Patent GB-554565-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to coin operated ticket printing and issuing machines and the like
IPC: G07F17/42
Filed: 1941-12-29
Abstract: 554,565. Coin-freed ticket printing and issuing machines. WESTINGHOUSE BRAKE & SIGNAL CO., Ltd., ROBINSON, M. H., and PHILLIPS, L. Dec. 29, 1941, No. 16728. [Class 27] A coin-freed ticket printing and issuing machine comprises a number of ticket printing units each adapted to print a ticket of a corresponding different value together with an operating key or button for each value, each key being adapted to render the corresponding printing unit operative while preventing any other of the printing units from printing or issuing a ticket. Change is delivered if a coin of greater value than the price of the ticket is inserted. In the arrangement described the machine is provided with three printing units for 4d, 5d, and 6d tickets and with coin slots corresponding respectively to a half-crown, florin, shilling, sixpenny piece, and threepenny piece, and a larger slot takes pence and halfpence. Press buttons 4B, 5B, 6B are provided corresponding to the value of the tickets to be printed and issued. Relays and rotary stepping selectors A1-A3, B1-B3, C1-C4, D1-D3, and EI-E3 of known type are used. Normally all the relays are de-energised.except DR, Fig. 1A. To obtain a 4d ticket the button 4B is pressed; this energises relay 4TR which remains energised through a holding circuit. If 4d in copper is inserted in the copper slot a contact switch PC of known type is operated once for each halfpenny and twice for each penny, each operation energising a magnet ADM, Fig. 2B, to move the selector A1-A3 through one step, so that the 4d in copper moves the selector to the eighth step. The selector bank A1 now completes a circuit for a magnet BDM which moves selector B1-B3 one step. In this position a circuit is completed through selector banks A3, B3 and line 18 of the 4d element of an indictaor 8, showing that 4d has been inserted and the machine is set to deliver a 4d ticket. A relay OR is also energised through selector bank B2 and this completes a circuit for a relay UT4, Fig. 2A, which operates the clutch of the printing unit for printing and delivering a 4d ticket in known manner. The consequent delivery of the ticket closes a contact TPC to energise a relay TPR, and contact TPR 3 energises magnet BDM to rotate the latter to its fourth step, thereby breaking the circuits of relays OR and TPR. To obtain 5d and 6d tickets the appropriate button 5B or 6B is pressed and the necessary copper coins inserted. A corresponding relay 5TR or 6TR is then energised and the corresponding selector D1-D3 or E1-E3 is rotated step by step to deliver the required ticket. When a coin of greater value than the required ticket is inserted the change is delivered by the action of a selector C1 - - C4. Thus, if a 4d ticket is required and a half-crown is inserted a contact HC, Fig. 2A, is momentarily closed to energise a relay HCR which de-energises relay DR through a back contact HCR 4 and energises relay OR through front contact HCR 2; Fig. 2B. The relay UT4 is energised as before and a ticket is issued and the relay TPR is energised. The magnet CDM of selector CI - - C4 is now energised through front contact HCR 5 and the selector is rotated one step to energise a magnet 6D to deliver a sixpenny piece. This coin during delivery closes a contact 6DC to energise the magnet CDM and rotate the selector another step and so deliver another 6d until four coins have been delivered and the selector has reached its fifth position and magnet 6C is deenergised. The selector is next rotated step by step to its ninth position, after which a penny delivering magnet PD is operated twice while two pennies are delivered each of which closes a contact PDC to rotate the selector to its tenth and eleventh positions. In the last position the magnet PD is not energised and no further coins are delivered. The selector now moves on step-by-step to the eighteenth position, and the relays HCR, OR, TPR are de-energised. The relay DR is re-energised and the selector is moved on to its twenty-fifth or normal position and the operation is completed. If florins, shillings, sixpences or threepenny pieces are inserted, coin contacts FC, SC, 6C, 3C are momentarily closed to energise the corresponding relays FCR, SCR, 6CR, 3CR and cause the operation of the selector Cl to C4. In the case of threepenny pieces two must be inserted. A delivery indicator 26, Fig. 2B, may be provided to indicate the issue of a ticket and change. A third indicator 27 is also provided to indicate the price of the ticket selected by the actuation of the buttons 4B, 5B, 6B. If two buttons are inadvertently pressed at the same time current can only be supplied to one of the relays 4TR, 5TR, 6TR and the indicator 27 will show which is operative, so that if incorrect the operator may change it by pressing the correct button. Only one printing unit can be operated at a time as each unit magnet UT4, UT5 or UT6 is energised only when its corresponding relay 4TR, 5TR or 6TR is energised.