A Coin Released Case for Opera Glasses.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1888.
Complete Specification Left, 25th July, 1889-Accepted, 17th Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Coin Released Case for Opera Glasses.
We, FRANK VILLIERS-STEAD, and ELWARD RADFORD HEDGMAN, of No. 50 Lombard
Street, in the City of London, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to a construction of case for opera glasses in such a manner
that, on the introduction of a suitable coin such as sixpence, the case is opened and
the opera glass contained in it can be taken out and used. Our object is to provide
a number of such cases, which, being fixed to the seats or stalls of a theatre or other
place of assembly, are accessible to the sitters without requiring the intervention of
attendants to supply opera glasses on hire.
The case has a cavity of suitable size to receive the opera glass inserted endways
and is covered by a lid which is held closed by a spring catch. Under the opera
glass is a moveable bottom pressed upwards by a spring so that on the catch of the
lid being released, the opera glass is pushed upwards sufficiently to be laid hold of and
taken out. In order to release the catch, the coin when introduced into a slot in the
case may be made to act in either of two ways. In cases where electricity is
available each case is provided with an electromagnet the coil of which is usually
out of circuit, and conductors are arranged to connect with suitable contacts in
each case.
When the coin is introduced into one of the cases it moves a spring contact therein
and, the electromagnet being excited, attracts its spring armature releasing the catch
which holds the lid closed." When electricity is not available each case is provided
with a spring push which can be moved by the finger.
When no coin is present, this push is inoperative, but when a coin is introduced, it
drops in front of the push which being then pushed in releases the catch of the lid.
The case is furnished with a lock so that from time to time it can be opened to with-
draw the received coins.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Coin Released Case for Opera Glasses.
We, FRANK VILLIERS-STEAD and ELWARD RADFORD HEDGMAN, of No. 50 Lombard
Street in the City of London, Electrical Engineers 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:—
Our invention relates to a construction of case for opera glasses in such a manner
that, on the introduction of a suitable coin, such as sixpence, the case is opened and
the opera glass contained in it can be taken out and used.
Our object is to provide a number of such cases, which, being fixed to the seats or
stalls of a theatre or other place of assembly, are accessible to the sitters without
requiring the intervention of attendants to supply opera glasses on hire.
The case has a cavity of suitable size to receive the opera glass inserted end ways
and is covered by a lid which is held closed by a spring catch. Under the opera glass
is a moveable bottom pressed upwards by a spring so that on the catch of the lid
being released, the opera glass is pushed upwards sufficiently to be laid hold of and
taken out. In order to release the catch, the coin when introduced into a slot in the

page_text: .
case may be made to act in either of two ways. In cases where electricity is
available, each case is provided with an electromagnet the coil of which is usually
out of circuit, and conductors are arranged to connect with suitable contacts in
each case.
When the coin is introduced into one of the cases it moves a spring contact therein
and, the electromagnet being excited attracts its spring armature releasing the catch
which holds the lid closed. When electricity is not available each case is provided
with a spring push which can be moved by the finger.
When no coin is present, this push is inoperative, but when a coin is introduced,
it drops in front of the push which being then pushed in releases the catch of the lid.
The case is furnished with a lock so that from time to time it can be opened to with-
draw the received coins.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical section of a case for opera glass
according to our invention suited for electrical action. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of
the internal mechanism, the front of the case being supposed to be removed. Figs. 3
and 4 are similar views showing a modified arrangement.
Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views of a case adapted to be operated by a push when
electricity is not available.
A is the case, which may be of metal ornamented or covered with velvet or other
fabric.
A is the lid hinged to the back of the case, preferably by a spring hinge so that,
unless it is held by the fastening, it will stand open shewing whether the opera glass B
is in the case or not.
A is a door hinged to the casing, this door being provided with a lock so that it
cannot be opened to give access to the mechanism and coins within the case except
by the use of the proper key. In the door A2 there is a slit As for introduction of
the coin, and on the interior of the door is fixed the lock A having a key hole A³ for
receiving the key that can be inserted in either direction. B is the opera glass which
rests on a moveable bottom B¹ urged upwards by springs, so that, when the lid A¹ is
opened, the opera glass is pushed upwards to such a position that it can readily be
taken hold of. The coin when introduced through the slit A³, is received in a
funnel shoot Cand descends to the position shewn in Fig. 2 where its edge bears
against a sloping shoulder C³. This shoulder being on one of two contact springs C4,
the weight of the coin pushes the spring that carries the shoulder C3 against the other
spring thereby closing an electric circuit in which is included the coils of an electro-
magnet E having in front of its poles an armature D which is urged away from the
poles by a spring D¹. The armature D is fixed on a lever F which is pivotted at F1
and has a notch F at its upper end to engage with a notch F3 of a catch projecting
down from the lid A'. When the contact at C is made by the coin C the magnet E
attracts its armature D thus moving the lever F so as to disengage the catches F2 F³,
whereupon the lid A' springs open giving access to the opera glass B. At the same
time by the movement of the armaturo Da tail picce D¹ which bears against the
edge of the coin C is withdrawn leaving the coin free to drop to the bottom of the
case. On the coin dropping, the contacts C spring apart, opening the electric circuit,
whereupon the armature D, being no longer attracted, is pushed back by its spring
causing the lever F to take the position shewn in Fig. 2. While it is in this position
the catches F F³ cannot be engaged and consequently the lid A' cannot be closed,
the attendant therefore can see whether the opera glass has been replaced in the case
The lock A which is fixed inside the door A2 receives a key which when
turned in one direction acts on a bell crank lever G to withdraw a bolt G allowing
the door A to be opened to give access to the mechanism and to the coins in the
lower part of the case. The key, when inserted upside down and turned, acts on
another bell crank lever H causing a pin H projecting from that lever to bear against
the armature D and move the lever F so as to permit of the lid A¹ being closed and
of the catches F2 F3 becoming engaged, or by moving F farther to permit of the
lid A¹ being opened if it had been previously closed. Thus attendants in possession
or not.

page_text: of the keys can get access to the interior of the case or can close or open the lid. In
the modified form of the apparatus shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, in which the parts
corresponding with those in Figs. 1 and 2 are marked with corresponding letters of
reference, the electromagnet E is fixed to the back of the case and the lever F is
pivotted so that it can move from front to back or conversely instead of moving from
side to side as in Figs. 1 and 2. The notch F³ in the lid catch is not carried quite
through but has a back part F forming a shoulder which prevents F from going too
far back when the lid A¹ is closed as it can do when the lid is open.
The lid having been opened, and F having moved back by its spring as far as it can,
the lid cannot now be closed until F is again brought forward by means of the key.
The coins C as in Figs. 1 and 2 bears by its edge against a shoulder C³ on one of
two contact springs C and rests on a projection Es from the lower end of the lever F.
When the coin brings the springs C+ into contact the circuit of the electromagnet E
is closed, the armature D is attracted and the lever F is moved so as to disengage the
catches F F3, whereupon the lid A₁ is sprung open. At the same time the
projection F being moved back, the coin C is allowed to drop, and the springs C
break contact. In order to provide against the electro-magnet E remaining in circuit
should the coin fail to drop from the contact position, there is a second pair of
contact springs C with a strip C of non-conducting material between them but not.
keeping them out of contact with one another. This strip is attached to the lower
end of the lever F so that when on the armature D being attracted, that lever is
moved, the strip C separates the spring C³ and so opens the circuit notwithstanding
that the coin may still remain in its contact position. The armature being thus
released the strip C returns, allowing contact to be made again, and thus there
may result a series of vibrations of the lever F until the coin becomes freed and,
dropping, finally opens the circuit.
In the case shewn by Figs. 5 and 6 the coin C when introduced rests by its edge
against a fixed step K. While it is so resting, a spring push P being pushed in
against the coin moves back the lower part of the lever F and thus disengages the
catches FF. The lid thereupon opens, and the push P being now released, the
lower end of the lever F is urged forwards by the spring D¹ pushing the coin off the
step K. In order to move the lever F by a key, there is a curved projection L fixed
on the funnel shoot C. On turning the key, the bent lever H is moved by it and the upper
end of this lever bearing against the projection L moves the lower end of the lever F
backwards bringing forwards its upper end so as to permit the lid A¹ to be closed and
the catches ³ ³ to be engaged. It is to be understood that for the case shewn by
Figs. 3 and 4 there is a locking arrangement similar to that described with reference
to Figs. 5 and 6 this arrangement being omitted in Figs. 3 and 4 to avoid
confusion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A case for holding an opera glass adapted to be fixed at a stall or elsewhere in
a theatre or like resort and baving a fastening keeping it closed until a coin of
predetermined value being introduced causes or permits the case to be opened for
withdrawal of the opera glass, the fastening being so arranged that the lid cannot be
closed again without the use of a special key, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
2. In a case for an opera glass such as is above referred to, where electricity is
available, in combination with the fastening lever an armature, an electromagnet and
a contact switch so arranged that the coin when introduced actuates the switch
closing the circuit of the electro magnet whereby the armature is attracted and
the fastening of the box is released, substantially as described with reference to
Figs. 123 and 4.
3. In a case for an opera glass such as is referred to in the first claim, where
electricity is not available, in combination with the fastening lever a push or its

page_text: equivalent which is ineffective thereon except when a coin is introduced between
the push and the lever, in which case the fastening of the case is released by
acting on the push, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.
Dated this 25th day of July 1889.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.