Peter Ostermann

US Patent:

D2580705, Jan 27, 1981

Filed:

Apr 2, 1979

Appl. No.:

6/025991

Inventors:

Peter Ostermann - Sunnyvale CA

Assignee:

Hickey-Mitchell Company - St. Louis MO

International Classification:

D2001

US Classification:

D20 6

US Patent:

42993350, Nov 10, 1981

Filed:

Mar 28, 1979

Appl. No.:

6/024546

Inventors:

Peter Ostermann - Sunnyvale CA

Assignee:

Hickey-Mitchell Company - St. Louis MO

International Classification:

G07F 1114

US Classification:

221241

Abstract:

A newspaper vendor provides vending of a single newspaper per vend cycle. The vendor has an enclosure holding a stack of newspapers and an elevator within the enclosure for automatically continuously lifting the stack to present a single uppermost newspaper upon the stack at a vend position. A coin mechanism is interengaged by a vend control door. The door is released by the coin mechanism to permit manual access to the uppermost newspaper for withdrawal through a vend throat which is adjustable in dimension to correspond to an average thickness of newspapers in the vendor. A blocking mechanism is responsive to withdrawal of the uppermost newspaper to block withdrawal of a subsequent newspaper through the throat during the vend cycle. A braking mechanism and pivot arrangement associated with the elevator automatically cause the uppermost newspaper to be in alignment with the vend throat regardless of skewing of the stack resulting from non-uniform thicknesses of individual newspapers.

US Patent:

D2717794, Dec 13, 1983

Filed:

Aug 17, 1981

Appl. No.:

6/293487

Inventors:

Peter Ostermann - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

D2001

US Classification:

D20 6

US Patent:

43772285, Mar 22, 1983

Filed:

Aug 17, 1981

Appl. No.:

6/293380

Inventors:

Peter Ostermann - Sunnyvale CA

Assignee:

Hickey-Mitchell Company - St. Louis MO

International Classification:

G07F 508

US Classification:

194 54

Abstract:

A newspaper vendor has a spring-suspended elevator lifting a vertical stack of newspapers for presentation of successive papers at a vend position for withdrawal by a customer through a vend throat. A roller arrangement automatically aligns the uppermost newspaper with the throat regardless of non-uniform paper thickness. A door, when released, provides customer access to the throat. A door release mechanism is interconnected with a coin mechanism within the vendor to permit door opening upon insertion of coins totalling or exceeding the vend price. A vend control mechanism blocks customer withdrawal of a subsequent paper through the throat during each vend cycle in response to withdrawal of a first paper through the throat, including a latch, a latching mechanism biased for movement from a latched position to unlatched position when released by the latch, and a blocking member driven by release of the latching mechanism for movement within the throat for releasing the latch upon movement of the first paper through the throat, and linkage for relatching the latching mechanism upon closing the door. A throat adjustment mechanism allows quick change of the vertical dimension of the throat according to average newspaper thickness. The vend throat spacing is automatically made slightly greater than newspaper thickness.