Improvements in Check or Coin-freed Locks or Bolts for Doors.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1894-Accepted. 1st Dec., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Check or Coin-freed Locks or Bolts for Doors.
I JOHN NEVIL MASKELYNE of The Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 this invention is to provide a simple and efficient registering lock
or bolt for the doors of water-closets, lavatories, or other places, for the use of
which a charge is made.
In the accompanying drawing,-
Fig. 1 is a front view of the lock as it would appear with the external casing
removed.
Fig. 2 is a right hand edge view.
Fig. 3 is a left hand edge view; and
Fig. 4 is a top view.
Fig. 5 shows the lock with the external casing in place, and the remaining
figures show details which will be more particularly referred to hereafter.
A is a plate which carries all the parts, and by which the lock is secured to the
door, and B is the external casing having a window B', behind which is a movable
indicating plate C, marked with the words "Vacant" and " Engaged." B³ is the
guide to the slot in which the coin is to be placed. D is a shoot into which the
coin drops, and at the upper part the sides of this shoot are cut away, so that
the coin is exposed on both sides, as seen in Figs. 1, 6, and 7, for a purpose to be
presently explained.
E is a latch bolt, which slides against the plate A and behind the shoot D, and
it has a lateral projection with a rearward extension E', which passes in front of
the shoot. The front edge E2 of this extension E' is bevelled, and as the bolt E
moves back under the influence of a lever, as presently explained, the bevelled
portion enters underneath a spring a, attached (at a point above the pivot) to a
rocking cover or shutter b, and rocks the cover, so as to close the coin slot. This
extension E¹ has also a downwardly projecting finger E³, the object of which will
be hereafter referred to.
In connection with, and on the opposite side of the pivot of the rocking cover
or shutter b, is an elbow piece 61, which has a finger 6 extending rearwardly into
the shoot D. The coin, when put in the slot, drops onto this finger b³, and when
the bolt E is moved, this finger is pushed back, and the coin is allowed to drop
past the end sufficiently far to prevent the finger returning to its normal position.
When the bolt E goes forward again, and the bevelled part E' is withdrawn, the
pressure of the spring a will cause the finger 6' to hold the coin until further
released, as will be hereafter described. In this way, after the latch bolt has been
moved to admit the person to the apartment, and so long as the coin is in the
shoot, the cover will be over the slot, and it will be impossible to place a second
coin therein, thus removing a cause of dissatisfaction with this class of lock.
When the finger is drawn back, as above explained, the coin drops onto a
rearward projection c of a lever F, and it is retained there until the finger b³,
induced by the spring a, advances again to grip it. This lever is pivotted to a
lump on the shoot D, and has, near the projection c, a downwardly extending
finger F. At its rear end, this lever has a laterally projecting catch F³, the
object of which is to hold up the indicating plate C, so as to expose the
word "Engaged" when the apartment is occupied,-
,-a spring being employed to
return the lever F to its normal position.

page_text: G is a stop lever, of bell-crank form, which is pivotted to the lump G', and it
has, ou it its shorter arm, a downward projection G, which extends in front of the
cut-away portion (on one side) of the shoot D, so that the coin, when in the slot,
will rest against this projection (see Fig. 6).
His a handle outside the casing B, and mounted on a spindle H', which turns
in a bearing in the plate A. Mounted проп this spindle H¹, and inside the casing B,
is an arm J, and this arm (when there is no coin in the shoot D, and the handle is
operated) strikes against. the end of the stop lever G, which thus prevents the
arm J operating the latch bolt E, and the door cannot be opened. This arm
carries a strong spring J, which extends upward, and is bent backward at the end,
so that it will extend beyond the shoot D on the other side, and come into contact
with the coin in the shoot (see Figs. 1, 2, and 8), when the arm J advances.
The arm J, it will be seen, has a short distance to move before it strikes the
stop lever G, and this motion is utilised to bring the spring J in contact with the
coin, which is pushed across the shoot D, and against the projection G' on the short
arm of the bell-crank stop lever G (see Fig. 8). The lever G is thereby rocked
on its pivot, and the longer arm is moved out of the path of the arm J (see
the dotted position. Fig. 8), which is then free to move forward to the second
dotted position shown at Fig. 1. When in the first dotted position, the arm J will
strike against the projection E of the latch bolt E, and this bolt will thus be
operated by the further movement of the arm J. At the same time, the end of
the arm J strikes against a pin or catch on the sliding rod K, and pushes it back.
The rear end of the rod K is pivotted to one arm of a bell-crank lever K¹ (see
Figs. 9 and 10), the other arm being attached to the indicating plate C. This
arm has a hole K³, into which (as the arm is raised) the catch F2 on the lever F
enters, and the indicating plate is thus held up, to indicate that the apartment is
" engaged."
All the above operations are effected on moving the handle H to enter the
apartment, the coin having first been inserted in the slot.
As soon as the person has entered the apartment, he will close the door, and
shoot the locking bolt X. This is effected by means of the knob X', the stem of
which projects through the door. Connected with this bolt by a link L, is a bell-
crank lever L', which is mounted upon the pivot of, and lies immediately behind,
the bell-crank lever K¹. As the bell-crank L' is moved, the free arm pushes back
the catch F on the lever F clear of the hole K³, and releases the lever K', which,
however, is still held up by the pin d on the back of the lever K¹ resting upon the
arm L
When the bolt X is drawn back to allow of the exit of the person who has been
occupying the apartment, the bell-cranks K¹ and L' are rocked, and the indicating
plate C descends, exhibiting at the window the word "Vacant." In any case, the
shooting of the locking bolt X will indicate that the apartment is occupied.
The locking bolt is necessary, because, so long as the coin remains in the slot,
the door could always be opened from the outside, by turning the handle H. At
the same time, provision has to be made for opening the door from the inside, and
this is effected by means of the handle M on the inside.
This handle M is attached to a square spindle which takes into a sleeve M
mounted in a suitable bearing M2 formed on the plate A. This sleeve (which
projects through the casing B) carries an arm N, the outer end of which is bevelled,
as shown at N, Figs. 1 and 6.
This bevelled portion strikes, when the arm is moved, against the underside of
the projection F1 of the lever F, and pushes out the lever, by which the pro-
jection c is withdrawn from supporting the coin in the shoot D. At the same time,
a pin on the back of the arin N strikes against the projection E³ of the latch
bolt E, and forces back this bolt, so that its bevelled portion E' enters behind the
spring a, and rocks the shutter arm b³, withdrawing the finger from contact with
the coin, which is then free to drop into the shoot.
Almost simultaneously with these operations, the arm N will strike against

page_text: pin g on the locking bolt X, if the bolt has not been withdrawn, and push this bolt
back, thus completely freeing the door, an I allowing the indicating plate to descen 1
and show the word "Vacant" through the window in the casing B.
The sleeve M¹ is made to project through the casing B, so that the attendant,
in case of need, may open the door from the outside with a special key, notwith-
standing the fact that it is bolted on the inside, the opening in the casing being
covered by a swinging disc B' (see Fig. 5).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A coin-freed lock or bolt for doors constructed, arranged, and operating
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. Closing the coin slot by means of the coin itself as the latch bolt is operate.l
to open the door, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. Operating a stop lever by the coin, under pressure of a spring arm on the
latch-bolt operating lever or arm, when opening the door, substantially as berein
shown and described.
4. The means for raising the indicating plate, retaining it in the raised position,
and releasing it, as herein shown and described.
5. The means for holding the coin, and for releasing the same, until and when
the door is opened from the inside, as herein shown and described.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1894.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.