Check-actuated control mechanisms – Control mechanism actuated by check – other than coin – which...
Patent
1987-06-05
1990-04-10
Bartuska, F. J.
Check-actuated control mechanisms
Control mechanism actuated by check, other than coin , which...
221 76, 221119, 221306, 235381, 235382, 34082535, G07F 706, G07F 710
Patent
active
049152050
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to automatic dispensing apparatus and is particularly concerned with apparatus for automatic renting, as opposed to vending.
Automatic vending machines are of course already known and widely used for automatic dispensing of numerous consumable products. Their contribution in increasing sales and reducing business overheads is also well appreciated. However, the known machines are all vending machines, accepting money or tokens in exchange for goods, but having no provision for receiving returned goods. As a result they cannot be used for dispensing articles which are available only for rental.
Video cassettes and discs, which have recently become very popular, have created a large market for renting rather than selling. The reason for this is that each cassette is relatively expensive and uneconomical to purchase as most viewers will seldom wish to see a film more than once. The renting of such cassettes, on the other hand is a potentially profitable business as each cassette can earn several times its purchase cost.
A difficulty in operating such a rental business has been the need to work unsociable hours since viewers will often wish to rent a cassette and return it outside normal working hours. There is therefore a clear demand for an automated renting machine but despite this it is believed that no suitable machine for this purpose is available. Of course, with rental it does not suffice to dispense, it is important to record the whereabouts of each article which has been dispensed for rental.
Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide an apparatus capable of automatically dispensing articles for rental and accepting returned articles.
According to the present invention, there is provided apparatus capable of dispensing articles for rental and accepting returned articles, comprising means for enabling a user to enter a unique identification code, means for verifying the code entered to inhibit dispensing to unauthorised users, means for enabling payment for rental to be made, means for enabling a user to select from amongst the articles available for rental, a magazine having a plurality of compartments each for receiving a respective one of the articles for rental, means for moving the magazine relative to a dispensing aperture to align with the dispensing aperture the magazine compartment containing the selected article, and means for recording data indicating the identity of the user and the selected article, the apparatus further comprising means for reading from the recorded data the article previously hired to an identified user, means for moving the magazine to align with the dispensing aperture the empty compartment for containing the article previously hired to the identified user, means operative after insertion of the article into the compartment by the user to read a code on the article identifying the returned article and means for recording the return of the rented article when the article code corresponds with that read from the recorded data.
It will be noted that in addition to the financial transaction carried out by the apparatus, it is essential that the user should identify himself. In this respect, the apparatus differs from conventional vending machines. Furthermore, a record is maintained of the identity of the user to whom each article is rented so that the article may be traced if not properly returned.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, each user may only rent one article at a time and when the identity code is entered, it may be immediately determined if an article is being rented or returned by ascertaining if an article has already been rented to that user. It is possible, alternatively, to allow each user to rent several articles, whereupon means may be provided to enable the user to select the mode of operation for dispensing or accepting a returned article and in this case the user must also identify the article being returned.
The means for entering a unique identification code may comprise an encoded card issued to au
REFERENCES:
patent: 2532364 (1950-12-01), Johnson
patent: 3857018 (1974-12-01), Stark et al.
patent: 4300042 (1981-11-01), Oldenkamp et al.
patent: 4458802 (1984-07-01), Maciver et al.
patent: 4519522 (1985-05-01), McElwee
patent: 4668150 (1987-05-01), Blumberg
Glanvill Keith B.
Hodgetts Peter R.
Reid John N.
Ammeen Edward S.
Bartuska F. J.
Sovereign Technical Services Ltd.
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