Vending machine for pads of paper or the like

Claim 1

A VENDING MACHINE FOR SUCCESSIVELY VENDING STACKED ARTICLES, SUCH AS PADS OF PAPER AND THE LIKE, SAID VENDING MACHINE COMPRISING (A) A HOUSING HAVING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ELONGATED OPENING THEREIN, AND ARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE STACKED ARTICLES WITH THE BOTTOM ARTICLE ALINED WITH SAID ELONGATE OPENING, (B) ELONGATE FLANGE MEANS ADJUSTABLY CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AT SAID ELONGATE OPENING AND FORMING A RESTRICTION IN SAID OPENING FOR VARYING THE EFFECTIVE SIZE THEREOF TO ACCOMMODATE ARTICLES OF VARYING THICKNESS, SAID ELONGATE FLANGE MEANS CURVING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID HOUSING TO CLOSE SAID OPENING TO FRONTAL VIEW, (C) PUSHER MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION SPACED REARWARDLY FROM SAID ELONGATE OPENING AND A SECOND POSITION ADJACENT SAID ELONGATE OPENING TO SUCCESSIVELY PUSH THE BOTTOM ARTICLE OF THE STACKED ARTICLES THROUGH SAID OPENING, SAID PUSHER MEANS INCLUDING A VERTICALLY ADJUSTAVLE FLANGE MEMBER ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE REAR PORTION OF THE BOTTOM ARTICLE TO EJECT THE SAME THROUGH SAID ELONGATE OPENING WHEN SAID PUSHER MEANS MOVES FROM THE FIRST POSITION TO THE SECOND POSITION AND HAVING A FORWARDLY EXTENDING LIP AT ITS UPPER PORTION OVERLYING A PORTION OF SAID PUSHER MEANS AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE REAR PORTION OF THE BOTTOM ARTICLE THEREBENEATH TO POSITIVELY HOLD THIS REAR PORTION OF THE BOTTOM ARTICLE AGAINST UPWARD MOVEMENT AS THE BOTTOM ARTICLE IS PUSHED THROUGH SAID ELONGATE OPENING, AND (D) ACTUATING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID PUSHER MEANS FOR MOVING THE SAME BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS TO SEQUENTIALLY VEND THE STACKED ARTICLES THROUGH SAID OPENING.