Coin controlled means for vending machines and the like

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a control circuit for a vending machine having a coin unit capable of accepting coins of more than one denomination and including a plurality of coin switches one of which is actuatable by all acceptable coins, a second of which is actuatable only by coins greater in value than the lowest acceptable denomination, the improvements comprising means to prevent false entries due to faulty coin switch operation including a first pair of NAND gates each having an input operatively connected to the first coin switch, means cross-connecting another input of each of the gates of said first pair to the output of the other gate of said first pair of NAND gates, a second pair of NAND gates each having an input operatively connected to the second coin switch, means cross-connecting a selected one of the inputs of each of the NAND gates of the second pair of NAND gates to the output of the other gates of said second pair, and means connecting the output of one of the gates of said .[.second.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.pair to one of the inputs of said .[.first.].  .Iadd.second .Iaddend.pair whereby outputs of said .[.second.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.pair are applied to the input of said .[.first.]. .Iadd.second .Iaddend.pair. 
     
     
       2. A coin controlled circuit for use on vending machines and like devices which have coin units capable of accepting coins of at least two different denominations and including first and second coin actuated switches one of which is actuatable by the deposit of each coin of the lowest acceptable denomination, both said first and said second coin actuated switches being actuated in sequence by the deposit of coins of higher value, said circuit comprising a first pair of gate circuits associated with the first coin switch each of which includes at least two inputs and an output connection means cross-connecting selected input connections of each of said first pair of gate circuits to the outputs of the other of said pair, a second pair of gate circuits associated with the second coin switch, each of the gate circuits of said second pair having at least two inputs and an output connection, means cross-connecting a selected one of the inputs of each of said second pair of gate circuits to the output of the other of said pair, means connecting an output of one of said pair of gate circuits to an input of the other of said pairs, a pair of two position price selection switches the combined settings of which establish a desired one of three possible vend prices, accumulator means operatively connected to selected outputs of the first and second pairs of gates to respond to changes in the conditions thereof when coins are deposited to accumulate an amount to represent the value of coins deposited in the coin unit during each vend operation, other means operatively connecting said two position price selection switches to the selected outputs of said first and second pairs of gates and to the accumulator means, means energizeable to initiate a vend operation whenever the amount accumulated in the accumulator means at least equals the established vend price, and means for resetting the accumulator means simultaneously with the initiation of a vend operation. 
     
     
       3. The coin controlled circuit defined in claim 2 including means energizeable to refund amounts deposited in excess of the vend price, said refund means including a refund gate circuit having a plurality of input connections at least one of which includes an operative connection to the accumulator means, another of which includes an operative connection to one of the output connections of said first and second pairs of gates, said refund means including means to refund coins of the lowest acceptable denomination. 
     
     
       4. The coin controlled circuit defined in claim 2 including means energizeable to refund amounts deposited in excess of the vend price, said refund means including first and second refund gates circuits each having a plurality of input connections and an output connection, at least one of the input connections to the first refund gate circuit having an operative connection to the accumulator means and at least one other input connection thereto being operatively connected to the output of one of said first and second pairs of gates, a refund accumulator having a first input connection to the accumulator means, a second input connection to one of the outputs of the first and second pair of gates, and an output connection operatively connected to an input connection to said second refund gate circuit, energizing of the first refund circuit only causing refund of a coin of the lowest acceptable denomination, and simultaneous energizing of the first and second refund gate circuits causing refund of a higher value coin. 
     
     
       5. Improvements in means for controlling the operations of a vending machine that includes a coin unit capable of accepting coins of more than one different denomination and producing output responses to represent the value of each coin deposited, accumulator means for totaling up the value of coins deposited in the coin unit during each vend operation, vend producting means causing a vend to take place whenever an amount accumulated in the accumulator means at least equals an established vend price, and a payback control energizeable to refund coins equal to any amount deposited in excess of the established vend price, the improvements comprising gate circuit and means coupled between the coin unit and the accumulator means, said gate circuit means including at least two cross-coupled NAND gates each having at least one input connected to receive responses produced when coins of a selected denomination are deposited in the coin unit and an output operatively connected to the accumulator means, a third NAND gate operatively connected to control the energizing of the vend producing means, said third NAND gate having a plurality of input connections and an output connection, means operatively connecting selected locations in the accumulator means to selected inputs of said third NAND gate, means for applying outputs from said cross-coupled NAND gates produced when coins are deposited in the coin unit to at least one of the inputs to the third NAND gate, an output being produced on the output connection of said third NAND gate to initiate a vend operation whenever all of the inputs thereto are simultaneously in a predetermined condition. 
     
     
       6. The improvements defined in claim 5 wherein the accumulator means include a plurality of serially connected bi-stable j-k flip-flops, each capable of being in a set or a reset condition. 
     
     
       7. The improvements defined in claim 5 wherein the payback control includes a payback NAND gate having a plurality of input connections and an output connection, means connecting one of the input connections to the payback NAND gate to means in the accumulator means, means connecting another one of said connections to a preselected location in the coin unit, an output signal for initiating a payback operation being present on the output whenever all of the input connections are simultaneously at a predetermined condition. 
     
     
       8. The improvements defined in claim 5 including means to prolong the duration of the output from the third NAND gate. 
     
     
       9. The improvements defined in claim 5 including accumulator reset means, said reset means having an input operatively connected to respond to the outputs from the third NAND gate and an output connected to the accumulator means. 
     
     
       10. The improvements defined in claim 9 wherein said reset means includes other means to reset the accumulator means whenever power is initially applied to the vending machine and to the improvements thereto. 
     
     
       11. The improvements defined in claim 5 including means for establishing a vend price including a price selection switch having at least one contact connected in the circuit to one of the plurality of the input connections to said third NAND gate. 
     
     
       12. The improvements defined in claim 11 wherein said third NAND gate is connected in parallel with a fourth NAND gate, said price selection switch having contacts which operate to select between operation of the third and the fourth NAND gates. 
     
     
       13. The improvement in claim 11 wherein the payback control includes means for selecting between the refund of coins of different denominations including first and second payback NAND gates and respective first and second payback means in the vending machine under control thereof, said first payback NAND gate having a plurality of input connections at least one of which is connected to a preselected location in the accumulator means and at least one of which is operatively connected to a preselected location in the coin unit, said second payback NAND gate having a plurality of input connections at least one of which has an operative connection to the same preselected location in the coin unit as the first payback NAND gate, said one input connection being under control of the setting of the price selection switch, and second bi-stable accumulator means having an input operatively connected to the coin unit under control of the setting of the price selection switch and an output connection to one of the input connections of said second payback NAND gate. 
     
     
       14. Improvements to circuits to control the operations of vending machines that have coin receiving units capable of accepting coins of more than one denomination, said coin units having a plurality of coin switches corresponding respectively to the value of each acceptable coin denomination, accumulator means for accumulating the value of coins deposited in the coin unit during a vending operation, means for establishing a selected vend price for the vending machine, means to initiate a vend operation whenever an amount deposited at least equals the established vend price, means to refund amounts deposited during a vending operation in excess of the established vend price and means for resetting the accumulator means to a predetermined reset condition whenever an amount deposited at least equals the established vend price, the improvements comprising means associated with at least two of the coin switches in the coin unit to prevent the possibility that faulty coin switch operation will be able to make false entries into the accumulator means said means including a pair of crosscoupled NAND gates associated with each of said two coin switches each having an operative connection to the associated coin switch, each of said NAND gates having input and output connections and producing an output response at its output connection whenever a coin actuates the associated coin switch, means connecting the output of one of said pair of cross-coupled NAND gates to an input to the other pair of cross-coupled NAND gates, other means to prevent the vending machine from jackpotting due to faulty operation of one of the coin switches, said anti-jackpot means including a circuit connection between one of the cross-coupled NAND gates associated with the coin switch and the refund means, a refund switch actuatable whenever an amount deposited in the coin unit exceeds the established vend price, and a pair of cross-coupled NAND gates operatively connected to the refund switch. 
     
     
       15. The improvements defined in claim 14 wherein one of said coin switches is a nickel switch, one is a dime switch, and one is a quarter switch, said nickel switch being actuated by the deposit of each nickel, dime and quarter in the coin unit, said dime switch being actuated by the deposit of each dime and each quarter, and the quarter switch being actuated by the deposit in the coin unit of each quarter only. 
     
     
       16. The improvements defined in claim 14 wherein the accumulator means includes a plurality of j-k flip-flop circuits each capable of being in one of two distinct operating states, said j-k flip-flops being constructed as parts of an integrated circuit. 
     
     
       17. The improvements defined in claim 14 wherein the means for establishing the vend price include a plurality of two position switches operatively connected to the accumulator means, the refund means and the coin switches, the combined settings of said two position switches establishing the vend price. 
     
     
       18. The improvements defined in claim 14 wherein said refund means include gate circuit means operatively connected to the accumulator means and the coin switches in the coin unit, said gate circuit means including means operable to select between refunding coins of two different denominations. 
     
     
       19. The improvements defined in claim 14 wherein at least one of the circuit NAND gates includes an expander input connection. 
     
     
       20. The improvements defined in claim 14 wherein at least one of the circuit NAND gates includes means connected thereto for delaying its operation. 
     
     
       21. The improvements defined in claim 14 including means associated with at least one of the circuit NAND gates to extend the operating time duration thereof.