Dispensing apparatus and method having abutment stop
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for dispensing an article one at a time from a stack of the articles, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for dispensing a single newspaper, magazine and like generally flat article from a coin-controlled vending machine. 
     In order to prevent the removal of two or more articles from a vending machine where insertion of a coin gives access to a stack of newspapers in the vending machine, it is desirable to provide a vending machine for newspapers and the like articles which will dispense only a single article from a stack of such articles within the machine in response to each coin controlled operation of the vending apparatus. While many such machines have been designed, there has been no entirely satisfactory vending machine of this type, because of difficulties encountered in ejecting only one article at a time, displacing or damaging the article being ejected, requiring special stacking arrangement of the articles, complex and expensive construction and substantial maintenance or repair expenses for the apparatus. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of dispensing a single article from a stack of such articles from within an enclosure. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for dispensing a single article from a stack of such articles within an enclosure in response to each operation of the mechanism without opening the enclosure. 
     An additional object of the invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus for ejecting a single article from within an enclosure which is more economical to construct and requires less maintenance then previous apparatus for dispensing similar articles. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a vending apparatus for dispensing newspapers folded in the usual manner which can be rapidly loaded and reloaded with newspapers or like articles to form a stack within the apparatus without regards to arranging the folded edge of the papers along the same side of the stack. 
     A still further object of the invention is to provide a vending type dispensing device for ejecting a corner portion of a single newspaper folded in the usual manner from the top of a stack of such articles into the delivery opening in the front of a vending device to permit the operator readily withdrawing the newspaper from the device without mutilation of the newspaper or displacing the remaining newspapers in the stack within the device. 
    
    
     Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims to follow when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein; 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vending apparatus employing the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 with a portion of the apparatus broken away showing the arrangement of a dispensing mechanism embodying the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1 with a portion of the apparatus broken away to show the arrangement of the dispensing mechanism; 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view partially in elevation showing the dispensing mechanism of FIG. 3 in a different operative position; 
     FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view partially in elevation taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic fragmentary view showing a modified form of the apparatus. 
    
    
     In the drawing, particularly in FIG. 1, a vending machine cabinet 10 is shown having a front wall 11 hingably mounted at 12. The front wall 11 is preferably divided into an upper door section 11a and a lower door section 11b. The upper door section 11a is provided adjacent the lower end thereof with a forwardly extending enclosure 14 having a discharge passage or slot 16 in unobstructed communication with the interior of the cabinet 10 through which a corner portion of an article 17 is projected at the end of each operating cycle of the vending machine. Mounted integrally with the upper door section 11a and spaced above the enclosure 14 adjacent the hinged edge of the door section 11a is an outwardly extending horizontally reciprocable push-pull operating lever 18 having coin-receiving slots 19 formed therein and adapted for manually operating a dispensing mechanism 20. The dispensing mechanism 20 is securely mounted on the inner surface of the upper door section 11a. Coin controlled mechanism 21 is adapted to prevent the reciprocable movement of the operating lever 18 unless the proper type and amount of coins have been inserted in slots 19. A coil receiving cup 22 is provided below the inner end of the operating lever 18 within the cabinet 10. 
     A large rectangular passage is preferably formed in the front wall of the upper door section 11a to provide a display window for the article being dispensed in the apparatus. A display compartment behind the display window is formed by providing a narrow lower wall, a rearwardly and upwardly extending inner wall and truncated lateral walls 27 extending perpendicularly from the inner surface of the upper wall section 11a. 
     The arrangement within the cabinet 10 of the article dispensing or ejector mechanism 20 and the article positioning and supporting means 23 are best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawing. The article positioning and supporting means 23 is preferably constructed in the form of a cartridge like assembly adapted for removable installation as a unit in the cabinet 10 and comprises a supporting frame 25 adapted to be secured by angular strips 26 and 26a to the cabinet 10 at a point intermediate the front and rear edges of the lateral walls of the cabinet 10. The article positioning and supporting means 23 is preferably spring loaded for vertical reciprocable movement along a vertical track in the frame 25 and comprises a generally rectangular horizontally disposed elevator platform or support member 28 having rigid depending lateral walls 29 and depending front and rear walls 30, 31, respectively. Article positioning sections 32, 33 are adapted to engage the inner corners of the articles and properly position the articles supported on the elevator platform 28. Each positioning section 32, 33 comprises lateral wall section 34, 35 which extend generally forwardly about half the depth of the elevator platform 28 and transversely extending rear wall sections 36, 37 preferably integral with the lateral wall sections 34, 35 with both wall sections being secured to the elevator platform 28. The lateral wall section 35 preferably forms an angle of about 105° with the rear wall section 37. Laterally extending flanges 38, 39 are formed at the forward edges of the lateral wall sections 34, 35. At points adjacent the upper and lower ends of said flanges 38, 39 guide means 40, 41 are mounted thereon which extend outwardly therefrom and which are adapted to form a sliding or rolling contact with the track formed by the angular strips 26, 26a and the frame 25, thereby enabling the article positioning and supporting means 23 to be readily moved vertically within the cabinet with minimal frictional resistance. Each rear wall section 36, 37 extends transversely across the rear of the elevator platform 28 less than half the length of the platform 28 so that the inner ends of each wall section 36, 37 are spaced. A narrow vertically extending generally channel shaped panel 42 is pivotally secured only at its upper end, as at 43, to the rear wall of the frame 25. The panel 42 is provided with lateral flanges along each vertical edge thereof with these lateral flanges extending behind the inner vertical edge portions of the rear wall section 36, 37. The channel shaped panel 42 is free to move in any direction between the rear walls and the frame. 
     The article positioning and supporting means 23 is yieldably supported for vertical reciprocable movement within the frame 25 by providing yielding means comprising a pair of coil springs 44, 45 having their upper ends secured, as at 46 in FIG. 3, to the upper edge of frame 25 and having their lower ends secured, as at 48 in FIG. 3, to the lateral flanges 29 of the elevator platform 28. The yielding means is adapted to provide an upwardly force slightly in excess of the force required to urge the articles supported on the elevator platform 28 upwardly when fully loaded with articles to be dispensed. 
     The upwardly movement of the article positioning and supporting means 23 is preferably limited and controlled by pressure regulating abutment brake means 49 which comprises a generally planar member 50 having a transversely extending strip of low friction material, such as a strip of Teflon® plastic, attached to the lower surface of the abutment member 50 adjacent the inner edge thereof. The abutment member 50 also preferably has the outer most edge thereof turned slightly downwardly. A lever 51 extends rearwardly from the innermost edge of the abutment member 50 and preferably has upwardly extending lateral flanges to impart additional strength thereto. The innermost end portion of the arm 51 is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly extending flange 52 spaced equidistant inwardly from the lateral edges thereof. The lever arm 51 is also provided with an extension portion 54 which extends perpendicular to the plane of the arm 51 and is spaced a short distance forwardly of the inner end of the arm 51. The extension section 54 has a rearwardly extending flange 56 formed on the upper end of the section 54 spaced equidistant from the lateral edges thereof. The flange 52 is adapted to engage the lower end of the panel 42, and the flange 56 extends into a passage 58 formed in the panel section 42 spaced a distance above the lower end thereof so as to support the pressure regulating brake means 49 in a substantially horizontal position above the elevator platform 28 at a point opposite the discharge slot 16. 
     At spaced points adjacent the lower end of the extension section 54 and proximate each of the lateral edges thereof are provided rearwardly projecting rigid contact elements 60, 61 which are adapted to engage the inner surface of the rear wall section 36, 37, respectively, adjacent the inner edge portion thereof. Mounted on the lateral flanges of panel 42 directly opposite the ends of the rearwardly projecting contact elements 60, 61 of the pressure regulating brake means 49 are friction members 64, 65 which extend forwardly toward the rear surface of wall sections 36, 37. When the lever arm 51 is pivotably moved upwardly as the result of the abutment member 50 being urged upwardly by the stack of articles on the elevator platform 28, the flange 52 on the lever arm 51 engages the lower end of the panel 42 and draws the lower end of the panel 42 with said friction members 64, 65 forwardly into frictional engagement with the rear surface of the wall sections 36, 37, thereby preventing further upwardly movement of the elevator platform 28 and maintaining a consistent pressure on the uppermost article supported on the elevator platform 28. When upwardly pressure on the abutment member 50 is removed after a single article is removed from the stack of articles supported on the elevator platform 28 there is no longer sufficient friction between the wall sections 36, 37 and the friction member 64, 65 to prevent upwardly movement of the article supporting means 23, and the springs 44, 45 cause the elevator platform 28 to be moved upwardly a distance equal to the thickness of the uppermost article removed from the stack; whereupon the upwardly pressure of the stack on the abutment member 50 again causes the above described pressure regulating braking operation to take place. 
     The article dispensing ejector means 20 in the form disclosed in FIGS. 3 to 5 of the drawing comprises a housing 70 which is fixedly held on the inner surface of the upper door section 11a, and a guide rod 71 is provided in the housing 70 which extends horizontally spaced slightly below the upper wall of housing 70. A vertically disposed carrier plate 72 is reciprocably slidably mounted on the guide rod 71. A portion of the carrier plate 72 extends upwardly through a longitudinal passage formed in the upper surface of the housing 70 and is operatively connected at 74 with a lever arm 73 which is pivotably mounted at 75 on the lateral wall 27 of the article dispensing compartment supported on wall 11a. The lever arm 73 is operatively connected as at 21 with the reciprocably operating lever 18 of the coin control mechanism. The plate 72 and the parts associated therewith are adapted to be moved inwardly and outwardly within the housing 70 as the operating lever 18 is moved inwardly and outwardly during each complete cycle of the article ejecting mechanism. 
     The carrier plate 72 has an actuating plate 80 movable in a vertical plane supported thereon by spaced guide pins 77, 78 integral with plate 72 which slidably engage in spaced parallel slots 79a and 79b which limit the upwardly and downwardly movement of the actuating plate 80. The longitudinal axis of the actuating plate 80 forms an angle of about 15° with the vertical and is inclined rearwardly. The actuating plate 80 is normally held in a downwardly extending position by spring 81 having its lower end secured to the plate 72, as at 81a, and has its upper end secured to plate 72 by an anchor pin which extends through a slot in plate 72, as at 81b. 
     An off-center pivotal arm 83 is mounted on a pivot 82 integral with the plate 80 at a point adjacent the lower forward corner portion thereof. A spring 84 has one end thereof connected to the actuating plate 80, as at 85, and the other end connected to the pivotal arm 83, as at 86. The pivotal arm 83 is adapted to normally be maintained in the upwardly pivotal position as shown in FIG. 3. The off-center pivotal arm 83 is also provided with a tab 87 which extends perpendicular to the plane of the arm 83 on the foremost edge portion thereof which is provided with a passage therethrough for receiving a piercing element 89 securely held in position thereon, as at 90. The longitudinal axis of the piercing element 89 and the longitudinal axis of actuating plate 80 are preferably parallel when arm 83 is in the downwardly extending position. 
     The reciprocably movable actuating plate 80 has fixedly secured between the ends thereof a channel shaped link element 93 having one end extending rearwardly toward the back of the apparatus beyond the periphery of plate 80 with a finger 95 pivotably mounted on the outer end thereof. The finger 95 has a bearing element 96 on the outer end thereof which is adapted to engage the surface of cam 97 when the carrier plate 72 is moved rearwardly (from left to right in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing) during the initial portion of the operating cycle of the article ejecting mechanism. When the finger 95 is moved rearwardly and into engagement with and travels upwardly along the inclined surface of cam 97, the finger 95 is moved pivotally rearwardly into contact with the flange on the lower edge of the channel shaped link 93 and causes the reciprocably movable actuating plate 80 to be moved upwardly. As the plate 80 is moved upwardly, the forward surface of arm 83 engages with pin 88 on the lower end of plate 72, causing the spring 84 to move across the pivot point 82 of the pivotal arm 83 and the spring 84 moves the arm 83 counter-clockwise into a downwardly extending position, as shown in full line of FIG. 4 of the drawing. And, as soon as the bearing element 96 passes over the upper end of cam 97 during the rearwardly movement of the plate 72, the actuating plate 80 is drawn rapidly downwardly by the force of spring 81 causing the piercing element 89 to penetrate the surface of the uppermost article in the stack. The piercing element 89 penetrates the surface of the uppermost article, such as a newspaper, to the maximum extent permitted by the tab 87. The piercing element penetrates the article at a forwardly inclined angle of about 15° with the vertical at a point spaced laterally of the abutment member 50 and preferably rearwardly of the midpoint between the front and rear edges of the article on the elevator platform 28. 
     While the article is being held between the abutment member 50 in an area about midway between the lateral edges of the article and preferably forwardly of the midpoint between the forward and rear edge thereof, the article is rotated about a pivot point which falls generally within the area of the article engaged by the abutment member 50 as a result of the outwardly movement (from right to left in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing) of the carrier plate 72 along with the actuating plate 80, the pivotal arm 83 and the piercing element 89 in engagement with the article when the operating lever 18 is pulled outwardly to complete the operating cycle of the ejecting mechanism. Simultaneously with the above described pivotal movement of the article, one lateral edge of the article which is nearest the point thereof engaged by the piercing element 89 is moved outwardly until one corner of the article is projected through the discharge slot 16 beneath a protective flap 100 pivotally mounted in the discharge slot 16 so that the article can be manually withdrawn from the cabinet 10. 
     When an article, such as the newspaper 17, is manually withdrawn from the cabinet 10 after the completion of the ejection cycle, the pivotal arm 83 is moved in a clockwise direction from the downwardly projecting position as shown in full line in FIG. 4, to the upwardly directing position as shown in full line of FIG. 3. As the operator pulls the newspaper 17 outwardly with the piercing element 89 imbedded therein, the arm 83 is turned in a clockwise direction until the spring 84 crosses the pivot point 82 and thereafter the spring 84 holds the arm 83 in the upwardly extending position as shown in full line in FIG. 3. After the article is manually withdrawing from the cabinet 10, it is impossible to withdraw another article from the cabinet 10 without again actuating the coin controlled mechanism. 
     As a further tampering prevention mechanism, the apparatus is provided with means best shown in FIG. 5 which prevents an operator jarring the apparatus sufficiently to move the arm 83 with its piercing element 89 from the upwardly extending position to the downwardly extending position which is capable of making a piercing engagement with the article and withdrawing an article from the cabinet. To prevent the latter, a transversely extending pin 101 is provided on the arm 83 and a downwardly extending panel 102 having an inwardly extending flange 103 is secured to the outer surface of the housing 70 and extends a sufficient distance downwardly so that the flange 103 is disposed below the pin 101 when the arm 83 is in the upwardly extending position. When the apparatus is jarred sufficiently to move the arm 83 downwardly, the pin 101 contacts the inner surface of flange 103 and bounces upwardly preventing the arm 83 being moved to the downwardly extending position. 
     When all of the articles on the supporting platform 28 have been ejected as described herein, a counter balanced stop member 104 pivotally mounted at 104a on the under surface of the elevator platform 28 is pivotally moved upwardly through an opening formed in the elevator platform 28 directly in line with the travel of the plate 72 so that the coin controlled mechanism cannot be moved inwardly, thereby preventing coins being taken into the apparatus when there are no articles in the cabinet 10 available to be dispensed. 
     In order to reload the dispensing device with the articles to be dispensed the pressure regulating brake means 49 is disengaged from the panel 42 by depressing the elevator platform 28, the articles are stacked on the elevator platform 28 until the uppermost article in the stack is at a level slightly below the level of the lower end of the panel 42, and thereafter repositioning the pressure regulating break means 49 on the panel 42 so that the uppermost article in the stack engages the lower surface of the abutment member 50. The yielding means, such as the coil springs 46, 47, exert an upwardly force on the abutment member 50 sufficient to actuate the braking operation after overcoming the combined weight of the positioning and supporting means 23 and the articles stacked on the elevator platform 28. Generally, a pressure of about 2.5 pounds on the abutment member 50 is required to operate the braking operation. 
     While the article specifically referred to in describing the apparatus in FIGS. 1-5 has been a newspaper, it should be understood that the apparatus of the present invention can with minimal alterations be used for dispensing magazines, or similar articles. Thus, when the term &#34;newspapers&#34; is used in the description and claims, it should be understood that this term covers similar articles, including magazines, paperbacks, cartons and other packages which have a surface which can be penetrated by a piercing element without damaging the carton or the article contained therein. 
     FIG. 6 of the drawing is a schematic illustration of one means of transforming a dispensing device of the present invention from an apparatus suitable for dispensing newspapers to an apparatus suitable for dispensing magazines which comprises detachably mounting an L-shaped section 105 on the rear wall sections 36a, 37a of the elevator platform 28a by means of studs 106, 107 which engage in openings formed in the rear wall section 36a, 37a. The vertical walls of the L-shaped section 105 are adapted to engage the magazine 17a stacked on the elevator platform 28a so to position the article with their outer edges adjacent the outer edge of the elevator platform 28a and adjacent the lateral wall section 35a so that the article engaging and transport means engages the upper surface of the article between the area contacted by the abutment member (not shown) and one lateral edge of the article.