Coin operated electric timer automatic electric candle

A coin operated electric lamp, including an electric circuit, having a plug for connection to a household electric power supply; the circuit including a switch activated by a deposited coin, so to close the circuit to an incandescent lamp bulb and to a motor in parallel to the lamp, the motor driving a spiral cam which, upon completing a rotation, pushes the switch into an open position so to stop the motor and turn out the light bulb.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to electric votive lamps such as are used 
in churches in lieu of burning wax candles. 
The present invention is an improvement on applicant's previous U.S. Pat. 
No. 2,863,547, granted on Dec. 9, 1958. In the former patent, the 
applicant has presented an electric lamp that is much safer than a burning 
candle, so that the danger of a fire to a person and to a church building 
has been practically eliminated. However, the construction of the original 
lamp has, in time, been structurally improved, and is the subject of the 
present application. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a coin operated 
electric lamp, which includes all the advantageous features of the 
original lamp but which is structurally improved, so to be easier and less 
expensive to manufacture and which is operationally improved, so that it 
will last a longer period of time, trouble free, without wearing out. 
Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may 
be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 
attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are 
illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific 
construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended 
claims.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the reference numeral 10 
represents a coin operated electric timer. according to the present 
invention, wherein there is a molded plastic upper case 11 having an 
opening 12 on its top and into which an upwardly extending, generally 
cylindrical lamp shade 13 is fitted so to surround an electric lamp bulb 
14 protruding upwardly through the opening. The lamp bulb is screwed in a 
socket 15 mounted upon a bottom wall 16 of the upper case. 
The upper case includes a coin slot 17 that aligns above a coin slot 18 of 
a lower, molded plastic case 19, so that a coin 20 dropped into the slot 
17 travels down so as to activate a coin operated lever 21 therebelow, and 
thus trip a switch mechanism 22 contained in the lower case. The coin 
falls into a collection box. 
The lower case is secured to the upper case by means of bolt assemblies 23 
attached therebetween. 
The lever 21 is bent up at one end so to form a finger 24 upon which the 
falling coin strikes so to rock the lever about a pivot pin 25 in order 
that a button 26 upon an opposite end of the lever is swung upwardly 
against an underside of a pad 27 on one end of a copper leaf spring 28 of 
the switch mechanism. 
The leaf has a hole 29 at the opposite end anchored on a stationary post 
30, and the leaf spring includes a pair of tongues 31 which at their ends 
are pivoted in notches 32 of stationary posts 33, the tongues being flexed 
into a bent shape, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, so that the tension of the 
flexed tongues causes the leaf spring to snap into opposite pivoted 
directions as the spring pivots about a fulcrum 34 and over-rides an 
intermediate balance point midway along its pivotal travel. 
In one pivoted position A, shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the spring 28 rests 
against a stationary wire or bar 35. 
In its opposite pivoted position, the spring has pushed against a tongue 36 
formed along a punched out steel arm 37, having opposite ends 38 supported 
pivotally in bearing openings 39 of lower case 19. A pair of copper leaf 
springs 40 riveted at one end on the arm 37, each carries a contact 41 on 
its other end, so that when the leaf spring 28 strikes the arm 37, the arm 
pivots in bearing openings 39, thus causing the contacts 41 to each engage 
a stationary contact 42 that are electrically connected to the motor and 
the lamp bulb socket. The contacts 41 are connected to an electric power 
source, obtained through a plug 43. 
An electric circuit 44 of the device 10 also includes a motor 45 mounted on 
an underside of the lower case 19, the motor driving a gearing 46 which 
rotates a shaft 47 of a cam unit 48, so as to rotate a spiral cam 49 
carried thereon. The motor is in parallel circuit with the lamp bulb, as 
shown in FIG. 8. Thus motor is in circuit with a switch 50 which is 
mechanically connected to the switch mechanism 22 in order to operate 
simultaneously the lamp bulb 14. 
It is now evident that the present invention can be installed inside 
churches or other houses of worship where persons may drop a coin in a 
slot so as to light up the lamp while the person is in prayer or 
meditation. The lamp bulb remains lighted while the motor rotates the 
spiral cam a full 360 degrees after which the cam has moved into a 
position under a tab 51 of the leaf spring 28 so as to cause the leaf 
spring to snap pivotally back into its original position, and thus release 
its hold against the arm 37, thus permitting a tension coil return spring 
52 to pull the arm back to its original pivoted position with the arm 
contacts 41 disengaging the stationary contacts 42. It is to be noted that 
a lug 53 formed on the arm 37 serves as a stop abutting against an 
underside of lower case top wall 54 when the arm is in the pivoted 
position wherein the contacts are engaged. 
However, after the cam 49 has rotated a sufficient amount to cause spring 
28 to pivot about fulcrum 34 and be biased in such a direction that 
contact would attempt to open disc cam 60 has also rotated so that it 
interferes with lug 53 and thereby prevents the mechanism from toggling 
back to its original position with the contacts open. As the motor 
continues to rotate cam unit 49, eventually lug 53 drops off the rear edge 
62 of cam 60 and the contacts snap open. It should be understood that cam 
60 greatly adds to the reliability and repeatability of the mechanism 
because it allows spiral cam 49 to store an excess of bias energy in 
spring 28 so that when lug 53 is released, the contact opens quite rapidly 
and with a minimum amount of arcing. 
Thus there is provided a coin operated electric timer. 
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and 
described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood 
that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details 
of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those 
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.