Enclosure for housing and displaying a public telephone and foodstuff vending machine

• US 5,704,517 A
• Filed: 06/23/1995
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Triangle Telephone Company
• Original Assignee: Triangle Telephone Company
• Inventors: Lancaster, Hazen G. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US08/493,451
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 222/2, 222/154, 222/183, 222/192, 222/132, 222/368, 222/342, 222/349, 379/91, 379/143, 379/144, 379/155, 52/27.5, D14/144, D14/146, 221/199
• US Class Current: 222/2
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 1/14 Telephone cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/10 Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

Abstract

An enclosure is provided having a first recessed portion for housing a public telephone, and a second recessed portion for housing at least one foodstuff vending machine that is receivable therein. A door-like protective wall is hingedly connected to a side edge of the second recessed portion for substantially enclosing and protecting the foodstuff vending machine. The vending machine is detachably connected to the back side of the door-like protective wall to facilitate access thereto. The protective wall includes a transparent window for displaying the contents of the foodstuff vending machine which is easily replaceable in the event of vandalism. Additionally, the foodstuff vending machine includes a horizontally oriented metering wheel with a single metering recess to make maximum use of the limited depth afforded by the second recessed portion.

Claims

1. An enclosure for housing and displaying both a public telephone and a foodstuff vending machine, comprising:

a first recessed portion for partially enclosing a public telephone;

a second recessed portion for housing a foodstuff vending machine;

a foodstuff vending machine receivable within said second recessed portion, and

a wall means detachably securable over said second recessed portion for substantially enclosing and protecting said foodstuff vending machine while displaying the contents of said vending machine.

2. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said wall means includes a window for displaying the contents of said foodstuff vending machine.

3. The enclosure of claim 2, wherein said wall means includes means for detachably mounting said window over an opening in said wall means to facilitate the replacement of said window.

4. The enclosure of claim 3, wherein said enclosure comprises a plurality of foodstuff vending machines receivable in said second recessed portion, and said wall means includes a plurality of windows for displaying the contents of each of said plurality of vending machines.

5. The enclosure of claim 3, wherein said foodstuff vending machine includes a hopper means for holding a supply of foodstuff to be dispensed including at least one transparent wall portion, and wherein said window abuts said transparent wall portion.

6. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said foodstuff vending machine includes a hopper means for holding a supply of foodstuff to be dispensed by said machine, said hopper means being removable from said machine to facilitate the refilling thereof with a foodstuff.

7. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said wall means is pivotally connected to an edge of said second recessed portion such that said wall means functions as a door over said second recessed portion.

8. The enclosure of claim 6, wherein said vending machine includes a retainer means for retaining foodstuffs in said hopper during a filling operation, said retainer means being slidably insertable in and removable from said hopper.

9. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said foodstuff vending machine includes a rotatably mounted metering wheel for measuring a portion of a foodstuff in said machine, wherein said wheel is horizontally oriented along its axis of rotation.

10. The enclosure of claim 9, wherein said metering wheel includes a single recess for receiving and measuring said portion of foodstuff.

15. The enclosure of claim 4, wherein said metering wheel includes a single recess for receiving and measuring said portion of foodstuff.

11. An enclosure for housing and displaying both a public telephone and a foodstuff vending machine, comprising:

a first recessed portion for partially enclosing a public telephone;

a second recessed portion for housing a foodstuff vending machine;

a foodstuff vending machine receivable within said second recessed portion, including a hopper means for holding a supply of foodstuff, said hopper having at least one transparent sidewall, and

a wall means detachably securable over said second recessed portion for substantially enclosing and protecting said foodstuff vending machine while displaying the contents of said machine, said wall means including a transparent window for displaying the contents of said hopper means through said transparent hopper sidewall, and means for detachably mounting said window over an opening in said wall means to facilitate the replacement of said window.

12. The enclosure of claim 11, wherein said hopper means is removable from said vending machine to facilitate the refilling thereof with a foodstuff.

13. The enclosure of claim 12, wherein said vending machine includes a retainer means for retaining foodstuffs in said hopper means during a filling operation, said retainer means being slidably insertable in and removable from said hopper means.

14. The enclosure of claim 11, wherein said vending machine includes an operating handle attached to a horizontally oriented, rotatably mounted shaft, and a metering wheel for measuring a portion of a foodstuff in said hopper means of said vending machine, wherein said shaft is mounted along the axis of rotation of said metering wheel.

16. The enclosure of claim 11, wherein said wall means is pivotally connected along one side to said second recessed portion and said vending machine is detachably mounted to said wall means to facilitate access to said vending machine incident to a refilling or servicing. operation.

17. Means for interconnecting at least two foodstuff vending machines and a public telephone to simultaneously display and provide access to both said vending machines and said public telephone, comprising a support means connected to and extending above said public telephone for supporting said foodstuff vending machines above said public telephone, and a wall means secured over both said foodstuff vending machines for protecting said machines, and including windows for displaying the contents of both of said machines.