Patent GB-964202-A (GB)
Title: Improved safe receptacle for money
IPC: E05G7/00
Filed: 1960-08-19
Abstract: 964,202. Letter boxes. W. J. LAING. Sept. 5, 1961 [Aug. 19, 1960], No. 28868/60. Heading A4T. [Also in Divisions B6 and E1] A safe comprises an outer casing 1 having means for romovably holding one of a number of interchangeably receivers 6 each having an upwardly open mouth 7 lockable to closure and held open to receive envelopes containing money inserted through a slot 8 in the outer casing 1, the latter further having a door 2 provided with a key operable lock and a displaceable member connected internally to means whereby, before the door 2 can be opened sufficiently to enable the removal of the inner receiver 6, the mouth of the inner receiver is automatically closed and locked. As show, the casing 1 is surmounted by an enclosure 11 for mean controlling the insertion and time-and-date stamping of envelopes containing money; the casing 1 is also surmounted by an enclosure 12 for a stack of envelopes. The enclosure 11 includes a channel 14 connecting the slot 8 with a slot 13 of the enclosure and the passage of an envelope through the channel 14 and into the receiver 6 is controlled by top and bottom shutters 16, 17 which are simultaneously displaceable in opposite directions by a pair of spaced levers 25 on an operating spindle 21 operable by a lever 27, the arrangement being such that at no time is the channel 14 open at both ends. The shutter 16 is controlled by pawl and ratchet mechanism, one edge of the shutter being formed with ratchet teeth 37 which are engageable by a pawl 38 and the arrangement being such that as soon as the shutter has closed the upper end of channel 14, the pawl and ratchet become operative to prevent the shutter being retracted, until it has been moved further forward to allow the pawl to fall behind a rear edge 41 of the shutter and permit retraction of the shutter by which time the lower end of the channel 14 has been opened by retraction of the shutter 17. A stamping element pivoted to lugs 23 on the channel 14 comprises a pair of plates 48 which support a rubber stamping striker 52 secured between plates 50, 51, and a roller 46 which is engaged by a striker 45 attached to the shutter 17 to actuate the striker 52 as the shutter 17 is moved rearwardly. The striker 52 co-operates with clock mechanism 54 comprising a plurality of rotatable discs 58 presenting date and time characters in oppositioin to the striker 52 which move through opposed apertures in the channel 14. The receiver 6, which is in the form of a bag having a pair of hinged frame members 9 which when brought together are automatically locked, is supported on a plate 62 extending from the inner side of the door 2. A worm 72 operated by an external handle 77 drives a nut element 78 on a plate 79 to which is attached a rod 5 supporting one of the frame members 9, the other member 9 being supported by a fixed rod 4. The arrangement is such that rotation of the handle 77 in a direction for opening the door 2, uncovers a key hole normally covered by a disc 75 to allow insertion of a key into the worm and nut mechanism to unlock the door 2 and at the same time drives the rod 5 forward to close and automatically lock the frame members 9 together so that they can only be opened subsequently by a master key. The disc 75 may be locked by an additional lock the bolt of which engages the disc or an element rotatable therewith, Fig. 10 (not shown). The enclosure 12 includes three rollers which may be connected together for joint rotation, for supporting a stack of envelopes, the bottom of the stack being accessible through a slot 83, the arrangement being such that as one envelope is withdrawn from the stack, the next envelope is displaced partly from the slot 83 ready for withdrawal.