An Improved Apparatus for Automatically Exhibiting Objects by the Operation of a Coin.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1892-Accepted, 11th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Automatically Exhibiting Objects by
the Operation of a Coin.
I, ALFRED BOSSOMAIER of No. 47 Cimitiére Street, Launceston in the Colony
of Tasmania, Exhibitor's Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention consists of an apparatus by which any object such as a view or
a picture or a piece of sculpture may be exposed for a certain length of time by
the operation of a coin which is placed in a slot provided for the purpose in the
casing of the apparatus.
According to my invention I mount a screen or shutter upon a counterbalanced
lever, fitted with a retaining catch or pawl and having at its end a receptacle
adapted to receive the coin passed through the slot in the casing of the
apparatus.
This retaining catch or pawl (when the lever carrying the screen or shutter
is depressed by the weight of the coin) is moved into engagement with a pivotted
lever which is connected by a cord, with a trip lever on to which the coin falls
after it has passed down a series of inclines arranged so as to form a zig-zag, each
of which is provided with a slot in its lower end to enable the coin to fall through
on to the top of the next incline.
The effect of the coin falling on to this trip lever is to release the screen or
shutter carrying lever, and thus allow it to return the screen or shutter to its
normal position that is so as to cover the view, picture, or other object that has
been exposed. The time occupied between the first movement of the screen or
shutter and its return is of course determined by the length and slope of the inclines
down which the coin has to travel as above described.
The screen or shutter used for covering the view, picture, or other object may be
arranged to move either up or down in order to expose such object to view.
Dated thie 8th day of February 1892
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Automatically Exhibiting Objects by
the Operation of a Coin.
I, ALFRED BOSSOMAIER of No. 47 Cimitiére Street, Launceston in the Colony
of Tasmania Exhibitors Agent 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 :-
This invention consists of an apparatus by which any object such as a view or
a picture or a piece of sculpture may be exposed for a certain length of time by
the operation of a coin placed in a slot provided for the purpose in the casing of the
apparatus.
According to my invention I mount a screen or shutter upon a counterbalanced
lever fitted with a retaining catch or pawl and having at its end a receptacle
adapted to receive the coin passed through the slot in the casing of the apparatus.
This retaining catch or pawl (when the lever carrying the screen or shutter is
depressed by the weight of the coin) is moved into engagement with a pivotted
lever which is connected by a cord with a trip lever on to which the coin falls after

page_text: it has passed down a series of inclines arranged so as to form a zig-zag each of which
is provided with a slot in its lower end to enable the coin to fall through on to the
top of the next incline.
The effect of the coin falling on to this trip lever is to release the screen or
shutter carrying lever, and thus allow it to return the screen or shutter to its
normal position, that is, so as to cover the view, picture or other object that has
been exposed.
The time occupied between the first movement of the screen or shutter and its
return is of course determined by the length and slope of the inclines down which
the coin has to travel as above described.
The screen or shutter used for covering the view, picture or other object may
be arranged to move either up or down in order to expose such object to view.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved apparatus shewing the door open
in order to better illustrate the arrangement of the mechanism for operating such
apparatus.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of said door drawn to a larger scale in order to
better illustrate the construction of the appliances which are arranged to expose
the picture or other object to be viewed.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3, 3, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of part of said mechanism shewing it removed and
drawn to a larger scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A. Figure 1 represents the picture or other object which is to be exhibited, upon
a coin being placed within the slot B formed in the door or other convenient part
of the apparatus, whilst C represents the small glass window through which said
picture or other object can be seen from the outside of the casing D of the
apparatus. E represents a screen or shutter which is mounted upon a counter-
balanced lever F and which is normally opposite to the sheet of glass or window C
so as to prevent people from seeing what is inside the casing D. The lever F
carrying the screen or shutter E is fitted with a retaining catch or pawl G which
when said lever is depressed by the weight of a coin is arranged to be engaged by
a pin H projecting from the door I of the apparatus, and the outer end of said
lever F is fitted with a coin receptacle J into which the coin drops from the first
receptacle K into which it has passed through the slot B. L represents another
receptacle which communicates with a series of zig-zags M leading down to near
the bottom of the door I and is arranged to deliver the coin into a receptacle N on
the end of a lever O which is connected by a cord P to a bell crank lever Q whose
outer end bears against the retaining catch or pawl G so that if partially rotated
it will force said catch G outwards out of engagement with its retaining pin H.
A spring R is connected to the bell crank lever Q and always tends to return it to
its normal position.
The operation of my invention is as follows:
Upon a coin of predetermined size and weight being placed within the hopper
or first receptacle K through the slot B it slides down the inclined surface of said
receptacle and falls into the second receptacle J upon the lever F thereby depressing
said lever and carrying the screen or shutter E down away from the window C.
The effect of this movement will be to cause the catch G to engage with the pin H
and thereby retain the lever F and therefore the screen or shutter E in their
lowered positions. The coin then rolls out of the receptacle J into the receptacle L
communicating with the series of inclines M down which it travels slowly-and
finally falls into the lower receptacle N thus depressing said receptacle and causing
the lever O supporting same to partially rotate the bell crank lever Q so as to force
the catch G out of engagement with the pin H and thus allow it together with the
screen or shutter E to rise into their normal positions so as to once more shut off
the view of the picture or other article A. The spring R then returns the bell-
crank lever Q to its normal position ready for a fresh operation,

page_text: It will be readily understood that although my improved apparatus is simple
and inexpensive in construction it will expose a picture or other article for a certain
time upon the insertion of a coin of predetermined weight and size within the
slot B provided for the purpose in the casing of said apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
First. In an apparatus for automatically exhibiting any object by the operation
of a coin the employment of a screen or shutter (such as E) secured upon a lever
arranged to be depressed by the insertion of a coin within a slot in the casing of
the apparatus substantially as and for the purpose herein described and explained
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In apparatus for automatically exhibiting any object by the operation
of a coin the combination with a screen or shutter (such as E) normally adapted
to prevent people from seeing the picture or other article of a series of inclines or
zig-zag surfaces the lower end of said zig-zag being fitted with a trip lever (such
as O) in communication with a device for releasing a pawl or catch (such as G)
attached to said screen the whole being constructed and arranged substantially as
and for the purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twenty-third day of March One thousand eight hundred and
inety-two.
ALFRED BOSSOMAIER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.