Patent ID: 7819282

Claim:
A vending machine for dispensing a periodical such as a newspaper, the vending machine comprising: a housing including a top wall, a bottom wall, a back wall and side walls; a display assembly including a door hingedly connected to a front panel, the door including a transparent panel for displaying a copy of the periodical being dispensed by the vending machine; a frame movably disposed within the housing; an elevator assembly including a base mounted so as to be slidable with respect to the frame for moving from a rearward position with respect to the frame to a forward position, the elevator adapted to support a stack of periodicals during use; a dispensing assembly mounted to the frame forwardly of the base, the dispensing assembly including a dispensing sled translatable with respect to the frame between an upper position and a lower position, the dispensing sled adapted to engage a forwardly located periodical of the stack of periodicals for dispensing the periodical from an exit area of the vending machine; an actuation arm attached to the dispensing sled such that the arm is translated along a substantially vertical path as the dispensing sled is moved between its upper and lower positions, the actuation arm projecting outwardly from the front panel to provide for actuation of the dispensing assembly by a user of the vending machine; an actuation arm locking mechanism engaging the actuation arm, the actuation arm locking mechanism having locked and unlocked conditions for respectively disabling and enabling the actuation of the dispensing assembly by a user; and a door locking assembly engaging the display door and adapted to prevent access to the display copy of the periodical until the last copy of the periodical loaded onto the elevator has been dispensed; and a linear slide assembly including a guide rod secured to the frame to extend substantially vertically and a slide body slidably received on the guide rod, the actuation arm of the vending machine attached to the slide body of the slide assembly for translating the actuation arm along the substantially vertical path.