Abstract: Apparatus for preventing circuit burn-out in motor driven merchandisers, in one form of which a plurality of redundant diodes connects a price matrix to the open contacts of the selection switches. In another form, the price matrix is connected to the first normally open contacts of double pole, double throw selection switches, the second normally open contacts connected to the delivery drive means.

Abstract: A nozzle assembly for use with a cold drink machine for selectively delivering a plurality of drinks each having a beverage principal component and a beverage flavoring component to a cup positioned at a delivery location accessible to a customer in which a unitary body of molded synthetic resin is formed with a base having an upwardly extending centrally located guide provided with a bore for receiving a beverage principal component delivery fitting having a discharge flow axis and with a wall extending upwardly around the guide from said base to a rim and with the inner surface inclined inwardly from the rim to the base. A plurality of grooves spaced around said guide and extending along said inner wall surface into holes in said base are adapted to receive and position respective flavoring nozzles with the flow axes thereof intersecting said fitting flow axis at a predetermined point.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An improved delivery box assembly for a merchandising machine in which a door biased by gravity to a position at which it closes the delivery box opening is adapted to be pushed inwardly to rotate a pair of cranks carrying pins which ride in slots formed in crank arms carried by baffle pivots to rotate the baffle to a position at which it prevents access to the merchandise storage units of the machine before the door has been opened to an appreciable degree. An anti-jam flap prevents an article which is delivered while the door is open from falling into a pocket formed by the pivoted baffle and a stationary baffle thus to prevent jamming of the mechanism as the parts return to their initial position.

Abstract: An interface between a merchandising machine which requires a voltage of a first magnitude for its operation and a coin mechanism which operates at a voltage of a second magnitude in which each selection of the machine is provided with a customer-operated double-pole switch, one pole of which is connected to the coin mechanism to complete the circuit of a relay through the second magnitude voltage source if a sum in money aggregating the purchase price of the article corresponding to the operated switch has been deposited. Completion of the relay circuit closes a switch to complete a circuit from the first magnitude voltage source to the selected unit operating element through the other pole of the operated double-pole switch.

Abstract: Apparatus for accepting a U.S. bill or other paper currency having a portrait area printed with magnetic ink with spaced parallel lines in the background portions thereof. A pair of zones of predetermined length normally containing said portions and disposed a predetermined distance from an edge of the bill are first magnetized and then moved past a magnetic head to produce a train of pulses spaced by time intervals corresponding to the distance between the lines. For each scanning zone the number of such time intervals falling within a predetermined range is counted, and the bill is rejected unless the number of such time intervals counted is at least a predetermined minimum. In another aspect of the disclosure, an area of the bill normally containing nonmagnetic ink is scanned by a sensor that generates a pulse edge on traversing a magnetic bill portion, and the bill is rejected if a predetermined number of pulse edges are generated during the scanning of such area.

Abstract: A merchandising machine shelf supporting structure in which respective left and right hand cabinet panel supported lower guide rails receive rollers mounted at the rear of the shelf and in which left and right hand shelf supported upper guide rails receive cabinet panel carried rollers mounted adjacent to the front of the cabinet. As the shelf is moved manually from a housed or home position at which shelf carried plugs engage cabinet carried sockets the rollers and rails support the cabinet so that the force required to withdraw the shelf is relatively low. As the shelf approaches its intermediate position at which the shelf is to be loaded, pins on the shelf engage stops at the front ends of the lower guide rails and the shelf is permitted to pivot to a position at which the shelf rollers are received in recesses formed by elements secured to lower guide rails. After loading the shelf may easily be returned to its home position.

Abstract: A device for setting the switches of a circuitboard-carried dual in-line package [DIP] which includes an array of miniature closely lined switch actuators such as toggle elements adapted to be rocked around a common axis to open and close their associated switches, which device has a recess with an outline configuration conforming to that of the package to receive the upper portion of the package to bring the lower ends of a plurality of operating arms pivotable around a common axis and having an interarm spacing corresponding to the toggle elements spacing into cooperative relationship with the toggle elements. The arms have offset handles with progressively increasing offsets from the center handles outwardly and extend through slots in the cover of the device so that the interhandle spacing is appreciably greater than is the spacing between adjacent switch toggle elements.

Abstract: A releasable locking mechanism for maintaining the door of a merchandising machine in an open position for loading or servicing. Respective link arms pivotally interconnected at one end are pivotally coupled at their other ends to the door and to the cabinet for movement to an aligned position limiting further movement of the door away from the cabinet. A spring biases one of the arms from its aligned position against a stop to provide an automatic locking action, while an extension of the link arm coupled to the door permits ready kick release of the arms from their locking position.

Abstract: A disco lamp controller for a coin-operated phonograph in which a signal derived from the audio amplifier signal of the phonograph is applied to the trigger input of an astable multivibrator the output of which is applied to a register the outputs of which cause lamps sequentially to light in time to the beat of the music being played. In the absence of the audio signal the lamps light at a constant frequency.

Abstract: Electronic apparatus for recording the number of times each selection offered by a vending machine is chosen by customers and for displaying such information sequentially in either ascending or descending order.

Abstract: An automatic selector unit for repetitively actuating an automatic phonograph to play randomly selected records includes a first timer for measuring the elapsed time since a previous play and a continuously running second timer for generating periodic pulses. The unit actuates the scanning mechanism of the phonograph after a predetermined elapsed time to bring different records successively into position for play and thereafter actuates the player mechanism on the next pulse from the second timer to play the record then in position for play.

Abstract: A ticket dispensing head for delivering individual tickets from a string of tickets connected by laterally extending lines of ticket material weakness in which tickets are advanced along a generally linear path past a breaker blade toward a limit switch adjustably positioned in the path of movement of the tickets beyond the breaker blade by a distance slightly greater than the length of a ticket with actuation of the switch interrupting the ticket drive to position the line of weakness connecting the leading ticket to the next ticket just beyond the blade breaker edge to permit a folder to fold the ticket along the so positioned line over the blade breaker edge for severing of the first ticket precisely along said positioned line upon subsequent actuation of the breaker blade to move along a path generally parallel to the ticket path. The position of the switch is adjusted to accommodate tickets of different size.

Abstract: A versatile merchandising machine for dispensing a variety of goods including bagged snacks and the like in which each of a plurality of delivery units of one of a number of vertically spaced shelves includes a pair of horizontally aligned oppositely wound helices which receive articles between aligned pairs of turns of the helices and in which selectively energisable individual detent motors respectively drive the helices of the pairs in opposite directions to advance the leading article of the unit into engagement with an article control element hanging down in front of the unit to guide the article to control its movement over the edge of the shelf and downwardly to a delivery area. The shelves can be slid outwardly and swung downwardly through a limited arc to facilitate loading.

Abstract: An improved delivery system for a merchandising machine of the first-in first-out type in which each section comprises a spring clutch adapted to be actuated to couple a gear train to a common drive shaft to rotate an escrow member and to step a chain of merchandise-carrying paddles to cause a surface of the escrow member and one of the paddles, which together support the article next to be dispensed in a viewing position, to open in the manner of a trap door to deliver that article to a tray which is accessible to the customer.

Abstract: Syrup tanks in a beverage dispenser having a cold water bath are cooled by circulating water from the water bath through a coil disposed adjacent to the syrup tanks in heat exchange relationship therewith. In the preferred embodiment, the coil is located between adjacent rows of syrup tanks to maximize heat transfer.