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US 4,412,607 AGranted
Vending machine with improved means for dispensing products at a predetermined price
OwnerRobert J. Collins, Erich F. Feiglinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vending machine including a plurality of receptacles in which articles to be vended are stored and releasing mechanisms that selectively release the articles from the receptacles. An enabler counts money or other tender deposition in the machine and enables the releasing mechanisms associated with those receptacles containing appropriately priced articles as successive predetermined totals are reached. The money is temporarily deposited in an escrow chamber from which it is released into a bank only after a sensing device determines that an article has in fact been released.
Claims13
A vending machine comprising:
- at least one receptacle for storing a plurality of articles to be vended;
- article-releasing means for releasing said articles sequentially upon actuation thereof;
- a bank chamber for storing tender;
- escrow chamber means forr temporarily holding tender accepted by said machine and for supplying said tender to said bank chamber upon actuation thereof;
- and
- article-sensing means for sensing an article that has been released by said article-releasing means and for actuating said escrow chamber in respons thereto, said article-sensing means comprising exciter means for producing a radiant energy beam and means for detecting said beam;
- and
- exciter sensing means for sensing whether said exciter means is operative to prevent actuation of said article-releasing means if said exciter means becomes inoperative.
5 more elements
A vending machine comprising:
- at least one receptacle for storing a plurality of articles to be vended;
- article-releasing means for releasing said articles sequentially upon actuation thereof;
- selector switch means for selectively actuating said article-releasing means upon actuation thereof;
- enabler means for counting tender accepted by said machine and for enabling said selector switch means when a predetermined total is reached;
- a bank chamber for storing tender;
- escrow chamber means for temporarily holding tender accepted by said machine and for supplying said tender to said bank chamber upon actuation thereof;
- article sensing means for sensing that an article has been released by said article-releasing means and for actuating said escrow chamber in response thereto, said article-sensing means comprising exciter means for producing a radiant energy beam and means for detecting said beam;
- lock out means for disabling said selector switch means when said article-sensing means senses that an article has been released by said article-releasing means;
- and
- enabler reset means responsive to said article-sensing means for resetting said enabler means.
7 more elements
A vending machine comprising:
- at least one receptacle for storing a plurality of articles to be vended;
- article-releasing means for releasing said articles sequentially upon actuation thereof;
- selector switch means for selectively actuating said article-releasing means upon actuation thereof;
- enabler means for counting tender accepted by said machine and for enabling said selector switch means when a predetermined total is reached;
- a bank chamber for storing tender;
- escrow chamber means for temporarily holding tender accepted by said machine and for supplying said tender to said bank chamber upon actuation thereof;
- article sensing means for sensing that an article has been released by said article-releasing means and for actuating said escrow chamber in response thereto, said article-sensing means comprising exciter means for producing a radiant energy beam and means for detecting said beam;
- lock out means for disabling said selector switch means when said article-sensing means senses that an article has been released by said article-releasing means;
- timer means for measuring a predetermined time period following the operation of said selector switch means;
- gate means responsive to said timer means for blocking said enabling signals during said time period;
- and
- timer reset means responsive to said article-sensing means for resetting said timer means.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.