Article dispensing – With discharge assistant – Follower
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-10
2001-09-04
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3615)
Article dispensing
With discharge assistant
Follower
C221S280000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283326
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to newspaper vending machines and more particularly pertains to a new anti-theft newspaper machine for preventing the theft of newspapers from a newspaper vending machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of newspaper vending machines is known in the prior art. More specifically, newspaper vending machines heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art newspaper vending machines include U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,831; U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,336; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 334,030; U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,437; U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,299; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 319,077.
In these respects, the anti-theft newspaper machine according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing the theft of newspapers from a newspaper vending machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of newspaper vending machines now, present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new anti-theft newspaper machine construction wherein the same can be utilized for preventing the theft of newspapers from a newspaper vending machine.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new anti-theft newspaper machine apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the newspaper vending machines mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new anti-theft newspaper machine which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art newspaper vending machines, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a housing with a rectangular configuration. As shown in the Figures, the housing includes a bottom face, a top face, a front face, a rear face and a pair of side faces formed therebetween for defining an interior space. As shown in
FIGS. 1 & 2
, the front face has a lower extent with a square cut out formed therein. A transparent large door is hingably coupled along a lower edge thereof over the square cut out. Mounted on an upper edge of the large door is a key-actuated lock mechanism for allowing the opening of the large door only upon the insertion of a key within the lock mechanism. In the preferred embodiment, the front fac( further includes an upper extent with a size less than {fraction (1/10)} that of the lower extent. The upper extent of the front face has a rectangular cut out formed therein. Hingably coupled along a lower edge of the rectangular cut out is a small door that has a handle for allowing the small door to be opened freely. Next provided is a belt assembly including two pairs of vertically aligned pulleys rotatably mounted on each of the side faces of the housing. Each pair of the pulleys is situated within the interior space and is situated adjacent one of the front and rear faces thereof. As shown in
FIG. 5
, each pair of pulleys extends along an entire height of the housing. Four belts are each mounted on an associated pair of the pulleys. A support plate is included having four corners each fixedly mounted to one of the belts. By this structure, the support plate moves vertically upon the rotation of at least one of the pulleys. In use, the support plate has a stack of newspapers stacked thereon. As best shown in
FIGS. 4-7
, a gear assembly includes a casing mounted on one of the side faces of the housing. The casing resides within the interior space of the housing and adjacent to the bottom face thereof. A ratchet gear of a first diameter is operatively coupled to an axle coupling a pair of the pulleys. The ratchet gear is thus adapted for effecting the rotation of the axle and associated pulleys upon the rotation of the ratchet gear in a first direction. In contrast, the ratchet gear itself rotates independently of the axle upon the rotation thereof in a second direction. Associated therewith is a second gear having a diameter greater than the first diameter. In operation, the second gear is in constant engagement with the first gear. A leaf spring is situated about an axle associated with the second gear within the casing. The leaf spring functions for urging the second gear in a neutral orientation. The gear assembly further includes a lever having a bottom end coupled to the axle associated with the second gear. The lever extends upwardly from the axle to which is coupled and resides exterior of one of the side faces of the housing. In use, the lever allows a user to selectively bias the second gear in the first direction when pulled. This action raises the support plate an incremental amount for reasons that will soon become apparent. Mounted on the front face of the housing is a coin acceptor. The coin acceptor includes a money slot for accepting coins. A detecting mechanism serves for detecting the insertion of a predetermined amount of coins within the money slot. An actuator pin is slidably mounted on the detecting mechanism, as shown in FIG.
4
. In operation, the actuator pin has a normal unbiased orientation in engagement with the second gear for precluding the rotation thereof. The actuator pin further has a biased orientation out of engagement with the second gear. In such orientation, the actuator pin serves for allowing the rotation of the second gear. Upon the detection of the acceptance of the predetermined amount of coins by the detecting mechanism, the detecting mechanism transfers the actuator pin to the biased orientation. This raises one of a plurality of newspapers such that only one newspaper is capable of being removed via the small door.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a ne
Ellis Christopher P.
Sharma Rashmi
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