10,255. Mathes, J. W. April 27. Sale apparatus.--Relates to vending machines which are normally locked by a pivoted locking member and freed by the insertion of a coin, and consists in the use of an intermediate locking member which moves with the main locking member and is effective to 'lock the delivery mechanism during practically the entire movement of the main locking member from its fulllocking to its non-locking position; the locking member is also adapted to co-operate with mechanism to prevent fraud by tilting the machine, and to prevent the insertion of a coin while the mechanism is being operated. Casings.-The mechanism is carried on a removable shelf 13 supported on angle irons 14, Fig. 9, fixed to the sides of the case, and is secured in position by the engagement of tongues 90 on the shelf with downturned projections 88 on the angle-irons. Delivery mechanism.-After prepayment, the operator presses in a slide 33, Fig. 3, by means of an external handle, thereby withdrawing a slide 29 through a link 34 and permitting the lowest pencil or other article to drop from the hopper 18 into a recess 27 of a member 25 carried by the slide 29. On releasing the handle, the slide is returned by a spring 31, and the article drops on to an inclined shelf 28, from which it passes to the delivery-aperture. A presser-arm 70 on a spring-controlled lever 69 normally bears against the lowest articles in the shoot, but is withdrawn by the slide 29 just prior to the completion of its inward movement. To ensure proper feeding of the pencils into the lower narrower portion of the magazine, a vibratory floor-piece 100 is mounted on a lever 102, which has a pin-and-slot connexion 105, 106 with the slide 29. Coin action, weight.-The rod 33 is normally locked by the tail 40<a> of a weighted lever 40 pivoted at 41, but the inserted coin falls into a pocket 39 on the detent and tilts it into a horizontal position. The coin is thrust out of the pocket by the inward movement of the rod. Insertion of coin in empty or faulty apparatus, preventing.-When the coin lever 40 is depressed, a crank arm 65 on the pivot 41 rocks a weighted lever 59 so as to turn a deflector on that lever into an aperture 63, Fig. 8, in the coin shoot, whereby any coins inserted while the coin lever is depressed are returned to the operator through a shoot 67. The lever 59 also co-operates with the lever 69 of the presser device 70 to return all coins inserted after the goods are exhausted. Fraud, preventing. - The detent lever 40 is provided with a lateral member 50 having an arcuate abutment 51, Fig. 4, which is concentric with the pivot 41 and is so disposed relatively to the lever 40 as to be in position to engage a shoulder 52 and lock the rod 33 in all positions of the detent 40 between the locking or vertical position, Fig. 4, and the unlocking or horizontal position. A pawl 54 and rack 55 ensure a full stroke of the rod in either direction. Small coins escape past a gauge pin 46 and are returned to the operator. Tilting of the detent lever 40 relatively to the bar 33 is prevented by the engagement of the crank arm 65 with the weighted lever 59. The coin shoot, Fig. 8, is preferably made of brass and is provided with a magnet 81, which serves to reject iron disks through a side shoot 67, and with baffles 80. An outwardly -.opening gate 471 and guards 472, 474, prevent tampering with the apparatus by means of a wire inserted through the coinreturn shoot.