Abstract: A newspaper vending machine provides a display newspaper at a height and angle resembling a lectern so that a customer can easily read the display paper from a standing position. The newspaper vending machine comprises a housing having a front wall, a back wall, two side walls, a top, and a bottom, and a storage compartment therein for storing a plurality of newspapers. The top of the housing is generally curved downwardly toward the front wall. A portion of the top in contact with the back wall is higher than the portion of the top in contact with the front wall. A viewing area is provided within the top of the housing through which at least a part of a display newspaper can be viewed. A newspaper display rack is mounted within the top of the housing under the viewing area at an angle from vertical ranging from about 40° to about 70°. The display rack has an upper surface through which at least a part of the display newspaper can be viewed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stacking newspapers is disclosed which obviates the need to fasten individual stacks. Once ejected from a stacking device, stacks of newspapers pass through an assembly station where they are arranged into groups of three, called slugs, and compressed. The slug then enters a collector where a layer consisting of four slugs is positioned on a sliding table. This positioning requires lateral movement of slugs. Lateral support is provided throughout this movement to prevent the stacks from toppling over. Once a full layer has been accumulated, the sliding table is retracted, and the layer of newspapers falls onto a floating table below. This floating table, which serves as the bottom floor of the container in which it is housed, is automatically lowered by discrete amounts as layers are received. Extendible cylinders located below the collector vertically move the floating table.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stacking newspapers is disclosed which obviates the need to fasten individual stacks. Once ejected from a stacking device, stacks of newspapers pass through an assembly station where they are arranged into groups of three, called slugs, and compressed. The slug then enters a collector where a layer consisting of four slugs is positioned on a sliding table. This positioning requires lateral movement of slugs. Lateral support is provided throughout this movement to prevent the stacks from toppling over. Once a full layer has been accumulated, the sliding table is retracted, and the layer of newspapers falls onto a floating table below. This floating table, which serves as the bottom floor of the container in which it is housed, is automatically lowered by discrete amounts as layers are received. Extendible cylinders located below the collector vertically move the floating table.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stacking newspapers is disclosed which obviates the need to fasten individual stacks. Once ejected from a stacking device, stacks of newspapers pass through an assembly station where they are arranged into groups of three, called slugs, and compressed. The slug then enters a collector where a layer consisting of four slugs is positioned on a sliding table. This positioning requires lateral movement of slugs. Lateral support is provided throughout this movement to prevent the stacks from toppling over. Once a full layer has been accumulated, the sliding table is retracted, and the layer of newspapers falls onto a floating table below. This floating table, which serves as the bottom floor of the container in which it is housed, is automatically lowered by discrete amounts as layers are received. Extendible cylinders located below the collector vertically move the floating table.

Abstract: A single leaf spring serves to bias a coin chute and an actuating lever of a coin mechanism. The coin mechanism has a stationary frame. A pair of coin chutes are pivotally mounted on the frame so the chutes open in one direction and close in the other direction. An actuating lever is pivotally mounted on the frame such that it pivots in one direction to engage and open the chutes and pivots in the other direction to disengage the chutes. One spring biases one of the chutes in the other direction to urge the one chute to close. Another spring extends between the other chute and the actuating lever to bias the other chute in the other direction and to bias the actuating lever in the other direction.

Abstract: A coin mechanism (42) is located above a coin collecting chamber (28) in a coin mechanism housing (22). A partition (46) in the housing separates the coil collecting chamber from the coin mechanism. An opening (54) permits coins to drop from the coin mechanism to the coin collecting chamber. The housing has a removable hood (36) exposing the coin mechanism without exposing the coin collecting chamber. A control device (62) is movable between a first position and a second position. A plate (68) connected to the control device covers the passageway to divert coins from the coin mechanism to a return receptacle (30) when the control device is in its first position. The plate clears the passageway to transfer coins from the coin mechanism to the coin collecting chamber when the control device is in its second position. A baffle system directs coins from the coin mechanism to the center of the collecting chamber.

Abstract: A latch for a coin operated newsrack is spring mounted to the door so as to permit resilient relative movement between the latch and the door when the door is pried by vandals. During normal movement of the door, springs will retain a latch bracket in fixed position on the door.

Abstract: A flexible thermoplastic printing plate is mounted on a plate cylinder having a given curvature. In its unstressed condition, the printing plate has substantially the same curvature between its ends as the cylinder. The printing plate has laterally extending hooks at its ends. A stationary laterally extending projection on the cylinder engages the hook at one end of the plate. A movable laterally extending projection on the cylinder engages the hook at the other end of the plate; the movable projection is spring-loaded so as to tension the plate longitudinally on the cylinder. A plurality of gussets are formed in each hook and a plurality of recesses for receiving the respective gussets are formed in each projection. Opposite sides of two recesses in each projection are precisely located relative to the cylinder.

Abstract: A flexible printing plate is separated from the inner surface of a curved matrix after formation of the plate in a mold by first moving the ends of the plate inwardly away from the matrix, while maintaining the center of the plate in stationary contact with the matrix, and then moving the center of the plate inwardly away from the matrix, while maintaining the ends of the plate away from the matrix. The matrix is held in an outer mold half, and the printing plate is formed in a mating inner mold half having a center section with sloping side surfaces that converge toward the outer mold half, a first end section having a side surface contiguous to one sloping side surface of the center section, and a second end section having a side surface contiguous to the other sloping side surface of the center section.

Abstract: A flexible printing plate is separated from the inner surface of a curved matrix after formation of the plate in a mold by first moving the ends of the plate inwardly away from the matrix, while maintaining the center of the plate in stationary contact with the matrix, and then moving the center of the plate inwardly away from the matrix, while maintaining the ends of the plate away from the matrix. The matrix is held in an outer mold half, and the printing plate is formed in a mating inner mold half having a center section wih sloping side surfaces that converge toward the outer mold half, a first end section having a side surface contiguous to one sloping side surface of the center section, and a second end section having a side surface contiguous to the other sloping side surface of the center section.