Article Delivery System

Abstract

An article delivery system comprises an article-conveying means having a plurality of article support means and a plurality of stationary article-receiving positions. Each article-receiving position has means for receiving a coded stub which originally was a part of a coded ticket. Each of the article support means is provided with a code storage means adapted to be set by the code of a ticket portion. As the code storage means is conveyed by the article-conveying means past the individual article-receiving positions, it receives input signals from the coded stubs disposed at the respective positions. If a signal match is obtained, the article conveyed by the conveying means is delivered to the respective position and the respective storage means is zeroized.

Description

This patent application is related to my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,671 entitled, "Article Delivery System With Coded Check Controlled Annunciator," issued Sept. 5, 1967 and to my U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,336 Ser. No. 654,610) entitled, "Article Delivery System," issued.

In these patents I have described an article delivery system which is particularly suitable for restaurant purposes. The patron, upon entering the confines or building equipped with this article delivery system, receives a coded check with attached stub for denoting thereon the article or menu selected. Upon payment of the necessary charge commensurate with the selection made, the patron retains the check stub while the main check or ticket portion is sent to an article preparation station where the selected articles, such as the food, are drawn from stock, prepared for delivery and assembled on a tray. Meanwhile, the patron selects from among a plurality of article-receiving positions provided an open position at which receipt of the selected articles is desired. The patron inserts the retained stub in a suitable stub-receiving means associated with the selected article-receiving position and the articles are delivered at this position by means of conveying means which serve the plurality of positions. This delivery is accomplished by means of a matching code existing between the stub and the ticket.

Whereas in the prior patents identified above, the ticket accompanies the selected articles along their travel on the conveying means and the ticket code is sensed at each stationary article-receiving position for correlation with the code of the stub, the present arrangement provides for a code storage or memory means which is set by the code of the ticket. When the code storage means receives a stub code responsive signal which correlates with the stored ticket code, coincidence exists and this coincidence condition causes delivery of the respective articles to the selected articles-receiving position.

One of the principal objects of this invention is, therefore, the provision of a new and improved article delivery system.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a novel article delivery system which includes a plurality of article-receiving positions and includes means to provide for the receipt of articles in response to a coded check stub being deposited at a respective article-receiving position.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of certain improvements over my previously disclosed arrangements, specifically, the inclusion of code storage or code memory means for delivering articles to a respective stationary position.

Further and still other objects of this invention will be more clearly apparent by reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire article delivery system as may be used, for instance, for restaurant purposes;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of certain portions of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the conveying means and the associated portions, the view being taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial view, partly in section, of the means for moving the articles from the conveying means to a stationary article-receiving position;

FIG. 5 is a plan view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a movable bar and associated structure as seen along line 6-6 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the ordering ticket and associated ticket stub;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the stub-receiving means associated with each of the stationary article-receiving positions;

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram for explaining operation of the code storage means; and

FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic illustrations used to explain the operation of the code storage means when travelling along the path of the article-conveying means.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ARTICLE DELIVERY SYSTEM

Referring now to the figures and FIG. 1 in particular, the general arrangement of the present article delivery system in connection with a restaurant-type of operation is shown. Numeral 10 identifies generally a food preparation station which is provided with a cashier's window 12 and which may include a cash register 13. Adjacent to the food preparation station 10, there is provided an article-receiving section 14, shown generally in circular form, which is provided with a plurality of stationary article-receiving positions 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, and, as seen in FIG. 2, also positions 14e, 14f and 14g. The article-conveying means 16 is a rotating device and articles or trays received from the preparation section 10 are conveyed by the periphery of this rotation table along the stationary article-receiving positions 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, etc. Responsive to correlation between a coded ticket and a coded stub, the latter being retained by the patron, the respective articles comprising an order are conveyed from the article-conveying means 16 to the respective article-receiving position, the article or articles being delivered through a respective opening 15. The window-type openings 15 are in a screen 17 which acts as a divider between the stationary article-receiving positions and the article-conveying means.

ORDERING TICKET AND STUB

Referring to FIG. 7, a typical order ticket 20 is shown. It provides an upper order portion 20a and a lower stub portion 20b. The lower stub portion 20b can be separated from the upper portion 20a along a serrated line 21. The patron upon entering the restaurant confines receives a ticket 20 and enters his selection by checking the appropriate boxes 22, each such box being associated with a line reciting an article available for order. In addition, the ticket portion 20a and the stub portion 20b, each has a lower area 24a and 24b respectively, for carrying code indicia. The code indicia of an upper ticket portion 20a and those of the lower stub portion 20b are correlated in order that both portions remain associated with each other after separation along line 21 has been accomplished. While in the present exemplary embodiment coding is shown by means of punched holes, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other coding means may be used, notably magnetic indicia or characters or other suitable means for correlating two ticket portions with each other.

After a patron has indicated his article selection by marking one or more boxes 22, he presents the ticket 20 at the cashier's window 12, pays the appropriate fee, and receives only the stub portion 20b. The upper ticket portion 20a is transmitted to the article preparation station 10 where the articles are prepared and/or assembled for delivery. The completed order may be assembled on a tray 28, see FIG. 2, and placed on an auxiliary conveying means 30, FIG. 3, which may be a movable belt or a stationary board for sliding the order along. In order to identify each order, the appropriate upper ticket portion 20a is put on the respective tray 28, thus enabling a customer to verify the correctness of his order.

CONSTRUCTION OF ARTICLE RECEIVING POSITION

As indicated previously, along the periphery of the rotating conveying means 16 there are disposed a plurality of stationary article receiving positions 14a through 14g, FIG. 2. Each of the positions is provided with a respective stub-receiving means, such as the drawer 40a associated with the position 14a and drawer 40b at station 14b. The typical drawer 40a, described more specifically in FIG. 8, includes a slide 41 which can be extended outwardly for placing therein a retained stub, such as the retained stub 20b. A patron selects an open position 14a through 14g, pulls out the associated slide 41 and inserts in the space provided in the drawer his retained stub 20b. This causes, upon closing the drawer, the coded portion 24b to be in line with an illuminating means 42. Therefore, the light from the lamp 42 shining through the holes provided in the stub is received by fiber optics 43 for reception by a rotating code memory or storage device 100 which will be described later. It should be apparent that strands of fiber optics 43 are provided for each possible hole location on the stub portion 24b and that only those fibers will conduct light which are in line with actual holes on the stub.

In addition, each drawer includes a locking solenoid 44 and an electrical-sensing switch 45 for causing locking of the drawer after a ticket has been inserted and the drawer closed, and for unlocking the drawer after an article has been delivered to the patron at the associated stationary position 14a. When the drawer is unlocked and a subsequent patron pulls the slide 41 outward in order to insert his ticket stub, a stationary curved spring leaf 46, responsive to the outward motion of the slide 41, causes the ticket stub 20b to be deflected into a receptacle 47 so that the used stub is rendered inaccessible to a patron and can thereafter be removed only by authorized personnel. In other words, the stub used for receiving the ordered articles is not available for further use by the same customer.

DESCRIPTION OF ARTICLE CONVEYING MEANS

The article-conveying means 16, FIGS. 2--6, comprises essentially a rotating indexing table which is supported on a stand 49 and driven by a suitable electric motor (not shown). Along the periphery of the conveying means 16 there are provided a plurality of spaced article-supporting means 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, etc. Each of these supporting means rotates with the table and, therefore, an article supported thereon is conveyed in sequence past the stationary article-receiving positions 14g, 14a, 14b, 14c, etc. The indexing table, in the preferred embodiment, is stopped momentarily when a respective article-supporting means is aligned with a stationary article-receiving position. Thus, the table stops momentarily when the article-supporting means 50a is opposite and aligned with the position 14a, stops again when the supporting means 50a is opposite the position 14b, stops again when the position 50a is opposite the stationary position 14c, etc. Each of these article-supporting means is a platform provided with raised projections 51, FIG. 6, for supporting thereon a tray 28 which has been placed on a respective supporting means by an attendant at the time such a supporting means rotates past the end of the conveying means 30, see FIG. 3. As clearly visible in this figure, a tray 28 has been transferred from the auxiliary conveying means 30 upon the supporting means 50k. Each of the article-supporting means 50a, 50b, 50k, etc. is associated with a horizontal sweep bar 52 for pushing articles or a tray 28, FIG. 3, from such a supporting means through a respective window 15 toward the associated stationary article-receiving position. The bar 52, when actuated, goes through a reciprocating motion, see extended position of bar 52' of FIG. 3, when the rotating indexing table stands still and the bar thereby removes all articles from a respective article support means. As best seen in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, each bar 52, there being one for each article support means, is driven by an associated motor 53 via a crank mechanism 54 for causing the respective arm 52 to move from its retracted position to its extended position and then return to its fully retracted position. This one-cycle motion is controlled by a clutch mechanism 55, indicated in FIG. 4. In order that each of the motors 53 can be energized as these motors rotate along with the indexing table, the table is provided with a slipring assembly 56 for transferring electrical power from the stationary post 49 to the rotating table top and the article-supporting means associated therewith. Each arm 52 sweeping across the the associated article-supporting means is connected to the reciprocating mechanism 54 by a vertical arm 58 which moves within a slot 59 of the associated supporting means, see FIGS. 5 and 6.

CODE STORAGE DEVICE AND SETTING THEREOF

In order to direct a respective tray 28 to the appropriate stationary article-receiving position selected by the patron responsive to the insertion of the retained check stub, a plurality of code storage means are provided, one such code storage means being associated with each of the article-supporting means 50a, 50b, 50c, etc. and rotating therewith. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a slot 70 is disposed adjacent to the article-conveying means 16 but in close proximity therewith. The code storage means 100a, disposed underneath the conveying means, rotates with the table and is associated with the article support means 50k. Other such code storage means are shown by numerals 100b, 100c, see FIG. 2. The attendant P, see FIG. 2, when placing a respective tray 28 from the auxiliary conveying means 30 on an empty article support means as such support means passes past this transfer station and stands still, briefly removes the upper ticket portion 20a from the tray, inserts the ticket portion in the slot 70 and then returns the ticket to the respective tray. The slot 70, FIG. 10A, is provided with transparent sidewalls, such as Lucite plates, and as the ticket portion 20a is inserted the switch 71 is actuated which via the source of electrical energy 72 energizes a lamp 73. The lamp 73 through a pellucid plate 74 is coupled via stationary fiber optics 75 to the possible hole positions in the coded ticket portion 24a. The presence of a hole causes light transmission through a further set of stationary fiber optics 76 which at this moment are coupled to light responsive input means of the rotating code storage means 100a. The code storage means 100a, therefore, is set to a code which corresponds to the coded ticket portion. The other code storage means 100b, 100c, etc. are set in the same manner as they rotate past this transfer station, provided a ticket is inserted in the slot 70.

The code storage means 100a and the other storage means, in a preferred embodiment, comprise two sets of flip-flop circuits, each set having a separate input channel. Each channel is associated with photoresponsive devices in order to convert light signals to electrical signals. One input channel of the storage device is adapted to be coupled to the code coming from the ticket portion 24a and the other input channel is responsive to the code from the ticket stub portion 24b. If there is coincidence of settings of the two sets of flip-flop circuits, an output signal is obtained, denoting coincidence between the coded ticket portion 24a and the coded stub portion 24b. Code or memory storage devices of the this type are well known and, aside from flip-flop gates, may comprise also relay circuits, magnetic storage devices, etc., see for instance, "Digital Logic and Computer Operations" (book), by Robert C. Baron and Albert T. Piccirilli, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1967, pages 179 through 184.

The storage means 100a after having been set to reflect storage of the code provided by a ticket portion 20a, FIG. 7, then is carried along by the rotating table 16 in close association with the article support means 50k and articles on the tray. As the indexing table rotates, the storage means 100a reaches first the stationary position 14g, FIG. 2, then the position 14a, 14b, etc., At each of these stations the storage means 100a becomes coupled to the respective drawer 40a, 40b, etc. adapted to contain a respective ticket stub portion 20b. As the storage means 100a rotates toward the position shown in FIG. 10B it encounters sequentially stub portions 20b and as the storage means is in proper alignment, a synchronizing switch 80 via stub-sensing switch 45 and source of energy 81 illuminates the associated lamp 42 of a drawer (FIG. 8) to provide light upon the stub and the code holes contained therein. Any light penetrating therethrough is conducted by fiber optics 43 toward the code storage means 100a now in alignment with the drawer. If the input signal received corresponds with the previously stored code signal, the code storage means provides an output signal for causing energization of the associated motor 53 for actuating, in turn, the respective sweep bar 52, causing it to sweep across the associated article support means and pushing the tray or articles through the window upon the respective stationary article-receiving position.

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM FIG. 9

The schematic electrical block diagram for achieving this operation is shown more specifically in FIG. 9 wherein a typical code storage means 100a receives a first input from the code of the ordering ticket and a second input from the coded portion of the ticket stub. Upon coincidence of both signals, the code storage means provides an output signal which firstly zeroizes the code storage means itself, secondly causes unlocking of the drawer by lifting the solenoid 44, FIG. 8, and thirdly energizes the respective motor 53 for causing the associated bar 52 to sweep across the associated article support means.

SUMMARY OF OPERATION

A patron upon entering the restaurant or article delivery installation receives an ordering ticket, such as is shown in FIG. 7. The patron denotes his selection, goes to the window 12 and pays the appropriate amount to a cashier or automated money acceptance means. The upper portion 20a of the ticket is retained by the cashier while the lower ticket stub portion 20b is returned to the patron. The upper ticket portion showing the article selection is delivered to the article preparation section 10 where the articles selected are placed on a tray. The patron-retaining ticket stub 20b selects one of the available stationary article-receiving positions 14a through 14g. The patron then places his retained stub in a drawer 40a, 40b, etc., whichever drawer is associated with the selected position. Upon inserting the ticket stub portion in the drawer and closing the drawer, the drawer remains locked and the stub portion cannot be removed by the patron.

The prepared articles are placed on a tray 28 and reach the transfer station from which the articles or trays are placed on the rotating article-conveying means. An attendant P disposed at this station briefly removes the ticket disposed on the tray and inserts the ticket in the slot 70 for setting a code storage means to information representative of code data disposed on the ticket. He then returns the ticket on the tray. A brief moment, thereafter, the tray and the code storage device begin to rotate and reach in sequence each of the stationary article-receiving positions and the stub-receiving means associated therewith. As the code storage means becomes aligned sequentially with each stub-receiving means, responsive to the presence of a stub in the respective receiving means, a signal is sent to the code storage means. If the code of the stub fails to agree with the code stored in the storage means, the respective motor 53 remains deactivated and the article, by rotation of the conveying means 16, continues on the conveying means. If, however, the code signal provided by the stub coincides with the stored signal condition, the code storage means provides an output signal, causing energization of the associated motor 53, thereby transferring the articles or tray to the associated stationary position.

It will be noted, therefore, that each of the article-supporting means 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, etc. is provided with a respective code storage means which is carried along by the conveying means 16. Moreover, each of the article support means is provided with a motor and sweep bar for removing the article from the support means and push it via a window 15 to the respective receiving position so that a patron receives the ordered articles. The patron can inspect the ordering ticket which was placed on the tray and verify his order for correctness. The stub portion, however, remains inaccessible for surreptitious removal, it being delivered to the receptacle 47 when the next patron opens the drawer for insertion of a stub.

ALTERNATIVE CONSTRUCTION

In an alternative embodiment, the conveying means 16, instead of being an indexing table which cyclically advances and stops when in register with an article-receiving position, may be rotated continuously at a relatively slow speed. Whenever coincidence between the stub and ticket portions is sensed, a curved guide bar is lowered and articles stopped by such a guide bar, responsive to the continuing motion of the rotating conveying means, are guided through the window 15 to the stationary article-receiving position. The guide bar then is raised in order to restore the normal conveying action, that is, a further order or tray or articles are permitted to pass the position when no delivery to a position is to be made.

Claims

I claim:

1. An article delivery system comprising:

a plurality of circularly disposed stationary article-receiving positions;

a plurality of check stub-receiving drawers, one associated with each of said positions to receive a code bearing check stub;

locking means associated with each of said drawers;

a rotary indexing table forming a circular article-conveying means; said conveying means having a plurality of peripherally disposed article-supporting means and including drive means for conveying each of said supporting means sequentially past said stationary article-receiving positions, said article-receiving positions being disposed about the periphery of said conveying means to receive an article from a respective supporting means; additional conveying means disposed along a radial axis respective to said circular article-conveying means to convey an article from a preparation station to said circular article-conveying means;

a plurality of electrically operated code storage means, one associated with each of said supporting means and check-receiving means located adjacent to said circular and additional conveying means for receiving a code bearing check, said storage means being coupled at one point in sensing relation with said code bearing check, and light means causing said code to be sensed by said storage means for entering said code information in said storage means, said code bearing check and said article being conveyed by said additional conveying means on to said supporting means where the code bearing check is briefly removed and inserted in the check-receiving means to set the code in said storage means and returned to said supporting means for delivery with said article;

means causing each of said storage means, responsive to the operation of said drive means conveying said supporting means, to be coupled in sensing relation with a respective stub-receiving drawer and a code-bearing check stub disposed therein for causing the code of the respective stub to be sensed by the storage means coupled therewith;

control means coupled to each of said code storage means for providing an output signal responsive to the existence of correlation between the code stored by the storage means and the code of a respective check stub disposed in one of said check stub-receiving drawers;

a delivery means comprising a reciprocating sweep bar associated with each of said article-supporting means and coupled to said control means for being operated responsive to the receipt of an output signal for causing said delivery means to remove an article disposed on the respective supporting means and delivering it to the article-receiving position with which the respective stub-receiving drawer is associated;

further means coupled to said control means and said locking means for maintaining a respective drawer locked after the receipt of a check stub in such a drawer and for unlocking such drawer upon activation of the associated delivery means;

a check stub-receiving receptacle associated with each of said drawers, and

means for causing a check stub disposed in a respective drawer to be conveyed to an associated receptacle responsive to said drawer after being in its unlocked position is opened for the insertion of another check stub.