Abstract:
A magazine vending machine provides a plurality of vending mechanisms in a series of rows and columns in a glass front cabinet. Each vending mechanism includes a magazine dispensing mechanism for individually dispensing customer selected magazines and a pusher plate assembly that can be locked in a rear most loading position to allow the operator to fill each vending mechanism with magazines. The magazine dispensing mechanism includes a microprocessor and sensor arrangement which determines the height of magazine dispensed from the magazine vending mechanism and makes adjustments to the magazine dispensing mechanism operation according to the height of the magazine.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to vending machines and more particularly to a vending machine for vending magazine and the like including mechanisms to assist in loading and dispensing products, such as magazines, from such vending machines.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Many known vending machines for newspapers, magazines or similar articles utilize a storage and delivery system in which such articles are stored in one or more horizontal stacks and dispensed one at a time from the top of a stack with a mechanism that frictionally engages the top surface of the article on the top of the stack and moves it to a dispensing chute or opening in the machine where it can be retrieved by a customer. Such a vending machine is shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,003.  
           [0005]    Other known types of vending machines for vending articles such as newspapers or magazines store them in vertical stacks with their bottom edges supported by a horizontal shelf and use a pusher plate positioned at the rear of the stack which moves the entire stack forward on the horizontal surface so that a forward most article in the stack is moved into a dispensing chute. Such a vending machine is shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,599.  
           [0006]    All of these prior art machines are difficult to load or reload with newspapers and magazines, requiring substantial skill and training of personnel for that purpose. Such machines also have complex dispensing mechanisms to adjust for changes in thickness of newspapers or magazines loaded into a particular dispensing mechanism. These mechanisms make the dispensers difficult for the service personnel to load and adjust.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention overcomes the above described difficulties and disadvantages of the prior art newspaper, magazine or similar article stacking and dispensing devices by providing such a device that is easy to load with a stack of newspapers, magazines or similar articles and efficiently vends the articles selected by a customer.  
           [0008]    These advantages are provided by a magazine vending machine, having a cabinet with a substantial portion of a front panel thereof transparent; a monetary section for establishing credit in the machine; a selection panel for allowing a customer to make a selection of a magazine from the machine once adequate credit is established; a plurality of magazine vending mechanisms mounted within the cabinet and viewable through the transparent portion of the front panel; each vending mechanism including a magazine support surface engagable by an edge of a magazine so as to support the magazine to be vended from the vending mechanism; a pusher plate movable between a position adjacent to the transparent portion of the front panel and a position remote from the transparent portion of the front panel and engagable with a back cover of the magazine so as to move the magazine along the support surface; a magazine dispensing mechanism disposed at a front edge of the magazine support surface and having at least one motor driven friction wheel engagable with a front cover of a magazine disposed at the front edge of the magazine support surface for vending a magazine from the vending mechanism; and a vend bucket mounted within the cabinet beneath the plurality of magazine vending mechanisms so as to receive a magazine vended from any of the magazine vending mechanisms and accessible by a customer to remove the vended magazine.  
           [0009]    Such a vending machine also preferably includes a mechanism engaging the pusher plate for biasing the pusher plate toward the front panel. Such a machine also preferably includes the mechanism engaging the pusher plate including a scissor mechanism engaging the pusher plate and biased by at least one spring so as to bias the movement of the pusher plate toward the front panel. In addition, such a machine also preferably includes the pusher plate being tilted rearwardly from vertical so as to display a magazine engaged by the pusher plate at a rearward angle from the vertical.  
           [0010]    Such a magazine vending machine also preferably includes a magazine retention member disposed above the front edge of the magazine support surface and engagable with an upper portion of the front cover of a magazine when disposed at the front edge of the support surface. In addition, it also preferably includes the magazine retention member being mounted to the magazine vending mechanism for movement between a first position where it will engage the front cover of a magazine disposed at the front edge of the support surface and a second position remote therefrom such that a magazine can be loaded into the vending mechanism without engaging the retention member. Preferably, the retention member is pivotally mounted to a rear portion of the vending mechanism so as to be movable between the first and second positions and a member is preferably mounted to the pusher plate and engagable with the retention member when the pusher plate is moved toward its position remote from the front panel so as to move the retention member to its second position.  
           [0011]    In its preferred form the magazine vending machine includes a locking mechanism associated with the pusher plate for releasably holding the pusher plate in the position remote from the front panel. The locking mechanism preferably includes a push rod connected at one end to the pusher plate and an opposite end engagable with the locking mechanism; the locking mechanism including a “push-push” type locking mechanism. This “push-push” locking mechanism preferably includes a cam follower connected to the push rod and having a cam engaging portion; a locking cam member having an inlet and an outlet on a front side thereof and camming grooves in a top surface thereof having a generally heart-shaped configuration stepped at different levels from the inlet to the outlet so as to provide a one-way path for the cam follower through the cam member, including an intermediate locking position; and a spring member urging the cam follower in a direction out of the inlet and outlet of the locking member. The inlet of the locking member also preferably includes side walls which channel the cam follower into the camming grooves, the camming grooves including an upwardly inclined ramp extending from the inlet to a remote end terminating in a first step below the end of the ramp and extending in a direction away from the inlet, a second step extending downwardly from the first step in a direction toward the outlet and forming a locking position in which the cam follower will remain unless the spring force is overcome, a third step extending downwardly from the second step in a direction away from the inlet and a fourth step extending toward the outlet including an upwardly inclined portion terminating in the outlet.  
           [0012]    The magazine dispensing mechanism of the vending machine preferably includes the motor being mounted in a rear portion of the magazine dispensing mechanism; the friction wheel being mounted on a rotatable shaft mounted in the front portion of the vending mechanism; and an endless belt driven by the motor and engaging the shaft for rotating the friction wheels. The dispensing mechanism also preferably includes a lever and microswitch arrangement such that the lever is engagable with the front cover of a magazine for sensing when the upper edge of a magazine being dispensed passes the lever; means associated with the motor for operating the motor to rotate the friction wheels in response to a vend signal initiated by a customer to feed a magazine off of the front edge of the magazine support surface, the means including stepping the motor in small increments near the top of the magazine until the microswitch indicates that the top of the magazine has passed the lever and then stopping the motor and maintaining in a memory the height of the magazine so that the next operation steps the motor for a lesser number of steps nearer the top of the magazine.  
           [0013]    The magazine vending machine also preferably includes an adjustable magazine thickness gauge disposed at the front edge of the magazine support surface and slidably supported beneath the surface for movement toward and away from the magazine dispensing mechanism so as to engage the back cover of a magazine when the front cover is engaged by the dispensing mechanism, the gauge preventing a second magazine adjacent the magazine being dispensed from also being dispensed.  
           [0014]    The magazine vending machine also preferably includes a magazine deflector plate disposed at the front of a first magazine dispensing mechanism so as to deflect a magazine dispensed from a second magazine dispensing mechanism disposed above the first magazine dispensing mechanism.  
           [0015]    Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of a magazine vending machine of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a right side pictorial view of a magazine vending mechanism of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a right side view in partial cross section of the magazine vending mechanism shown in FIG. 2 with the pusher plate in the forward most position;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the pusher plate in the rear most position;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view of a front lower portion of the magazine vending mechanism of FIG. 4 showing the magazine dispensing mechanism;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the magazine vending mechanism of FIG. 2 with the deflector plate removed;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the “push-push” type locking mechanism of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIGS. 8 a - c  are side views in partial cross section of the locking mechanism of FIG. 7 showing the camming pin in various positions within the locking cam member;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the locking mechanism of FIG. 7;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 10 is a partial cross sectional view of the support tray for a row of vending mechanisms and the locking mechanism therefore;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 with the tray locking mechanism in a different position;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 10 with the tray locking mechanism in yet another position; and  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 13 is a left side pictorial view of a magazine vending mechanism of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     
    
       [0029]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0030]    The vending machine  10 , shown somewhat schematically in FIG. 1, is provided with some conventional features of vending machines which includes the cabinet  12  having a glass front  14 , a product selection area  16  along the side of the machine and a monetary section  18  which allows a customer to establish credit in the machine for making a purchase. In addition, a vend bucket  20  is disposed in the lower front portion of the machine for allowing a customer to retrieve his or her purchase after the product has been vended from the shelves of the machine. Although the preferred embodiment will be described as a magazine vending machine it is intended that other similar articles can also be vended therefrom.  
         [0031]    Contained within the vending machine  10  are unique magazine vending mechanisms  22 , shown in FIG. 1, and shown in individual detail in FIGS. 2 through 6. Generally, these magazine vending mechanisms  22  are mounted in a series of columns and rows within the machine, such as illustrated in FIG. 1, which each present a magazine for viewing by a potential customer through the glass front  14 . In the embodiment shown, each row of three magazine vending mechanisms  22  are mounted on slide out shelves which permit easy loading of the mechanisms  22  with a fresh supply of magazines.  
         [0032]    As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 6, each magazine vending mechanism module  22  is provided with a magazine support surface  24  which extends substantially the length of the bottom of mechanism  22  and supports a stack of magazines on their bottom edges as they are slid forward and dispensed from the mechanism. The support surface  24  also extends substantially across the width of the mechanism  22  and there is a central channel  26  which extends the length of the support surface in which part of the dispensing mechanism moves as described in detail below. Thus, magazines are supported along a substantial portion of their bottom edge by support surface  24  except through the central region where the channel  26  is formed.  
         [0033]    The magazine vending mechanism  22  also includes a pusher plate assembly, shown generally as  28 , which urges a stack of magazines towards the front of the magazine vending mechanism  22  for their dispensing. The assembly  28  includes a pusher plate  30  which is slanted slightly towards the rear of the vending mechanism  22  to aid in the presentation of the magazine through the transparent glass front  14 . Pusher plate  30  is mounted to a scissor-type mechanism  32  for movement between a rearmost position wherein the maximum capacity of magazines can be inserted, and a foremost position in which the magazine vending mechanism  22  has been emptied of magazines. The scissor-type mechanism  32  is comprised of a series of arms  34  pivotally interconnected at various pivot points so as to expand and contract in length when the pusher plate  30  moves between its rearmost and foremost positions. Pusher plate  30  is mounted through a support frame  38  to the bottom forward most pivot point  35  on the scissor-type mechanism  32 , which also carries a pair of wheels  40  which are spaced apart and ride within the channel  26  in support surface  24 . This supports the pusher plate for its movement between its rearmost and foremost positions as the scissor-type mechanism  32  expands and contracts accordingly.  
         [0034]    In order to bias the pusher plate  30  toward its foremost position, two sets of springs are provided near the rear of the magazine vending mechanism  22 . A first set of springs  42  have one hooked or looped end of each mounted for independent rotation on a pivoting rod  43  rotatably mounted to the main body of the magazine vending mechanism  22  and secured to the rear set of arms  34  for rotation therewith. The opposite ends of each spring  42  are independently rotatably supported by a rod  46  which also forms the pivot point  36  of the upper rearmost portion of the scissor-type mechanism  32 , and which moves in a pair of slots  48  formed in a rear portion of the main body of magazine vending mechanism  22 . A second set of springs  45  each have an end hooked to an arm  47  mounted to rod  43  for rotation therewith and an opposite end hooked for freedom of rotation to rod  46 . Thus, the force of springs  42  constantly tend to draw the rearmost pivot points  36  towards each other so as to extend the scissor-type mechanism  32  and thus urge the pusher plate  30  from its rearmost to its foremost position. As the pusher plate  30  moves closer to the rear most position the arms  47  are rotated upward and the springs  45  are extended to add additional biasing force to the scissor-type mechanism so that the increased load of the additional magazines when the vending mechanism is substantially full can be moved forward toward the dispensing mechanism.  
         [0035]    A magazine retention assembly, shown generally as  50 , is provided to maintain the magazines in an upright position with their backs against pusher plate  30  so that as they are moved forward they do not collapse and fall over the front of the magazine vending mechanism  22 . The magazine retention assembly  50  includes a magazine retention member in the form of a roller  52  which engages the upper front cover of the foremost magazine positioned in the magazine vending mechanism  22  to thus prevent its falling forward. The magazine retention member  52  is mounted at one end to a support arm  54  which is pivotally mounted at its opposite end  56  to the main body of the magazine vending mechanism  22 . For stability and strength, a cross-member  58  is mounted at one end  60  to support arm  54  and at an opposite end  62  to a second pivotally mounted arm  64 , which is also mounted to the main body of the magazine vending mechanism  22  at  66 .  
         [0036]    As best seen in FIG. 3, a camming bar  68  is mounted to an upper portion of the frame member  38  at one end  70  and the opposite end  72  rides in a slot formed in the rear portion of the housing for the vending mechanism  22  so that as the pusher plate  30  is moved toward its rearmost position the camming bar  68  moves rearwardly and extends out of the slot formed in the rear portion of the magazine vending mechanism  22 . As the camming bar  68  approaches its rearmost location where the pusher plate is at its rearmost location, as seen in FIG. 4, a camming surface  74  engages a portion of the cross-member  58  which causes the support arm  54  to be pushed upwardly to a position above the path of the pusher plate so as to allow a new stack of magazines to be easily inserted into the magazine vending mechanism  22 . As the pusher plate  30  is moved forward after magazines have been loaded, the camming surface  74  pulls forward of the cross-member  58  allowing the support arm  54  and retention member  52  to fall by gravity so that the retention member is placed in the upper front portion of a magazine positioned in the dispensing mechanism to thus prevent it from falling forward as the magazines are dispensed.  
         [0037]    In order to make the loading of magazines simpler when the pusher plate  30  is pushed to its rearmost position, so that the operator doesn&#39;t need to hold the pusher plate in that position while loading magazines, a locking mechanism, shown generally as  76 , is mounted to the rear of the main body of magazine vending mechanism  22 , as best seen in FIGS. 2 through 4. Locking mechanism  76  incorporates a well known general type locking mechanism typically utilized in cabinet doors and the like and is generally called a “push-push” type mechanism which requires the operator to make an initial push on the door to cause the door to lock in a certain position and then upon a subsequent push the lock is released and the door is allowed to be opened. In the present application, the use of the “push-push” type mechanism allows an operator to push rearwardly on pusher plate  30  to where it is engaged with locking mechanism  76 . Then the operator releases the pusher plate  30  and it is held in a locked position until the operator loads the machine with magazines and then pushes again rearwardly on the stack of magazines which releases the locking mechanism  76  and allows the pusher plate  30  to push the magazines toward the front of the magazine vending mechanism  22 . Locking mechanism  76  includes a plurality of cam surfaces formed in a locking cam member and which is engaged by a cam follower which is a pin  78  mounted on a push rod  80  which is pivotally mounted to the frame portion  38  supporting the pusher plate  30 . Pivoting the push rod  80  on the pin  82  allows the cam follower pin  78  to maneuver through the camming surfaces in the locking mechanism  76  as described in detail below. Push rod  80  extends a sufficient distance through the rear of the magazine vending mechanism  22  to stay in engagement with the locking mechanism  76  when the push plate  30  is in its forward most position and is allowed to extend out of the back of the locking mechanism  76  when the push plate  30  is in its rearmost position. The locking mechanism  76  and its operation will be described more specifically in a conjunction with FIGS. 7 through 9.  
         [0038]    Generally, this “push-push” locking mechanism preferably includes a cam follower connected to the push rod and having a cam engaging portion; a locking cam member having an inlet and an outlet on a front side thereof and camming grooves in a top surface thereof having a generally heart-shaped configuration stepped at different levels from the inlet to the outlet so as to provide a one-way path for the cam follower through the cam member. This path includes an intermediate locking position. The inlet of the locking member also preferably includes side walls which channel the cam follower into the camming grooves, the camming grooves including an upwardly inclined ramp extending from the inlet to a remote end terminating in a first step below the end of the ramp and extending in a direction away from the inlet, a second step extending downwardly from the first step in a direction toward the outlet and forming a locking position in which the cam follower will remain unless the spring force is overcome, a third step extending downwardly from the second step in a direction away from the inlet and a fourth step extending toward the outlet including an upwardly inclined portion terminating in the outlet.  
         [0039]    More specifically, the locking mechanism  76  will lock the pusher plate  30  in the rear position and will release the pusher plate  30  for forward movement of the pusher plate  30  to move the magazines in position for dispensing. The device includes the pusher rod  80  and the depending cam follower pin  78 . A locking cam member in the form of a camming latch block  84  has a series of camming surfaces and grooves to guide the pin  78  from an entry position (FIG. 8A) to a locked position (FIG. 8B) and a released position (FIG. 8C). The pin  78  first moves up a ramp  86  guided by inclined wall  88  and then side walls  90  and  92 . At the top of the ramp  86 , a cam surface  94  forces the pin  78  to move to the left where the pin  78  falls into a pocket  96 . Forward movement of the pin  78  causes it to move more to the left by cam surface  95 . Further forward movement (forward under bias of the pusher plate springs) moves the pin  78  into a vertical detent  98  to prevent further forward motion (this is the locked position when the magazines would be loaded). When moving into the locked position, the pin moves downwardly another level.  
         [0040]    After loading, the pin  78  is moved rearward by an operator and is forced to move again to the left by the cam surface  100  with the pin dropping still another level. Release of the pusher bar will allow the pin (and also the rod  80  and pusher plate  30 ) to move forward in the groove  102  and up a second ramp  104  under bias of the pusher plate springs  42 , to thereby move the magazines forward for dispensing. The ramp  104  provides a forward portion of the wall  88  which prevents the pin from accidently entering the groove  102  during rearward movement of the pin  78 . Thus, a simple locking mechanism  76  is provided.  
         [0041]    Secured to the lower front edge of the magazine vending mechanism  22  is a magazine dispensing mechanism  106 , as best seen in FIGS. 2 through 6. This magazine dispensing mechanism  106  dispenses the forward most magazine from the magazine vending mechanism  22  in response to a selection by a customer. The magazine dispensing mechanism  106  is motor driven in response to customer selection. In the preferred embodiment, a motor  108  is mounted in the rear portion of the main body of magazine vending mechanism  22 , as shown in FIG. 2, and drives a first pulley wheel  110  through a gear reduction mechanism (not shown), which in turn drives an endless belt  112  extending towards the front side edge of the main body of the magazine vending mechanism  22  and around a driven pulley  114 . The pulley  114  is, in turn, secured for rotation to drive shaft  116  which is mounted in and extends across the forward lower edge of magazine vending mechanism  22 . As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, a pair of magazine vending rollers  118  and  120  are secured to drive shaft  116  for rotation therewith and engage the outer surface of the magazine at the lower front edge thereof and when rotated, feed the magazine down through the opening between rollers  118  and  120  and an adjustable magazine thickness gauge  121 . Gauge  121  is disposed at the front edge of the magazine support surface and is slidably supported beneath the surface for movement toward and away from the magazine dispensing mechanism  106  so as to engage the back cover of a magazine when the front cover is engaged by the dispensing mechanism, the gauge  121  prevents a second magazine adjacent the magazine being dispensed from also being dispensed and also acts to direct the magazine being dispensed into the opening between the glass and the fronts of the magazine vending mechanisms  22  so as to avoid getting hung-up on the magazines in a lower vending mechanism  22 .  
         [0042]    A magazine position sensing lever  122  is pivotally mounted to a front wall of the magazine dispensing mechanism  106  and has an upper arm  124  which engages a microswitch  126  when in its rest position, as shown in FIG. 5. The lever  122  is biased to this rest position by a spring (not shown). When a magazine is dispensed from between the rollers  118  and  120  and a stack of magazines, or the final magazine disposed against pusher plate  30 , it will engage the outer tip of the sensing lever  122  causing the upper arm  124  to move toward and activate the microswitch thus indicating the beginning of dispensing of a magazine. As the magazine is dispensed, its upper edge of the front cover will pass the lever  122  freeing the lever and allowing the upper arm  124  to disengage from the microswitch  126  thus indicating the magazine has been dispensed from the magazine dispensing mechanism  106  and the magazine vending mechanism  22 . These movements of the microswitch  126  and the signal that it sends to a microprocessor mounted within the cabinet of the magazine vending machine are utilized to adjust the movements of the magazine dispensing mechanism  106  so as to adjust for varying heights of a magazine being dispensed as described in detail below.  
         [0043]    The magazine vending machine uses a two-stage motor operation of motor  108  to deliver a magazine. A first stage runs the motor continuously for the majority of the magazine dispense duration. A second stage turns the motor on and off to achieve a pulsing or ratcheting action near the end of a magazine feed cycle. Since magazines vary in thickness, weight, surface texture and binding, fixed motor timing on the delivery system would not work well. An automatic timing adjustment is therefore desirable which modifies the duration of the first stage of operation of motor  108  to achieve an optimum delivery method. This method will deliver the magazine in the shortest time possible by running the motor  108  continuously as long as possible and then pulsing motor  108  to achieve a single magazine drop without a second magazine following into the rollers  118  and  120 .  
         [0044]    For example, the motor  108  is run continuously at normal speed for most of the magazine dispensing period. During approximately the last 1″ of the magazine travel, the motor  108  is turned on and off creating a pulsing action. The pulsing motor runs slower (e.g., at {fraction (1/2)} the normal speed of motor  108 ). The duration of the continuous motor run is adjusted to try and maintain a pulsing action which lasts for a short fixed amount. The total duration of the pulsing action is timed. The duration of the continuous run time is not timed. If the pulsing lasts longer than desired, then the continuous run time is increased. If the pulsing duration was too short, continuous run time is reduced. The pulsing action will continue until the magazine drops or a long period of time has elapsed which indicates a problem.  
         [0045]    The pulsing or ratcheting action helps to drop the first magazine and hinders the second magazine from following the first through the dispensing mechanism  106 .  
         [0046]    When the product identification of the magazine is changed in the microprocessor by a service person, it indicates to the microprocessor that the magazine has been changed. This indication of a new magazine causes the continuous run time value to be set to the default value in the microprocessor. The continuous run time value controls how long the motor  108  runs at full speed. The continuous run time value is the value that is adjusted to optimize the magazine drop. The continuous run time is set to a value that is shorter than required for any magazine.  
         [0047]    When pulsing duration is shorter than desired the continuous run time is decreased. Thus, if the pulsing action was less than the desired time period, then the continuous run time will be decreased in order to increase the pulsing action on future vends. The continuous run time is preferably reduced at a fairly high rate to always ensure that there will be a good amount of pulsing action. The continuous run time is reduced at a higher rate than it is increased to ensure that the pulse action will be present.  
         [0048]    When pulsing duration is longer than desired the continuous run time is decreased. If the pulsing action was greater than the desired time period, the continuous run time will be increased in order to decrease the pulsing action on future vends. The continuous run time is increased at a small rate to always ensure the second stage pulsing is not shortened too much. It is preferable to always have the pulsing action present.  
         [0049]    When a very long duration of pulsing occurs to dispense a magazine, a pulsing duration that is greater than normal values expected, additional reduction factors are applied before adjusting the continuous run time. For example, when a magazine is not grabbed immediately the rollers  118  and  120  can turn for several seconds before catching the magazine and starting the dispensing cycle. The dispense will be completed but the pulsing duration will be longer than normal to accomplish. This extra long pulse duration is weighed less than smaller values.  
         [0050]    When a new magazine is installed in the machine, the first adjustment of continuous run time is allowed a larger adjustment to get the continuous run time very close to the final value on the first pass. Additional adjustments are made at a smaller rate.  
         [0051]    The motor timers in the microprocessor are not adjusted for the following conditions:  
         [0052]    1. While in the motor test mode, this is because the motor test mode is used to do non-standard dispense actions. For example, the motor  108  is turned on and dispensing mechanism rollers  118  and  120  are cleaned in this mode. The microswitch  126  senses the magazine drop is triggered by hand in this mode, not by an actual magazine drop.  
         [0053]    2. The timers will not be updated if the proceeding vend did not reach a normal completion. The motor  108  may have jammed and not dispensed a magazine or a trailing magazine followed the first into the dispense rollers  118  and  120 . In the latter case, the machine is timed out and the second magazine will not actually be dispensed but is likely stuck in the dispensing path.  
         [0054]    Since a plurality of magazine vending mechanisms  22  are stacked one above another, such as four rows as illustrated in FIG. 1, it is possible for magazines vended from the upper mechanisms  22  to become stuck in one of the vending mechanisms immediately below it and thus not actually get into the vend bucket  20  as desired. To prevent this, a magazine deflection plate  128  is provided as a cover above each of the magazine dispensing mechanism  106 . This magazine deflection plate  128  is impacted by the bottom edge of a magazine vended from a magazine vending mechanism  22  disposed above it so that it is propelled forward towards the opening between the rear of the glass front  14  and the front edges of the rows of magazine vending mechanisms  22  and thus reliably dispensed into the vend bucket  20 .  
         [0055]    Each row of magazine vending mechanisms  22  is mounted to a single slide out tray  130 , as best seen in FIGS. 10 through 12, which are each provided with a locking mechanism, shown generally at  132 , for assisting in loading the magazine vending mechanisms  22 . As seen in FIG. 10, the tray is shown in its locked position within the cabinet where the magazine vending mechanisms  22  are normally positioned for operation. The tray locking mechanism  132  includes a manual lift lever  134  which the operator pushes up on at  136  to lift the locking pawl  138  from behind the roller  140  on which the tray  130  glides forward. The operator can then pull the tray  130  outward to load the magazine vending mechanisms  22 . As shown in FIG. 12, when the manual lift lever  134  is lifted its rearmost end has a camming surface  142  which is received in a correspondingly curved slot  144  formed in a cooperating linkage member  146  such that as the lift lever  134  is lifted it causes a rear end portion  148  of linkage member  146  to also be lifted sufficiently far that its lower edge  150  will pass over the roller  140  as tray  130  is moved out of the cabinet. In fact, once movement of tray  130  has begun the operator can let go of the manual lift lever  134  and the lower edge  152  thereof as well as the lower edge  150  of linkage member  146  will ride along the roller  140  as the tray is withdrawn from the cabinet. As shown in FIG. 11, once the tray has been withdrawn to a stopping point which is established by a down turned portion  154  of tray  130  which engages the backside of roller  140  to stop the outward movement of the tray. At the same time that  154  engages the rear portion of the roller  140  the rear edge of the linking member  146  drops in front of roller  140  so that the tray is prevented from being moved in either direction. After the magazine vending mechanisms  22  have been loaded by the operator, the operator again lifts lever  134  at lift point  136  and begins pushing the tray rearward so that the bottom edge  150  of linkage member  146  again rides on the top of roller  140  as the tray  130  is being returned to its operating position within the cabinet  10 . When tray  130  reaches its rearmost position operating lever  134  drops to capture roller  140  and thus prevent any movement of the tray  130  until the manual lift lever  134  is again raised. This assembly provides an easy and reliable means of allowing the trays to be pulled out for loading the vending mechanisms  22  and then returning them to their operational positions.  
         [0056]    Since the width of different magazines varies, provision has been made for adjusting the internal width of a magazine vending mechanism  22  to compensate so that a stack of magazines are kept in alignment as they are loaded and vended. As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 13, a side spacer  160  is removably secured to the inside of a side panel  162  of a magazine vending mechanism  22 . The spacer has an inner vertical surface  163  adjacent the pusher plate for engaging one edge of the stack of magazines to keep them generally aligned. The spacer  160  can be made in different widths to accommodate different widths of magazines. The spacer  160  is easily inserted and removed from the magazine vending mechanism  22 . It is provided with a pair of screws or rivets  164  or the like, who&#39;s heads are slideably received in key-shaped slots  166  to position the spacer adjacent the pusher plate  30  and secured to the wall  162 .  
         [0057]    In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.  
         [0058]    As various changes could be made in the above constructions, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.