Patent ID: 6811053
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
An apparatus for dispensing flat articles, comprisinga merchandise compartment containing a magazine for storing a stack of articles, having a front wall raised from a floor of the merchandise compartment forming a space through which only a bottom article in the stack of articles can pass, a coin mechanism having a drive gear rotatable by a handle through a rotational cycle, a dispensing mechanism comprising a slide, and a crankshaft gear having a crankshaft coupled to the slide, coupled to the drive gear such that rotation of the drive gear moves the slide between an engaging position in which the slide engages the bottom article and a starting position forward of the engaging position, whereby rotation of the handle through the rotational cycle moves the slide from the starting position to the engaging position to engage the bottom article and back to the starting position to push the bottom article out of the space, and a weight disposed on top of the stack of articles having a movable finger, whereby as the last article in the magazine is dispensed the finger engages the slide to lock the slide in a preset locked position and prevent rotation of the coin mechanism, wherein the preset locked position is before the starting position of the coin mechanism such that a coin slot in the coin mechanism will not accept a coin.