US2894612A - Dispensing machine - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1959 Filed Nov. 2, 1954 I W57 7 J ,2 "JLTZWIIH 1 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 RICHARD L. CARE July 14, 1959 R. L. CARE DISPENSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 2, 1954 INVENTUR RICHARD L. CARE July 14, 1959 Filed Nov. 2, 1954 R. L. CARE DISPENSING MACHINE yww 6 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTU RICHARD L. CARE July 14, 1959 R. L. CARE 2,394,612

DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1954 v 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 5' 7 INVENTUR RICHARD L. CARE MM) gar July 14, 1959 R. L. CARE 2,894,612

DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1954 e sheets sheet 5 IN V E N 0 R RICHARD L. CARE MM M" J y 14, 5 R. L. CARE 2,894,612

DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR E RICHARD L. CARE United States Patent DISPENSING MACHINE Richard L. Care, Rnmford, R.I., assignor, by mesue assignments, to Grant Development Company, Providence, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application November 2, 1954, Serial No. 466,285

18 Claims. (Cl. 194-2) This invention relates to improvements in dispensers, particularly of the type operated by the public, usually by means of a coin, to dispense an article, token or other item.

Such dispensers have heretofore been serviced at their installed positions, by removing the coins deposited therein and replenishing the tokens or other articles to be dispensed.

It has therefore been difficult to obtain accurate records pertaining to the individual dispensers, to keep track of the sales and cash receipts of said individual dispensers, and to maintain the undispensed contents and the coin receipts intact to provide simple and accurate bookkeeping records.

The principal object of the invention is therefore to provide a dispensing arrangement which permits the undispensed contents and the coin receipts to be removed from each dispenser in locked, inaccessible condition and preferably in a single container, whereby the container may be turned in to a place of tabulation for checking and recording both undispensed contents and coin receipts, which should total a known value, whereby a quick bookkeeping balance for each individual dispenser is provided.

Although various arrangements have been made in the past to seal the mechanisms and the contents of such dispensers away from the public, there has been no eifective internal security in such previous dispensers to prevent a person, such as a service man, Who has rightful access to the interior of the dispenser, from pilfering either the money or other contents.

As a result of the lack of internal security such previous dispensers have provided a great temptation to repair men and those who have had to reload their contents, and such personnel have always been subject to suspect since the owner or operator of the dispensers could never be certain, for instance, whether slugs found in the dispenser had been accepted by the dispenser or had been substituted by employees.

Again the count of the remaining contents of the dispensers could not readily be checked and this fact left grounds for suspicion since the contents would be exposed to those having lawful access to the dispensers and could be pilfered.

Further, where counters were not employed, incorrect counts could always be rendered.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to render dispensers of the type referred to internally secure.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to ensure that the coins, tokens, or other items introduced into the machine by the public be maintained sealed from those repairing or replenishing the dispenser even during transfer from the dispenser to a central station or other point of tabulation.

Another important object is to also render the contents to be dispensed completely safe from pilfering or substitution.

More particularly in this aspect of the invention it is 2,894,612 Patented July 14, 1959 an object to ensure that, on loading of the dispenser, the correct number of tokens, articles or other items to be dispensed are introduced therein, and that prior to reloading all tokens or other items are withdrawn from the dispenser at the same time that the coins or other items inserted by the public are withdrawn.

Again it is an important object that the withdrawn tokens and the undispensed items be sealed away from personnel restocking or collecting from the machine during transfer from the dispenser to the point of tabulation.

Another object of importance is to provide a dispenser having the internal security as aforesaid yet having the operating mechanisms thereof which may require repair and attention from time-to-time, readily accessible to the repair personnel.

Another object is to provide a dispenser as aforesaid which can be supported against a post or other upright with the controls to be operated by the public exposed, but with the post or upright forming a further barrier to the public to prevent tampering with the coin or item repository of the device.

An essential feature of the invention resides in providing a dispenser of the type referred to with a coin or other repository in the form of a strong box which can be moved into and out of a collecting position within the dispenser, and which when moved to the collecting position is automatically opened to receive the coins or other items introduced by the public, and when removed is automatically locked, whereby its contents cannot be tampered with during transfer from the machine to the point of tabulation.

More specifically, according to the invention, the strong box is provided with a novel lock arrangement and the dispenser is provided with a novel key and cam arrangement, the box lock and dispenser key cooperating on introduction of the box into the dispenser to effect spring release of the box closure as the box reaches its position fully home within the dispenser, and the dispenser cam effecting movement of the box closure to locked position as the box is withdrawn away from the key for removal from the dispenser.

Other important features reside in providing a replaceable unit or cartridge for holding the items to be dispensed and providing a novel support and interlock in the dispenser for cooperation therewith to support and lock the unit in position in the dispenser during dispensing, and upon movement to release the unit for removal from the dispenser or its placement in the dispenser, to effect discharge of the contents of the unit into a repository in the dispenser.

In this connection it is a feature to effect discharge of the unit into the coin-collecting strong box, whereby a single box or container serves as a repository for both coins and items in the replaceable unit, to ensure return of both the coins and the residue of the undispensed items to the point of tabulation in recounting.

Again it is an important feature to provide an interlock between the cartridge or unit support and locking device and the automatically operated security strong box whereby removal of the box or container cannot be effected until the cartridge or unit containing the articles to be dispensed has discharged its undispensed contents into the box.

Another feature resides in providing a loaded cartridge or unit with a seal adapted to seal the contents during transfer to the dispenser and until it has been locked into place in the dispenser and interlocked with the strong box, the seal also preventing discharge of the cartridge contents into the strong box during installation of the cartridge into the dispenser.

A further feature is to provide the dispenser with a casing opening to the front to give access to the mecha nisms controlling coin movement for repair, while keeping the strong box and the contents in the replaceable cartridge unit out of access of the servicemen.

In this connection it is desirable to mount the strong box for withdrawal through the rear of the dispenser and further to support the dispenser so that its rear is normally disposed adjacent a post or other upright barring access to the box, the device being however rotatably supported and preferably locked, so as to require rotation by authorized persons for movement clear of the post and access to the box for withdrawal.

These and other objects and features will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a dispensing device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the device of Fig. l with the front cover removed;

Fig. 4 is a part side elevational view, part vertical sectional view of the device with the front cover removed and showing in dotted lines the removal of the collecting receptacle;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the lower end of the dispenser taken from front to rear;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the removable token magazine cartridge;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the dispenser with the front cover removed and the token cartridge broken away to illustrate the dispensing mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional detail on the line 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the coin and token collecting receptacle with the top in the closed and locked position;

Fig. 9A is an enlarged perspective view of the receptacle of Fig. 9 but with the top in the open position and illustrating the locking mechanism;

Fig. 9B is a fragmentary vertical sectional detail illustrating the top lock of the receptacle of Figs. 9 and 9A;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged front elevational detail of the mechanism for securing the removable token magazine cartridge in the dispenser;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the token magazine cartridge locking slide mechanism;

Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional view of the slide mechanism illustrated in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the dispensing action of the dispensing mechanism; and

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of the token dispensing fingers.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings the dispenser is shown as comprising a support structure in the form of a bottom plate 1 and an upright frame 2 carrying a coin operated dispensing mechanism generally designated at 3, see Fig. 13.

Spaced from the upright frame 2 is a back cover memher 4 having side and top flanges 5 and 6 respectively. The lower portion of the back cover 4 is divided from the upper portion and is hinged to the bottom plate as at 7 and is brought forwardly at the sides as shown in Fig. 2, to form a door 8 giving access to a collecting chamber 9, see Fig. 5, defined immediately above the bottom plate 1 by a rectangular casing 10, into which coins accepted by the mechanism 3 and undispensed tokens are adapted to be discharged as hereinafter more particularly described.

Hinged to the front of bottom plate 1 is a front cover member 11 having deep side flanges 12 and a top flange 13; the flanges 5 and 6 of the back cover member and 12 and 13 of the front cover member are adapted to interengage when the front cover 11 is swung to its closed position, to encase the support structure constituted by the 4 plate 1 and the upright frame 2 and the various mechanisms carried thereby.

A suitable lock indicated at 14 is provided to lock the cover members in closed position, the details of the lock being omitted.

The particular machine illustrated is shown as dispensing tokens 15 from a magazine generally designated as 16. According to the invention this magazine constitutes a removable cartridge in the form of a base 17 and preferably three columns 18 extending above the base to receive stacks of tokens 15, the magazine being particularly illustrated in Fig. 6.

Each of the columns or tubes 18 opens through the base 17 and in order to temporarily maintain the tokens in the magazine prior to the introduction of the magazine into the dispenser a wire seal 19 extending through suitable openings in the tube walls is employed.

Mounted on the upper surface of the rectangular casing 10 is a plate 20, see Figs. 10 and 11, having openings 21 therethrough communicating with registering openings 22 in the casing and these openings 21 and 22 as illustrated particularly in Fig. 5 are adapted to register with the columns or tubes 18 when the magazine 16 is placed on the plate 20, the latter constituting the support for the magazine.

Mounted above the plate 20 are a pair of guide rails 23 shown in Figs. 5, 10 and particularly Fig. 11, which extend transversely across the top of the rectangular casing substantially the full length of the plate 20.

A slide 24 comprising a pair of longitudinal inturned flange members 25 connected at one end by a bottom web 26 is slidably mounted on the plate 20 with the bottom web 26 extending between the rails 23 and the plate.

Secured to the bottom web 26 of the slide is a longitudinal rail or plate 27 which is positioned between the rails 23.

The magazine base 17 as shown particularly in Fig. 6 is provided with longitudinal side grooves 28 and the magazine is adapted to be placed on the plate 20 in alignment with the slide 24 when the slide is withdrawn to its position as shown in Fig. 10, as limited by a stop shoulder 29 provided on the plate 20 at the point at which the guide rails 23 are connected to the plate 20.

The magazine is properly positioned on the plate 20 from the front of the dispenser with the cover swung to an open position by sliding the base 17 beneath a down turned flange or ledge 30 which is received within a transverse groove 31 provided in the upper surface of the magazine base.

With the magazine thus positioned the base side grooves 28 are aligned with the inturned edges 32 of the flange members 25 of the outwardly positioned slide. The magazine being slightly raised, inward movement of the slide from the position of Fig. 10 functions to introduce the flange edges 32 into the grooves 28 and securely lock the removable magazine in position on the plate 20.

As the slide 24 is moved into its magazine locking position the longitudinal plate 27 mounted thereon moves to close the lower end of the magazine columns or tubes 18 to prevent discharge of the tokens 15 through the registering openings 21 and 22 beneath the open tube ends.

With the magazine 16 thus inserted and locked into place the temporary wire seal 19 can then be removed.

The tokens 15 may be dispensed from the magazine cartridge 16 by any suitable dispensing mechanism.

The mechanism 3 herein disclosed in more or less diagrammatic form is illustrative and comprises a roller carrying lever 33 having a wide operating arm 34 hinged to the front cover 11. The roller 33' of the lever 33 actuates an arm 35 loosely mounted on a pin 36 rotatably supported between flanges 37 of a bracket 37 securedv to the upright frame 2, as shown in Fig. 13.

The arm 35 is coupled through a collar or sleeve 38 with a generally upright arm 39 which is rocked under movement of the arm 35.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 13 and particularly Fig. 8, the arm 39 is provided with two pairs of spaced pin projections 40 and intervening between these pin projections is another pair of pin projections carried by an arm 42 having a sleeve fixed by a pin 43 to the rotatable pin or shaft 36.

A fourth sleeved arm 44 also pinned to the rotatable pin or shaft 36 depends from the shaft and is provided at its lower end with a ball connection 45 operating in a U-bracket 46 mounted on a slide 47 slidable on the upper surface of the rectangular casing and carrying spaced fingers 48 to eject tokens from the magazine 16 as more particularly described below.

The arm 44 is operated upon movement of the arm 42, both of these arms being fixed to the rotatable pin 36- The arm 42, however, is free of the lever operated pin carrying arm 39 until a coin 49 is delivered from the coin accepting mechanism 50 through a chute 51 to the vertically aligned pairs of pin projections 40 and 41 as shown in Fig. 8. These pin projections are in vertical alignment with the lever 42 in its normal position of Fig. 8, under action of the biasing spring 52, see Fig. 5, and the coin accepted by mechanism 50 is fed therebetween to come to rest on a ledge 53 formed at the divergent upper end of a coin chute 54.

With the coin received between the aligned pin pairs movement of the lever 33 will effect, through the coupling of the coin, operation of the arm 42 and hence of the arm 44 actuating the finger carrying slide 47.

Upon movement of the arms 39 and 42 with the coin interlock the coin will clear the ledge 53 as shown in Fig. 8 and will drop into the coin chute 54 which communicates at its lower end with the interior of the casing 10 to deliver the coin into the collectingchamber 9.

Upon the dropping out of the coin 49 the arm 42 will be released from the arm 39 and the dispensing finger carrying slide 47 will be returned to its inoperative posi tion through a suitable spring 55, see Fig. 13, ready for a subsequent dispensing action following introduction and acceptance of a coin by the coin accepting mechanism 50.

This coin accepting mechanism may be of any known commercial type and it is shown principally in block form, comprising a receptacle 56 for receiving coins introduced into a coin slot 57 in the front cover member 11 and delivered to the receptacle through a suitable chute 58.

The mechanism is preferably provided with the usual reject devices 59, coin detectors 60 and a reject chute 61.

It will be understood that the coin accepting mechanism 50 and the particular dispensing mechanism 3 may be of any standard type, and are not part of the present invention, wherefore further details are not deemed necessary.

The under surface of the magazine base 17 is provided with wide transverse grooves 62 intercepting the open ends of the columns or tubes 18 and with the base mounted on the plate these grooves define slots for the reception of the fingers 48 of the dispensing slide.

The side flanges of the locking slide 24 are also provided with slots 63 which when the slide is moved to the fully locked position register with the grooves 62 to allow the fingers 48 to operate through the grooves 62 and discharge the lowermost token in each of the tubes 18 out of the front of the magazine as illustrated in Fig. 5 into a hopper device 64 carried on the inner surface of r the front cover 11. The hopper device in turn delivers the coin to a pocket or well 65 formed in a block 66 carried by the front cover 11. The hopper 64 also serves to return reject coins delivered down the reject chute 61 and into the hopper.

As illustrated in Fig. 14 a suitable counter 68 may be employed to record the number of dispensing operations of the machine and a feeler mechanism 69 comprising a. spring urged arm carrying a probe 70 and adapted to enter an opening 71 cut in the back of one of the magazine tubes 18 is provided to record when the magazine is substantially emptied by operating a trip 72 through an arm 73 to display a warning signal through a suitable window 74 formed in the front cover. When the token supply in the magazine is depleted to a point where the probe '70 can enter the magazine column the feeler arm 69 will swing to release the trip 72 through the arm 73.

The signal device illustrated comprises a disc 75 which is pre-set against the bias of a spring 76 to a rotational position to display a certain signal, for instance, a colour, through the window 74.

Upon operating the trip or latch 72 a holding notch 77 in the disc the spring 76 will rotate the disc to display a different signal.

One of the major problems in the prior art has been to prevent pilfering from the dispenser either by stealing the coins or by substituting slugs for coins; such pilfering has been difficult to detect since the counter mechanism can be tampered with and the collected coins may be handled by a number of personnel having lawful access to the dispenser.

According to the present invention the coins are delivered into a receptacle 78 shown particularly in Figs. 9, 9A and 9B, and in Fig. 4, which is removably received in the chamber or compartment 9 defined within the rectangular casing 10. This receptacle 78 comprises a strong box or container having a top closure or lid 79 pivoted intermediately of its width on a pin 80 mounted within the container.

A coil spring 81 acts to urge the closure 79 to the open position of Fig. 9A but when the closure member is swung to its closed position a latch or locking member 82 supported from a boss 83 carried by the front wall of the container is received between a pair of slidable spring pressed keepers 84 carried by the closure member and into a notch 85 to lock the closure member in closed position.

The latch 82 is mounted on the end of a pin 86 slidably received in the boss 83 and operated under the action of a coil spring 87 into the solid line position of Fig. 9B to register with the keepers 84 carried by the closure 79.

A keyway 88 leads through the front cover of the con tainer and through the boss, and longitudinal inward movement of a key introduced into said keyway will effect displacement of said latch 82 inwardly to the dotted line position of Fig. 9B and release the latch from the keeper means 84, thereby releasing the closure to open under the action of the spring 81.

With the door section 8 of the rear cover 4 opened, the collecting chamber or compartment 9 is opened to receive the receptacle 78, the upright frame 2 being formed with an opening through which the receptacle is introduced.

Extending inwardly from the inner face of the front wall of the casing 10 is a key 89 mounted to align with the keyway 88. The receptacle moves in a snug sliding fit into the collecting chamber or compartment so that it is accurately guided to introduce the key 89 into the keyway 88, whereby the key operates on the headed end of the pin 86 to clear the latch 82 from the keepers 84, thus allowing the closure 79 to spring open as shown in the solid line showing of Fig. 4. In this position, the registering openings 21 and 22 beneath the open lower ends of the magazine tubes 18 will effect a discharge of the tokens in these tubes when the blocking slide plate 27 is withdrawn into the receptacle on one side of the closure as shown in Fig. 10, and the coin chute 54 will also have delivered coins into the receptacle on the opposite side of the closure. If desired, a partition 78a may be positioned in the receptacle to keep the discharged tokens and the delivered coins therein separate.

Arranged within the collecting compartment 9 is a sloping top wall 90 forming a cam to engage the closure 79 and force it downwardly to the closed position when the receptacle 78 is withdrawn as shown in Fig. 4, the action being such that the closure 79 is moved to the closed position after the key 89 has been withdrawn sufficiently from the keyway 88 to allow the latch 82 to return to its normal position under action of the spring 87, whereby the latch automatically engages and locks the cover in closed position on the withdrawal movement and the contents, including coins and tokens, are sealed within the receptacle and cannot be pilfered or substituted; the receptacle is thus carried to the point of tabulation where a person authorized to open the receptacle unlocks the cover with a proper key.

To prevent the receptacle from being withdrawn from the compartment 9 before undispensed tokens have been discharged into the container the slide 24 is provided with a right angled rod extension 91 of its handle 92 and this extension 91 slides through a suitable opening in the side wall of the casing 10 and into a tube 93 extending through the receptacle 78. Thus until the slide is operated to the unlocked position shown in Fig. 10, to bring its locking plate 27 outwardly clear of the lower ends of the open tubes 18 of the magazine and allow discharge of the undispensed contents of these tubes into the receptacle, the rod 91 will block removal of the receptacle from the collecting chamber.

It is desirable to provide means for preventing too rapid a withdrawal movement of the slide 24, in order to permit suflicient time for complete discharge of the undispensed tokens from the magazine tubes. I therefore provide a suitable arrangement for this purpose, one such arrangement being to form the rod 91 with spaced notches 91a which are successively engaged by a spring pressed plunger 91b mounted in the side wall of the receptacle, the notches being spaced to conform to alignment of the tube opening with the registering openings 21, 22, whereby it becomes necessary to successively manually pull out the plunger 91b to permit complete withdrawal of the rod 91 from the receptacle 78.

The operation of the dispenser may now be explained. The removable magazine cartridge 16 with the wire seal 19 is first locked in position in the dispenser by means of the slide 24 with an accurate predetermined number of tokens contained in the columns or tubes 18.

Inasmuch as the locking of the magazine in position by means of the slide 24 also efiects a closure of the open lower ends of the tubes 18 no tokens will be dis charged into the receptacle after the break of the seal 19.

Also inasmuch as the rod 91 bars introduction of the receptacle 78 into the collecting chamber after the magazine has been locked in place the receptacle 78 must be first positioned in the chamber, whereupon locking movement of the slide will automatically lock the receptacle in the chamber against removal until the magazine is released by withdrawal of the slide.

During the normal dispensing action of the machine the coins will be delivered into the receptacle through .the chute 54. Then, when the dispenser registers empty and the attendant wishes to remove the magazine and replace it with a new one, the magazine cannot be released from its locked position on the plate 20 until the slide 24 has been operated to first uncover the openings in the bottom of the magazine, allowing discharge of the undispensed contents into the receptacle 78. In turn, until the remaining contents have been discharged into the receptacle through the registering openings 21 and 22 and the magazine is unlocked from the plate 20, the receptacle cannot be withdrawn from the collecting chamberor compartment 9. Thus the receptacle cannot be removed until all of the contents of the dispenser, both coins and undispensed tokens, have been discharged thereinto; whereupon outward movement of the receptacle 78 for removal automatically eifects camming of the .and coins deposited for the vended articles.

closure 79 by the wall to the closed and locked position, the coins and undispensed tokens being secured therein.

While the invention has been particularly described with relation to a token dispenser it will be understood that it is equally applicable to other types of dispensers wherein the items to be dispensed may be any desired product and for instance, where it is desired to obtain internal security with respect to the money accepted by the dispenser and articles or merchandise remaining therein.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the device is mounted for rotation on a base 94, the base carrying a headed pin threading into the bottom plate 1 and spaced from the bottom plate by a flat bearing 96.

In the preferred arrangement, the device may be mounted for instance on a bracket 97 with its rear cover 4 in close proximity to an upright 98 which may form part of the bracket 97, or which may itself constitute a post or other support structure.

Any standard or known locking device may be employed to prevent unauthorized rotation of the dispenser on its base out of the relationship of Fig. 2 with respect to the upright 98 so that unauthorized tampering with the rear door 8 or with the receptacle 78 will be prevented. With this arrangement the rear door 8 may be dispensed with or alternatively if the mounting arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2 is not employed, a suitable lock arrangement may be provided for locking the rear door in position against unauthorized opening.

The above described dispenser construction thus prevents pilfering and substitution of materials to be vended, as the locked receptacles contain both undispensed articles The sum total of the articles and the coins in the receptacle is therefore a constant quantity when the same number of articles is placed in each magazine, whereby bookkeeping is simplified and accurate check of sales from each dispenser is obtained. I

It will be understood that various modifications in details of structure and arrangement may be made within the spirit of the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing device, a dispensing mechanism, a magazine cartridge removably mounted in said dispensing mechanism, means for releasably maintaining the contents of said magazine therein, a compartment below said magazine cartridge, a passage leading from said magazine cartridge to said compartment, means retaining said magazine in said dispensing device, and means operative to eifect discharge of the contents of said magazine into said passage and to subsequently release said magazine from said dispensing device.

2. In a dispensing device, a magazine adapted to receive a quantity of items to be dispensed and having a discharge opening through the bottom thereof, means releasably locking said magazine in said dispensing device and closing the bottom opening of said magazine, and a compartment arranged below said magazine, said locking means being movable to first uncover said magazine bottom opening, whereby said magazine may discharge into said compartment, and to subsequently release said magazine from said dispensing device.

3. In a dispensing device, a magazine adapted to receive a quantity of items to be dispensed and having an open bottom, a support structure in said dispensing device for said magazine and having a passage formation therethrough to provide communication between said magazine and a compartment disposed below said support structure, and means releasably locking said magazine to said support structure and closing said magazine bottom to maintain magazine contents from discharging into said compartment, said releasably locking means being operable to uncover said magazine bottom prior to releasing said magazine for removal from said support structure.

4. In a dispensing device, a collecting compartment, a magazine support in the form of a guideway disposed above and having passage means therethrough to said compartment, a magazine adapted to receive items to be dispensed supported on said guideway and opening through the bottom to said compartment, and a slide movable along said guideway to releasably lock said magazine on said guideway and to close the bottom opening of said magazine, said slide being movable to uncover said magazine bottom opening prior to releasing said magazine from said guideway.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which said magazine comprises a base formed with longitudinal groove means and upright receptacle means extending above said base and said slide is provided with inturned flange means interlocking with said longitudinal groove means.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 in which said base opens through the bottom to said compartment and has transverse passage formations therethrough extending substantially perpendicular to said upright receptacle means, and said slide flange means is provided with slots therethrough to register with said transverse passage formations with said slide in magazine locking position.

7. In a token dispenser, a removable token magazine comprising a base opening through the bottom and at least one upright token receiving column, said dispenser having a removable receptacle therein, a support for said magazine in said dispenser having passage means therethrough leading to said receptacle, means releasably locking said magazine on said support, means operatively connected with said releasable locking means for closing said magazine bottom opening, said magazine bottom closing means being operable to uncover said magazine bottom prior to release of said magazine by said releasable locking means whereby to effect discharge of contents to said magazine into said receptacle, said magazine having a dispensing passage leading therefrom, and means for dispensing tokens from said magazine to said dispensing passage.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 in which means are provided to temporarily close said magazine bottom against discharge of magazine contents prior to releasably locking said magazine in said dispenser.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 in which said support for said magazine comprises a guideway on which said magazine base is supported and said releasable magazine locking means comprising a slide operating along said guideway, said magazine base and slide being formed with cooperating interlocks and said slide having a bottom plate member movable beneath said magazine base and constituting the means for closing said magazine bottom opening.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9 in which said magazine base has a slot therethrough for token dispensing and said means for dispensing token operates in said slot, and said slide is formed with transverse passage formations adapted to register with said slot upon movement of the slide to fully locked position.

11. In a dispensing device having a collecting compartment, a collecting receptacle removably mounted in said compartment, said receptacle having a movable closure member, a locking device for locking said closure member in closed position, means operable upon introduction of said receptacle to unlock and open said closure member and means operable upon the withdrawal of said receptacle to close said closure member and actuate the locking device, a coin operated dispensing mechanism, a magazine adapted to contain items to be dispensed, guide means for conducting coins accepted by said dispensing mechanism into the opened receptacle, a passage formation leading from said magazine to said compartment, means normally closing said passage to maintain the items to be dispensed in said magazine, means for operating said passage closing means to discharge the items from said magazine into said compartment, and an interlock between said passage closing means and said receptacle when said receptacle is entered into said compartment to maintain said receptacle in said compartment with said receptacle closure member in the open position until said passage closing means is operated to release the magazine contents into said receptacle. 7

12. In a dispensing device, a magazine adapted to receive a quantity of items to be dispensed and having an open bottom, a support structure in said dispensing device for said magazine and having a passage formation therethrough to provide communication between said magazine and a compartment disposed below said support structure, means releasably locking said magazine to said support structure and closing said magazine bottom to maintain magazine contents from discharging into said compartment, said releasably locking means being operable to uncover said magazine bottom prior to releasing said magazine for removal from said support structure, a receptacle removably mounted in said compartment to receive magazine contents discharged into said compartment, said receptacle having a closure member and a lock therefor, means operable upon introduction of said receptacle into said compartment to actuate said closure member to open position, and means operable upon Withdrawal of said receptacle to actuate said closure member to closed and locked position, said receptacle closure lock comprising a key operated device actuated by longitudinal key movement therein, said compartment having a key mounted therein adapted to enter and actuate said lock upon introduction of said receptacle into said compartment, and means connected to said releasable magazine locking means operable to releasably lock said receptacle in said compartment until said releasable locking means has been operated to uncover said magazine bottom for discharge of magazine contents into said receptacle.

13. In a token dispenser, a removable token magazine comprising a base opening through the bottom and at least one upright token receiving column, said dispenser having a removable receptacle therein, a support for said magazine in said dispenser having passage means therethrough leading to said receptacle, means releasably locking said magazine on said support, means operatively connected with said releasable locking means for closing said magazine bottom opening, said magazine bottom closing means being operable to uncover said magazine bottom prior to release of said magazine by said releasable locking means whereby to effect discharge of contents to said magazine into said receptacle, said magazine having a dispensing passage leading therefrom, means for dispensing tokens from said magazine to said dispensing passage, means for temporarily closing said magazine bottom against discharge of magazine contents prior to releasably locking said magazine in said dispenser, said magazine support comprising a guideway on which said magazine base is supported, said releasable magazine locking means comprising a slide operating along said guideway, said magazine base and slide being formed with cooperating interlocks, said slide having a bottom plate member movable beneath said magazine base and constituting the means for closing said magazine bottom opening, said magazine base having a slot therethrough for token dispensing and said means for dispensing tokens operating in said slot, said slide being formed with transverse passage formations adapted to register with said slot upon movement of the slide to fully locked position, said receptacle comprising a container having a pivotal closure member swingable between an open and a closed position, spring means biasing said closure member to open position, and locking means locking said closure member in closed position When swung to said closed position, means in said dispenser to unlock said locking means upon introduction of said container into said dispenser, whereby opening of said closure member is efiected, means in said dispenser closing said closure member to closed and locked position upon movement of said container out of said dispenser, said token dispensing means being coin operated and a coin chute being provided leading to said receptacle to deliver coins thereto with said closure member in open position, said container closure member being pivoted intermediate its width, said coins and tokens being delivered thereto on opposite sides, respectively, of the pivot axis, and means releasable locking said receptacle in said dispenser, said latter releasable locking means being operatively connected to said releasable magazine locking means to lock said receptacle in said dispenser until said magazine is released.

14. A device as claimed in claim 13 in which said releasable magazine locking means comprises a slide member and said receptacle and receptacle locking means have sliding interlock parts.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14 in which said receptacle has a passage leading substantially therethrough and said receptacle locking means comprises a rod carried by said magazine locking slide means and operating through a slide bearing of said dispenser into and out of said receptacle passage.

16. In a dispensing device, a collecting receptacle mounted therein, a magazine adapted to contain articles to be dispensed, means mounting said magazine adjacent said receptacle, an opening in said magazine in communication with said receptacle, blocking means associated with said magazine and movable between a first position wherein said opening is blocked and a second position wherein said opening is unblocked, means for automati cally transferring all the articles in said magazine to said receptacle upon movement of said blocking means to said second position, and means extending from said blocking means for releasably locking said receptacle in its mounted position, said locking means being inoperative when said blocking means is in said second position, whereby the receptacle is maintained in its mounted position and cannot be withdrawn until said blocking means is moved to its said second position, thus insuring that all undispensed articles are transferred from said magazine to said receptacle before removal of the latter.

17. In a dispensing device, a collecting compartment, a magazine adapted to contain articles to be dispensed, means mounting said magazine above said compartment, an opening at the bottom of said magazine in communication with said compartment, blocking means associated with said magazine and movable between a first position wherein said opening is blocked and a second position wherein said opening is unblocked, said articels being maintained within said magazine when the blocking means is in said first position and being released for downward descent to said compartment upon movement of. the blocking means to said second position, a receptacle removably mounted in said compartment for receiving said articles when they are released, a cover for said receptacle movable between an open and a closed position, means automatically moving said cover to its said open position responsive to insertion of said receptacle into said compartment and automatically closing said cover responsive to removal of the receptacle therefrom, and means extending from said blocking means for releasably locking the receptacle in said compartment, said locking means being operative when said blocking means is in its said first position and being inoperative when said blocking means is in said second position, whereby the receptacle remains open and cannot be withdrawn until said blocking means is moved to its said second position, thus insuring that all undispensed articles are released from said magazine to said receptacle before removal of the latter.

18. In combination with the structure of claim 17, means for checking rapid article releasing movement of the blocking means, whereby time for release of undispensed articles to the receptacle is provided.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 382,867 Claspy May 15, 1888 2,087,787 Stuart July 20, 1937 2,267,567 Rhodes Dec. 23, 1941 2,437,556 Rhodes Mar. 9, 1948

Images