Other

Distributed Vending Company

Frank Ruskin

Anton K Simson

Henri J A Charmasson

Peter C Brusso

John D Buchaca

Van N Fellner

Joel E Haynes

Todd A Simson

A method for centralized mass processing of substitutable, good-holding magazines used in conjunction with computer-controlled vending machines. A memory-chip-mounting smart-card is used, not only to enter into the machines the magazine location and price of the various goods, but also to carry a sales transaction record of the replaced magazine, thus avoiding the need for magazine locking mechanisms and other security measures.

Processing method for vending machine with substitutable magazines

A vending machine is housed in a light, yet sturdy enclosure made of an external sheet metal shell and an internal seamless plastic liner between which a volume of expanded synthetic foam material is injected. One or more good-holding magazines are removably held within the enclosure. A keypad, alpha-numerical display and card reader are packaged in the door closing the front of the enclosure. A driving motor module and a coin acceptor are removably mounted against the inside liner. Due to the absence of complex or delicate structure, the machine can be serviced, cleaned and sanitized within minutes. A pair of vending machine, one holding snack food, the other beverage cans are coupled to work together and dispense combinations of items from a single control panel. Both the beverage and snack food holding magazines are driven from the same type of motor module mounted inside the liner.

Compact vending machine

A centralized method for selling items through a plurality of vending machines installed at various companies' sites comprises using vending machines having a substitutable goods-holding magazines from which goods can be extracted only when fully installed inside a vending machine and only by use of a special key when the magazines are outside their machines. The magazines are filled at the supply center and distributed along pre-established delivery routes. The servicing of each machine consists essentially of opening the machine, removing the previously installed magazine, substituting a new full magazine and securely locking the machine without any accounting of goods or currency or any other maintenance work.

Centralized machine vending method

A light and compact vending machine suitable for use on a table or counter top, uses interchangeable magazines that can be preloaded with goods at a service center and quickly and conveniently installed on or removed from the machine. Each magazine has good-holding stations that differ in numbers and sizes. Each station has an access port on the front of the magazine toward which a spiral rack driven by a mechanism mounted in the machine moves goods. The currency accepted in payment for the goods is automatically dropped into a sealed receptacle at the bottom of the magazine. Each magazine is secured by a door that opens automatically only when the magazine is in place and the machine door has been locked. Personnel servicing the machine by replacing an empty one with a loaded one need not handle the goods or the cash. In some alternate embodiments of the invention, packaged goods and beverage cans slide down along slanted channels toward dispensing gates under their own weight.

Compact table-top vending machine

A vending machine which comprises a replaceable, transparent loading magazine forming an array of honeycomb slots holding the goods to be dispensed. The magazine is positioned over the slanted top of the vending machine. Each honeycomb slot has a small hinged trap door upon which the goods held therein rest. The trap door is held closed by a flexible member associated with a system of crossbars. A solenoid is used at the end of each crossbar to shift it laterally. Only the flexible member positioned at the cross point of two activated crossbars is allowed to move and release the corresponding trap door. A chute under the trap doors directs the goods falling therethrough toward a dispensing station. The goods selection is made by dialing on a keyboard the identifying symbol of the slot holding the desired item. The keyboard is activated by signals issued from a coin box after detection of the correct change. Selective enablement of certain keys according to the amount of change deposited allows for different pricing between columns of goods-holding slots.

A vending machine which comprises a replaceable, transparent loading magazine forming an array of honeycombed slots holding the goods to be dispensed. The magazine is positioned upside down over a plate having a small trap door under each slot. A chute under the trap doors directs the food falling through the trap doors toward a dispensing slot. The trap doors are controlled by electrical signals generated upon selection of the goods by the customer. The selection is made by dialing on a numerical keyboard the identification of the slot holding the desired item. The selection is enabled by a signal issued from the coin box after acceptance of the correct change.

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Frank Ruskin