Improvements in Automatic Locking Apparatus Freed by Coin.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1890-Accepted, 16th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in Automatic Locking Apparatus Freed by Coin.
1 EDWARD THOMSON 16 Torbay Road Kilburn London N.W. do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to make a locking apparatus for holding articles:
intended for sale or hire. The said articles been held separately in a frame case or
stand.
My invention consists of a simple form of lock having a slot for the insertion of the
necessary coin.
A lever, slide, flap, or cover projecting from the apparatus. The short end or tail
being inside.
A moveable plate, bar or disc carrying a suitable projection for locking and.
retaining the lever slide, flap or cover in a fixed position, thus preventing the removal
of the articles until the coin is placed in the machine. The mode of operating is as.
follows.
The coin having been placed in the slot falls between the two stops one fixed.
and the other on the moveable plate bar or disc, the said plate bar or disc is
forced by a spring and has a projection which passes under, over, or into the tail
end of the lever, slide, flap or cover projecting inside and prevents it being moved..
The coin being forced between the stops withdraws the locking gear and a spring
fitted to the lever, slide, flap, or cover causes the same to recede from the article
which can then be removed.
As the locking gear is moved a shutter having a knife edge is caused to pass over
the inside face of the money slot and prevents the insertion of a wire or any other
substance or the withdrawal of the coin.
The apparatus is specially suitable for locking separately in a case, stand, or frame
decanters or bottles containing a specified quantity of liquid also cigars packets of
cigarettes or other small article, likewise for the hire of opera glasses, fans or such like
articles required in places of entertainment.
Dated this Thirteenth day of September 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Locking Apparatus Freed by Coin.
I EDWARD THOMSON, of 16 Torbay Road, Kilburn, London in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained.
in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to make a locking apparatus for holding articles.
intended for sale or hire the said articles being held separately in a frame case or
stand.
My invention consists of a simple form of lock having a slot for the insertion of the
necessary coin. A lever, slide, flap, or cover projecting from the apparatus, the short
end or tail being inside, a movable plate bar or disc carrying a suitable projection for
locking and retaining the lever slide flap or cover in a fixed position thus preventing
the removal of the articles until the coin is placed in the machine.
The mode of operating is as follows:―
The coin having been placed in the slot falls between two stops, one fixed and the
other on the movable plate bar or disc; the said plate bar or disc is forced by a spring
and has a projection which passes under over or into the tail end of the lever slide

page_text: flap or cover projecting inside and prevents it being moved. The coin being forced
between the stops withdraws the locking gear and a spring fitted to the lever
slide flap or cover causes the same to recede from the article which can then be
removed.
As the locking gear is moved a shutter having a knife edge is or may be caused to
pass over the inside face of the money slot and prevents the insertion of a wire or any
other substance or the withdrawal of the coin.
The apparatus is specially suitable for locking separately in a case stand or frame,
decanters or bottles containing a specified quantity of liquid, also cigars packets of
cigarettes, balls or other small articles; likewise for the hire of opera glasses fans or
such like articles required in places of entertainment or for the disclosure of pictures
inscriptions and so forth.
I will now proceed to fully describe my invention in certain of its applications but
it is to be understood that the illustrations of its use given are not exhaustive and that
its applications are in no wise limited thereby.
The part unlocked is specified hereafter as a hinged cover opening vertically but
the essential principle upon which the invention is based may be employed and
applied to liberate covers swivelling horizontally, or receding horizontally or vertically,
ör moving in any direction without departing from the nature of the said invention.
One application by my principle is illustrated in Figures. 1 to 5 wherein it is applied-
to an apparatus for the hire of opera glasses. Figure 1 is a front elevation. Figure 2
is a plan; Figure 3 is a side elevation; Figure an internal back elevation with the
parts in normal position. Figure 5 the same (in part) in position after use. In all
the figures similar letters indicate similar parts.
A is the frame-work enclosed by back, side, and end plates; a a shelf on which
the opera glass for hire (which is shown dotted) is supported, and B is the lever
slide flap or cover (hereinafter called "the cover") which holds it till released. A
suitable spring is applied to this cover and its tail b passes through a slot in the
plate A, and it is normally held in the position Figures 1 2, 3, 4 by a projection t
on the movable plate bar or disc T (hereinafter called the "tumbler") which is
normally pressed forward by spring t and has a coin stop t2 upon its face; G is a
guard and guide plate fixed in front of the tumbler T provided with a slot g wherein
works the moving stop t2, and with a second fixed stop ts between which stops t² t³ the
coin is first supported. The tumbler T is forced back by the action of the coin & and
the pusher P which may conveniently be arranged as illustrated a shank and stud p
passing into the box and engaging with a lever L all being held up normally by
spring . C is the coin slot below which internally a lever c is or may be arranged
with a knife edge c' at its upper side. The upper part of the tumbler T is of a
curved configuration into the concavity of which fits the correspondingly formed
lower part of the said lever c, which is also bevelled off on its outer side to admit of
the free passage of the coin as hereinafter explained. D is a locking lever held
up by a spring d and having a pin d' at its foot passing through the frame A
for external operation; its head d² has a recess cut in its back to pass over the
tail 6 of the cover B, and it is bevelled externally at d³ as presently explained.
M is a money receiver with hinged and locked flap m.
;
The operation of the apparatus is as follows: To liberate the opera glass a coin
is inserted through slot C and falls to position of figure 4 supported by the stops t² 3
by pressing pusher P (which has hitherto been inoperative if pressed) the tumbler T
is forced over by lever L to position figure 5, withdrawing stop from beneath the
coin and projection t from beneath tail 6 whose spring at once causes the cover B to
fly up as dotted in Figure 3, and consequently the tail b flies down and striking the
bevel d³ of the recessed head d² of lever D causes it to retire and passes behind it,
when the lever D is instantly returned by its spring d the tail b passing into the
aforesaid internal recess and so being held down and the cover B up, and the glass
may then he removed the coin having fallen into the receiver M during the first part
of the operation.
The movement of the tumbler T owing to the curved surfaces simultaneously

page_text: raises the lever c to cover the slot C as in figure 5, and the knife edge c¹ would
cut or prevent the fraudulent use of a string attached to the coin or a wire or
the like.
The apparatus remains in the position figure 5 until the lever D is withdrawn
by operating the stud d¹ when the tail b is liberated and the cover B can be reclosed
upon the top of the glasses-the tumbler T and projection t and all parts will then
resume the normal position figure 4 until the next operation.
When I use my apparatus for the hire of opera glasses in places of public enter-
tainment it may conveniently be fixed in front of the spectators and to aid the use of
the glasses and to give them some distinguishing feature which for obvious reasons is
advisable I prefer to pivot to the glass a long handle which passes through a hole
in the shelf a; to prevent this handle catching the clothing of the passers by
I find it advantageous to apply below the shelf a a plate a¹ urged backward by a
spring so that the handle is also held back out of the way of passers. I have indicated
these useful appliances in figures 1 and 2 but I lay no claim to them as forming a
part of my invention.
Another application of my principle is illustrated in figures 6, 7, 8 and 9. Here it
is applied to a movable stand or vendor adapted to contain any suitable kind of article
for sale. The articles may be bottles containing liquid of any kind or they may be
such things as cigars, packets, change for money, or anything else desired and in such
case would be encased in receptacles of glass or other material such as illustrated
at a a a in the figures. Figure 6 is a front side elevation of the movable vendor ;
Figure 7 a plan with the cover B open. Figure 8 a plan with top plate removed.
Figure 9 is a sectional back view on line A B figure 8.
The same reference letters are adhered to as far as possible as in the preceding
figures and like letters always indicate like parts.
a a a are goods or goods containers as the case may be fitted in a circular case a
adapted to rotate on rollers balls or equivalents a² around the central part A, the
whole being mounted on the stand A¹. The case a¹ is free to be rotated in either
direction and fingers a³ are provided for the purpose.
The central part A is circular for the greater part but has in front a flat side to
which is hinged the spring cover B. O is the money slot and P the pusher. Before
inserting the coin the required article is to be brought under the cover B by turning
the container case a¹ and a register mark a is provided opposite each article or
receptacle which is to register with a fixed point a³ on stand A³, see figures 6 and 8.
Then on insertion of coin and pressing of pusher P cover B flies up and the article
is disclosed. The mechanism is similar to that above described for the opera glass
apparatus.
The pusher P is connected to plate P¹ beld up by spring and working in or
on suitable guides-the plate P' has an arm L with operating pin thereon. The
spring tumbler T and guard plate G with coin stops 12 t³ are or may be arranged
substantially as in the above described opera glass apparatus, so that upon insertion of
the coin and operation of the pusher the tumbler will be withdrawn from beneath the
tail of the spring cover B which will consequently fly up and the coin will simul-
taneously fall to the money receptacle M which is situated above the stand A¹; then
on removal of pressure the pusher P will be returned to normal position by its spring 7.
It is necessary to lock the rotary goods container during the time the cover B is
released. For this purpose I use in combination with the above described mechanism
and the rotary container a bolt which is shot into the container and holds it every
time the mechanism is operated, and is withdrawn by the reclosing of the cover B;
such a bolt is illustrated at E working horizontally in guides. Its outer end locks
into notches e formed behind each article or receiver a, and its inner end is connected
by a lever el pivotted at 2 to a pin on the tumbler T as plainly illustrated figure 1.
Thus each time the tumbler is forced back by the pressure of the coins the lever e¹
is thrown over to the position dotted and the bolt E is locked into one or other of the
notches e.
I may use with this apparatus or not as desired the knife lever c as above described

page_text: but I dispense with the device for holding the cover up till manually released, as
the cover must be reclosed after removal of the article purchased before a subsequent
operation.
The apparatus is replenished at an aperture with locked slide such as Q.
In order to adapt such an automatic goods vending apparatus as I have last set forth
to places where a movable stand would be inconvenient and when it is desirable that
it should be fixed such as in railway carriages or on walls and the like I have designed
a flat apparatus in which any reasonable number of articles are or may be arranged in
a line.
A triple arrangement is illustrated in figures 10 and 11, the former being a
front and the latter a back elevation with back plate and part of guard plate G.
removed. In figure 10 goods of various descriptions are illustrated at a a a supported
on a shelf on frame A and secured by the covers B B. The money slots C. C. are
arranged at the top; they have a circular casing just a little larger than the intended
coin and both in front and side elevation the coin ways are obliquely disposed as
illustrated Figure 11, and thus fraud is in great measure prevented.
The head of the tumbler carries the projection t normally holding up to the tail b
of spring cover B. It is pivotted at t and is acted upon by spring t¹. One coin
stop 2 is fixed upon its lower end and the other coin stop 13 is fixed to the back plate A
as before.
L. L. L. are levers pivotted at their lower ends to the frame A and forced back
normally by spring l. The inner side of the upper end of each lever L is provided
with a bevelled projection 12 for a purpose hereinafter explained-The levers are con-
nected by the bar P¹ terminating in an external handle P-The coin after introduction
above the article required falls to the position x figure 11 and is supported between
the movable stop t2 and the fixed stop t³. Then on pulling out the handle P the
bevelled projection 12 urges the coin forward and forces the tumbler T to recede with-
drawing its projection t from beneath the tail b and the cover B then flies open: the
action having simultaneously withdrawn the support stop t2 the pressure of 12 causes
the coin to fall to receiver M, the acting parts taking the position shown, dotted,
until returned by the spring 1. A very simple modified arrangement of this action
is illustrated in figures 13, 14, 15 as applied to the sale of balls. There the ball is
placed between two levers B and B' of which the upper one, B₁ is fixed and the lower
one B is the spring cover, the action above described is reversed.
The inserted coin is supported between the two stops t² 3 as before and on pressure
being applied to it from external pusher the tumbler T is forced back and its
projection t freeing tail 6 the cover B drops and the ball may be removed―any
number of these may be grouped together in one plate.
A modified arrangement of the above described apparatus is illustrated in the part
back elevation of mechanism figure 12.
This is a multiple apparatus and all the tails 6 of the covers B are held up by bent
fingers ff on a motion bar F to which motion is imparted through the tumbler T by
rack teeth rr on both tumbler T and motion bar F.
Immediately below the bar tails bb is arranged a slide bar S working in guides
and having irregularly spaced notches s s. This bar S is operated by the purchaser
from outside by a knob or handle H prior to inserting his coin to bring a register
mark on the bar opposite to the article or goods he desires to obtain, then one of
the notches s is brought immediately beneath one of the tails 6 but all the other
tails bb are above solid parts of the bar S. On inserting the coin and operating
the external piece P all the fingers ff are withdrawn from below the tails b b one
only of which will fall into the notch s (as shown to the left of the figure) and
disclose the article in its receiver a; the cover B is then to be reclosed manually
when the bar F and its fingers are returned to normal position by the action of the
tumbler spring t
The principle of the invention above described can readily be applied to apparatus
known as "Fortune Tellers" or "Oracles," wherein a legend, inscription or picture
is automatically disclosed on payment.
In this adaptation a pawl is centred on the tail b of the moving part B and the

page_text: pawl engages and moves forward at each operation of B for a distance of one tooth a
ratchet wheel fast on a spindle carrying a screen or disc. This would bear on its face
the legend inscription picture or other oracular information which would thus be
changed at each operation of B. The rest of the mechanism would remain practically
the same as that herein above fully set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In an automatic locking apparatus freed by coin, an external lever slide flap or
cover such as B securing or covering the object for disposal and having a tail b
projecting internally, held locked in a fixed position by an internal moveable plate,
bar, or disc (herein above called a tumbler) or a part in connection therewith until
such time as a coin of predetermined size is inserted into a slot and operated by an
external device such as P, when the said internal part is moved and the external part
unlocked so that the object is uncovered or can be removed.
2. An automatic locking apparatus freed by coin for the hire of opera glasses and
the like constructed and operating substantially as herein above set forth in reference
to figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, with or without the knife lever c c¹, and with or without the
locking device set forth in reference to D d d¹ d² d³.
3. A rotary automatic locking apparatus for the reception of any desired number of
various articles or goods and the exchange thereof for coin constructed and operating
substantially as set forth in reference to figures 6, 7, 8 and 9.
4. A flat automatic locking apparatus for the reception of any desired number of
various articles and the exchange thereof for coin constructed substantially as set
forth in reference to figures 10 and 11, and subject to the modifications described in
reference to figure 12.
5. An automatic locking apparatus freed by coin for the sale of balls constructed
substantially as set forth in reference to figures 13, 14, 15.
6. In an automatic locking apparatus freed by coin the combination of an external
lever slide flap or cover such as B having an internal tail, a spring return movable
plate bar disc or tumbler with a projection and coin stops arranged as specified, and
an external device for operating same through the medium of the introduced coin,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In an automatic locking apparatus freed by coin for the hire of opera glasses
and the like the combination claimed in the last preceding claim supplemented by
the locking lever device specified in reference to D figures 4 and 5 for maintaining
the cover unlocked until manually reclosed substantially as set forth.
8. In a rotary apparatus such as is set forth in reference to figures 6, 7, 8 and 9
the combination claimed in 6 supplemented by the locking bolt device set forth in
reference to E for locking the rotary container while the cover B is open,
constructed and operating in the manner and at the times hereinabove described
and illustrated.
..
"
J. C. CHAPMAN, Fel. Inst. Patent Agents,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.