US2488897A

US2488897A - Newspaper vending machine

Info

Publication number: US2488897A
Application number: US29169A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stewart S Blanc
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-05-25
Filing date: 1948-05-25
Publication date: 1949-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 1966-11-22

Description

' Nov. 22, 1949 s. 5. mm; 2,48 897 NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 STEWART .S'BLANB "QMQ/ 1 INVENTOR.

Nov. 22, 1949 s. s. BLANC NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l8 #Tfi/ E 39 I 54 5a 3a INVENTOR.

STE WART 5 BLAME AT TURN Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,488,897 NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE Stewart S. Blane, San Francisco, Calif.

Application May '25, 1943, Serial lea-29,169 2 Claims: (01. 312 -60) This invention relates to an improved vending machine and has particular reference to a machine particularly adapted for vending newspapers, but which can be utilized for vending magazines, pamphlets and many other articles of manufacture.

An object of the present invention is to provide a coin controlled newspaper vending machine with a specially constructed slidin drawer, which drawer, when pulled outwardly to a certain position and then pushed back inwardly to its normal position will segregate a single newspaper and cause the same to be dispensed in a location available to the customer.

Another object of the present invention is to eliminate the bottom in the rear portion of the drawer and to provide the front portion with an inwardly angularly extending plate, which plate supports and. encloses the newspapers and also functions to separate the last paper from a pin rality of papers placed therein and dispense the said paper to a location available to the customer. I A further object or the present invention is to secure the said angularly extending plate to the front end portion of the drawer in a manner enabling the said plate to be adjustable for accommodating different thicknesses of newspapers.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a specially constructed coin controlled mechanism secured to the front end portion of the drawer, whereby the drawer is locked for protecting the papers and capable of being unlocked and operated for vending the same.

A still further object of. the present invention is to provide a vending machine of the character' described that is durable, simple in construction, positive in operation, ecnomical to manufacture and highly efiicient and serviceable in use.

' Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description. 4

vIn theacompanying drawings forming a part of the specification,- wherein for the purpose of illustration like numerals-designate like parts throughout the same, V

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the improved vending machine,

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the vend ing machine taken on line 3 of Fig. 1, looking direction of the arrow, showing the drawer in its inner and closed position,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional fragmentary view of the lower portion of the machine, showing the drawer in its outer position, 7

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of 3, looking in direction of the arrows, Fig. 6 is an enlarged: top plan view of the coin control mechanism housing per se,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the coin control housing taken on line 1--l of Fig. 6, also showing the coin receiving plate and coin box and disclosing to advantage the relative positions of the various parts with respect to each other and to the drawer and .main hous r Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the coin re ceiving plate, and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged :elevational view of one of the coin plate locking pins employed in the invention. 7

Referring in detail to the drawings the numeral I 0 designates the main housing as a. whole, substantially rectangular in shape and formed with an upper portion H and a lower portion I2, supported on a suitable base or bottom l3. The said upper portion of the housing is formed with a front opening M into which a suitable cover I5 is positioned and hingedly secured to a shelf 6., which shelf extends: outwardly from the said opening and is fixed to the lower walls I! pro.- jectin from the lower housing portion l2. A suitable lock l8 locks the said cover to the top wall of the upper housing as disclosed to advantage in Figs. 1 and 2. A bottomless drawer designated as a whole by the numeral l9 and having oppositely disposed sidewalls 2t and 24 is slidably mounted in the lower housing 1'2 as disclosed to advantage in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the side walls extending outwardly from the upper housing as at 22 and 23 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 for accommodating the said drawer. Suitable oppositely disposed .slots 24 are formed in the walls of the drawer and a pair of bolts 'or rivets 2-5, and washers 26,, extend through the said slots and side walls of the lower housin to properly guide the drawer, and the bottom 13 of the lower housing is grooved as at 28 to assist in guiding the same. The .front portion of the drawer is provided with a paper supporting and said plate is preferably slotted as at 3| and adjustably secured to the cross bar by suitable bolts and nuts 32 and 33, whereby the space 34 between the lower portion of the plate and the bottom [3 of the lower housing can be varied for accommodating difierent thicknesses of newspapers.

The coin control mechanism is preferably positioned on the front portion ofthe drawer and includes a supporting frame 35 preferably in the form of a rectangular housing, the bottom of which is secured to the cross bar 30 as at 36 and is provided with a removably secured top 31, which top carries the coin control mechanism housing 38 and is secured thereto in any suitable manner, a plurality of screws 39 being shown in the present illustration as the fastening medium. The said control mechanism housing is formed hollow as at 46 and is slidably positioned on the coin receiving plate 4|, which plate is preferably of elongated configuration and provided with a coin receiving opening 42 as-disclosed to advantage in Fig. 8 and is rigidly fixed to the lower housing shelf |6 as disclosed at 43 in Fig. '7. The central front portion of the said control mechanism housing is formed of sufficient thickness to house a plurality of locking pins 44, which pins are slidably positioned in suitable holes 45 provided in the said housing. A plurality of coil springs 46 resiliently retain the said pins against the coin receiving plate 4|. The upper end portion of the said pins preferably have an abrupt taper on the front sides thereof as at 4'! and a longer gradual taper on the rear sides as at 48. The lower portions of the pins 44 are formed in a flat configuration as at 49 and a plurality of screws 56, having flat ends are threaded in the said housing 38 and extended in proximity to the said flat portions of the pins, whereby the pins are prevented from turning in their respective holes 43. A suitable coin box 52 is removably supported on the cross bar and positioned beneath the inner upper end portion of the coin control mechanism housing 38, which housing is recessed in the upper end portion thereof, as at 53, providing an opening for the coins to be received in the said box. The inner angular plate 29 is recessed as at 54 in Fig. for enabling the coin box to be readily removed and replaced and also to assist in retaining the coin box in its proper position. The shelf l6 and the top of the coin control mechanism housing are circularly apertured as at 55 and 56, respectively, providing coin receiving openings leading to the opening 42 in the plate 4| when the said control mechanism housing is in its normal position whereby the coin is directed to the said opening 42. The central portion of the said housing 38 is also provided with an opening 5'! of a smaller diameter than the opening 42 and leading therefrom. As the average newspaper sells for a nickel, the opening 42 is made of a sue sufficient to receive the nickel and the opening 5'! of a smaller size cap-able of preventing the nickel from falling through but sufficiently large for enabling a coin having a smaller diameter, such as a penny, to fall through. The same relative sizes of holes can be provided for accommodating different diameters of coins. A suitable handle 58 secured to the front wall of the housing 35 by screws 59 is provided as disclosed to advantage in Figs, 1 and 3 to facilitate the opening and closing of the drawer 9.

The newspapers, shown in dot and dash lines, are designated by the numeral El] and are placed in the drawer with their folded portions posi- 4 tioned toward the front of the same and supported on the inner extending plate 29 and extend at an angle upwardly as disclosed to advantage in Figs. 3 and 4. From the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accmpanying drawing it will readily be seen that when the drawer is pulled outwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4, the last newspaper, designated by the numeral 6 I, will fall on the bottom l3 in the lower housing. When the said drawer is pushed back inwardly the lower end of the said plate 29 will pass above the said paper 6|, which paper will be in the space 34 beneath the lower portion of the said plate as disclosed to advantage in Fig. 3 and in which position is available to the customer. The balance of the papers will be lifted above the dispensed paper 6| and will be retained on the said plate 29 and kept enclosed. It will thus be seen that each time the drawer is pulled outwardly and then pushed back inwardly a newspaper will be placed in position available to the user. It will further be noted that when a coin is placed in the opening 42 of the plate 4|, which plate has the same thickness as the coin, the said plate becomes one solid piece, inasmuch as having an even top and bottom surface is concerned and will easily pass over the resilient pins 44, enabling the drawer to be pulled outwardly, and the said coin will drop through the recess 53 in the coin control mechanism housing 38 and into the coin box 52 when the drawer has been pulled outwardly to its maximum position, the bolts 25 extending through the slots 24 functioning as a stop. When the drawer is pushed back to its normal position the first pin 44 will be pushed by its respective coil spring 46, in the coin opening 42 provided in the plate 4|, looking the said plate and preventing the said drawer from being pulled outwardly until a coin is again placed in the said opening. A plurality of locking pins 44 are provided as an additional safety factor to positively prevent the drawer from being pulled outwardly the necessary distance for dispensing a paper without depositing the proper coin. Any suitable means can be provided to secure the machine in a fixed position. The door can be provided with a window if desired for displaying a newspaper from the inside of the housing or any other suitable means can be provided for displaying the paper. Likewise any suitable means can be provided for designating when the machine is empty.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the shape, size, material and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A vending machine of the character described comprising a housing capable of retaining therein a plurality of newspapers or the like, an opening in the front wall at the lower end portion thereof, a drawer slidably mounted in the said housing and positioned through the said opening, means defining inner and outer positions of the drawer, the said drawer being open at the rear and bottom portion thereof, the front portion including a member extending inwardly at a downward angle and adapted to support the newspapers at the folded end portions thereof when the drawer is in its inner position and to release the newspapers to the bottom of the housing when the said drawer is pulled to its outer position, the lower extremity of the said inwardly extending member being spaced above the bottom of the housing a distance sufficient for enabling a newspaper to pass beneath the same, whereby a newspaper is placed available to the user when the said drawer is pulled to its outer position and pushed back to its inner position.

2. A vending machine of the character described comprising a housing capable of retaining therein a plurality of newspapers or the like, an opening in the front wall at the lower end portion thereof, a drawer slidably mounted in the said housing and positioned through the said opening, means defining inner and outer positions of the drawer, the said drawer being open at the rear and bottom portions thereof, a curved plate positioned across the front of the drawer and adjustably secured thereto, the said plate extending at a downward angle in the drawer and adapted to lift the newspapers at the folded portions thereof when the drawer is moved to its inner position and to release the newspapers to the bottom of the housing when the said drawer is pulled to its outer position, the lower extremity of the said plate being spaced above the bottom of the housing a sufiicient distance for enabling a newspaper to pass beneath the plate, whereby a newspaper is placed available to the user when the said drawer is pulled to its outer position and pushed back to its normal position.

STEWART S. BLANC.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Green Dec. 29,1903

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