Patent GB-918787-A (GB)
Title: Check control apparatus
IPC: G07F17/14
Filed: 1959-12-14
Abstract: 918,787. Coin-freed caretaker cabinets. NATIONAL VENDORS Inc. Dec. 14, 1959 [Dec. 30, 1958], No. 42500/59. Class 27. Coin-freed lock mechanism, particularly for a caretaker cabinet, is conditioned by the deposit of a predetermined amount of coins to permit locking of the cabinet and remains conditioned for unlocking up to a predetermined time without further deposit but, according to the elapse of time thereafter, requires the deposit of a further coin or coins to bring it into unlocking position. A recorder wheel 15 has a driving ratchet wheel T and a holding ratchet H, the ratchet T being engageable by a pawl 53 on a carrier 51 which has a driving arm 59 extending into a coin shoot. Inserted coins rotate the carrier so that the pawl picks up successive teeth of the ratchet T and the spring-loaded return of the arm rotates the ratchet and wheel 15 counterclockwise by steps against spring action to positions in which they are held by a pawl 67 engaging the ratchet H. A lockout lever 5 and a reset lever 69 are pivoted at 7 above the wheel 15 and the lever 5 has a pivoted arm 25 adapted to enter a notch 19 in the wheel 15. The initial position of the wheel can be adjusted by selective fitting of a pin 81 which engages an escapement arm 85 so that the notch is one, two or three steps away, in a clockwise direction, from the arm 25 and one, two or three coins, as indicated by numbers visible through a window 163 must be inserted to rotate the wheel to a zero position allowing locking or unlocking of the cabinet, when the notch 19 underlies the arm 25. A solenoid 93 mounted below the wheel 15 is connected to a slide bar 99 and also to a lockcontrolled switch 104 and a time switch 105 which delivers a pulse to the solenoid at a predetermined time each day, say midnight, if the switch 104 is closed. A lever 109 connected to the slide bar is pivoted at 111 and carries a dog 117 pivoted at 119. The dog normally occupies a raised position with its nose resting on a pin 123 on a latch 125 but, if it is not in this position, the depression of lockout lever 5 raises it by means of a rod 137. If the user locks the cabinet during one day, the first pulse at midnight will move the bar 99 to the left and pin 133 will engage the latch 125 and release the dog 117 for engagement with the pin 133 when the spring 107 moves the bar 99 back. The wheel 15 remains, however, in its zero position, and if the user of the cabinet returns before midnight on the next day he can turn the key to unlock the cabinet, without depositing additional coins. Two bars 1 and 3 move down and depress the levers 5 and 69 so that link 91 turns escapement arm 85 counter-clockwise into the path of pin 81 and then a finger 75 and pin 77 disengage the pawls 53 and 67 from the ratchets T and H. Wheel 15 is then free to be rotated clockwise by its spring to its starting position as located by the engagement on pin 81 with arm 85. If the user does not return during the next day, a second pulse is supplied at midnight to the solenoid and the bar 99, pin 133 and dog 117 are moved to swing the lever 109 clockwise. The upper end 159 of the lever 109 engages a roller 161 on the escapement arm 85 to rotate it away from the pin 81 and link 91 drives the reset lever 69 downwards to release the pawls 53 and 67. A lever 153 has meanwhile moved clear of an escapement lever 141 and the nose of this lever has entered between the teeth 49 on the holding ratchet H so that the released wheel 15 is moved clockwise by its spring until a tooth 49 meets the nose of the escapement lever 141. The pawl 53 is then ready for engagement with the next succeeding tooth of the driving ratchet T when the bar 99 is spring- returned to the right and lever 109 swings back to permit withdrawal of arm 85 and lever 141 and release of pawl 53. The wheel has thus moved clockwise one step and a numeral " 1 " appears in the window 163, indicating to the user that one coin must be deposited to step the wheel back to zero position. If the user does not return for several days, the wheel 15 will be stepped back further clockwise and the number of coins required to be deposited will be indicated at the window 163. When the last tooth of the driving ratchet is reached, the pin 81 meets a fixed stop 815 and further pulses to the solenoid do not move the wheel. The lock carries a disc 185, Fig. 7, which is rotatable by the key and has a cam 187 for operating the lock bolt and also a cam surface 189 which, through a link 191, can depress a lever 171 connected to the lock release bar 1. If the wheel 15 is in zero position, the lever moves down and removes the finger 181 from the path of a lug 183 on the disc 185 so that the key can be fully rotated to lock the cabinet. As the disc moves to the locking position, a pin 221 moves a dog 207 out of the way and comes above a shoulder 217 on the dog and a pin 227 rotates a lever 223 to close the switch 104. If the key is turned in unlocking direction when the wheel 15 is not in zero position, the lug 183 engages the left-hand side of the finger 181 because the lever 171 is prevented from swinging down by the engagement of the release bar 1 with the lockout lever 5 in its upper position. If, however, the wheel 15 is in unlocking position, lever 171 can swing sufficiently to retract the finger 181 and the disc 185 can be rotated to unlocking position. The pin 221 engages the shoulder 217 and drives dog 207, lever 173 and reset lever 3 down until a pin 213 cams the dog 207 clear of pin 221; the wheel 15 is then freed to return to its starting position.