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Title: Ticket dispensing apparatus
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. Ticket dispensing apparatus comprising: a. a housing defining a supply chamber for a folded elongated row of tickets connected together in edge-to-edge relationship, and a dispensing chamber communicating with said supply chamber and defining a discharge opening; b. a ticket feeding element mounted in said dispensing chamber for movement in one direction to feed tickets toward said discharge opening and alternately in an opposite retracting direction out of operative engagement with said tickets; c. an actuator mounted in the housing for movement in one direction toward a feeding position to engage said feeding element and impart ticket feeding movement thereto, and in the opposite direction to a ticket holding position in engagement with said row of tickets to hold the same against feeding movement when said feeding element is retracted; d. retarding means engaging said row of tickets to frictionally hold said tickets against free feeding movement; e. and yielding means urging said actuator toward holding engagement with said tickets. 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 in further combination with lock means for releasably locking said actuator in said ticket holding position thereof. 3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 in which said housing and retarding means define a passageway for said row of tickets substantially in alignment with said discharge opening, said feeding element engaging said tickets to move the same toward a substantially straight line path of travel between said passageway and discharge opening when moved by said actuator in sdaid one direction of movement thereof. 4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 in which said actuator comprises a plate-like portion for engagement with said feeding element to move the same in one direction of movement thereof, said plate-like portion having a ticket engaging edge for moving a portion of said row of tickets away from said substantially straight lines path of travel and into a bent position against a wall of said dispensing chamber angularly displaced from said path of travel when said actuator is moved to said ticket holding position thereof. 5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 characterized by a guide member mounted in said housing and defining a portion of said discharge opening, said guide member being adjustably movable longitudinally of the direction of travel of said tickets and having a transverse outer edge outwardly of the housing and providing a tear blade for said tickets. 6. The apparatus defined in claim 1 in which said housing comprises a pair of upper and lower housing sections hinged together for movements between open and closed positions relative to each other, said sections cooperating to define said supply and dispensing chambers and said discharge opening, characterized by lock means for releasably locking said sections in said closed positions thereof. 7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 in which said retarding means comprises a ticket engaging element in one of said housing sections, the other of said housing sections having an internal surface portion cooperating with said ticket engaging element to define a passageway for said row of tickets substantially in alignment with said discharge opening, said ticket engaging element being yieldingly urged toward the row of tickets therebetween and said internal surface portion. 8. The apparatus defined in claim 6 in which said ticket feeding element is pivotally mounted in said lower housing section for generally upward and downward movements toward and away from a generally straight line path of travel of said row of tickets between said supply chamber and said discharge opening, said actuator being pivotally mounted in said upper housing section on an axis parallel to the axis of pivotal movement of said coupon feeding element for movements between a position above said straight line path of travel and a ticket holding position wherein a ticket engaging portion of said actuator is disposed within said lower housing section, said lower housing section having a wall portion cooperating with said actuator portion to hold said row of tickets against discharge from the dispensing chamber. 9. The apparatus defined in claim 8 in which said retarding means comprises a fixed portion of said lower housing section between said supply and dispensing chambers, and a ticket engaging element mounted in the upper housing section for movements toward and away from said fixed portion and cooperating therewith to define a passageway substantially in alignment with said discharge opening and in said path of travel of the tickets, said yielding means comprising a spring having opposite ends connected to said ticket engaging element and said actuator and yieldingly urging said ticket engaging element toward said portion of the housing and said actuator toward its ticket holding position. 10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 in which said spring is so disposed relative to said actuator and said ticket engaging element that bias of the spring against said ticket engaging element is relatively greater when said ticket feeding element is moved to its feeding position by said actuator and relatively less when said actuator is moved to its ticket holding position. 11. The apparatus defined in claim 6 in which said lock means comprises a key operated locking member mounted in one of said housing sections for movements between spaced positions in said dispensing chamber, the other one of said housing sections and said actuator each having portions disposed for locking engagement with said locking member selectively. 12. The apparatus defined in claim 6 characterized by a guide member disposed in said upper housing section for movements longitudinally of the direction of movement of said row of tickets and having a channel defining portions of said discharge opening, and means for releasably locking the guide member in desired positions of said movements thereof, said guide member having an outer transverse edge providing a tear blade for said tickets. Other info: Inventors: Arp, Ewald A. (Hopkins, MN, US) Arp, Robert A. (Hopkins, MN, US) Moody, Gene S. (Minneapolis, MN, US) Application Number: 546504 Filing Date: 1975-02-03 Publication_date: 1976-02-03 Assignee: Larson; Arnold W. G. (Minneapolis, MN) Primary Class(es): 225/15 225/16 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Tollberg, Stanley H. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Merchant, Gould, Smith, Edell, Welter & Schmidt |
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