Coin controlled means for vending machines and the like

A coin controlled circuit for use on vending machines and like devices which have coin units capable of accepting coins of at least two different denominations and including first and second coin actuated switches one of which is actuatable by the deposit of each coin of the lowest acceptable denomination, both said first and said second coin actuated switches being actuated in sequence by the deposit of coins of higher value, said circuit comprising a first pair of gate circuits associated with the first coin switch each of which includes at least two inputs and an output connection means cross-connecting selected input connections of each of said first pair of gate circuits to the outputs of the other of said pair, a second pair of gate circuits associated with the second coin switch, each of the gate circuits of said second pair having at least two inputs and an output connection, means cross-connecting a selected one of the inputs of each of said second pair of gate circuits to the output of the other of said pair, means connecting an output of one of said pair of gate circuits to an input of the other of said pairs, a pair of two position price selection switches the combined settings of which establish a desired one of three possible vend prices, accumulator means operatively connected to selected outputs of the first and second pairs of gates to respond to changes in the conditions thereof when coins are deposited to accumulate an amount to represent the value of coins deposited in the coin unit during each vend operation, other means operatively connecting said two position price selection switches to the selected outputs of said first and second pairs of gates and to the accumulator means, means energizeable to initiate a vend operation whenever the amount accumulated in the accumulator means at least equals the established vend price, and means for resetting the accumulator means simultaneously with the initiation of a vend operation.

Improvements in means for controlling the operations of a vending machine that includes a coin unit capable of accepting coins of more than one different denomination and producing output responses to represent the value of each coin deposited, accumulator means for totaling up the value of coins deposited in the coin unit during each vend operation, vend producting means causing a vend to take place whenever an amount accumulated in the accumulator means at least equals an established vend price, and a payback control energizeable to refund coins equal to any amount deposited in excess of the established vend price, the improvements comprising gate circuit and means coupled between the coin unit and the accumulator means, said gate circuit means including at least two cross-coupled NAND gates each having at least one input connected to receive responses produced when coins of a selected denomination are deposited in the coin unit and an output operatively connected to the accumulator means, a third NAND gate operatively connected to control the energizing of the vend producing means, said third NAND gate having a plurality of input connections and an output connection, means operatively connecting selected locations in the accumulator means to selected inputs of said third NAND gate, means for applying outputs from said cross-coupled NAND gates produced when coins are deposited in the coin unit to at least one of the inputs to the third NAND gate, an output being produced on the output connection of said third NAND gate to initiate a vend operation whenever all of the inputs thereto are simultaneously in a predetermined condition.

Improvements to circuits to control the operations of vending machines that have coin receiving units capable of accepting coins of more than one denomination, said coin units having a plurality of coin switches corresponding respectively to the value of each acceptable coin denomination, accumulator means for accumulating the value of coins deposited in the coin unit during a vending operation, means for establishing a selected vend price for the vending machine, means to initiate a vend operation whenever an amount deposited at least equals the established vend price, means to refund amounts deposited during a vending operation in excess of the established vend price and means for resetting the accumulator means to a predetermined reset condition whenever an amount deposited at least equals the established vend price, the improvements comprising means associated with at least two of the coin switches in the coin unit to prevent the possibility that faulty coin switch operation will be able to make false entries into the accumulator means said means including a pair of crosscoupled NAND gates associated with each of said two coin switches each having an operative connection to the associated coin switch, each of said NAND gates having input and output connections and producing an output response at its output connection whenever a coin actuates the associated coin switch, means connecting the output of one of said pair of cross-coupled NAND gates to an input to the other pair of cross-coupled NAND gates, other means to prevent the vending machine from jackpotting due to faulty operation of one of the coin switches, said anti-jackpot means including a circuit connection between one of the cross-coupled NAND gates associated with the coin switch and the refund means, a refund switch actuatable whenever an amount deposited in the coin unit exceeds the established vend price, and a pair of cross-coupled NAND gates operatively connected to the refund switch.