Abstract: The combination of a vend control circuit with a device to accumulate an ongoing history of the operation of a vending machine capable of vending products and making change, the improvements comprising circuit elements for detecting the occurence of an interruption in the supply of power from a power source to the circuit and operable to prevent loss of stored information on the ongoing machine operations before resetting the circuit, an internal source of energy rechargeable by the power source, a pricing matrix and associated switches the combined settings of which establish the vend price for the machine, and a sensor device responsive whether or not the door to the vending the machine is open for restocking or servicing including a control circuit associated with the door sensor device for distinguishing between vends made by the vending machine when the door is open and vends made by the machine when the door is closed.

Abstract: A device for monitoring the coins in one or more coin tubes on a vending machine to maintain a running total of the coins therein that are available to pay back excess deposits and to make refunds. The device may include one or more coin tubes for containing a supply of coins of respective denominations, the coin tubes being included in a coin unit for receiving coins deposited in the vending machine and for directing the coins to the respective coin tubes. The coin unit includes an accumulator associated with each coin tube for counting each coin that enters therein and for subtracting therefrom the number of coins paid out, each of the accumulators including a mechanism for establishing a minimum and a maximum number of coins that can be maintained in the coin tube.

Abstract: A vend control circuit for a multi-channel vendor, including a credit entry circuit, a plurality of selection switches actuatable for selecting different vend selections, a plurality of vend motors, each vend selection having a vend motor associated therewith, a plurality of vend channels each of which may have a different, pre-established vend price associated therewith, a master control circuit for accumulating total credit entered, which master control circuit sequentially compares the total credit entered against the vend prices of each of the vend channels and produces for each such comparison a vend channel authorization signal if the total credit deposited at least equals the vend price, a delivery control circuit for effecting energization of a particular vend motor when a vend selection switch with which such particular vend motor is associated is actuated during the time that a vend channel authorization signal is being produced for the vend channel to which the actuated switch belongs, and a monito

Abstract: A vend control system for vending machines which accept credit, have an established vend price, include customer actuatable selection capability, apparatus for producing a selected vend, and an empty product device operable to prevent energizing of the associated vend producing apparatus when the supply of articles to be vended thereby is exhausted, the improvement including a circuit for establishing a power connection when an amount deposited at least equals the established vend price, circuit elements constructed to respond to the power connection to establish a credit condition and to enable selecting a product for vending including generating a vend signal in response thereto, a circuit responsive to the generation of a vend signal to enable energizing of selected vend producing apparatus, and a switch device under control of each respective vend producing apparatus to establish a circuit condition in association with the respective empty product device to assure that an energized vend producing apparatu

Abstract: A conditioning time control and method of operation thereof for controlling the pre-vend conditioning of products in a multi-selection vendor having credit entry circuitry, vend selection switches, each vend selection having a pre-established vend price associated therewith, product conditioning circuitry, and vend producing circuitry responsive to actuation of a vend selection switch for effecting delivery of a selected product to the customer when the credit entered is at least equal to the vend price for the selected product, the conditioning time control including circuitry to inhibit vending of the product associated with a particular vend selection for a period of time to permit preconditioning of such product, conditioning selection switches operable by authorized personnel for individually establishing the particular selections to be inhibited, and a reset switch operable by authorized personnel, the inhibiting circuitry being responsive to actuations of the conditioning selection switches and to oper

Abstract: An improved vending control system for controlling events and sequences of events involved in vending and paying out or refunding of amounts deposited, the system including product delivery sensing apparatus to monitor the delivery of products and to indicate when a product dispensing cycle has been successfully completed, the sensing apparatus including a sensor device located to sense the dispensing of all products, circuits connecting the sensor device to produce outputs whenever a product being delivered is sensed, a timing device for establishing a predetermined time interval whenever a product delivery operation is initiated, and a comparator circuit to compare the time of occurrence of an output of the sensing apparatus to the predetermined time interval to control terminating a vend cycle and the subtracting of the price of a vend from an amount of credit entered by the customer.

Abstract: A pricing device for use in coin controlled and related devices such as coin changers and other vending control circuits including an electronic memory device for entering and storing price information, and programming controls for the memory device including information entry controls, memory addressing controls including controls for selecting a particular vend at a particular vend price, controls for addressing and storing in the memory device and for reading out therefrom selected vend price information, controls for disabling the memory entry controls during readout, and vend selection input and readout controls for the memory device.

Abstract: A vend control system capable of vending products or services as selected comprising a plurality of vend producing devices each capable when actuated of producing a vend, circuits connecting the vend producing devices in a matrix circuit wherein the devices are arranged in first and second groupings, each of the devices having a first and a second input connection, the first input connections of each of the first selected groupings of the devices being connected in common, the second input connections of each of the second selected groupings being connected in common, a first drive circuit having a plurality of input and output connections, the output connections of which are connected respectively to the first input connections of the devices of the first groupings, a second drive circuit having a plurality of input and output connections, the output connections of which are connected respectively to the second input connections of the devices of the second groupings, a control circuit having a first set of

Abstract: A control circuit for vending and other coin controlled devices including a first accumulator for accumulating the price of each vend, said accumulator having a first input where signals that represent each vend price are entered, a second input where signals for initiating a vend operation are entered, a third accumulator input, and an accumulator output, a pulse generator having an input connected to the third accumulator output, said pulse generator having an output operatively connected to the third accumulator input, said pulse generator producing outputs to enter into the accumulator whenever a vend operation is initiated and until the amount entered into the first accumulator equals the vend price also entered therein, a second accumulator having an input operatively connected to the output of the pulse generator and including means to accumulate the total of all vend prices entered in the first accumulator, and a readout device associated with the second accumulator where the running total being accum

Abstract: A detector device adapted to be used for detecting coins and other metal objects for various purposes including to distinguish between genuine and non-genuine or counterfeit coins, the subject detector device includes an electric tank circuit having a coil through which, or adjacent to which, an object or coin to be detected moves, apparatus to electrically shock the tank circuit to produce an output representative of the object or coin and represented as a damped wave signal the frequency and shape of which depends on the electrical characteristics associated with the tank circuit and on the physical and electric characteristics of an object or coin being detected, and a detector circuit operatively connected to the tank circuit including circuit elements connected to respond to one or more characteristics of the damped wave output.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting objects such as coins and the like and for generating signal responses that depend on the metal content or other characteristics of the object or coin, which apparatus includes a detector circuit including an oscillator device having a coil portion for producing a frequency change due to the presence of an object or coin in the field thereof, said detector circuit producing output responses to represent the presence of objects or coins having certain preselected characteristics, and other control circuits including a circuit portion responsive to the output responses of said detector circuit for inhibiting the operation of such control circuits. The present device may also include a coin handling apparatus which prevents return to a customer of an object or coin that has characteristics that are not acceptable for vending, change making, or other functions.

Abstract: A control circuit for a pay phone including a coin unit where money is deposited and validated, an entry circuit having a first input connected to the coin unit for entry of amounts deposited, a second input to the entry circuit for communicating thereto call price information, a control element operable in response to deposits of an amount at least equal to the call price for enabling the customer to dial his call and to enable phone communication with the dialed phone, and apparatus to control payback of excess amounts deposited. The control circuit is preferably powered by a rechargeable energy source that may optionally be connected to the telephone line to derive charging current therefrom to maintain the charge on the energy source. The present control circuit may employ optical or other forms of couplers to establish connections to communicate the dialing mechanism and telephone handset with its associated transmission controls to the telephone line.

Abstract: A vend and price selection control circuit including selection switches actuatable by a customer to produce any of a plurality of possible vends at different vend prices, all of which are controlled by the same control and logic circuitry and circuit elements to enter pricing information, to apply power to a selected vend operator member and to perform other vend and refund functions. The present control circuit includes a pulse generator for making rapid entry of pricing and other information, a comparator to initiate and effect a vend and other functions, and it has the capacity of a wide range of vend price and product selection capability.

Abstract: A control circuit for vending and like machines which includes an electric circuit with circuit elements and connections which enable vending machines to vend different items costing different amounts and in different quantities with and without quantity discount capability and to return change to the customer for any excess amount deposited.

Abstract: A control circuit for vending and other coin controlled devices which have arrangements to payback amounts deposited in excess of the vend price, the vending machine having a plurality of coin tubes for respectively containing coins of different denominations for payback, each tube having a sensor associated therewith to produce a response whenever the quantity of coins contained therein has fallen below a predetermined quantity insufficient to be used for payback, the improvements comprising a control circuit for controlling the operation of the coin tubes during payback and escrow operations of amounts deposited incuding circuit elements for controlling the making of paybacks and escrowing in the highest possible denominations of coins, said circuit elements responsive to responses produced by the sensor on the respective coin tubes including apparatus for shifting a payout operation from paying back of higher denomination coins to paying back of lower denomination coins whenever the quantity of coins in th

Abstract: A versatile coin controlled circuit for use in vending and other coin operated machines, said circuit including relatively simple means for establishing a vend price and for simultaneously controlling the amount refunded for each deposit in excess of the vend price. The subject improved control circuit also includes novel logic circuitry operable under control of coin actuated switches, .[.novel means.]. .Iadd.a novel accumulator circuit .Iaddend.for accumulating amounts deposited including use of integrated circuits, .[.novel means.]. .Iadd.a novel timing circuit .Iaddend.for timing certain circuit and machine operations, and novel circuitry in the input, vending, and change pay-out portions of the circuit. The subject circuit represents a new generation of coin controlled circuits and is simpler and more compact than known circuits used for the same or similar purposes, and it contains far fewer parts and components.