Coin-operated telephone apparatus

A coin-operated telephone having a housing enclosing a coin acceptor having a coin release mechanism secured thereto. A coin release mechanism actuator assembly is carried in the housing and disposed for actuation of the coin release mechanism by causing upward pivotal movement thereof. The coin release mechanism includes a downwardly depending member which is engaged by a roller of the actuator assembly which is comprised of two pivotal L-shaped members connected by a link or rod for transmitting pivotal movement from a first of the pivoted members to a second of the pivoted members. Stops are provided to limit the movement of the members to prevent binding thereof.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates generally to coin-operated telephones and more 
particularly to a coin release mechanism for such coin-operated 
telephones. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A coin-operated telephone typically includes a coin acceptor provided with 
a stuck coin release mechanism which is mounted inside the weldment or 
housing. The stuck coin mechanism is operatively connected to a lever 
which is mounted on the external face and extends into the housing. It has 
been found that the appearance of the external face of the housing and the 
manner in which externally mounted components function plays a major part 
in the acceptance of the telephone structure by the public. 
To satisfy the desires of the public, it is necessary that the telephone be 
familiar and user-friendly. This necessitates that the coin release 
mechanism lever be located on the upper central portion of the housing 
instead of being located at various other positions on the face of the 
housing, as has been done in many existing pay telephones. While it is 
desirable to provide a pay telephone with a stuck coin release lever which 
is mounted in the upper central portion of the housing in a user-friendly 
position, it is also desirable that the stuck coin release structure be 
compatible with existing "off-the-shelf," industry standard coin acceptors 
and associated release mechanisms. 
The structure of the present invention provides such desirable features and 
includes a linkage assembly consisting of a coin release bar, a rod, and a 
roller bracket assembly with mounting and stop features which are attached 
to the upper central portion of the upper housing. No modifications to the 
industry standard coin acceptor and associated coin release system are 
required. Full travel of the linkage assembly and protection against 
jamming is provided by proper selection of beginning and end positions of 
the rod link bearing surfaces and coin release bar stops which are located 
so that the rod bearing positions are below the respective pivot points of 
the coin release bar and the roller bracket assembly. Additionally, by 
providing stops which are disposed for engagement by a coin release bar 
which is directly secured to and operated by the coin release lever, 
excessive forces applied to the coin release lever cannot be transmitted 
beyond these stops. Other prior art devices rely upon stops positioned in 
various other locations in the system, and intermediate members of the 
system could be distorted by the excessive force. 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a coin 
release mechanism for use in a coin-operated telephone while also 
maintaining a familiar user-friendly appearance of the telephone. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coin-operated 
telephone with a housing having internal components positioned therein in 
a manner which will provide an extra large interior to permit add-on 
features to be installed while still maintaining a familiar, user-friendly 
appearance and function. 
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a 
telephone with a coin release mechanism linkage which provides for 
positive actuation of the coin release mechanism from a position in the 
housing which will not interfere with the ability of the housing to later 
receive the add-on features. 
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide such a coin 
release mechanism which is substantially jam-proof and which is protected 
from excessive force applied by users and vandals. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A coin-operated telephone in which the internal coin release mechanism and 
linkage therefor is located in a position which will permit add-on "smart" 
features to be later installed. The housing encloses a coin acceptor and 
associated coin release mechanism and a coin release mechanism actuator 
assembly. The coin release mechanism and the actuating assembly are 
secured to the top of the coin acceptor. A linkage is connected to the 
coin release lever mounted on the face of the housing and extends across 
the interior of the housing to engage the coin release mechanism of the 
coin acceptor. The linkage includes a spring biased bar or plate having an 
inverted L-shaped configuration pivotally mounted in the housing and 
having a rod secured thereto which extends therefrom for secured relation 
to a second L-shaped mechanism pivotally mounted in the housing and having 
a roller thereon which engages a lip on the coin release mechanism for 
upward movement thereof for operation of the release mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As seen in FIG. 1, a coin-operated telephone includes a housing 6 having a 
pair of releasably attached sections 8 and 10. Section 10 includes a 
forward face 12, an upper coin receiving and display area 14, and a lower 
coin storage area 16. A central handset and dial area 18 is disposed 
intermediate areas 14 and 16. Upper area 14 includes a slot 20 for 
receiving coins and a lever 22 for actuating a coin release mechanism of a 
coin acceptor 24 (FIGS. 3 and 4) for releasing stuck coins. A display 
window 26 is provided in upper area 14. Any of many types of displays may 
be used, such as LED's, to provide information, instructions, etc. 
As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, coin acceptor 24 is provided at the top thereof 
with a coin release mechanism 25. A coin release mechanism actuating 
assembly 27 is also pivotally mounted at the top 30 of the coin acceptor 
by a pin 28. Actuating assembly 27 includes a forward member 32 having a 
lower elongated lip 34 depending therefrom. Coin release actuating 
assembly 27 includes a bar 36 in engagement with member 32 and secured to 
an arm 38 which is pivotally secured at pin 40 (FIG. 3) of the body of 
coin acceptor 24 which also includes a second arm 42 pivotally secured to 
pin 40 and in biased relation to the body of coin acceptor 24 by a spring 
(not shown). The coin acceptor is not described in detail herein as it may 
be any of many commercially available acceptors. A typical acceptor is 
manufactured by Coinco of St. Louis, Mo. 
To provide for upward pivotal movement of member 32 of coin release 
actuator assembly 27, a linkage assembly 46 (FIGS. 2 and 4) is secured in 
the interior of the housing for pivotal movement by lever 22. The linkage 
assembly includes a substantially inverted L-shaped flat plate 48 which is 
pivotally secured to the back side surface 50 of the face 12 of the 
housing by a pin 52 which also rigidly connects to lever 22 on the front 
face 12. Plate 48 includes a pair of normally disposed legs 49 and 51. A 
spring 53 is secured to leg 49 and to surface 50 for biased relation of 
plate 48. A rod 54 has an end 56 inserted in an opening 58 of plate 48 and 
extends therefrom for connection to a roller assembly 60 pivotally secured 
in the interior of the housing to surface 50. Assembly 60 includes a 
substantially L-shaped support member 62 which is provided with a 
substantially L-shaped configuration having legs 64 and 66. Member 62 is 
pivotally secured to surface 50 by a pin 68 disposed at the upper end of 
leg 64. A roller 70 is secured to the distal end of leg 64 between a pair 
of spaced support portions 72 and 74 (FIGS. 3 and 4) of leg 64. The second 
end 65 (FIGS. 2 and 4) of rod 54 is connected at the juncture of legs 64 
and 66 of to support member 62 for pivotal movement thereof responsive to 
pivotal movement of plate 48. 
To retrieve stuck coins, the customer depresses lever 22, which pivots 
plates 48 about pin 52 in a counterclockwise direction for upward movement 
of roller 70, which rolls across the elongated lip portion 34 of member 32 
for actuating arms 38 and 42 of the coin acceptor for release of the 
inserted stuck coins from coin acceptor 24. 
As seen in FIG. 5, linkage assembly 46 has been displaced from its 
non-actuating position to its actuating position. In this actuating 
position, it is seen that a stop 76 which is secured to surface 50 assures 
that the bearing surfaces 80 at the end 56 of rod 54 (at bracket 48) and 
the bearing surfaces 82 at the end 65 of rod 54 (at bracket 62) are 
substantially below a line 83 connecting the respective pivot points 52 
and 68 of brackets 48 and 62, respectively. Such structure prevents the 
members from approaching "over center" positions, which tend to jam the 
mechanism. The stop is located adjacent to the lower surface 84 (FIG. 2) 
of leg 49 of member 48 and is disposed for engagement by surface 86 (FIG. 
5) of leg 51 of member 48 when the linkage is rotated.