Article dispensing – With discharge assistant – Self-compensating for decreasing supply
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-09
2001-06-26
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
With discharge assistant
Self-compensating for decreasing supply
C221S241000, C271S126000, C271S130000, C414S796800
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250500
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns generally a dispensing apparatus for the separate dispensing of printed articles, for example for the sale of printed articles such as newspapers and the like by means of an automatic sales machine.
The term printed article is used hereinafter in this specification to denote any form of printed article which can be dispensed separately and individually by a dispensing apparatus, for example newspapers, magazines, journals and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical form of dispensing apparatus for printed articles such as for the sale of newspapers includes a displaceable table disposed in the apparatus housing, for supporting in readiness a stack of printed articles arranged on the table. The apparatus includes a removal means such as to permit access to a printed article, once suitable payment has been made for same. A feed means is operative to push the respective printed article for which payment has been made, out of the apparatus housing.
Reference may be made in this respect to German utility model No 298 23 295 describing an apparatus of such a general configuration, comprising more specifically a stationary table on which a stack of newspapers is disposed. The stack is covered by a dispensing slide or carriage on which a removal slot is provided. Arranged on the slide or carriage is the feed means which, after payment has been rendered for the printed article required, permits access to the uppermost article on the stack by virtue of pushing that article forwardly, and that article thus issues from the slot to be taken by the purchaser. In that apparatus the feed means is activated by lifting the cover of the housing.
A disadvantage with a dispensing apparatus of that kind is that the position of the removal means is continuously changing as the stack of articles is consumed, and precautionary measures have to be taken in order to permit access to the stack of articles, over the entire height thereof. As the stack heights can be between 30 and 40 cm, it is a relatively complicated and expensive matter to ensure that access can be afforded to the stack over such a height.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus for printed articles from a stack thereof, which permits such an article to be removed from the stack in a simple and inexpensive manner without the location at which the article is removed from the stack varying as the height of the stack alters.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus for the sale of newspapers by means of an automatic sales machine, which is so designed as to ensure that the newspapers to be dispensed are always presented to a prospective purchaser at at least substantially the same position, together with a reduced possibility of more than two newspapers being dispensed from the apparatus at the same time.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a printed article-dispensing apparatus of which the operating structure is reliable and robust to withstand the possibly harsh operating conditions under which it may be expected to work.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention the foregoing and other objects are attained by a dispensing apparatus for separately dispensing printed articles, such as for the sale of newspapers by means of an automatic sales machine, comprising a housing and a displaceable table accommodated in the housing, the table being designed to hold in readiness a stack of printed articles disposed thereon. The apparatus further includes a removal means which permits access to a printed article for which payment has been made, and a forward feed means for pushing out a respective printed article for the purchaser to receive. An actuating means is adapted to activate the feed means. The apparatus further includes a drive means for displacing the table by a desired travel length, in conjunction with sensing and control means for controlling the table travel length. A braking and stopping means is operable to stop and start the drive means as required.
It will be noted at this point that some forms of copier machines have displaceable tables on which the copy paper is stacked and which are moved with a stepwise movement to the correct removal height, but it will be observed that this principle cannot be applied to dispensing apparatuses for automatic newspaper sales machines as the latter are required to be of a very robust and strong structure and capable of continued operation irrespective of climatic influences. The construction according to the invention provides that the stack of printed articles such as newspapers, after removal of the uppermost article from the stack, is displaced by the desired travel length until the sensing and control means stop the drive means by way of the braking and stopping means.
In a preferred feature of the invention the drive means for displacing the table comprises a spring which displaces the table until the sensing and control means activate the braking and stopping means.
In another advantageous feature of the invention the braking and stopping means is coupled to a cable drum with a holding cable which is wound thereon, wherein the free end of the cable is fixed to the table. That provides an extremely simple and accurately controllable feed means which, when the cable drum is released, by virtue of the spring force, advances the table with the desired displacement, while braking and arresting the cable drum stops the cable-unwinding step which involves the cable being unwound from the cable drum and which is produced by virtue of the feed movement of the table, so that the spring cannot further move the table.
A preferred feature of the invention provides that the sensing and control means effect control when the next printed article to be dispensed is to be positioned at the removal means. Depending on the geometrical configuration of the removal means, a feed movement for a printed article could also occur only when a second article has been pushed out, in which case however the removal means in the form of a suitable slot must be of a height corresponding to at least two printed articles one upon the other. That however could then result in undesired or unauthorised removal of more than one article from the apparatus, as the removal slot allows space for appropriate manipulation operations if the person implementing such operations has thin fingers or appropriate implements.
A further preferred feature of the invention provides that the sensing and control means include lever means which by way of cable and roller means actuate a brake on the braking and stopping means. The lever means advantageously lie directly or indirectly on the uppermost article in the stack and move down when that article has been pushed out of the stack. As a result of that downward movement, the brake on the braking and stopping means is released by way of the cable and roller means and the brake is actuated again when the lever means are raised, by virtue of the advance movement of the table.
In another preferred feature of the invention the braking and stopping means has a gear transmission arrangement which reduces the output rotary speed at the cable drum. That makes it possible to achieve extremely accurate positioning of the respective uppermost printed article in the stack, in relation to the removal means. Furthermore the brake can involve very low levels of braking force, although high spring forces must be involved in order to move the table.
A preferred feature of the invention also provides that, upon oppositely directed movement of the table, when the apparatus is loaded with a stack of printed articles, the holding cable is wound on to the cable drum. That can advantageously be effected by a winding cable which is adapted to be wound on the cable drum in opposite relationship to the holding cable which is connected to the table. In that assembly the winding cable can alternatively be secured with the free end to t
Ellis Christopher P.
Mackey Patrick
LandOfFree
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