Single article vending machine

A single article vending machine comprising

• means for storing a plurality of articles is stacked relation;
• means providing an adjustable opening in communication with said means for storing articles;
• means to adjust said opening to a dimension which corresponds with the thickness of one of said articles, and
• means to lock said opening including
• a plurality of locking fingers positioned for movement into or out of said opening;
• a rotatable shaft;
• a plurality of toggle levers connected to said shaft;
• means to bias said locking fingers for movement into said opening;
• a plurality of movable stop members;
• said stop members being movable between a first position with the stop members contacting said fingers to hold the fingers in a retracted position out of said opening and a second position with the stop members positioned out of contact with said fingers and with the fingers extending into the opening;
• means to bias said stop members toward said first position;
• said toggle levers coacting said locking fingers such that rotation of said shaft in one direction moves said locking fingers out of said opening with said stop members moving to said first position to hold the fingers in a retracted position;
• said stop members extending into said opening with the stop members in said first position, and
• said stop members being movable to said second position on contact with an article being withdrawn through said opening,
• whereby movement of an article through said opening moves the stop members to said second position with said fingers moving into the opening to lock the opening and to prevent the withdrawal of a second article through the opening.

A protective lockable cover for insertion in a vending machine to convert the vending machine to a single article vending machine, said cover comprising:

• a cover member;
• a movable base member positioned in spaced relation to said cover member;
• means to adjust the spacing between said cover member and said base member to provide an opening therebetween which has a dimension that corresponds with the thickness of one of a plurality of articles to be dispensed one at a time through said opening, and
• means to lock said opening including
• a plurality of locking members;
• said locking members being movable into said opening to block the opening such that the opening is locked;
• means to move said locking members out of said opening such that the opening is unlocked to permit the withdrawal of one of said articles through said opening, and
• means actuatable by the movement of one of said articles through said opening to move said locking members toward said opening for locking the opening after the one article is moved through the opening,
• whereby a single article may be dispensed through the opening with the locking members moved out of the opening with the passage of a single article through the opening moving the locking members into the opening to prevent the withdrawal of a second article through the opening.

A protective lockable cover for insertion in a vending machine to convert the vending machine to a single article vending machine, said cover comprising:

• a cover member;
• a movable base member positioned in spaced relation to said cover member;
• means to adjust the spacing between said cover member and said base member to provide an opening therebetween which has a dimension that corresponds with the thickness of one of a plurality of articles to be dispensed one at a time through said opening, and
• means to lock said opening including
• a plurality of locking fingers positioned for movement into or out of said opening;
• a rotatable shaft;
• a plurality of toggle levers connected to said shaft;
• means to bias said locking fingers for movement into said opening;
• a plurality of movable stop members;
• said stop members being movable between a first position with the stop members contacting said fingers to hold the fingers in a retracted position out of said opening and a second position with the stop members positioned out of contact with said fingers and with the fingers extending into the opening;
• means to bias said stop members toward said first position;
• said toggle levers coacting said locking fingers such that rotation of said shaft in one direction moves said locking fingers out of said opening with said stop members moving to said first position to hold the fingers in a retracted position;
• said stop members extending into said opening with the stop members in said first position, and
• said stop members being movable to said second position on contact with an article being withdrawn through said opening,
• whereby movement of an article through said opening moves the stop members to said second position with said fingers moving into the opening to lock the opening and to prevent the withdrawal of a second article through the opening.

A method for vending a plurality of articles with the articles being vended one at a time, said method comprising:

• providing an enclosed region to storing a plurality of articles in stacked relation;
• providing an adjustable opening to said enclosed region;
• adjusting said opening to a dimension which corresponds to the thickness of one of said articles;
• providing locking members which are movable into or out of said adjustable opening;
• grasping one of said articles and withdrawing said one article through said adjustable opening with the locking members positioned out of the opening, and
• moving said locking members toward said opening for locking the one article is withdrawn through said opening,
• whereby, the opening is locked by said locking members after the withdrawal of said one article through the opening.