Apparatus for dispensing rolled newspapers and the like

Article dispensing apparatus for individually dispensing generally cylindrical articles, such as rolled newspapers, comprising:

• at least upper and lower superposed, vertically inclined article supporting racks, each having an upper end and a lower end;
• means mounting said racks at such an angle that articles supported thereon will travel, by force of gravity, toward said lower end;
• vertically disposed article guide means, spaced from said lower ends of said racks, defining, with portions of said racks, a generally vertically disposed chute for receiving said articles from said racks and passing them downwardly in a stack;
• said chute having a discharge opening at the lower end thereof for serially passing the articles in said column;
• stop means mounted adjacent said lower end of said lower rack for movement between a first position preventing movement of said articles supported by said lower rack into said chute while an article passing into said chute from said upper rack is disposed between said stop means and said article guide means and a second position, when all articles passing to said chute from said upper rack are disposed at a level below the level of said stop means permitting articles to be gravity fed from said lower rack to said chute;
• gate means adjacent said discharge opening movable between a blocking position interrupting the downward passage of said column of articles in said chute and a non-blocking position permitting the articles to serially pass through said discharge opening;
• stack support and divider means coupled to said gate means for movement therewith between a remote position, when said gate means is in said blocking position, permitting the downward passage of articles in said chute to said gate means and an operative position interrupting the passage of, and vertically supporting, the articles trailing the lowermost article when said gate means is in said non-blocking position such that only the lowermost article is dispensed through said discharge opening;
• and
• means adjustably mounting said guide means and said racks for relative movement toward and away from each other between any one of a plurality of different, spaced apart positions to adjust the width of said chute;
• said guide means comprising upstanding rod means and said mounting means comprising upper and lower receptacles receiving the upper and lower ends of said rod means, and spring means yieldably releasably securing said rod means in said receptacles;
• said gate means comprising a pair of laterally spaced apart bars including first portions, spaced apart a first predetermined distance less than the length of said articles for supporting said articles trailing said lowermost article when said stack support divider means is in said inoperative position and second portions spaced apart a greater predetermined distance greater than the length of said articles for passing said lowermost article when said stack support and divider means is in said operative position.

Article dispensing apparatus for individually dispensing generally cylindrical articles, such as rolled newspapers, comprising:

• at least upper and lower superposed, vertically inclined article supporting racks, each having an upper end and a lower end;
• means mounting said racks at such an angle that articles supported thereon will travel, by force of gravity, toward said lower end;
• vertically disposed article guide means, spaced from said lower ends of said racks, defining, with portions of said racks, a generally vertically disposed chute for receiving said articles from said racks and passing them downwardly in a stack;
• said chute having a discharge opening at the lower end thereof for serially passing the articles in said column;
• stop means mounted adjacent said lower end of said lower rack for movement between a first position preventing movement of said articles supported by said lower rack into said chute while an article passing into said chute from said upper rack is disposed between said stop means and said article guide means and a second position, when all articles passing to said chute from said upper rack are disposed at a level below the level of said stop means permitting articles to be gravity fed from said lower rack to said chute;
• gate means adjacent said discharge opening movable between a blocking position interrupting the downward passage of said column of articles in said chute and a non-blocking position permitting the articles to serially pass through said discharge opening;
• stack support and divider means coupled to said gate means for movement therewith between a remote position, when said gate means is in said blocking position, permitting the downward passage of articles in said chute to said gate means and an operative position interrupting the passage of, and vertically supporting, the articles trailing the lowermost article when said gate means is in said non-blocking position such that only the lowermost article is dispensed through said discharge opening;
• said gate means comprising a pair of laterally spaced apart bars including first portions, spaced apart a first predetermined distance less than the length of said articles for supporting said articles trailing said lowermost article when said stack support divider means is in said inoperative position and second portions spaced apart a greater predetermined distance greater than the length of said articles for passing said lowermost article when said stack support and divider means is in said operative position.

Apparatus for individually dispensing generally cylindrical articles, such as rolled newspapers, comprising:

• a magazine, mounted on said frame for receiving and storing a stack of generally cylindrical articles, including a lower end having a discharge opening for discharging said articles;
• said magazine being inclined such that articles stored thereon will be gravity fed downwardly seriatim toward said discharge opening;
• gate means, movable between a blocking position interrupting the downward flow of articles and a non-blocking position permitting the articles to serially pass through said opening;
• stack support means movable between a remote position when said gate means is in said blocking position, and an operative stack support position supporting the balance of the stack of articles trailing the lowermost article when said gate means is in said removed position such that only the lowermost article is dispensed through said discharge opening;
• said gate means including barrier means disposed in the path of said lowermost article when said gate means is in said blocking position;
• said barrier means including an opening therethrough for receiving and passing the lowermost article in said chute when said gate means is in said non-blocking position;
• and
• means for adjustably mounting said divider means on said gate means in any selected one of a plurality of vertically spaced positions such that the distance between said barrier means and said divider means can be adjusted to accomodate articles of different diameters.

Apparatus for individually dispensing generally cylindrical articles, such as rolled newspapers, comprising:

• a magazine, mounted on said frame for receiving and storing a stack of generally cylindrical articles, including a lower end having a discharge opening for discharging said articles;
• said magazine being inclined such that articles stored thereon will be gravity fed downwardly seriatim toward said discharge opening;
• gate means, movable between a blocking position interrupting the downward flow of articles and a non-blocking position permitting the articles to serially pass through said opening;
• stack support means movable between a remote position when said gate means is in said blocking position, and an operative stack support position supporting the balance of the stack of articles trailing the lowermost article when said gate means is in said removed position such that only the lowermost article is dispensed through said discharge opening;
• said gate means including barrier means disposed in the path of said lowermost article when said gate means is in said blocking position;
• said barrier means including an opening therethrough for receiving and passing the lowermost article in said chute when said gate means is in said non-blocking position;
• said support means comprising projection means projecting over a portion of said opening in said barrier means to a position in which at least the terminal end of said barrier means will underlie a portion of the second lowermost article before the lowermost article passes through said opening in said barrier means.

Apparatus for individually dispensing generally cylindrical articles, such as rolled newspapers, comprising:

• a magazine, mounted on said frame for receiving and storing a stack of generally cylindrical articles, including a lower end having a discharge opening for discharging said articles;
• said magazine being inclined such that articles stored thereon will be gravity fed downwardly seriatim toward said discharge opening;
• gate means, movable between a blocking position interrupting the downward flow of articles and a non-blocking position permitting the articles to serially pass through said opening;
• and
• stack support means movable between a remote position when said gate means is in said blocking position, and an operative stack support position supporting the balance of the stack of articles trailing the lowermost article when said gate means is in said removed position such that only the lowermost article is dispensed through said discharge opening;
• said gate means including barrier means disposed in the path of said lowermost article when said gate means is in said blocking position;
• said barrier means including an opening therethrough for receiving and passing the lowermost article in said chute when said gate means is in said non-blocking position;
• said magazine including at least first and second juxtaposed, vertically inclined racks, having upper and lower terminal ends and generally upstanding guide means adjacent but spaced from the lower ends of said racks providing a vertically disposed chute permitting articles on said racks to serially pass downwardly to said opening;
• and
• means adjustably mounting said guide means and said racks for relative movement toward and away from each other to adjust the width of said chute and accomodate articles of varying sizes.