SYSTEM FOR CONVERTING STACK ACCESS NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINES AND THE LIKE TO APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING PRODUCTS ONE AT A TIME

Abstract: A coin operated newspaper and like article vending system for dispensing articles on a one-at-a-time basis wherein a housing forms a cabinet for containing newspap­ ers and like articles to be vended, a door is hinged on one side of the cabinet, a coin operated lock mechanism releasably locks the door to the cabinet, a partition is incorporated with the housing as a wall thereof situated behind the door and provides a dispensing slot behind the door for passing one article at a time, an elevator assures the delivery of newspapers successively to a location opposite the dispensing slot, a newspaper dispensing element is actuable to engage and move the newspaper partly out the opening, and linkage mechanism connects the door and dispensing element to move the newspaper at least partly out of the opening when the door is moved. Return of the dispensing element is delayed pending latching of the door in a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Description: This invention is directed to the conversion of coin operated vending machines in which the unlatching of a front door, via deposit of the proper coins in a coin latch mechanism, provides access to an entire stack of newspapers. The newspaper vending machine believed to be in widest use today is believed to be the one disclosed in U. S patent No. 3,174,608, in which the newspapers are supported in a generally vertical stack and the coin controlled access door is opened to permit the party who inserted the coins to remove a newspaper from the top of the stack. These are called "full access" machines, in the sense that, once access is obtained, the customer has the option of removing one newspaper or the entire stack. Because of the considerable variety of money-saving coupons which are provided in newspaper advertisements these days, which people need only to clip out of the newspaper and use in a retail store to obtain a considerable discount, or to obtain additional items of the type purchased for no cost, there is now a definite incentive for people to accumulate as many newspapers as possible to obtain these coupons for their own use, or for sale to others. As a result, considerable difficulty is being encountered with vending machines of this type which depend upon the honesty and goodwill of the people using them. In GB-A-2 124 604 a coin operated newspaper vending machine for dispensing articles on a one-at-a-time basis is disclosed, comprising a door hinged on one side of a cabinet a mechanism for assuring the delivery of newspaper, newspaper dispensing elements and a linkage mechanism connecting the door and the newspaper dispensing elements. There are various "one-at-a-time" dispensing machines on the market today, but no one has yet, to our knowledge, however, perfected a conversion mechanism which permits the continued use of the many thousands of full access vending machines already in place throughout the country. One of the prime objects of the present invention is to provide mechanism which converts a stack access vending machine to a machine which dispenses only a single article at a time, and does so in a relatively simple manner, which makes it worthwhile to retain the vending machines already in the marketplace, rather than replace them with new machines. Another object of the invention is to provide a vending machine which has the capability of dispensing articles of varying thickness, and in an efficient and reliable manner. The system which will be described uses the power of the opening access door to deliver one end of the newspaper out a vending slot which is located behind the access door. The system is unaffected when the customer pulls the newspaper the rest of the way out of the slot, and the door must be relatched before a second newspaper can be dispensed. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out specifically, or will become apparent from the following description, when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a sectional, side elevational view showing a top lid or cover for the vending machine swung to "up" position in order to illustrate various parts of the dispensing mechanism which are supported by the cover, the side door being shown in the "swung-down" position in chain lines; Figure 2 is a similar fragmentary side elevational view on an enlarged scale, with the cover however being shown in the "swung-down" position, and, for the sake of convenience, only a single newspaper being shown on the stack supporting elevator platform; Figure 3 is a top, sectional plan view, taken on the line III-III of Figure 2, with the chain lines indicating advanced positions of the newspaper being dispensed and the claw which assists in moving the newspaper out the vending slot; Figure 4 is a fragmentary, elevational view, taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3 and showing the dispensing claw in its "ready" position, prior to the time the access door has been unlatched and swung outwardly to operate the dispensing claw; Figure 5 is a similar, fragmentary view showing the dispensing claw in a position in which it has engaged the end of the top-most newspaper in the stack; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 5, showing the claw in a position in which it is momentarily halted on the return of the access door, in order to permit the access door to be locked before the dispensing claw is moved over to the Figure 4 "ready" position; Figure 7 is an enlarged, top plan view showing relative positions of the cable driven plate and the dispensing claw mounting plate at a time when the access door is being returned toward locked position, the chain lines indicating an advanced position of the parts taken on the line VII-VII of Figure 8; Figure 8 is a fragmentary, side elevational view thereof; Figure 9 is a similar plan view, but showing a different relative position of the cable driven plate and the claw mounting plate, and illustrating the time delay slot which keeps the dispensing claw in the Figure 6 position until the access door is again locked in closed position; Figure 10 is a fragmentary, enlarged, sectional, side elevational view illustrating the position of the access door locking parts when the door is in fully closed position; Figure 11 is a similar view showing the access door in the act of opening with a coin in a position which permits the locking parts to disengage so that the access door can be swung to open position; and Figure 12 is a top plan view of the latch plate which is mounted on the access door. Referring to Figures 1-12, it is to be understood that the mechanism described comprises a second embodiment of conversion mechanism for converting a vending machine in which there is free access to the stack of newspapers to a vending machine in which a single newspaper is dispensed with opening of the access door presently included in free access vending machines. Typical vending machines of this character which are to be converted are disclosed in United States patent Nos. 3,265,177 and 4,106,609. Such vending machines, as disclosed in Figures 1-12 to which the entire following description relates, comprise a rectilinear housing H with front and rear walls 10 and 11, side walls 12, and a bottom wall 13. The open upper end of the housing H is closed by a lid or cover L which is hinged as at 14 to one of the side walls 12. Cover L, as shown, is provided with a rear wall 15, side walls 16, and a top wall 17. Hingedly connected to the front wall 10 at 18, is the usual access door, generally designated D, which comprises an outer frame 19 mounting a centrally disposed transparent plate 20. The frame 19 comprises tubular elements with inner walls 19a and marginal walls 19b which, in the conventional manner, provide a space S behind the transparent panel 20 within which a "display" newspaper DN may be displayed. Torsion springs 21, with a leg 21a trapped by door bracket 21b, and a leg 21c trapped by a housing bracket 21d, have sufficient power to return door D to the closed position. Previously, the stack of newspapers simply rested on a shelf and the entire stack could be removed once the door D was unlocked and swung outwardly to the D' position shown in Figure 1. In the conversion process, a panel 22 is secured to the front wall 10 and has an inset portion 22a which extends upwardly to cover most of the access opening formerly available when the door D was swung to the D' position. It is to this wall portion 22a that the display newspaper DN is releasably secured as by a U-shaped retaining wire 23 secured to wall 22a. As in the normal operation of such vending machines, when all of the newspapers have been dispensed from the stack S, the remaining newspaper DN can be taken by the last user of the vending machine. It is to be observed that the panel wall portion 22a terminates in a top wall 22b (Figure 2) spaced downwardly from the upper end of the door D, when the door D is in closed position. Secured to cover top 17 is a front upper wall panel 23 having an inwardly extending lower wall 24, which, together with the wall 22b, provides a newspaper dispensing slot O of such size as to permit the dispensing of single newspapers of varying thickness (in the daily to Sunday size) without permitting hand access through the slot O to someone who is attempting to remove more than a single newspaper. Also to be mounted within the vending machine housing, during the conversion process, is an elevator platform E for supporting the stack S of newspapers which formerly was supported on the housing bottom wall. The elevator E includes dependent clevis members 25 which are mounted for vertical travel along fixed guide rods 26 secured at each side of the housing H. At each side of the housing H, (see Figure 3) a pulley 27, rotatably mounted on a shaft 28 journaled in a bearing 29, is provided for supporting a coil spring 30 which is secured to a lug portion 25a on each of the members 25. At its other end, each coil spring 30, which is trained around one of the pulleys 27, is secured to a mount 30a fixed to the platform 13. As indicated earlier, the purpose of springs 30 is to exert a uniform pressure on the elevator E to constantly urge it upwardly and keep the topmost newspaper N in the stack in dispensable position opposite slot O. In order to confine the stack S of newspapers, and keep them in a position of vertical alignment, a back guide plate 31 is fixed to the housing wall 11. Also tending to maintain the alignment of the stack of newspapers N, and to hold the one corner of the topmost newspaper from raising, is a roller 32, rotatably mounted on a pin 33 supported by a clevis 34 which itself is mounted for rotation about a vertically extending pin 35. The clevis 34 has an upper web 34a, rotatably received against a support pad 36 carried by a resilient leaf spring member 37 which extends angularly from a bracket 38 fixed to cover top wall 17. Roller 32 thus can swivel when the newspaper N is being dispensed. Provided to engage the diagonally opposite corner of the topmost newspaper N (see Figure 2) in the stack S, is a roller 39, mounted for rotation on a pin 40 supported by a leg 41 which depends from a claw mounting dispensing arm 42. The arm 42 is fixed to a pin 43 (Fig. 3) which is mounted for pivotal movement in an opening 44, provided in a fitting 45 fixed to the top wall 17 of cover L by bolts 46. The arm 42 is provided with an extending portion 42a to which a generally C-shaped leaf spring 47 is secured, as perhaps best illustrated in Figure 11. The resilient leaf spring 47 has a newspaper engaging claw 48 secured on its free end as shown. Claw 48 is formed with a laterally extending hook portion 48a, having a beveled terminal edge 48b, such that the hook 48a can engage between the ends of the separate folded sections x of the newspaper, which are open in the sense that the hook 48a can be moved between them. It is to be understood that the roller 39 functions as a fulcrum when the claw 48 is swung in the manner illustrated in the chain lines in Figure 3 outwardly through substantially a 90° arc to a position in which its one end edge extends out slot O and can be grasped by a customer. Advanced positions of the newspaper, as it is being swung outwardly, are shown at N' and N'' and advanced positions of the claw C are shown at C', C'', and C'''. Guides 49 may be provided on the side walls 12. So that they will not engage with the paper and in any way affect the return of the mechanism, the corners of claw plate 48 are bent upwardly as shown at 48c. While, as will become apparent, arm 42 is moved in the dispensing operation by the act of moving the door D to open position, and is also returned by the closing of door D, return spring 50 is also provided for a purpose to be later described. The return spring 50 is fixedly connected to the arm 42 at 51, and fixedly connected to the plate 23 at 52. Mounted for pivotal movement on pin 43, and separated from the arm 42 by a bearing 53, is a drive plate 54 which is connected by a cable assembly, generally designated 55, to the access door D. Cable assembly 55 includes an outer sheath member 55a with end fittings 55a'. A cable 55b passing through member 55a and fittings 55a' is mounted for movement when door D is swung open and returned. The sheath 55a can be adjustably secured by a bracket 56 to the cover top wall 17, as shown in Figure 1, and to a bracket 57 secured to the one side wall 12. A fitting 55c (Fig. 8) fixed to cable 55b is pinned to plate 54 at 55d, and, at its opposite end, cable 55b has a fitting 55e which is pinned as at 55f to an angular bracket 56 which is fixed to door D and extends inwardly therefrom. When door D is swung outwardly, cable 55b swings the plate 54 in a counterclockwise direction in Figure 3. Provided in plate 54 (see Figures 7 and 9) is a curvilinear recess 58 which receives and traps a pin 59 which extends upwardly from arm 42. Thus, when plate 54 is swung counterclockwisely during the dispensing operation, the pin 59 will also cause the arm 42 and dispensing claw C to be driven counterclockwisely about pivot 43. After the dispensing operation has taken place and the topmost newspaper N has been pulled from the stack by the customer, door D is swung upwardly which causes cable 55b to swing plate 54 in the return, clockwise direction. At the same time spring 50 is returning arm 42 in a clockwise direction, so that arm 42 and plate 54 move in unison. Provided on a flatted side 45a of fitting 45 is a plate 60, shown particularly in Figures 3 and 8, which is mounted on the face 45a by a pivot pin 61 for movement in a vertical plane between the positions shown in Figure 8 and Figure 2. A torsion spring 62, provided on pin 61, has a vertically upwardly extending arm 62a which extends into engagement with the top wall 17 of cover L. It also has a laterally extending arm 62b which extends to overlie a projecting leg 60a provided on the plate 60, which is at the level of the top of pin 59, when the parts are in the normal Figure 8 position. The spring arm 62b normally tends to force the leg 60a to the Figure 8 position, but, as will presently be described, the plate 60 can be forced upwardly to the Figure 2 position. Provided on the plate 54 to cam the plate 60 upwardly, is a cam pin 63 which, in its path of movement, is adapted to engage a projecting extension 60b provided on plate 60. The manner in which these parts cooperate to provide a lost motion operation, and a delay for claw 48 in its return to dispensing position, will presently be described. Referring now more particularly to Figures 10 and 11, we have illustrated conventional door-locking mechanism, and it is to be understood that various door-locking mechanisms of a conventional nature such as shown, for example, in the following U. S. patents 4,037,701; 2,984,326; 3,174,608; 3,125,247; 3,265,177; 3,403,765; 3,464,530; 3,738,466; 3,882,984; 3,496,848; and 4,000,799 may be used. For purposes of the present description to disclose only a typical locking mechanism, we have shown the usual coin box B mounted on the top wall 17 of cover L. Fixed to the upper end of door D is a latching extension box generally designated 65 which includes outer wall 65a and side walls 65b. It will be observed that slots 66 are cut in the side walls 65b to receive the extending front edge of the wall 17 when the door D is in locked position (see Figure 10). Mounted on the front of the coin box B to fit within the panel 65 when the door D is in locked position, is a box-like projection 67. Coin box B also mounts the usual lock plate 68 which includes the locking recess 69 which is open at the front of plate 68. Locking recess 69 has a lower marginal wall 69a, an upper ramp wall 69b, and a vertical lock wall portion 69c. Provision is made within the coin box mechanism B for channeling a coin 70, shown in chain lines, to a position in which the usual abutment member 71 holds the coin 70 during the unlocking operation. Afterward the coin 70 is moved to the coin receptacle in the usual manner. Provided on the interior of the housing 65 is bracket 72 fixed to the walls 65a, and pivotally mounted on bracket 72 is latch plate 73. The latch plate 73 has dependent ears 73a, which are rotatably received on a pin 74 mounted by the inwardly projecting portions 72a of plate 72. A torsion spring 75 has an arm 75a which hooks under a retainer wall 72b provided on bracket 72, and an extending arm 75b which bears on the forwardly projecting end of latch plate 73 and normally maintains it in the up position in which it is shown in Figure 10. Provided on the front end of the latch plate 73 are a pair of spaced apart upwardly bent cam ears 77 which are in position to be vertically aligned with a pair of coin chutes, one of which may be used for daily papers and the other for Sunday papers, for instance. Intermediate the ears 77 is an opening 78a which defines a latch bar 78 formed in the latch 73. When the door D is in the extreme closed position, the parts are in the Figure 10 location. Assuming that coin 70 is fed down into position over one of the camming ears 77, and door D is attempted to be swung outwardly, wall 78 is forced upwardly by the spring 75 to ride forwardly along ramp surface 69. It can go only until it engages vertical lock surface 69c. If, however, a coin 70 is inserted to the position shown when door D is moved outwardly by the customer, latch plate 73 is forced downwardly because coin 70 pushes one of the camming ears 77 downwardly, and the lock wall 78 can be moved beyond the lock surface 69c. When the door D is returned by springs 21 to closed position, latch plate 73 automatically is relatched, latch bar 78 engaging a cam surface 68d on plate 68 and being forced downwardly to assume the Figure 10 position. The unlatching operation described is conventional, and need not be further illustrated or described. In operation, and assuming that the coin 70 is in the position shown and door D will delatch when it is swung outwardly, it is to be understood that the parts are in the Figures 3 and 4 "ready" position in which plate 60 is cammed upwardly. As the door D is opened, and cable 55b is moved to the 55' position shown in chain lines in Figure 1, drive plate 54 is swung counterclockwisely (Figure 3) and, because of the engagement of the pin 59 with the marginal wall of slot 58, the claw mounting plate 42a will also be moved counterclockwisely. Claw hook 48a will be moved from the Figure 11 position to the Figure 5 position, and enter in between the folds of the topmost newspaper N in the stack S. As arm 42 and plate 54 move counterclockwisely, the cam lug 63 will be removed from the latch extension 60b so that latch plate 60 immediately swings down to the Figure 8 position, ready for the part which it must play in delaying the movement of the claw C on the return of the door D. The various positions of the claw C and the topmost newspaper during counterclockwise movement of plate 54 and arm 42 are disclosed in Figure 3 and have previously been mentioned. When the door D has been swung to the horizontal position in which it is shown in chain lines at D' in Figure 1, the newspaper will have been swung to or past the N'' position in which it is shown in Figure 4, and will be in a position of projection out the slot O so that it can be grasped by the customer and pulled out the remainder of the way. When the customer then releases door D, the torsion springs 100 on the hinge pins 18 cause the door to be swung inwardly thus moving cable 55b in a direction to cause plate 54 to be driven in the clockwise direction. The return spring 50 will, at the same time, cause arm 42 to move in unison with the plate 54. This movement clockwisely in unison continues until post 59 on the arm 42 comes into engagement with the lug 60a, which is in the Figure 8 position as previously indicated. At this point, further clockwise movement of the claw mounting arm 42 is arrested by the latch 60, while the drive plate 54 can continue to move clockwisely because recess 58 can move relative to pin 59 to the Figure 9 position of the parts. The purpose of arresting the movement of arm 42 and claw C so that the claw C is at rest for a short time in the Figure 6 position is so that door D can be latched in position before the claw C is permitted to snap clockwisely over to the dispensing position. If the door D were not locked before the claw C reached the lowered Figure 4 position in which it could dispense another paper, it would be possible for a customer to move the door to almost closed position, and then swing it downwardly again and dispense a second newspaper without having paid for it. After the short time delay provided by the relative clockwise movement of drive plate 54 when arm 42 remains stationary, cam 63 has moved with plate 54 to a position where it engages the projection 60b on latch plate 60. Further movement of plate 54 clockwisely will cause the plate 60 to be cammed upwardly to the Figure 2 position against the force exerted by torsion spring 62, at which time plate 64 will be abruptly released to snap further clockwisely because of the contraction of spring 50 to normal position. Claw C thus moves almost instantaneously (at a time when door lock latch 73 has moved its latch bar 78 beyond vertical wall 69c) from the Figure 6 position over to the Figure 4 position. To support the cover L in open position when desired, so that a stack of newspapers a may be loaded to the elevator platform E, a brace bar 76 is supported by a crossbar 77 provided on the cover L. The brace bar 76 is adapted to be received by an enlarged sleeve 78 fixed to the housing rear wall 11. A turned up lower end 76a of bar 76 engages under the sleeve 78 to prevent the cover from being swung upwardly beyond a vertical position.

Claims: A coin operated newspaper and like article vending machine for dispensing articles on a one-at-a-time basis, comprising: a) a housing (H) forming a cabinet for containing newspapers and like articles to be vended; b) a door (D) hinged on one side of the cabinet; c) coin operated lock mechanism (73, 69c) automatically reengagable to lock the door as the door is returned to closed position; d) partition means (23, 24, 22b) incorporated with the housing as a wall thereof situated behind the door and providing a dispensing slot (O) behind the door for passing one article at a time; e) mechanism (E, 27, 30) for assuring the delivery of newspaper successively to a location opposite the dispensing slot; f) newspaper dispensing elements (22, 47, C) movable in an arcuate path of travel in a generally horizontal plane between a dispensing position and a projection position, said newspaper dispensing elements being actuable to engage and pivotally move the newspaper through an angle approaching 90 degrees to a position partly out of the dispensing slot; g) linkage mechanism (55, 55b, 56, 54, 59, 50) connecting the door and the newspaper dispensing elements, operable when the door is swung, to move the newspaper at least partly out of the dispensing slot and to move the newspaper dispensing elements in the return direction with closing of the door; characterized by h) means (60, 60a, 63, 60b) for delaying return of the newspaper dispensing elements to the dispensing position pending return of the door to closed position to prevent the next successive newspaper from being dispensed before the lock mechanism is reengaged. A machine according claim 1 characterized by means (50) operating independently of the closing movement of the door (D) for moving the newspaper dispensing elements (42, 47, C) to the dispensing position after the door is returned to closed position and the lock mechanism (73, 69c) is reengaged. A method of converting a newspaper and like article vending machine comprising a housing (H) with an access door (D) in a side wall thereof which can be moved to open position, and a coin operated lock mechanism (73, 69c) which automatically locks when the door is moved to closed position, and which can be unlocked when proper coins are fed to the locking mechanism, including the steps of: a) biasing an elevator platform (E) within the housing (H) opposite the access door (D) to support a stack (S) of newspapers (N) such that the topmost is at a predetermined level; b) partitioning the space behind the door off from access via the door except for a dispensing slot (O) of a size to dispense a single newspaper from the upper end of the housing at said level; c) engaging the topmost newspaper with a newspaper dispensing elements (42, 47, C) connected with the access door such that an opening movement of the door will move the newspaper dispensing elements from a dispensing position to a projection position in a path of travel to drive the newspaper partly out of said dispensing slot to a position where it can be grasped and pulled the rest of the way out by the customer, and moving the access door in a return direction will move the newspaper dispensing elements in a return direction, characterized by d) providing means (60, 60a, 63, 60b) for delaying return of the newspaper dispensing elements to the dispensing position pending return of the door to closed position to prevent the next successive newspaper from being dispensed before the lock mechanism is reengaged. A method of dispensing a newspaper (N) or like article from a housing (H) having an access door (D) in a side wall thereof which can be moved to open position, partition means (23, 24, 22b) behind the door providing a dispensing slot (O) near its upper end, an elevator (E) including a platform for supporting a stack (S) of horizontally disposed newspapers (N) with the uppermost opposite said dispensing slot, a newspaper dispensing elements (42, 47, C) for engaging the topmost newspaper connected with said access door such as to drive the newspaper partly out of said dispensing slot when the door is moved toward open position, and a coin operated lock mechanism (73, 69c) which automatically locks the door when the door is moved to closed position, and which can be unlocked when proper coins are inserted; comprising the steps of: a) by moving the door to open position, moving the newspaper dispensing elements (42, 47, C) in an arcuate path of travel in a generally horizontal plane from a dispensing position to a projection position thus pivoting the newspaper through an angle approaching 90 degrees; b) pulling the newspaper from the dispensing slot (O); and c) restoring the door to closed position and locking the door once again; characterized by d) delaying a return of the newspaper dispensing elements in the dispensing position upon restoration of the door to closed position and reengaging the lock mechanism.

Inventors: DRAPER, REED T., POL, KENNETH J.
Applicants: DRAPER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Application year: 1985
Main classification: G07F11
IPC codes: G07F11