Abstract: A vending machine for dispensing a single publication product at a time. The vending machine includes a housing with a front wall, back wall, side walls, top wall and bottom wall. A door is hinged to the front wall on the housing and forms part of a display case for displaying information regarding the product being dispensed. An elevator is located within the housing and slidable from a position near the back wall toward the front wall, the elevator adapted to contain a stack of products being dispensed. A dispensing assembly is mounted within housing and forward of the elevator. The dispensing assembly includes a dispensing sled which is translatable from an upper position to a lower position. The dispensing sled is adapted to engage a publication product located on the elevator and to slide the publication product toward a dispensing area located at the bottom of the housing. An actuation arm is attached to the dispensing sled and pivotally mounted to the housing.

Abstract: A disk actuated mechanism for a toy which accepts and responds to disks of different diameters. The mechanism can be adapted to a housing having a circular opening in the housing and a disk reservoir in the housing located below the circular opening. A shaft connects the opening and the disk reservoir. A disk carrier is mounted in the shaft for vertical movement from the opening towards a disk discharge position. A handle is connected to the disk carrier for moving the carrier to the disk discharge position. A mechanism engages a disk on the disk carrier to determine its diameter and provide an output indicative of its diameter. A detent mechanism is provided to prevent the handle from moving the disk carrier to the disk discharge position unless a disk is inserted in the disk carrier. Downward insertion of the disk into the disk carrier disengages the detent mechanism and allows the handle to move the disk carrier to the disk discharge position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to control the selective opening of one of a multiple of door accessible newspaper vending cabinets (6a-6e) through a single vend control mechanism (7). The method provides for signaling a selected door from a multiple of doors (18a-18e) to unlock when the proper total denomination of coins or monetary credits has been inserted into the vend control mechanism (7). The apparatus provides for an electronic coin totalizer (14) and/or a bill acceptor (16), and/or a debit/credit card acceptor (17), and a central processing unit (CPU) (10) to receive and process signals relating to total monies received into the vend control mechanism (7) and to selectively unlock one of a multiple of door-accessible cabinets (6a-6e), the cabinets containing different newspapers.

Abstract: A coin operated product dispensing machine including a housing with an enclosed main display compartment and an elongate slide plate extending therethrough and attached at one end to the housing with a biasing element, an opposite free end of the slide plate extending outwardly from a front wall of the housing and defining a pull handle, wherein the slide plate is movable between a relaxed position and an extended position by pulling the handle at the free end thereof. A carousel, including vertically oriented chambers for containing a stacked array of individual product units therein, is rotatably supported within the main display compartment such that each of the chambers is selectively positionable in vertical alignment over a drop hole in the slide plate, the drop hole being sized and configured to receive an individual, lower most product unit dropped from the aligned chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a coin-operated newspaper vending machine that is designed to prevent direct access to the newspaper-storage compartment by means of a door that includes a newspaper-display compartment. A multiplicity of stack newspapers are stored within the storage compartment defined in the vending-machine housing and are supported on a floating shelf that aligns the uppermost newspaper with a newspaper-dispensing device that includes a paper dispensing carriage on which is mounted a feeder plate aligned to engage and dispense the uppermost-positioned newspaper through a discharge chute formed in the door of the vending machine. The newspaper-display compartment is adapted to dispense the displayed newspaper stored therein after all of the newspapers stored in the storage compartment have been dispensed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a single paper dispenser. An enclosure has a transverse aperture at one end and a discontinuous transverse member near the aperture. A horizontal stack of papers is located within the enclosure and a mechanism is provided to bias the papers against the transverse member. A cam system is located within the enclosure and rotates about an axis parallel to the transverse aperture. Tongues on the cams move upwardly through the discontinuities in the transverse member and then forwardly as the cam system is rotated. While the cam system is rotated, the mechanism for biasing the papers against the transverse member is disabled. The forwardmost paper is dispensed by rotating the cam system while the remainder of the stack is immobilized to separate it from the remainder of the stack and drop it to the transverse aperture.

Abstract: A vending machine for newspapers and magazines, where, inside a compartment (12), a couple of rotating discs (21) are forseen. Due to gravity, the discs (21) rest on the pile of newspapers or magazines and, by pushing down onto the top copy of the pile, send the newspaper or magazine down a chute (15) to a retrieving outlet. The discs (21) are fitted on a shaft (23) which is directly or indirectly operated by an electric motor (24) which is started due to a signal coming from the coin box and which stops following the falling of the copy.

Abstract: The present invention provides a single paper dispenser. An enclosure has a transverse aperture at one end and a discontinuous transverse member near the aperture. A horizontal stack of papers is located within the enclosure and a mechanism is provided to bias the papers against the transverse member. A cam system is located within the enclosure and rotates about an axis parallel to the transverse aperture. Tongues on the cams move upwardly through the discontinuities in the transverse member and then forwardly as the cam system is rotated. While the cam system is rotated, the mechanism for biasing the papers against the transverse member is disabled. The forwardmost paper is dispensed by rotating the cam system while the remainder of the stack is immobilized to separate it from the remainder of the stack and drop it to the transverse aperture.

Abstract: A locking device includes a lock and key and has tumblers which can be brought by a key into a release position, and provides, in particular, for a large number of closing combinations, that at least one of the tumblers can be brought, in addition or alternatively to its direct control by the base code of the corresponding key, by means of a magnet coil into a release position. The coil is energizable by a reading device which detects at least one supplementary code of the key.

Abstract: A vending device for newspapers or other articles comprising a box like receptacle which can be pole or pedestal mounted. The device includes a one piece paper display member, an access door biasing means which is hidden from exposure to the weather, a door latch device which maintains the access door in an open position, a releasable lock device for locking a coin operating mechanism and coin box in the vending device and an access door locking unit for locking the access door to the coin operating mechanism.

Abstract: An enclosed newspaper vending machine has a double front door with a paper access door mounted in a security door carrying coin actuated release mechanism for the paper access door and a key operated pin lock fits within a surrounding guard on the front of the security door for locking engagement with a rod or pin extending forwardly from an interior wall of the enclosure.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus 10 for elongate flat articles such as newspapers is described. The mechanism uses a rachet or pawl mechanism 36 or 36a to control a roller 23 or 23a rotatably mounted on a shaft 24 or 51 for dispensing the articles with the shaft and roller locked together. The roller has a cylindrical cross-section in continuous contact with the uppermost article to be dispensed by turning a crank handle 53 or by pulling a pull bar 28. The rachet or pawl mechanism and support plate 18 for the articles P are constructed to be rugged and reliable in dispensing the articles. Self lubricating bearings 18a are mounted on the plate for movement on multiple posts 12. The rachet mechanism engages indentations 38 on the end 37 of the roll.

Abstract: A coin-operated latch mechanism for a newspaper rack includes a coin-receiving mechanism into which coins are deposited. A coin-return mechanism is provided which, when depressed, swings the coin-receiving mechanism to a position in which the outlets of the coin slots overly a coin-return diverter. The coin-return diverter is normally disposed in a coin return mode and is moved to a coin retention position in response to the opening of a door of the rack. A key-actuated wall of the rack is mounted on hinges which permit a simplified removal of the wall from the rack. The key-actuated wall includes a latch which enables the wall to be closed and relatched without the use of a key.

Abstract: A single paper dispenser is disclosed. The dispenser includes a frame which has a support plate for supporting the papers in a generally horizontal stack. The support plate has a forward, slotted edge, and the stack of papers are biased toward that edge. Cams are provided which are rotatable about an axis parallel to the slotted edge. The cams each have tongues which are movable upwardly through these slots and then forwardly relative to the support plate as they are rotated. The rotated cam elements engage the forwardmost paper in the stack with the tongues projecting through the slots, lift and separate the forwardmost paper from the remainder of the stack, and drop the separated paper past the forward edge of the support plate.

Abstract: A newspaper display machine comprises a base frame forming therein an interior compartment, and an access opening communicating with the compartment. A self-contained module is provided for controlling the access to the compartment. The self-contained module comprises a casing which is securable to the base frame, a door pivotably carried by the casing, and a coin-actuated mechanism for enabling the door to be opened.

Abstract: A newspaper display machine has a container and an access door pivotably mounted to the container. The door includes a transparent window large enough to expose the full length and full width of a newspaper. A pair of pressure plates are pivotably mounted on the inside of the door for retaining a display newspaper against a rear surface of the window. Closure springs bias the pressure plates and access door to their closed positions. The container is provided with retainer openings which receive lower corners of the pressure plates when the pressure plates and the access door are all in their opened positions, in order to hold-open the pressure plates and access door against the closure biases of the springs.

Abstract: A lock provides a locking function after the insertion of a coin into it. The lock includes a punch card scanner which serves to enable the lock to provide the locking function. The lock includes a moveable bolt which is responsive to the scanner and a detent-like blocking catch. Movement of the bolt toward a locked position urges an inserted coin to lift the blocking catch, thereby freeing the bolt for further movement.

Abstract: A coin operated vending machine is provided for delivering the uppermost of a stack of generally horizontally disposed article such as newspapers, out a delivery opening or vending slot. The machine employs an upright pedestal with a top wall for supporting a stack of the articles to be dispensed, and an enclosing cabinet shell is telescopingly received over the upper end of the pedestal and has an article engaging dispensing slot. The pedestal supports the cabinet shell in telescopic position which changes incrementally each time a newspaper is vended. The article is rotated through an arc in the dispensing of the newspaper and a latch bar associated with the dispensing mechanism is movable to latched or unlatched position, dependent on whether or not proper coins have been inserted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to control the selective opening of one of a multiple of door accessible newspaper vending cabinets (6a-6e) through a single vend control mechanism (7). The method provides for signaling a selected door from a multiple of doors (18a-18e) to unlock when the proper total denomination of coins or monetary credits has been inserted into the vend control mechanism (7). The apparatus provides for an electronic coin totalizer (14) and/or a bill acceptor (16), and/or a debit/credit card acceptor (17), and a central processing unit (CPU) (10) to receive and process signals relating to total monies received into the vend control mechanism (7) and to selectively unlock one of a multiple of door-accessible cabinets (6a-6e), the cabinets containing different newspapers.