Rowe International Corporation

Agent Systems, Inc.

C-power Companies, Inc.

Other

Algert J Maldanis

Andris C Sloss

David K Giegerich

Gregory E Stoltz

Robert I Courts

Walter L Koch

Brian G Waters

David J Mooney

Barbara Mason Thorn

Dennis Dutkevitch

Dick Thorn

George E Alcorn

Bruce W Davis

A system that allows for hot water on demand and once the water is heated, it is delivered to flavor containing solid material in a pressurized pulse. By heating the water on demand, a more uniform temperature can be achieved and by delivering the heated water in a pressurized pulse, the extraction of flavor from the flavor containing solid material is greatly improved. In addition, to determine the volume of water used in the system, the number of pressurized pulses are counted and that gives a more uniform consistent measurement of the volume of water used instead of the timed delivery of water.

Tankless pulse brewer

A cashbox having a configurable note to coin storage area ratio is disclosed. Accordingly, the cashbox may be adjusted to accept a larger or smaller number of notes and a smaller or larger number of coins, respectively, depending on the circumstances of deployment of the configurable cashbox. Preferably, the note storage area is adapted to accept and retain notes in a tight stack suitable for easy removal and machine sorting and/or counting. In a preferred embodiment, the configurable cashbox is secure in that the cashbox locks into a housing with only limited access provided to the note and coin storage areas to allow deposit of cash into the cashbox. In order to remove the cashbox from the housing, access to the note and coin storage areas is secured such that once the cashbox is independent from the housing any unauthorized access to the storage areas is easily detectable. Preferably, to aid in tracking individual cashboxes and/or for use in accounting for the monies collected in a particular cashbox, the cashbox includes a machine readable identification.

Configurable cashbox

A system and method are taught for receiving a plurality of different sized coins substantially simultaneously and outputting the received coins serially. The output of coins according to the preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention is controlled so as not to exceed a predetermined rate in order to accommodate systems downstream, such as a coin validator. The disclosed coin singulator system is substantially free of obstructions likely to cause jamming or miss-feeding of coins as well as to provide open access to an operator to remove coins prior to their singulation.

System and method for coin singulation

A system and method for providing automatic validation of fares collected is disclosed. An automatic validating farebox, being adapted for mobile use, such as in the cabin of a bus, and to provide convenient access to both patrons and an operator, includes validation mechanisms and circuitry to accept patron payment in both coin and note. All tendered payment is automatically validated as to acceptable tender as well as its value being electronically registered. Accordingly, the operator is freed from validating payment of a fare and may simply confirm that the registered value is the proper amount for the type of fare purchased. The automatic validating farebox also includes mechanisms adapted both to store accepted currency in an efficient manner as well as to present the collected currency in a manner readily acceptable for handling and counting.

Automatic validating farebox system and method

A programmable size and price-setting mechanism for use in a vending machine has a plurality of n access doors aligned horizontally across a front of the vending machine, each of which access doors has a locked condition denying access therethrough and an unlocked condition allowing access therethrough, and each of which is selectably activatable between the locked and unlocked condition. There are a plurality of horizontal shelves each of which has a plurality of partitionable areas corresponding in size to a corresponding one of the n access doors, such that each shelf is selectably partitionable into a plurality of up to n product holding areas. A conveyor mechanism is provided for selectably moving each horizontal shelf into a vending position adjacent to the access doors so that each one of the n partitionable areas is adjacent to a corresponding one the n access doors. A sensor detects which of the plurality of shelves is positioned adjacent to the plurality of n access doors. A plurality of n actuatable buttons are mounted on the vending machine, each actuatable button adjacent to one of the n access doors. A money-receiving and value detection device is also provided. Programmable control circuitry is operatively connected to the plurality of actuatable buttons, to the shelf position sensor and to the money-receiving and value detection device for activating a selected one or more of the n access doors from the locked to the unlocked condition upon detecting a programmed value of money received, upon detecting a selected one of the plurality of shelves positioned adjacent to the access doors, and upon actuation of one of the actuatable buttons located adjacent to the one or more n access doors through which access to one of the product holding areas is desired.

Multiple price and size setting method for vending machines

Cold drink vending machine

A drive mechanism for movement of a horizontal shelf in a vending machine includes first and second spaced apart rotatable sprockets. A continuous chain engages and extends around the first and second spaced apart sprockets. A plurality of brackets are attached to the continuous chain supported in a fixed angular relationship to the chain and at predetermined distances along the length of the chain for movement therewith upon rotation of the sprockets. Gear portions are affixed to the vending machine adjacent to and extending approximately 180.degree. around the first and second sprocket. A planetary idler gear is rotatably mounted on the bracket for engagement with the track gear portions. The planetary idler gear is sized for having a predetermined gear ratio with the track gear. A pinion idler gear is coaxially affixed for co-rotation with the planetary idler gear thereby forming an idler gear pair mounted to the bracket for rotation relative to the bracket. A shelf gear is mounted to the bracket for rotation relative thereto and is positioned for engagement with the pinion idler gear. A shelf-receiving boss is rigidly affixed to the shelf gear with a clip thereon for receiving and holding a shelf in a fixed relationship to the shelf gear thereby holding the shelf in a constant angular position relative to the drive mechanism when the bracket traverses 180.degree. around the first and second sprockets.

Drive mechanism for moving a horizontal shelf in a vending machine

A cold drink container vending machine having a front window panel through which cold drinks in serpentine tracks can be viewed for selection. Pre-cooled cold drink container holding racks are aligned with the serpentine tracks so that the pre-cooled containers can be viewed when vendable containers in the serpentine tracks are depleted. Continuous advertisement is provided in the form of the cold drink containers themselves which are viewed through the transparent front window panel.

Cold drink vending machine with window front panel

A control panel drawer for a consumer-operated vending machine of a type having a cabinet defining an internal volume in which vendable products are held for selectable vending, a front display at which vendable products are designated with price and selection indicia and a money acceptance and product selection panel at which an amount of money corresponding to the price of a desired product selection and instructions for dispensing the desired product selection are entered by the consumer and an operatively associated vending mechanism connected through an electronic circuit to vend the selected product to the consumer in response to insertion of money and instructions from a consumer to the control panel drawer includes a drawer which is slidably connected to the vending machine cabinet having a first position at which the drawer is inserted within the vending machine cabinet adjacent to the internal product holding volume and a second position slidably extended forward of the front display. The selection panel is attached to a front surface of the drawer which is substantially parallel to the product front display when the drawer is in the first position. The electronic circuit board is attached to the drawer and movable therewith, so that it is enclosed within the cabinet when the drawer is in the first position and so that it is accessibly exposed when the drawer is in the second position. Flexible connectors extend between the electronic circuit board and the vending mechanism so that the drawer is slidable between the first and the second positions without disconnecting the electronic circuit board from the vending mechanism.

Universal pull-out drawer for vending machine

A vending mechanism for a cylindrical article dispenser of a type having a column of stacked cylindrical articles moved along a dispensing pathway by a force, such as by the force of gravity, is disclosed, which has an escapement mechanism which is attachable in operative alignment with a vending pathway of a column of stacked cylindrical articles. An upstream arm is pivotably attached in the escapement mechanism, having a first position blocking a portion of the vending pathway and having a second position retracted from the vending pathway to allow cylindrical articles to move past the upstream arm. A downstream arm is pivotably attached in the escapement mechanism, having a first position blocking a portion of the vending pathway and having a second position retracted from the vending pathway to allow cylindrical articles to move past the downstream arm. A first rotary cam is rotatably attached in the escapement mechanism and has a profile shape for moving the upstream arm between its first and second positions. A second rotary cam is coaxially rotatable with the first cam and has a profile shape for moving the downstream arm between its second position and its first position. The first and second rotatable cams have their profile shapes offset with respect to each other so that the upstream arm is moved into its blocking position only when the downstream arm is also in its blocking position, and so that the downstream arm is moved into or out of its blocking position only when the upstream arm is in its blocking position, such that co-rotation of the cams does not act to raise either the upstream or the downstream arm against the force which causes the column to move along the dispensing pathway.

Cold drink vending mechanism

A multipurpose, refrigerated food vending machine of the type which includes a rotatable carousel divided into compartments for receiving merchandise to be vended from the machine. A microprocessor controls and tracks various functions in the machine. In particular, the microprocessor is programmed to rotate the carousel through a predetermined increment and at a predetermined time interval to periodically reposition the merchandise disposed in the carousel such that the merchandise is maintained at the average temperature prevailing in the cabinet of the machine.

Growing community of inventors

Heath, TX, United States of America

Algert J Maldanis