Improvements in and relating to Coin Freed Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Coin Freed Apparatus.
WALTER ROWBOTHAM and KATE AMELIA ROWBOTHAM, both of Parkfield, Bushey
Park Road, South Teddington, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer,
no occupation, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
To carry my improvements into effect, I use a receptacle divided into two com-
partments, one very much larger than the other & watertight having a glass top
& glass side or sides. In this watertight compartment on the partition dividing
the receptacle I fit a model of a bow of a war-vessel on gimbals to enable it to be
moved from side to side or up & down, which is achieved by a handle extending
through slots in the partition & through the smaller compartment to the outside.
In the bow of this vessel below the water line I fit a tube, with one end closed, to
hold a model of a torpedo. From the closed end of the tube a smaller tube
extends vertically to above the water line, & on to that smaller tube I fix a rubber
tube which is carried through the partition to a spring stop-valve & then on to
an air-pump fixed at the lower part of the smaller compartment. This air-pump
I call the primary one. In the closed end of the large tube is a very fine hole
or tube. A fine string is attached to the tail end of the torpedo & passes through
this hole through guide pulleys on to a spring-drum or counter-weight. (The
object of this is to return the torpedo when forced out by the air pressure.) In
the water-tight compartment near the end farthest from the vessel I place a buoy.
In this buoy I fit an electrical contact, mercury, pendulum or any other known
one, so that when the buoy is hit, its equilibrium is disturbed & contact is made.
From the contact pieces I carry insulated wires through a rubber tube to the
bottom of the watertight compartment & from there to an electro magnet in
circuit with an electrical generator. From the primary air-pump I carry another
tube to a spring stop-valve (actuated by a lever beam hinged at one end & with
an armature at the other controlled by the electro magnet) & on to another air-
pump (which I call the secondary air-pump) or bellows which is kept closed by
a spring. On the piston of this air-pump or on the upper part of the bellows, I
fit a small piston rod connected to a lever beam hinged at one end. On the other
end I fit a hinged fork which, when forced up, will hold or retain an object & when
forced down will turn back on itself & pass any object in its way. This hinged
fork works through slots in a passage made to contain the objects desired to be
lifted which by gravity descend in rotation from a container. When one object is
raised it passes over an incline, the fork releases it & it descends by gravity to
a tray on the outside of the smaller compartment. The primary air-pump is
worked by a piston rod & two hinged lever beams which are on the same plane
& about half an inch apart. Sometimes at each of the unhinged ends I make a
slight depression. A little over the height of a penny above these & at an equal
distance from each I fit another hinged lever beam with a handle extending to
the outside of the smaller compartment & I sometimes make a depression on this
handle lever beam in a line with the others. This handle lever beam is held up

page_text: .
in position by a spring which also holds up the other two beams by a loose con-
nection or link. Above & on the outside of the smaller compartment is a slot
which will take a penny, & inside is a guide to convey the penny in between the
three lever beams. This guide is continued to about the level of the first spring
stop-valve connected with the primary air-pump.
The action is as follows:-A penny is put in the outside slot. The vessel &
tube are pointed towards the buoy. The primary air-pump lever is then depressed,
compressing the air in the pump. Directly it (the lever) reaches the spring stop-
valve, it opens it, the penny falls out & into a receptacle for it air passes through
the small tube into the large one, forcing the torpedo out towards the buoy which,
if struck sways & makes electrical contact completing the electro-magnet circuit
& causing the lever to open the secondary air-pump's spring stop-valve. The
piston in the air-pump then ascends, &, as described, the object desired is delivered.
The spring-drum or counter weight draws the torpedo back into the tube for the
next operation. It is obvious that; instead of a string, a long rubber tube with
counter-weights can be attached to the torpedo, which, in that case has two or
more small holes made in its tail end, so that when the air passes through these
holes, the torpedo is propelled.
Dated this 20th day of June 1899.
WALTER ROWBOTHAM.
KATE AMELIA ROWBOTHAM.
Improvements in and relating to Coin Freed Apparatus.
We, WALTER ROWBOTHAM and KATE AMELIA ROWBOTHAM, both of 7, Thurlby
Road, West Norwood, London, S.E., late of Parkfield, Bushey Park Road, South
Teddington, 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 relates to coin-freed automatic machines and consists of a
machine comprising a model of a torpedo vessel from which on the insertion of a
suitable coin within the machine a model torpedo can be ejected by the operator,
at a suitable target such as a buoy, the skill of the operator being rewarded on
striking the target by the automatic delivery of a cigarette or other article.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively longitudinal and transverse sectional elevations
of a machine constructed according to one modification.
In carrying the invention into effect according to one modification as shewn in
Figures 1 and 2 a suitable casing or receptacle a is divided into two compart
ments, the former being watertight and provided with a glass top and side
or sides. In the watertight compartment a model of a bow of a torpedo or other
vessel dis mounted on gimbalse which will allow the vessel to be adjusted both
vertically and horizontally by a handle e'.
In the bow of the vessel below the water line a tube f is fitted to contain the
model torpedo g. The rear end of this tube is closed but communication is made
near the end by a pipe h with an air compressor i. The pipe has a flexible
connection to allow free movement to the vessel when sighting.
The torpedo is ejected from the tube f whenever a small valve 7 is opened by a
hand lever . The valve 7 is a small spring return valve opened on the depression
of its valve rod h¹ which projects sufficiently into the path of the lever so as to
be forced down when the latter is depressed into contact with it. When the

page_text: lever is depressed it forces down the piston rod u as hereafter described and
compresses the air in the cylinder i, and as the valve 7 is only opened when the
lever has been depressed to a considerable extent the air from will escape at
sufficient pressure to forcibly eject the torpedo g from the tube f the air passing
thereto through the pipes h, k to the rear of the torpedo.
The torpedo is returned by a spring which passes through a small hole in the
rear end of the tube f to a pulley or drum controlled by a spring or weight.
In the compartment b at the opposite end to the vessel is a suitable target n
such as a buoy attached by a wire o to a contact device adapted to make contact
and close an electric circuit when the target is struck by the torpedo and thereby
cause a cigarette or other article to be delivered as hereafter described.
The construction and operation of the coin operating gear is as follows:
A coin slot g is provided in the top of the casing of the compartment e through
which the coin drops down a shoot into a position as shewn in Figure 2 between
vertical guides s, s,. and rests on.a lever t, which is jointed to the piston rod u
of the air compressor i and pivotted to a link or support in turn pivotted at w.
The lever t is retained in its normal position by a spring z. A forked lever .r is
pivotted at the upper end y of the link and is retained in its normal position by
a spring 2.
t
The lever a is of sufficient length to project outside the casing and it is
intended to be depressed by the operator after the insertion of a coin. On the
lever being depressed it forces down the piston rod through the medium of the
coin and compresses the air in the compressor . The coin is released when it
reaches the lower part of the guides s. s, where the retaining edges are cut away
(as at , s, Fig. 2) to enable it to slide away off, the lever t, which is retained in
its depressed position by a pivotted catch plate 3 a recess 4 in which is adapted to
hold a pin on the lever and thereby retain the lever until the hand lever is
returned to its normal position whereupon a pin 6 engages the catch plate and
causes it to release the pin 5. The object of thus retaining the lever is to ensure
that the penny shall be released when the levere is allowed to return to its normal
position. If the torpedo strikes the target contact is made at 7 and an electric
circuit is completed through an electro-magnet 8 and any suitable source of current
preferably a battery of cells which may be conveniently placed in the casing
behind the water tank . On the circuit being completed the magnet 8 attracts
an armature 9 carried on the end of a pivotted lever 10 which on depression opens
a suitable air valve 11 and allows air to pass from the pipe h through a branch, 12
to the underside of a small piston 13 contained in a cylinder 14. The upward
movement of this piston is transmitted through its piston rod 15 to an oscillating
plate or lever 16 which is provided with an arm or arms 17 adapted on each
oscillation to enter a holder 18 and push forward and deliver a cigarette or other
article. The piston 13 is returned to its normal position by a spring 19 or by
gravity, a small vent hole 20 allowing the air to escape from the cylinder 14.
It is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact form or
to the details of construction hereinbefore described as these can be modified
according to the articles it is required to deliver.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A coin freed apparatus whereby on the insertion of a coin a model torpedo
may be ejected from a model war-vessel at a suitable target and whereby on the
latter being hit, a cigarette or other article is automatically delivered.
2. A coin freed apparatus comprising a receptacle divided into two compart-
ments one of which contains a water tank in which is situated a model war-vessel
and a suitable target, the other containing the operating mechanism, the war-
vessel being mounted in gymbals to facilitate sighting accomplished by a handle
projecting from the casing and the operating mechanism comprising means where-

page_text: by on the insertion of a coin and depression of a handle compressed air is forced
from a compressor into a tube within the war-vessel so as to eject a model torpedo
therefrom at the target which on being struck is adapted to complete an electric
circuit through a suitable contact device and thereby energize an electro-magnet
which by attracting its armature opens a valve to allow air from the compressor
to operate mechanism for delivering a cigarette or other article substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. A coin freed apparatus constructed and operating substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Datod thie 23rd day of Au 1000
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.