Devices and methods for dispensing a newspaper from a vending machine

Abstract

A newspaper vending machine ( 100 ) comprises a housing ( 102 ) having movable sliding tray ( 200 ) mounted therein and upon which the stacked newspapers rests. The housing ( 102 ) has a front wall ( 104 ) including a dispensing slot ( 120 ) through which the newspapers are dispensed. The vending machine ( 100 ) also includes a coin receptor mechanism and dispensing mechanism which comprises a dispensing lever ( 122 ) with a lever handle ( 124 ) attached to a dispensing blade ( 128 ). The dispensing blade ( 128 ) is disposed near dispensing slot ( 120 ) and is adapted to extract a portion of the newspaper through the dispensing slot ( 120 ) after payment is received by the coin receptor mechanism and after the purchaser articulates the lever handle ( 124 ). A barricading mechanism quickly barricades the dispensing slot ( 120 ) after the newspaper has been extracted thereby locking access to the cavity of the housing ( 102 ) effectively limiting the purchaser to no more than one newspaper per purchase.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A vending machine adapted to dispense one newspaper at a time, comprising: 
 a housing having an interior and a door, the door having a substantially horizontal dispensing slot and a lever slot;    a tray mounted in the housing interior, the tray enabled to travel vertically within the housing, and the tray for storing a plurality of newspapers thereon;    a dispensing assembly having a dispensing lever, the dispensing lever having a protruding end that protrudes through the lever slot, and an interior end that is positioned within the housing interior;    the dispensing assembly having a rotatable vertical shaft rigidly coupled to the dispensing lever at the interior end; and    a dispensing blade coupled to vertical shaft, the dispensing blade having a free end adapted to engage a fold of a newspaper, the newspaper disposed on the tray, wherein the dispensing blade is adapted to extract a portion of the newspaper forward through the dispensing slot when the lever handle is moved.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a newspaper stack lift system.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the newspaper stack lift system comprises the tray being mounted between a first vertical guide and a second vertical guide, the first vertical guide opposite the second vertical guide.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3  further comprising a support bar coupled to the tray, the support bar having a first finger and a second finger, the fist finger being coupled to a first spring and the second spring being coupled to the second spring.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the first vertical guide and the second vertical guide each have a track guide for guiding the first finger and the second finger through a vertical travel.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the first vertical guide and the second vertical guide each have a track guide for guiding the a first wheel and a second wheel through vertical travel, the first wheel being coupled to the tray via a first wheel mount and the second wheel coupled to the tray via the second wheel mount.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a coin receptor assembly mounted within the housing, the coin receptor assembly adapted to: 
 lock the dispensing blade to prevent the movement of the vertical shaft,  
 receive a payment from a purchaser, and  
 allow free movement of the vertical shaft in response to the receipt of an appropriate payment from a purchaser.  
 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a barricade assembly disposed within the housing adjacent to the dispensing slot, the barricade assembly comprising: 
 a first chute plate, a second chute plate, a first release bar, a second release bar, and a plurality of ratcheting and rotatable barricading members,  
 the chute plates are rigidly disposed against the dispensing slot so as to form generally horizontal planes capable of guiding a newspaper through the dispensing slot,  
 the chute plates having a plurality of slits, each slit corresponding to and capable of nesting a barricading member,  
 each of the barricading members having a blocked end and a ratcheting end where each of the barricading members are enabled to swivel vertically about the ratcheting end,  
 the ratcheting end being pivotally attached to a slit of the chute plate.  
 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8  further wherein the barricade assembly further comprises a plurality of spring-loaded lock bars to provide ratcheting functionality to each of the barricading members, each barricade member is spring-loaded via torsion-type springs located about the pivot-point of the ratcheting end.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9  further wherein the barricade assembly further comprises a first release bar and a second release bar that are generally parallel to each other, the first release bar above the second release bar, and are situated horizontally in interior of the vending machine, the release bars are configured to de-couple front-mounted lock bars from teethed-portions of the barricade members when the release bars are moved out of a static position thus enabling the lock bars to function as locks for the ratcheting ends of the barricade members, wherein the release bars are configured to allow the lock bars to lock the ratcheting end.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10  wherein the release bars are configured to disengage the lock bars from the ratcheting ends when the release bars are moved out of a static position.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11  wherein each release bar has a vertically-attached release arm attached to the end of the release bar closest to the vending machine swivel, and further comprising a first swivel that includes a first tumble lever which extends from the first swivel so as to engage the first release arm, and a second swivel that includes a second tumble lever which extends from the second swivel so as to engage the second release arm.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12  wherein each swivel is mounted to the vertical pivot shaft, and the dispensing blade is mounted to the vertical pivot shaft between the first swivels and the second swivel.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 tumble levers coupled to the vertical shaft to allow the release bars to reengage the ratcheting end of the lock bars; and  
 torsion springs coupled to the barricading members to return the barricading members to vertical positions that block access to the newspaper stack via the dispensing slot, thus limiting a purchaser to one newspaper per purchase.  
 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a support system, the support system comprising two opposing stop-flaps hingedly mounted to stop-flap supports, the stop-flaps for providing a top horizontal support of a top newspaper stacked on a tray, the stop-flap supports being coupled to flap-mounts that are rigidly attached to the housing.  
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a coin receptor assembly, the coin receptor assembly for receiving a payment for a newspaper and for enabling the dispensing of a newspaper from the vending machine, the coin receptor assembly comprising: 
 a newspaper width adjustment mechanism;  
 an adjustor bar connected to the adjustment mechanism;  
 a manual adjustment bar coupled to the adjustment mechanism; and  
 an elevator bar having a horizontal portion, the elevator bar rigidly coupled to the adjustor bar so that a dispensing blade may rest on the horizontal portion of the elevator bar and so that the horizontal dispensing blade will be raised and lowered as the manual adjustment bar is raised and lowered.  
 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16  further comprising a guide wheel located in a track of the vertical guide, the guide wheel being coupled to the sliding tray via a wheel attachment.  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a top panel with door assembly, wherein the door assembly comprises: 
 a door with a pivotable display window mounted thereon, the door includes a generally planar back panel, and is hinge-mounted to the top panel via a door hinge and support bar;  
 a hatch lever that is rotatably attached to the housing via a support; and  
 a push bar that activates the opening of the display window by impressing upon the hatch lever such that the articulation of the push bar is accomplished by turning the handle.  
 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18  wherein the door assembly further comprises: 
 a pivotable release lever coupled to a first release hook and a second release hook;  
 the release hooks couple to the door hatch via door holes and holes in a first display window holder and a second display window holder;  
 the release lever is firmly attached to the back panel via a fixed pivot pin;  
 the display window is attached to the door via at least one hinge; and  
 at least one spring finger coupled between the display window and the housing to forcibly open the display window when the release lever causes the release hooks to disengage the widow display holders.  
 
     
     
         20 . A method of adjusting the pressure on at least one newspaper to enable the dispensing of the at least one newspaper, comprising: 
 rotating a dispensing lever so that a pull-member shifts to engage a grasping member for shifting a sliding tray slightly downward so that a plurality of vertical guide spring do not place an upward force upon at least one stop-flap.