Apparatus for dispensing articles

A dispensing apparatus for sequentially vending a plurality of newspapers or the like comprising:

• a housing defining a cavity, and which encloses the plurality of newspapers, and wherein the newspapers are individually defined by respective length, width and thickness dimensions, and wherein the housing further defines a passageway which permits individual newspapers to pass from the housing;
• a display assembly borne by the housing;
• a platform borne by the housing and disposed within the cavity, the platform operable to support the plurality of newspapers;
• a rearward support assembly slidably borne by the housing and movable along a first path of travel to urge the newspapers in the direction of the passageway;
• a forward support assembly movably borne by the housing and operable to hold one newspaper against the display assembly for viewing from a position outside the housing;
• a carriage assembly slidably borne by the platform and operable for movement along a second path of travel;
• a spring biased metering assembly mounted for pivotable movement on the carriage assembly and operable for movement along a third path of travel from a first position, wherein the metering assembly is disposed in occluding relation relative to the passageway thereby substantially inhibiting movement of the newspapers toward the passageway, to a second position, wherein the metering assembly is disposed in a substantially non-occluding position relative to the passageway, and wherein the spring biased metering assembly is biased into the first position, and wherein the metering assembly is disposed in force receiving relation relative to the forward support assembly, and wherein the placement of the one newspaper in sandwiched relation between the display assembly and the forward support assembly locates the carriage assembly in a predetermined position along the second path of travel;
• a movement limiting member borne by the housing and disposed in movement impeding relation relative to the spring biased metering assembly;
• an actuator movably mounted on the housing and operable for movement along a fourth path of travel from a first or non-vend position, to a second, vend position;
• and
• a drive assembly borne by the housing and disposed in force receiving relation relative to the actuator, and in driving relation relative to the rearward support assembly, and spring biased metering assembly, respectively, and wherein the drive assembly is operable to simultaneously drive the rearward support assembly along the first path of travel toward the passageway, and drive the spring biased metering assembly along the third path of travel from the first, occluding position, to the second non-occluding position upon movement of the actuator from the first non-vend position to the second vend position, and wherein engagement of the spring biased metering assembly with the movement limiting member causes the drive assembly to disengage from the spring biased metering assembly thereby allowing the spring biased metering assembly to move from the second position to the first position.

A dispensing apparatus for vending articles comprising:

• a platform for supporting the articles to be vended;
• a display assembly disposed adjacent to the platform;
• a forward support assembly disposed between the platform and the display assembly, and wherein the forward support assembly is biased in the direction of the display assembly, and wherein a single article to be vended is disposed in sandwiched relation between the display assembly and the forward support assembly;
• a rearward support assembly slidably mounted above the platform and operable to urge the articles along the platform;
• a carriage assembly movably borne by the platform;
• a metering assembly pivotally mounted on the carriage assembly and operable for movement along a path of travel from a first position, wherein the metering assembly substantially inhibits movement of the articles along the platform, to a second position wherein the metering assembly permits the articles to advance along the platform, and wherein the metering assembly is disposed in force receiving relation relative to the forward support assembly, and wherein the positioning of a single article between the display assembly, and the forward support assembly positions the carriage assembly in an appropriate location relative to the platform to permit the metering assembly to meter articles having substantially the same thickness dimension;
• an actuator disposed in force transmitting relation relative to the platform;
• a movement limiting member disposed in movement impeding relation relative to the metering assembly, and wherein the movement limiting member has a predetermined shape which permits the metering assembly to travel increased distances along the path of travel as the thickness of the article vended increases;
• and
• a drive assembly disposed in force receiving relation relative to the actuator, and in force transmitting relation relative to the rearward support assembly, and the metering assembly, respectively, the drive assembly under the influence of the actuator simultaneously urging the rearward support assembly along the platform and the metering assembly from the first to the second position thereby vending a single article.