which tiers there is a plurality of said pockets, means defining a base for said cylindrical structure which is mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, a housing enclosing said cylindrical structure and providing therefor a series of dispensing stations including one for each tier of said pockets, means in operative connection with said base and said cylindrical structure for the rotation thereof in step by step fashion to successively present the dispensing pockets in each tier of said cylindrical structure to the related dispensing station and means including independently operable doors for controlling access to respective tiers of said dispensing pockets by way of said dispensing stations in correspondence with and in response to a predetermined degree of rotation of said cylindrical structure, the respective positions of said doors being determined by means indexed under the influence of means in connection with said cylindrical structure and in correspondence with a predetermined degree of rotation of said cylindrical structure.

Claim 15

Vending machine apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said cylindrical structure is comprised of a plurality of vertical sections each of which is comprised of an upper and a lower segment of said plate means interconnected by a plurality of said channel defining members and said sections of said cylindrical structure are releasably coupled to one another and releasably connected with said base.

Claim 16

Vending machine apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said sections of said cylindrical structure comprise a pair of generally semi-cylindrical sections which in the releasable coupling thereof to form said cylindrical structure define a central passage the length thereof accommodating the projection therethrough of a shaft in connection with and extending perpendicular to said base, said shaft providing a drive element for said base to which said cylindrical structure is releasably fixed and said shaft is operatively related to control means providing for a predetermined increment of rotation of said base and said cylindrical structure each time said shaft is energized whereby to provide that access may be had to only one of said dispensing pockets through one of said dispensing stations at any one time.

Claim 17

Vending machine apparatus including a rotatable structure embodying a plurality of dispensing receptacles arranged in a plurality of vertically positioning tiers each comprising a plurality of said receptacles, a housing enclosing said rotatable structure and having an apertured portion providing a generally vertical series of dispensing stations allowing access to the receptacles of respective tiers, means for rotating said tiered structure in step by step fashion to bring corresponding receptacles of each tier to said apertured portion of said housing in successive fashion, a lowermost one of said dispensing stations at said apertured portion of said housing being normally open for access therethrough to the receptacles of a lowermost tier, doors closing upper dispensing stations, and means responsive to rotation of said rotatable structure for opening successive doors of said upper stations beginning with the station immediately adjacent said lowermost station and continuing to the uppermost one of said stations.

Claim 18

Vending machine apparatus including a rotatable structure embodying a plurality of dispensing receptacles arranged in a plurality of vertically positioning tiers each comprising a plurality of said receptacles, a housing enclosing said rotatable structure and having an apertured portion providing a generally vertical series of dispensing stations allowing access to the receptacles of respective tiers, means for rotating said tiered structure in step by step fashion to bring corresponding receptacles of each tier to said apertured portion of said housing in successive fashion, a lowermost one of said dispensing stations at said apertured portion of said housing being normally open for access therethrough to the receptacles of a lowermost tier, doors closing upper dispensing stations, and means responsive to rotation of said rotatable structure for opening successive doors of said upper stations beginning with the station immediately adjacent said lowermost station and continuing to the uppermost one of said stations.

Claim 19

Vending machine apparatus as in claim 13, wherein said doors open by dropping from a position closing one dispensing station to a position opening said one station and closing a next lower station, said means responsive to rotation of said rotatable structure including mechanism performing indexing movements responsively to rotation of said rotatable structure, and door supports successively released by said indexing mechanism.