Abstract: A ticket dispensing mechanism (40) includes a drive (42) receiving sheet material (24) from a supply (22). The drive advances the sheet material. A printer (48) prints ticket information on the sheet material as it is advanced by the drive thereby to form a printed ticket. A retaining mechanism (64) receives the printed ticket advanced by the drive and holds the printed ticket in a manner such that the leading end of the next ticket printed contacts and ejects the held ticket prior to itself being held by the retaining mechanism.

Abstract: A ticket dispenser has a dispenser body with an internal chamber, and a lid for closing the chamber. The lid has an external ticket-receiving surface. A roll of paper or the like is contained in the chamber, and is fed between a rotating drum and an upright support surface. The lid defines a substantially upright wall with an upper edge, the wall being offset with respect to the support surface when the lid is closed. A passive retainer mechanism on the body retains against the upright wall any part of the paper web rising from between the drum and the support surface. A relatively stiff deflector bends the web material around the edge by virtue of a deflector surface located so as to be intersected by the projection of the operative part of the upright wall portion. A cutter is provided to cut the paper web into discrete tickets.