The Times Mirror Company

Brian J Marcroft

Kenneth Ling

Imraan Aziz

Neil J Goldberg

Bradley C Dinkmeyer

Gerard Marnien

Steven Harry Nersesian

Lars Jonas Furberg

A newspaper vending machine provides a display newspaper at a height and angle resembling a lectern so that a customer can easily read the display paper from a standing position. The newspaper vending machine comprises a housing having a front wall, a back wall, two side walls, a top, and a bottom, and a storage compartment therein for storing a plurality of newspapers. The top of the housing is generally curved downwardly toward the front wall. A portion of the top in contact with the back wall is higher than the portion of the top in contact with the front wall. A viewing area is provided within the top of the housing through which at least a part of a display newspaper can be viewed. A newspaper display rack is mounted within the top of the housing under the viewing area at an angle from vertical ranging from about 40&deg; to about 70&deg;. The display rack has an upper surface through which at least a part of the display newspaper can be viewed.

Newspaper vending machine

A single leaf spring serves to bias a coin chute and an actuating lever of a coin mechanism. The coin mechanism has a stationary frame. A pair of coin chutes are pivotally mounted on the frame so the chutes open in one direction and close in the other direction. An actuating lever is pivotally mounted on the frame such that it pivots in one direction to engage and open the chutes and pivots in the other direction to disengage the chutes. One spring biases one of the chutes in the other direction to urge the one chute to close. Another spring extends between the other chute and the actuating lever to bias the other chute in the other direction and to bias the actuating lever in the other direction.

Coin mechanism for vending machine

A coin mechanism (42) is located above a coin collecting chamber (28) in a coin mechanism housing (22). A partition (46) in the housing separates the coil collecting chamber from the coin mechanism. An opening (54) permits coins to drop from the coin mechanism to the coin collecting chamber. The housing has a removable hood (36) exposing the coin mechanism without exposing the coin collecting chamber. A control device (62) is movable between a first position and a second position. A plate (68) connected to the control device covers the passageway to divert coins from the coin mechanism to a return receptacle (30) when the control device is in its first position. The plate clears the passageway to transfer coins from the coin mechanism to the coin collecting chamber when the control device is in its second position. A baffle system directs coins from the coin mechanism to the center of the collecting chamber. The housing is mounted on a frame having a substantially flat top panel under the top panel to form between the top panel and the top of the housing a hood receiving region having an entrance. A restriction is formed at the entrance of the region between the top panel and the housing to permit passage of the top of the hood into the region only when acutely angled relative to the housing. The hood fits the housing in parallel abutting relationship so as to with the housing completely enclose the coin mechanism.

Coin operated newsrack

Growing community of inventors

Norwalk, CA, United States of America

Brian J Marcroft