Patent GB-381556-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for collecting money
IPC: G06C27/00
Filed: 1931-06-29
Abstract: 381,556. Apparatus for collecting contributions. GREAVES, A. J., 11, Rye Hill Park, Peckham Rye, London. June 29, 1931, No. 18719. [Class 18.] Apparatus for collecting money for charities &c. comprises a series of coin shoots for coins of various values, each coin operating an indicating device movable vertically adjacent a fixed scale a distance proportional to the value of the coin inserted; the apparatus is controlled by a handle which causes a carrier, into which the coin falls, to be lifted and bring the coin into contact with, and to actuate, a movable member operating the indicating device which is automatically zeroized, a further device being simultaneously moved to record the total amount inserted in the apparatus. As shown, a coin inserted into its appropriate slot 3, Figs. 1 and 2, at the front of the casing 1 is led by the corresponding shoot 17 to the shoot 5 leading to the coin carrier 18, the shoots 5 being guarded by a comb plate 4 which breaks the fall of the coins and which is moved to allow the passage of a coin when the handle 6 is actuated ; the shoots 17 comprise fixed and movable parts which trap bent coins &c. and are opened as the plate 4 is moved to allow the bent coin &c. to fall into the casing while a plate 15<1> moves across the slots 3 and prevents the insertion of additional coins until the cycle of operations has been completed ; the parts of the carrier 18 are arranged so that thin discs pass therefrom and fail to operate the apparatus. The coin from the shoot 5 passes into one of a number of trays 19 in the coin carrier 18 attached to the lower end of a rack 8, Figs. 5 and 7, geared to a pinion 7 on a shaft 92 connected by a friction clutch with the handle 6 and as the handle 6 is operated the carrier is raised to allow the lower end of a vertically movable rod 20 to pass through holes in the trays 19 until it meets the coin in the carrier when the rod is moved a distance corresponding to the position of the coin in the carrier, and hence its value, and a pivoted finger 29 at the upper end of the rod 20 engages an endless band 30 provided with a mark which is moved vertically behind the slot 33 of a fixed scale on the front of the casing to indicate the value of the coin inserted ; an arm 87 on the shaft 92 engages a fixed bracket 88 to limit the rotation of the pinion 7. The movement of the rod 20 is braked by a rotatable vane 37 and an arm 38 at the upper end of the rod is connected to a rod 39, which, on its upward movement, allows a shutter 40 to move up and display a slogan behind an opening 41 in the casing while a rod 48 actuated from a cam on the pinion 7 shows behind a slot 49 in the casing and indicates when, and when not, to insert a coin. The open fronts of the coin trays in the coin carrier are covered by a slotted plate 93 which has slots engaging pins on the carrier so that as the carrier drops on the return movement of the handle 6 it moves relatively to the plate 93, which is controlled by a friction clutch and the ends of the trays become uncovered to allow the coin to fall out into a receptacle 98. The band 30 passes around rollers 31, 32, the lower roller 31 having teeth engaging slots in the band and the shaft 56 thereof, Fig. 10, carrying a ratchet wheel 55 engaged by a pawl 54 normally preventing backward movement of the roller. A screwthreaded drum or extension 57 of the roller 31 is engaged by a cord 58 and by a disc 63 mounted on a slidable shaft 64, the cord passing over a pulley 59 and being attached to a balance weight sliding in a guide tube 62 and the disc engaging a flanged sleeve 66 which, as the band 30 moves upwards, is pushed along the shaft 64 by the disc against the action of a spring 69. When a certain amount has been deposited in the apparatus the cord 58 has been wound up on the drum 57 and the flange 65 of the sleeve 66 comes into the path of a cam 106 on the ratchet wheel 55 and is moved thereby to engage an arm 71 pivoted on a bracket 70 and move it out of contact with a finger on a spring-controlled arm 73 which then trips the pawl 54 and allows the balance weight to return the band 30 and associated parts to their initial positions ; the axial movement of the shaft 64 during this return movement causes the tapered end 76 thereof to raise a rod 78 connected to a slotted plate bearing on the shaft and carrying a pawl 79 at its upper end engaging a ratchet wheel 80 on a dial 75 mounted behind an opening 81 in the front of the top of the casing, the dial being thus moved to indicate the total sum in the apparatus. As the shaft 64 moves back to its initial position a pivoted arm 67 thereon comes into the path of an arm 68 on the shaft 56 and is moved against the arm 73 which is moved to allow the arm 71 to fall back behind the finger on the arm 73 and bring the pawl 54 into engagement with the wheel 55. The handle 6 may be geared to an advertising device mounted on the front of the casing. According to the Provisional Specification the travelling band may be replaced by a slidable rod or bar and the operating handle may be connected to means for giving intermittent sound signals.