GB1377938A - Cup dispensing apparauts - Google Patents

Abstract

1377938 Cup dispensing apparatus VENDO CO 5 Feb 1973 [27 Sept 1972] 5509/73 Heading A4T Cup dispensing apparatus comprises means including a cup dispensing mechanism 48 on a base 12 presenting a station from which cups 90 are to be released, the mechanism being operable when actuated for separating and releasing the lower most cup 90a from a column of nested cups 90 disposed at the station. A cup supply turret assembly 16 is rotatably mounted by means on the base for selectively positioning the assembly to dispose any of a plurality of columns of cups at the station, and cyclic actuating means 62 is operably coupled with the mechanism. Combination cup supply sensing and turret assembly indexing means includes a shiftable device 72 operatively coupled with the actuating means for oscillation of the device between a standby position and a displaced position during each cycle of the actuating means, portions of the device being movable laterally with respect to its path of oscillation, one 84 of the portions being engageable with a column of cups at the station to hold another 86 of the portions out of indexing engagement with the device when an undepleted column of cups is at the station, said another portion being engageable to index the turret when the column of cups at the station is depleted to at least a predetermined extent. The turret assembly 16 consists of a wheel 22 having a hub 24 received on a spindle 14 mounted on the base 12, the wheel having openings 26 aligned with tubes 18 for receiving the columns of stacked cups. The spindle has legs 34, 36, 38 carrying a slide plate 40 disposed beneath wheel 22 and on which the columns slide, the plate having a cut-away aligned with an opening 20 in the base at the-dispensing station. A spring-loaded detent 44 on leg 34 projects through plate 40 into a selected one of sockets 46 in wheel 22. In cup separating and dispensing mechanism 48 is located beneath base 12 and consists of a number of cams 50 which engage the lip of the lowermost cup in a column and are rotatable by a ring gear 52 under the action of a spring 54 to release a cup when a cam 56 driven by gearing 64 from a motor 62 actuated by a coin-forced mechanism, a projection 60 on the gear 52 is released by a part 56b of the cam 56, a part 56a of the cam return the ring gear and cams 50 to their initial position supporting the lowermost cup. The cup supply sensing and turret indexing assembly consists of an arm 74 pivotally mounted on a post 76 extending from the ring gear 52 through an arcuate slot 78 in the base. A spring 82 urges the arm towards the releasing station and the arm carries a triangular plate 84 for engagement with the cups at the releasing station and a pawl 86 for engaging ratchet teeth 88 on the turret plate 22. When more than a predetermined number of cups is present in the column at the releasing station, the plate 84, during the releasing movement of the ring gear 52, engages the cups and prevents the pawl 86 from engaging teeth 88. When the supply of cups is depleted below the predetermined number, the pawl 86 engages the teeth 22 to index the turret when the cups dispensing mechanism is actuated. The spindle assembly 14 can be mounted in one of a plurality of positions to receive turrets having different numbers of columns, e.g. 6 or 9 columns to vary the capacity of the apparatus.