Rowe International Corporation

C-power Companies, Inc.

Andris C Sloss

Algert J Maldanis

David K Giegerich

Lloyd D Herring

Frank T Scalera

Walter L Koch

Thomas J Maulshagen

Thomas Meinardi

Jeffery Kalis

A programmable size and price setting mechanism for use in a vending machine has a plurality of .eta. 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 .eta. access doors, such that each shelf is selectably partitionable into a plurality of up to .eta. 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 .eta. partitionable areas is adjacent to a corresponding one the .eta. access doors. A sensor detects when one of the plurality of shelves is positioned adjacent to the plurality of .eta. access doors. A keypad with a plurality of actuatable buttons is pivotably mounted on the vending machine for use by a consumer in a 'vending mode' of operation and for use as a programming keypad to set compartment sizes and product prices when in a 'service mode' of operation. A money receiving and value detection device is also provided. Programmable control circuitry is operatively interconnected with the keypad to the shelf position sensor and to the money receiving and value detection device for activating a selected one or more of the .eta. access doors from the closed to the opened condition and positioning the selected one of the plurality of shelves and compartments into position adjacent to the access doors, upon detecting a programmed value of money received, and upon actuation of appropriate keypad buttons to select the desired compartment to actuate one or more of the .eta. access doors through which access to one of the desired product holding areas is achieved.

Pivot keypad and dual interface for multiple price and size setting

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

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 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

An improved cup drop ring including a plurality of cams having pivot axes disposed on the locus of a circle for concomitant rotation to release a cup, respective pinions on said cams and respective racks engaging said pinions pivotally supported on a drive ring with a mechanism for concomitantly moving said pivot axes radially to accommodate a different size cup while maintaining said racks in engagement with said pinions.

Cup drop ring for drink machine

A cup delivery and turret indexing arrangement in which a motor receives a signal indicating that a cup is to be delivered to drive its shaft first to actuate a cup drop ring over which one turret column is positioned and to release a cup supply sensing arm which moves to permit a full cycle switch to close. When the last cup at a predetermined column level has been dropped, the arm moves to position a turret drive slide in the path of a crank pin driver by the shaft to rotate the turret to position a fresh column over the cup drop ring.

Growing community of inventors

Sussex, NJ, United States of America

Andris C Sloss