Method and apparatus for dispensing boxed goods
This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 041,982 filed on Apr. 24, 1987 now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the coin vending machine industry it has long been known to place articles to be vended in a vertical stack, and then in response to the customer&#39;s insertion of coins into the machine to eject the bottommost article in a horizontal direction from the stack so that it will move through a slide to a location where the customer can reach it. 
     A need has arisen for a machine that will efficiently dispense cardboard boxes containing, for example, powdered soap. These boxes are of different size and configuration than the items that have hitherto usually been dispensed in coin vending machines. 
     The present invention relates to a dispensing mechanism for dispensing boxed goods, such as boxes of powdered soap, which is efficient in operation, will not damage the boxes being dispensed, is economical to manufacture, and has a long useful life requiring little or no maintenance. 
     Thus the object and purpose of the invention is to provide a novel method for dispensing boxed goods which is efficient in operation, and which utilizes an apparatus that is inexpensive to manufacture and reliable and trouble-free. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the novel method of the invention a pusher member is utilized to push the bottommost box of the stack partially out from under the next-to-bottom box, and then a holding means such as a roller is inserted into the space just vacated by the bottommost box, but at an elevation below the upper surface of the bottommost box. Further horizontal movement of the pusher member causes the bottommost box to be completely pushed out from under the stack, at which time the next-to-bottom box drops partially down and is caught by the holding means. The holding means is then withdrawn in a horizontal direction, allowing the next-to-bottom box to drop down further, this time into the position originally occupied by the bottommost box, so that it now itself becomes the bottommost box of the stack. Thus the entire remaining stack of boxes is lowered in two discrete steps when one box (the bottommost one) is dispensed. 
     According to the presently preferred apparatus of the invention a roller is utilized as the holding means, and the pusher member and the roller are made as parts of a single pusher assembly and are therefore advanced and retracted together. A number of specific features of the mechanism have unobvious but significant advantages. 
    
    
     DRAWING SUMMARY 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a machine in accordance with the invention, containing a stack of boxes waiting to be dispensed; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the machine of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an elevation view, partly in cross-section, taken on Line 3--3 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 3 but showing the pusher assembly in the process of dispensing the bottommost box; 
     FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 4 but showing the pusher assembly ready to be retracted after the bottommost box has been dispensed and the next-to-bottom box has dropped partially down; 
     FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 5 but showing the pusher assembly partly retracted and the next-to-bottom box having dropped still further; 
     FIG. 7 is an elevation view, partly in section, taken on Line 7--7 of FIG. 1 or FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of a first alternate form of the pusher assembly; 
     FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the modified pusher assembly taken on Line 9--9 of FIG. 8; 
     FIGS. 10a through 10e show successive operating steps of the mechanism of FIG. 8; and 
     FIG. 11 is a side elevation view showing a second alternate form of the pusher assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is mow made to the drawings, FIG. 1 through 7, inclusive, illustrating the presently preferred form of my invention. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a machine M has a front plate 10 supporting a conventional coin slide 11. Coin slide 11 has a handle A for advancing the coin slide and its related mechanism, and a return spring 12 for returning the coin slide after a box has been dispensed. The coin slide may, for example, be of the type shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,064. 
     In the interior of the machine a horizontal shelf S supports a vertical stack of boxes B1, B2, B3, etc., where B1 is the bottommost box of the stack. The next-to-bottom box B2 as well as the stack above it are held in their vertically aligned position above the shelf by retaining means R. 
     A pusher assembly P is attached to the coin slide 11 on the interior of the machine M. The pusher assembly P includes, among its other parts, a pusher member 20 having a pair of pusher faces 27, and a roller 30 supported from pin 31. The function of pusher assembly P, under control of the advancing handle A, is to dispense from the stack the bottommost box, initially B1, and then box B2 and the others in sequence. 
     The boxes B when stacked in the machine lie on their sides, and not in the upright position in which they would be used for pouring out their powdered soap contents. For convenience in description, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, each box has a length L, a width W, and a thickness T. If a box were being used in normal fashion for pouring out its contents its height would be the dimension L, but in the arrangement as stacked inside the machine the vertical height of the box is its thickness dimension T. In FIG. 1 the powdered soap contents of box B1 are indicated by numeral 15. 
     The dimensions of boxes B may, for example, be such that the thickness T is one inch, the width W is three inches, and the length L is four and one-half inches. The interior dimensions of retaining means R are then selected so as to have a clearance or leeway in both horizontlal directions of about one-eighth inch, so that the vertical movement of the stack will not be impeded when the bottommost box is being dispensed. Alternatively, boxes B may be either larger or smaller, in which event the dimensions of the apparatus will be selected accordingly. 
     With reference to FIG. 2 it will be seen that shelf S has a horizontal width which is slightly greater than half the width of the box resting upon it, i.e., slightly greater than W/2. While it is possible to make the shelf wider, that would have some disadvantage and no identifiable advantage. It is necessary to have a minimum width greater than W/2 for the situation when the very last box in the stack is being dispensed, and must not be allowed to fall off the shelf prematurely. As shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1 the shelf S has an effective length of about L. 
     Retainer means R includes a set of four angle irons 40, 41, 42, 43 which are arranged vertically at the four corners of the stack of boxes, so that all the boxes except the bottommost one B1 are restrained from moving out of alignment in any horizontal direction. The bottommost box B1, however, is not confined in all four horizontal directions. The vertical angle irons 41 and 42 extend down all the way to shelf S and are attached to it, thus confining the box B1 in three directions but allowing it to be pushed in a horizontal direction away from the pusher assembly P. Angle irons 40 and 43 terminate a small distance above the bottom of box B2, as best seen in FIG. 2, so as not to present any obstuction to the dispensing movement of the bottommost box. 
     In theory the bottommost box B1 may simply rest upon shelf S without any horizontal restraints whatever, as it would be sufficiently held in place by frictional contact with the box above it. And in fact the right-hand edge of shelf S as seen in FIG. 1 would not have to be coterminous with the right-hand edge of box B1 but could either extend beyond the edge of the box, or else be set in somewhat from the edge of the box and have an actual width less than W/2. But as a matter of practical convenience it is preferred to restrict the box B1 in three directions by means of the angle irons 41 and 42, as shown; to have the edge of shelf S coterminous with the edge of box B1; and to have the shelf width greater than W/2. 
     In the illustrated embodiment the shelf S is actually made in two small separate sections 16, 17, attached to angle irons 41, 42, respectively. Shelf section 16 has an upwardly extending side flange 16a and section 17 likewise has a vertical flange 17a. These flanges guide the horizontal movement of the bottommost box B1 as it is being dispensed. 
     The angle irons 40-43 are in turn supported by means of an encompassing rail 45 which is located at the elevation of box B4 of the stack. See FIGS. 3, 4 and 7. 
     As seen in FIGS. 3-6 the pusher assembly P is adapted for a reciprocating horizontal movement above the shelf S. When coins are inserted in machine M and handle A is advanced, pusher means P moves to the left as seen in FIG. 1 or 2. Engagement of pusher faces 27 with the right-hand vertical wall of box B1 first causes the bottommost box B1 to be partially moved from underneath box B2. Then roller 30 on pusher assembly P moves into the space just vacated by box B1, but with the upper surface of the roller at a lower level than the upper surface of box B1. See FIG. 4. As box B1 is pushed further and drops off the left side of shelf S, box B2 drops down a distance of about T/3 and rests upon the roller 30, as shown in FIG. 5. 
     The pusher assembly is automatically retracted by action of the coin slide return spring 12. Retraction of the pusher assembly then causes roller 30 to be horizontally withdrawn in a direction opposite to that in which box B1 was moved. When the roller passes out from underneath box B2, box B2 drops down a small additional distance and rests upon the upper surfaces 25 of the pusher member 20, as shown in FIG. 6. Upon further retraction of the pusher means P the box B2 drops down a further distance of the order of T/2, not specifically shown in the drawings, so that it then occupies the position originally occupied by box B1. During that last downward movement of box B2 its lower right hand corner rides on the smoothly rounded surfaces between horizontal upwardly facing surfaces 25 and vertical pusher faces 27 of the pusher member 20. 
     In the particular machine as illustrated, the inner portion of the coin slide is at a lower elevation than the shelf S. This is a matter of the dimensional parameters of the particular machine. In general, the shelf S may be either at the same elevation as the coin slide, or below the elevation of the coin slide, or above the elevation of the coin slide as presently shown. 
     In this presently preferred embodiment of my invention the shelf S supports box B1 at both its ends, but the shelf does not have a continuous length throughout the length L of the box. Specifically, shelf S is made with two separate end pieces 16, 17 having a considerable space between them. See FIGS. 1 and 7. It will be seen that the space between end pieces 16 and 17 accommodates the movements of pusher member 20. 
     The structure of pusher assembly P will now be described more specifically. Pusher member 20 is made from a single iron bar having a lower end 21 which is fixedly attached to the extremity of the coin slide; an angled portion 22 which rises to an elevation somewhat above that of shelf S; and a horizontally bifurcated top plate portion 23. The top plate 23 is generally flat with a central cut-out region forming a pair of spaced arms 23a, 23b (FIG. 1). Each arm of the top plate 23 has a horizontal upwardly facing surface 25 and is bent over in a smooth curve through an angle of more than 90 degrees so as to provide a vertical pusher face 27 as well as a curved surface above that face and a curved surface below it. Roller 30 is disposed within the cut-out region between arms 23a, 23b. The pin 31 is parallel to both pusher faces 27 and has its ends secured as by welding to the respective arms 23a, 23b. The distance between the axis of pin 31 and the pusher faces 27 is somewhat less than W/2. 
     During reciprocating movements of the coin slide angled portion 22 of the pusher member 20 passes through the space between the separate portions 16, 17 and shelf S. It will be understood that this feature of the arrangement is provided in order to accommodate the fact that coin slide 11 is at a lower elevation than shelf S, in the particulaar machine. 
     It is significant that in the operation of the dispensing apparatus each box is handled in such a way as to avoid damage to it or its contents; yet there is a steady step-by-step action advancing each box in the direction it must move. Thus the box B2 is lowered not in a single step, but in a succession of three steps, as it takes the place formerly occupied by box B1. And the pusher faces 27 are rounded in the vertical direction so as to temporarily make a necessary small indentation in the vertical wall surface of the box B1 but without any permanent damage whatsoever to the box. Also, the pusher faces engage box B1 at approximately the vertical center of its side wall. And they are positioned at about the one-third points of its lengdth so that they are effective at the horizontal center of the box and the most effective mechanical action is achieved in pushing box B1 from underneath the stack. 
     At the same time it will be noted that the construction of the pusher assembly P is very simple, since the pin 31 which supports roller 30 from the two arms of the pusher member 20 upper end 23 is simply welded to those two arms. Further, the operation of the roller 30 produces minimum friction against the under surface of box B2, as the pusher is being retracted. Thus, return spring 12 does not need to be made of extra strength, and is therefore not difficult for the customer to overcome when he or she has inserted coins in the machine and then moves the advancing handle A forward. In other words, the operation of the roller in reducing friction during the retracting movement of the pusher assembly reduces the work the customer must do in advancing the coin slide. 
     Reference is now made to FIGS. 8-10 illustrating a modified form of the invention. The modified pusher assembly P&#39; includes 27&#39; and 30&#39;. In the operation of this device the stack of boxes is lowered in three equal steps identified in FIG. 8 by letters a, b, and c. FIG. 10 illustrates the sequence of operating steps. 
     Reference is now made to FIG. 11 illustrating a second alternative form of pusher assembly P&#34;. Pusher member 20&#39; is somewhat resilient rather than being entirely ridgid as in the earlier embodiments. Therefore, as the pusher member is withdrawn, the partial dropping of the next-to-bottom box B2 will cause it (and the stack above it) to be resiliently supported until the pusher member has been completely withdrawn. 
     The invention has been described in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent laws by providing a full public disclosure of at least one of its forms. However, such detailed description is not intended in any way to limit the broad features or principles of the invention, or the scope of patent monopoly to be granted.