Patents by Inventor Donald C. Rockola
Donald C. Rockola has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 5162712Abstract: A compact disc program display mechanism in which album covers are displayed on pages similar to a book presentation; each album having a selection indicia visually associated therewith for selection by the customer. The several pages are turned in response to energization of an electrical drive motor and gear train, controlled manually by customer accessible push button switches or automatically by a programmed microprocessor. Each energization of the motor serves to pivotally turn a pair of pages in one direction with the indexing movements of the pages being controlled by an opto-switch and the microprocessor for deenergizing the drive motor at predetermined page movement. Reverse movement of the pages is also conditioned by the opto-switch which signals the micro-processor to reverse the rotational direction of the drive motor. Each page displays album covers on both its front and back sides for customer viewing.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 1991Date of Patent: November 10, 1992Assignee: Rock-Ola Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Donald C. Rockola, Shuja Haque
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Patent number: 5080256Abstract: A slant-shelf magazine for an automatic, coin controlled, vending machine adapted to dispense cylindrical articles, such as canned or bottled beverages, which are stored and gravitationally fed from plural, parallel, horizontally inclined superposed storage racks into a vertical drop chute located opposite the lower ends of such racks. The drop chute communicates with a horizontally inclined delivery chute having a vend mechanism at its lowermost end for releasing articles one-by-one to a discharge hopper upon customer selection. The delivery chute is oppositely inclined from the storage racks and is joined to the drop chute by an intervening curvilinear guideway formed to reverse the gravitational movement direction of the articles prior to entry into the delivery chute for purposes of reducing article load forces on the vend mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 1990Date of Patent: January 14, 1992Assignee: Rock-Ola Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Donald C. Rockola
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Patent number: 5077923Abstract: A compact disc program display mechanism in which album covers are displayed on pages similar to a book presentation; each album having a selection indicia visually associated therewith for selection by the customer. The several pages are turned in response to energization of an electrical drive motor and gear train, controlled manually by customer accessible push button switches or automatically by a programmed microprocessor. Each energization of the motor serves to pivotally turn a pair of pages in one direction with the indexing movements of the pages being controlled by an opto-switch and the microprocessor for deenergizing the drive motor at predetermined page movement. Reverse movement of the pages is also conditioned by the opto-switch which signals the micro-processor to reverse the rotational direction of the drive motor. Each page displays album covers on both its front and back sides for customer viewing.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 1990Date of Patent: January 7, 1992Assignee: Rock-Ola Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Donald C. Rockola, Shuja Haque
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Patent number: 5031164Abstract: An automatically operable compact disc record holding mechanism for accurately depositing and positioning a magnetic holder coaxially over the central record centering hub of a compact disc record turn table such that the magnetic holder is guided into a record holding position along a circular arc and released at a point of tangency with the central vertical axis of the turn table hub while in a substantially horizontal attitude for effecting reliably accurate positioning of the magnetic holder to insure proper holding operation thereof.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 1989Date of Patent: July 9, 1991Assignee: Rock-Ola Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Donald C. Rockola, Shuja Haque
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Patent number: 4997106Abstract: A storage magazine for use in coin operated automatic vending machines composed of a plurality of side-by-side vertical storage columns or magazine sections, each having at least two back-to-back aligned serpentine tracks which store a plurality of cylindrical articles and gravitationally feed the same to an underlying discharge ramp common to both tracks. The ramp cooperates with a wedge feed system for operatively integrating articles discharged from each of the tracks into a single column in which the articles from the individual tracks are arranged in alternating order for first-in, first-out vending by a single coin operated vend mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 1989Date of Patent: March 5, 1991Assignee: Rock-Ola Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Donald C. Rockola
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Patent number: 4923090Abstract: A delivery assembly for a coin-operated can vending machine constituting a simplified structural arrangement of parts productive of economies of manufacture and assembly comprising a delivery shroud assembly mounted opposite and behind a delivery opening in the front door of the machine cabinet and formed by two identical stamped metal parts which are operationally interchangeable, are fixedly interjoined to form a can delivery passageway and which are supported on frame members carried within the interior of the cabinet door. A deflector is mounted across the shroud assembly passageway to alter the path of can movement therethrough. The outer end of the shroud assembly abuts the inside face of the front door panel adjacent a delivery opening therein and is fastened to a frame member disposed over the exterior of the front door panel. The frame member conceals the edges of the delivery opening and provides a hand opening for customer retrieval of a can delivered to a delivery stage of the shroud assembly.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 1988Date of Patent: May 8, 1990Assignee: Rock-Ola Manfacturing CorporationInventors: Donald C. Rockola, Shuja Haque
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Patent number: 4913313Abstract: A magazine having multiple columns for storing cylindrical articles, such as canned beverages, in a coin operated vending machine. The magazine is fabricated preferably of sheet metal to include a plurality of vertical planar wall members held in parallel spaced relation by intervening transverse spacers and connector rods forming a plurality of vertical article storage columns therebetween. Opposing faces of each of two adjacent wall members are provided with a pair of laterally spaced non-overlapping serpentine rail assemblies. Opposing pairs of such rail assemblies between adjacent wall members are registeringly aligned to form two non-overlapping serpentine tracks which are designed to support cylindrical articles, such as beverage cans and the like.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 1988Date of Patent: April 3, 1990Assignee: Rock-Ola Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Donald C. Rockola
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Patent number: 4886325Abstract: An in-door mounted shadow-box type display assembly for use in can vending machines by which the various items available for selection are visually displayed to the customer and identified by indicia which coordinate with the article designating indicia of the machine's selection system. The assembly comprises a unitary frame adapted to be mounted within the interior of the vending machine's front door, behind a transparent area of the door's front panel. Plural display openings or sockets are provided in a planar display panel associated with the frame for receiving full size cans in upright display position. Such openings accept the vertical can dimension, but are smaller than the diameter thereof so that only a chordal segment of each can is exposed to customer view. Springs or similar elastic members are used to engage and hold the cans in their display openings.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 1988Date of Patent: December 12, 1989Assignee: Rock-Ola Mfg. CorporationInventors: Donald C. Rockola, Shuja Hague
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Patent number: 4306644Abstract: A coin chute structure for conveying coins from a coin receptive slot to a remotely disposed coin receptor apparatus; the chute structure being distinguished by a partially open bottom structure capable of supporting coins passing thereover while effectively intercepting any liquids injected into the chute so as to deflect the same harmlessly away from the coin receptor apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 1980Date of Patent: December 22, 1981Assignee: Rock-Ola Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Donald C. Rockola, Floyd V. Bookout, Clifford F. Czech
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Patent number: 4258838Abstract: A bonus award system for an automatic phonograph offers bonus pricing during bonus time intervals. Optionally operable means are provided for initiating bonus intervals in the absence or presence of record plays during random time intervals, which are determined in part by phonograph customer activity.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1979Date of Patent: March 31, 1981Inventors: Donald C. Rockola, Michael Schneider, Leonard A. Distaso
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Patent number: D306092Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 1989Date of Patent: February 20, 1990Assignee: Rock-Ola Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Donald C. Rockola
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Patent number: D322286Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 1989Date of Patent: December 10, 1991Assignee: Rock-Ola Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Donald C. Rockola, Shuja Haque