Thanks guys!
Got home from the kids soccer games and couldnt stand not being able to get inside this thing. As usual It just took a little more elbow grease than I was using at first. Since I couldnt see inside I was afraid of bending or breaking something. I can find virtually no information other than pictures of the outside of these machines anywhere. I did stumble across some original patent pics and info that helped me understand the locking bar mech a little more since I could see inside. The mechanism has a link that if it gets turned the wrong way and the machine get closed this way it makes the release on the side opposite of the key not work as well.
Once I got it open the thing works like a charm. And you dont need product in it for the vending mech to work. It worked perfect empty. Did these machines also use the weights that sat on the top of the crackers and peanuts to push em down into the vending mech? I'm missing those so if someone has a picture like I'd appreciate seeing what the originals look like.
In case anyone cares here are the links to the patents with diagrams filed by William F Shepherd in 1951 for the vending cabinet, vending mech and cabinet structure. They helped me understand the inside of the machine better while I was trying to get inside of it.
http://www.google.com/patents/US2738049http://www.google.com/patents/US2757060http://www.google.com.bz/patents/US2738102Justin
