US4060111A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vending and dispensing bin
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-12-15
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Granted: 1977-11-29
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Expires: 1995-12-15
Abstract
Abstract This invention provides vending and dispensing apparatus comprising a housing having a bin section and a dispensing section separated by a belt type conveyor. The conveyor embodies means which in the movement thereof serve not only to influence elements of a conglomerate mass of material stored in the bin section to separate one from the other but to carry elements of the separated material to the dispensing section for their discharge in a relatively individualized form. The invention also features a mobile dispensing unit which may be be backed up to receive the discharge from the dispensing section of the above described housing and moved to deliver measured amounts of the material to a plurality of remote stations. The mobile unit embodies a storage type receiving chamber having a movable bottom wall structure including a pocket which accommodates a measured amount of the material delivered to the storage chamber. Below the bottom wall structure of said chamber is a chute means which, on an appropriate movement of the bottom wall structure, is adapted to receive the charge contained in said pocket and to direct the same to a removable receptacle placed in a bottom chamber of the mobile unit.
Inventors
- 👤 Howard L. Burks
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 01:51
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B37/00; B65B37/16; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/02; B65G47/04; B65G47/12; B65G47/14; B65G47/1407; B65G47/1442; B65G47/1471
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
Vending and dispensing apparatus comprising a housing including a bin portion and a dispensing portion, said bin portion accommodating material to be dispensed as separated individual elements and existing in said bin in a manner form in which individual elements tend to adhere to one another, material delivery means in association with said bin portion operable to deliver said material from said bin portion to said dispensing portion and embodying means for applying twisting forces within said bin portion to influence elements of said mass of material therein to separate one from the other within said bin portion and to move said material including said separated elements to said dispensing portion for discharge from said housing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
Vending and dispensing apparatus comprising a housing including a bin portion and a dispensing portion, said bin portion accommodating material to be dispensed as separated individual elements and existing in said bin in a manner form in which individual elements tend to adhere to one another, material delivery means in association with said bin portion operable to deliver said material from said bin portion to said dispensing portion and embodying means for applying twisting forces within said bin portion to influence elements of said mass of material therein to separate one from the other within said bin portion and to move said material including said separated elements to said dispensing portion for discharge from said housing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized in that said material delivery means is oriented to move said material to said dispensing portion of said housing in a path which inclines upwardly from the bottom of said bin portion of said housing, and said material delivering means and the bottom of said bin portion providing material supporting surfaces substantially perpendicular to one another.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
101 words
Apparatus as in claim 2 characterized in that said material delivery means is comprised of a continuous belt-like structure providing the said material supporting surface thereon and which inclines upwardly from the bottom of said bin portion of said housing and terminates in said dispensing portion of said housing, said continuous belt-like structure having projected from the material supporting surface thereof means to transmit twisting influences on portions of the mass of material in said bin portion in the course of movement of said belt-like structure as it is operated to deliver said material to said dispensing portion of said housing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as in claim 3 characterized in that said means projected from said belt-like structure includes portions in longitudinally spaced and laterally offset relation on said material supporting surface thereon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
Apparatus as in claim 4 characterized in that said belt-like structure is a loop-formed continuous web which, in effect, forms one side wall of said bin portion and provides that said one side wall of said bin portion is a moving surface which inclines upwardly and outwardly from the bottom of said bin portion and defines the said material supporting surface thereon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as in claim 4 characterized in that said means projected from said belt-like structure embodies blade-like projections at locations spaced longitudinally thereof the transverse extent of which correspond approximately to the width of said belt.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 characterized in that said blade-like projections comprise a longitudinally spaced series thereof each of which extends in a sense generally transverse to the belt and successive thereof, in a respectively longitudinally displaced relation, are respectively offset toward opposite sides of the belt.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
84 words
Vending and dispensing apparatus as in claim 1 characterized by means in association with said housing for receiving and transporting the discharge from said material delivery means to locations remote from said housing, said receiving means including a temporary storage chamber having a wall portion thereof formed to include a pocket accommodating a portion of the material delivered to said temporary storage chamber, which wall portion is shiftable to provide for discharge of the pocket contents for use at one of said remote stations.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
Vending and dispensing apparatus as in claim 8 characterized in that said receiving and transporting means is a mobile structure adapted to be positioned to have a passage therein in communication with said material delivery means in said housing to direct the discharged material to said temporary storage chamber, said temporary storage chamber including means automatically directing the first portion of the discharge from said housing to fill said pocket.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
134 words
Apparatus as in claim 9 characterized in that said pocket is formed in the periphery of a rotor which per se forms a portion of the bottom of said temporary storage chamber and has in connection therewith means for rotation thereof to direct the contents of said pocket to a delivery chamber in said mobile structure, said mobile structure embodying wall structure forming said delivery chamber in the lower portion thereof, said rotor nesting, in part, in an opening in a partition spaced below the bottom wall structure of said temporary storage chamber of which it forms a part and said opening being rimmed by a dependent chute structure arranged to receive the discharge from the pocket in said rotor and to direct the same to a removable receptacle placed in said delivery chamber.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
203 words
A system for the sanitary dispensing of ice cubes or like fragments in a hospital or like environment, including a central source station providing a housing enclosing a bin section and a discharge section in a side by side relation, said discharge section including a chute discharging to the exterior of the housing through an opening therein, selectively energizable means for carrying ice fragments from a supply in said bin section to said discharge section for discharge from said source station by way of said chute, a dispensing unit providing an enclosed storage chamber for ice fragments and selectively operable means for discharging quantities of ice fragments from said chamber, said dispensing unit being a mobile carrier readily movable from place to place where the use of ice fragments may be required, and said dispensing unit being structured to achieve in a position adjacent to said central source station a direct communication of said storage chamber therein with said discharge chute for filling and refilling said storage chamber, a wall portion of said dispensing unit defining said storage chamber providing an opening placed in communication with the housing opening by an appropriate positioning of said dispensing unit relative to said central source housing.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
203 words
A system for the sanitary dispensing of ice cubes or like fragments in a hospital or like environment, including a central source station providing a housing enclosing a bin section and a discharge section in a side by side relation, said discharge section including a chute discharging to the exterior of the housing through an opening therein, selectively energizable means for carrying ice fragments from a supply in said bin section to said discharge section for discharge from said source station by way of said chute, a dispensing unit providing an enclosed storage chamber for ice fragments and selectively operable means for discharging quantities of ice fragments from said chamber, said dispensing unit being a mobile carrier readily movable from place to place where the use of ice fragments may be required, and said dispensing unit being structured to achieve in a position adjacent to said central source station a direct communication of said storage chamber therein with said discharge chute for filling and refilling said storage chamber, a wall portion of said dispensing unit defining said storage chamber providing an opening placed in communication with the housing opening by an appropriate positioning of said dispensing unit relative to said central source housing.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system according to claim 11 wherein said discharge chute extends to and through the opening in said housing and in an appropriate positioning of said dispensing unit projects through the opening therein into said storage chamber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
103 words
A system according to claim 12, wherein said dispensing unit further includes a lower housing upon which said storage chamber mounts as a superstructure, said lower housing being mounted on wheels and providing an interior space accessible from outside the unit accommodating a removable receptacle, and said selectively operable means including a part positioning intermediate of said storage chamber and said interior space and normally preventing communication therebetween and another part operable from outside the unit to move the said first mentioned part to allow measured quantities of stored ice fragments to drop into said interior space and into a receptacle accommodated therein.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
47 words
A system according to claim 11, characterized by ice fragment producing apparatus, said apparatus being enclosed in a box-like structure superposing over said bin section and aperture means within margins of said structure being provided for a protected admission of produced ice fragments to said bin section.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system according to claim 14, said housing providing an inclined floor in said bin section, the relatively raised end of said floor underlying said aperture means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
115 words
A system according to claim 15, wherein said selectively energizable means for carrying ice fragments to said discharge section includes a loop defining continuous belt orienting in a position substantially perpendicular to said floor and appreciably offset from the relatively raised end of said floor toward the relatively lowered end thereof, a contained means of ice fragments being influenced by the inclination of said floor to bear against said belt, and a pattern of blades on said belt having the dual function of carrying ice fragments from said mass to said discharge section and of applying twisting forces to an engaged face of said mass freeing ice fragments from the mass and from one another.
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) | 1980-11-28 | 1981-05-30 | 1981-11-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-11-28 | 1985-05-30 | 1985-11-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-11-28 | 1989-05-30 | 1989-11-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |