US2462394A - Dispensing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 22, 1949. s. J. HEIMAN DISPENSING MEGHANISM Filed Feb. 12, 1945 Patentecl Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE DISPENSING MECHANISM Sidney J. Heiman, St. Louis, Mo.

Application February 12, 1945, Serial No. 577,419

(Cl. S12-48) 1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to dispensing mechanisms, and more particularly to those devices'wherein vendible bottled goods, such as carbonated beverages, fruit juices, milk, and countless other products are arranged, for delivery to the ultimate consumers.

The. invention has as its principal object the production of a device of the kind described, wherein the mechanism for delivering the bottles to the point from whence they may be manually withdrawn from the device, will be simple but completely eiective for its intended function, and will comprise a minimum number of parts.

The invention has as an important object, the construction of such a dispensing mechanism wherein the parts will operate smoothly and easily, with little danger of jamming, breaking, or similar troubles which often come to such devices.

Another object of my invention is to so construct a device of the kind aforesaid, that the bottles may be stored therein, one above .the other and cooled or otherwise treated during such storage, and wherein the bottle-actuating means will Withdraw the bottom bottles consecutively, one after the other, and as the same moves to deliver one bottle so withdrawn, the next following bottle will drop into operative position for the next subsequent operation of the bottle-actuating means.

A further object of this invention is `to construct a dispenser of the kind described, in which a rotary bottle-carrier element will form a false bottom or intermittent closure wall for the stacked bottles, to thereby engage and support the latter in place, and wherein said closure wall gradually recedes in a direction toward the rotational axis of the carrier element as the latter is actuated to deliver bottles.

An added object of my invention resides in the construction of a device as hereinbefore described, in which the bottle-carrier means will be of substantially S-shape in outline, to form a pair oi oppositely directed open jaws at the two ends, the peripheral surfaces of said means between said jaws providing cam surfaces with which thebottles engage as said means is operated through its predetermined movement, and whereby the upper jaw at the end of each such operation of the carrier means will receive the bottom bottle of the supply of bottles as the lowest jaw will bejejecting a bottle to the point of delivery.

Astill further object of this invention is to construct a device oi the kind described, that only 2 one bottle at a time will be received into the jaw at upper position, and to this end, the peripheral surfaces of the S-shaped carrier are directed radially inwardly for a short distance toward the ends or tips.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described, will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, as will be apparent from the disclosures herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel arrangement, construction and combination of parts herein shown and described, and the uses mentioned, .as will be more clearly pointed out in the following specifications.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a bottle dispenser, with parts broken away in order to show the construction more clearly,

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially `along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a similar cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, there is shown the lower end portion of the housing or casing A for a mechanism used for the dispensing of bottled goods, such as milk, fruit juices, carbonated waters, beverages, etc., preferably having some means of refrigerating the same (although said means are not shown herein as it does not form a part of the instant invention), the housing having one or more upwardly extending extensions or guideways 2 adjacent its lower end.

A plurality oi bottles B may be arranged to cooperate with each of said guideways, these bottles being one above the other, and in the form shown these bottles are stacked in vertical arrangement, one superimposed on the other and with the longitudinal axes of the bottles horizontally.

It is to be especially noted that the lower or bottom end of the guideway is constantly open, as at 3, and is suiciently large to permit the bottles to drop therethrough. However, said open bottom 3 is eiectively sealed, to permit only a predetermined and intermittent passage of bottles therethrough, as will be hereinafter described.

Spaced from and below said open end 3 of the casing or housing is the delivery opening 4, from whence the ejected bottles may be manually withdrawn by the ultimate consumer, after each operation of the dispenser,

This housing is transversely enlarged intermediate the openings 3 and 4 to provide the chamber 5 for the bottle carrying or propelling means, and also cooperates with the latter to guide the bottles in their path of ejectment, as indicated in the lines of arrows of Figs. 2 and 3. y

One or more bottle-carrying or propelling members 6 and v6 may be fixed to the drive shaft 'l journalled in the housing, and in order to control the rotational actuation of the shaft, an operating handle 8 is operably connected to said shaft through gearing S or the like, whereby a predetermined movement of said handle will rotate the members 6 and 6 through a half-revolution, to carry the latter from their full-1ine positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to approximately their full line positions again (inasmuch as said members are alike at diametrically opposed ends). Y Each of said carrier members is ysubstantially Sfsha-ped `in face view, with a pair of open jaws extending in mutually opposed directions at the ends, the jaws I-lll which engage the bottle neck being obviously smaller than the corresponding jaws ll-H that engage the main body portion of the bottle.

Y The peripheral edges of said carrier members act as bottle-engaging cam surfaces l2 and l2', said surfaces dening the S-shape outline of the carrier Vmembers and leading from the exterior surface adjacent one jaw of a pair to the under side of the throat of the other jaw of said pair, and itis to Vbe further noted that each of said cam surfaces is curved or bent radially inwardly vfrom adjacent the outer periphery of each jaw to the tip of the latter.

vIt will also be noted that the outer periphery of each of said carrier members recedes gradually toward the rotational center of the same, from adjacent one of its pair of jaws to the other, to merge with andform the under surface of the lastmentioned jaw. In such manner, said peripheralsurfaceswill act as cam surfaces to form false bottoms or eiective closures for the open l end 3 ofthe casing.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the bottle carrier members are shown in full lines as they would appear apu proximately at the end of each half turn, or at th beginning and end Y`of each bottle ejectment. In thisposition the -lowermost bottle is shown as dropping into the delivery chute or opening 4 fromwh'ence it may be withdrawn manually, and the bottle previously at the bottom of the stack has dropped completely through the opening 3 andis about to lie within 'the jaw then uppermost. With 'the last-mentioned bottle dropped into said jaw, it will engage and support the bottles thereabove. v

Now, when the handle is again operated, the calnperipheries uppermost will move and engage and'support the stack of bottles, the bottom bottle 'of which is shown Yas B', thus acting as van effective 'closure for the said opening 3, and continuation of operation of the handle will cause said cam peripheries to recede gradually radially tofguide said bottle B into the same position previously occupied by the last uppermost bottle B, at the termination ofhandle travel.

Thus, as the carrier members are rotated from the vposition shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, to :approximately the same eiective positions again, after each half-turn of the carriers, a bottle B carried from the jaws initially uppermost will'l'fbe ejected intothe delivery opening, and

are bent *vor directed radially inwardly toward the tips of said jaws, so that there will be no danger =of sa-id tips striking a bottle dropping into position, except at alipointbelow the horizontal plane passed through the longitudinal axis of the bottle.

Having thus described my invention, it is obf vious that various immaterial modications may be 4made lin the same without'departing from 'the spirit .of the same; hence vI Vdo not wish to be understood as limiting "myself to the (exact-form, arrangement, construction vand vcombination lof parts 'herein shown `and described', or luses finentioned, except as limited by the state of the Fart to which this invention appertain-s, yand `the claim hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and ldesiretofsecure fby Letters Patent is:

In a dispenser for bottles, arnagaaine having anupper portion for storing ra pluralityof bottles in direct- -interengagement substantially horizon` tally one above the other and having an open-end through which the bottles may dr-op, 'said magazine having a lower -portionwith abottle-delivery opening spaced vbelow said aforesaid-openen@ a 4rotary 1control vmember =between -sai'dopenV lend and delivery opening to carry bottles-therebetween to the latter-and comprising ,a substantially S-shaped member provided with a `:pair of --diametrically spaced -circumfferentialfly extending oppositely directed bottleereceivingjaws in lwhich said bottles may seat, there being `bottle-engaging cam surfaces leading from the exterior voi .one jaw to the under side of the other j-aw to define said S-shape, the outer `,periphery of-saidcarrier member receding gradually toward the r*rotational axis of the member `from adjacent eachjaw toward its tip, and with'the tips-.of the Ajaws exe tending circumierentially lbeyond the Vbottle seats of the -jaws, whereby the vstored bottles will be lifted slightly and then loweredas they'are actuated frombelowby said carrier `member,and whereby when the bottom 'bottle in the ,magazine falls through said open end of the upper portion it is spaced from the throat of theladjacent'jaw and is subsequently engaged by 'the latter and carried to said delivery opening.

`SIDNEYJ. REFERENCES 'CITED The following references-.-are rof recordhin the le -of this patent:

AUNrrirD STATES-PATENTS

Images