Patent GB-578017-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in coin controlled mailing machine
IPC: G07F17/40
Filed: 1943-04-07
Abstract: 578,017. Coin-freed postal franking machines. DEHN, F. B. (Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter Co.). April 7, 1943, No. 5574. [Class 27] A coin - freed value - printing machine comprises coin-receiving mechanism, a credit mechanism which registers the total value of the inserted coins, manually selective means to determine the value to be printed during a cycle of operation, and means effecting subtraction of the selected value from the total value set up in the credit mechanism, wherein the credit mechanism comprises a plurality of differential gears, one set operated by coins of low denomination such as pennies or cents and another set by coins of higher denomination such as shillings or dimes, the differential gears being connected to the manually-selective means by mutilated gears and pinions which also serve to effect the subtraction of a selected value from the differential gears. The invention is adapted for use with the franking machine described in Specification 541,781, and is described in connection with a machine having four coin slots 4, Fig. 1, for coins of 1, 5, 10 and 25 cents respectively. A coin or coins having been inserted in the appropriate coin slot or slots, the total value of the inserted coins is summed up in a calculating unit 6, and an electric motor 1 is energized to provide the necessary power for all the machine operations. The operator now selects, by means of a knob 21, connected to dials 117, 118, the desired stamp value which is to be printed by the printing unit 3. If he now inserts a letter, this is printed with the selected value, and this value is subtracted from the original credit shown by the calculating unit .6. Successive letters may be inserted and franked with the same or a different value, but when the credit left, after subtraction, is less than the last selected value, the selector knob 21 is automatically returned to zero and no amount can be selected greater than the remaining credit. By the use of differential gears in the crediting mechanism, the adding and subtracting operations may be carried out simultaneously, and fresh coins may be inserted while the machine is in operation. Coin action. When a coin is inserted in one of the slots 4 it passes down a corresponding shoot 12 to a testing unit 5, Fig. 10, and down a channel 36 into a recess 41 on a disc 37 on a continuously-rotating shaft 38. Only one coin at a time can engage the disc as the coins are held by a stop 43 on a shaft 44, this shaft being driven from the shaft 38 so as to release one coin at each revolution of the disc. As the disc rotates, the coin 40 thereon rocks a lever 46 through an angle proportional to the diameter of the coin. This movement is transmitted through link 13 and arms 48, 49 on a shaft 50 to shift a corresponding rod'52Q, 52D, 52N or 52C, Fig. 6, and thereby move axially one or other of 'two multiple pinions 55n, 55t, Fig. 3, into line with a corresponding mutilated gear 16n or 16t on a rotating shaft 62. If a cent has been inserted, the " one '' of the units pinions 55u is brought opposite the cent mutilated gear 16u having only one tooth and the unit shaft 57u is driven by the gear 16u through one tooth angle only ; if a 5 cent piece or nickel is inserted, the pinion 55u is brought opposite a 5-tooth wheel N and is driven thereby ; if a 10 cent piece or dime is inserted, one of the tens pinions 55t is brought opposite the dime mutilated gear 16t having only one tooth, so that the tens shaft 57t is driven through one tooth angle : and finally, if a 25 cent piece or quarter is inserted, the tens pinion 55t is brought opposite a tens mutilated gear 16t having two teeth and the unit pinion 55n is brought opposite a 5-tooth mutilated gear 16u marked Q, so that the tens shaft 57t is driven through a 2-tooth angle and the units shaft 57n is driven through a 5-tooth angle. Credit mechanism. If, say, a quarter dollar has been inserted, the tens shaft 57t, Fig..3, has been rotated through a 2-tooth angle, and the units shaft 57u through a 5-tooth angle. The shaft 57t, through gearing 61t, 83 drives the sun pinion SB of a differential gear B, Fig. 4, and the planet carrier PB of this differential, through gearing 85, 86, shaft 17 and gearing 87, 88, drives the sun pinion SC of a differential C ; the planet carrier PC of differential C, through gears 91, 92, shaft 93 and gears 94, 95, drives a tens wheel 18t which is visible to the operator and registers the tens credit (2 in this case). This credit is also registered in a " compensator " unit 32, by trains of gearing in which the planet carrier PC drives the annulus or ring gear RD of a differential D, the planet carrier PD of differential D drives the compensator shaft 103 and rotates discs 213, 216, 217 thereon. Similarly, the units credit (5 cents) is registered on the units wheel 18u, the drive being transmitted from shaft 57u through gearing 61u, 65 to the sun pinion SA of differential A, and from the planet carrier PA to the units wheel 18u. The units credit is also registered in the compensator 32, the drive being from the planet carrier PA to a disc 211 of the compensator which is rotated forwards through 5 units. Selecting value of stamp to be printed on a letter or letters. The selector knob 21, Figs. 1 and 4, is fixed on shaft 22 which carries a units cam 114, Fig. 11, a cent cam 119, and a units indicator disc 117 ; an outer tens indicator disc 118 is geared to the, shaft 22 by a 1 : 10 Geneva mechanism 124, 124a which also drives a tens cam 122 loose on the shaft. If, say, the value of 1¢ cents is to be selected, the knob 21 is turned so that the dial 117 shows 1¢ cents ; and the cam 114, through a cam groove 148, rocks a lever 146 and sets the type of the printing unit 3 through a link 151 and arm 151a to the selected value. The cam 114 also rocks a lever 133 and shifts a rod 127 to bring a 3-toothed portion of a units compound mutilated gear 110 opposite a pinion 26u in readiness to subtract 1¢ cents when the printing is effected. At the same time the shaft 22 rotates a shaft 28 through gearing 23, 27 and drives the sun pinion SE of differential E. The planet carrier PE, through gears 81, 82 drives the compensator disc 211 backwards through an angle corresponding to 1¢ units. If a value of 10 cents or more is selected, shaft 22 is rotated one revolution or more and the Geneva gear 124 on the shaft rotates the indicator disc 118 and the tens cam 122, the latter rocks a lever 137 and shifts a rod 128 to bring one of the sections of a mutilated tens gear 111 into line with a tens pinion 26t in readiness to subtract 10 cents or multiples thereof when the printing is effected. At the same time the tens cam 122 rocks an arm similar to the arm 146 which rocks an arm 165 of the printing unit to set it to the selected tens value. The rotation of the shaft 22 through more than one revolution rotates the shaft 28 and sun gear SE accordingly and when shaft 28 has completed one revolution a Geneva gear 153 thereon rotates a pinion 154 on shaft 103 one step to (1) set the compensator discs 213, 216, 217, and (2) drive the sun pinion SD of differential D through gears 149, 150. Letter printing and subtraction of amount printed from the credit amount. After the insertion of coins to establish a credit, and the selection of 1¢ cents (say) to be printed, a letter is inserted, as described in Specification 541,781 and is printed by the printing unit 3. The motor 1 now drives the shaft 112, Fig. 3, carrying the mutilated gears 110, 111, and the units gear 110 having been shifted by the selector shaft 22 so that a 3-toothed part is opposite the pinion 26u drives the pinion and its shaft 155. This shaft drives through gearing 156, 157 the ring gear RA of differential A. The planet carrier PA drives (1) the units wheel 18u backwards 1¢ units, so that the credit now reads 23¢ cents, and (2) the ring gear RE of differential E, and the planet carrier PE drives the compensator disc 211 backwards through another 1¢ units. If a second letter is now inserted, the credit is reduced to 22 cents and the disc 211 is moved backwards through another 1¢ units. If now a selection of 18 cents is made by means of the knob 21, the shaft 22 rotates through more than one revolution and operates the Geneva gear 124, so that both the unit cam 114 and the tens cam 122 are rotated. These cams set the printing unit 3 to 18 cents and shift the mutilated gears 110, 111 in readiness for subtracting 18 cents from the credit of 22 during printing. Further, the rotation of shafts 22 and 28 through more than one revolution causes the Geneva gear 153 'on shaft 28 to drive pinion 154 through one tens step and rotate the tens disc 213 and cams 216, 217 backwards. Similarly, the units disc 211 is set backwards by the shaft 22 acting through the shaft 28, the sun and planet gears of differential E, and the gears 81, 82, so that the two discs 211, 213 take up positions corresponding to the forthcoming reduction of credit. When the letter is inserted it is printed with the 18 cents value, and the shaft 112 carrying the mutilated gears 110, 111 is rotated to drive the pinions 26u, 26t and reduce the credit shown on the gears 18u, 18t to 4 cents. Return of selector shaft 22 to zero position. When, as in the case just described, after a printing operation the remaining credit, 4 cents, is less than the amount, 18 cents, corresponding to the selector shaft position, the selector shaft is automatically returned to its zero position by the means shown in Figs. 35 and 36. The selector shaft can then be rotated to select 4 cents or less for printing another letter or letters, but if a greater value is required, more coins must be inserted. The selector shaft is returned to zero when a solenoid 171 is energized, this solenoid releasing a catch 241 which allows a pawl to engage a continuously-rotating ratchet-wheel and drive the selector shaft back to its zero position through g