Patent GB-841687-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to coinboxes for prepayment television receivers
Inventor: MCMULLAN DENNIS
IPC: H04N7/16
Filed: 1956-12-20
Abstract: 841,687. Coin-freed television apparatus. RANK ORGANISATION Ltd. Dec. 20, 1957 [Dec. 20, 1956], No. 38848/56. Class 27 A coin-freed mechanism for a television receiver comprises one or more controls 32, 33 manually adjustable to different positions to set the receiver for the reception of transmitted signals which are varied in nature from time to time and also locking means 27 which in one position releases the controls for re-adjustment and in another position causes coins previously inserted to be deposited in a receptacle. By rotating the shaft 24 from the position shown, the eccentric 25 moves the locking plate 27 so that detents 34, 35 are withdrawn to allow the control shafts 32, 33 to be set by knobs according to information obtained from the transmitting authority. As the locking plate is moved to the release position, a cut-away 52 on a disc 50 on the shaft 24 allows coins previously-inserted in slots 39, 40, 41 to fall to a receptacle, a further disc 54 blocks the coin slots and a pin 36 on the plate disengages from the arm 37 of a switch 38 to prevent operation of the receiver. When the controls have been set to receive the next programme, the shaft 24 is rotated to return the plate 27 to locking position, the switch 38 is then closed and the discs 50 and 54 are, respectively, in position to support coins and to free the coin slots. The receiver may then be set in operation by inserting appropriate coins to rest on the disc 50 and operate through arms 46, 47, 48 switches that complete the receiver operating circuits. A single florin in the slot 39 may be arranged to have the same effect as two shillings in the other slots or shillings in one or other of the shilling slots may allow the first or second half only of the programme to be received and a shield operated by a switch that produces the desired circuit changes may then cover one of the shilling slots. One or more of the coin-operated switches may be included in the circuit of one of the control switches. In a modification coins may be inserted while the controls are released for setting by providing for one-way rotation of the shaft 24 and by moving the disc 50 to such a position on the shaft that coins are supported in both the release and locking positions and during movement from the release to the locking position but are allowed to fall when the shaft is moving from locking to release. In another modification, the disc 50 and locking plate 27 are replaced by a single sliding shutter arranged in one position to shield the controls, free the coin slots and support inserted coins and in a second position to allow access to the controls, block the coin slots and allow coins present to fall to the receptacle. In a further modification, the controls may be toggle switches and a sliding shutter, as it is moved to expose the coin slots and the control switches, removes supports for coins in the operating position and inserts obstructions between the coin slots and the operating position so that inserted coins are held in readiness to fall to that position as the shutter is returned to cover the coin slots and controls.