Improvements in Apparatus for Enabling Postage Stamps or other Articles to be Obtained in Exchange for a Coin or Token.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 21st July, 1899-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1899
Improvements in Apparatus for Enabling Postage Stamps or other
Articles to be Obtained in Exchange for a Coin or Token.
I, RICHARD JAMES STREATFEILD, of Rossington Hall, Bawtry, in the County of
York, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
"My invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus for
enabling postage stamps, or other articles to be obtained in exchange for a coin
or token. I will describe my invention as applied to the delivery of postage
stamps as it has been more especially designed for that purpose. According to
my invention I provide a closed casing with an orifice for the admission of the
coin, or token, and an opening at which the stamps are successively presented
for removal. In the casing is a revolvable table provided with recesses for the
reception of the stamps and with teeth by which successive movements of partial
rotation can be given to it by a pusher which, when a coin is inserted through
the coin orifice and received in a slot in the said pusher (which is then opposite
the said coin orifice) is pushed inwards in a tube or guide into a slit in the side
of which the teeth from the table project. The table is held in position by a
spring catch the nose of which engages with notches in the table. When a coin
is inserted and the pusher is moved inwards this spring is depressed so that the
catch is removed from engagement with the table to allow it to be partially
rotated to present a recess containing the stamps at the opening by which they
can be removed. When pressure upon the pusher is released a spring moves
it outwards so as to bring it back into position to receive another coin. The
spring catch after the passing of each coin engages with the table to prevent its
being moved until another coin is inserted to act upon the spring of the catch
to release the table and to move it round a portion of a revolution sufficient to
bring a charged recess before the opening. In order to prevent a coin being
inserted when the apparatus is empty I may make the notch in the table (with
which the spring catch aforesaid engages) which corresponds to the last of the
series of recesses deeper than the rest so that the catch enters further and
the spring thereof projects into the pusher path so as to prevent the slot in the
pusher coming opposite the coin slit.
2
1000
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Enabling Postage Stamps or other
Articles to be Obtained in Exchange for a Coin or Token.
I, RICHARD JAMES STREATFEILD, of Rossington Hall, Bawtry, in the County of
York, Esquire, 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:
My invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus
for enabling postage stamps, or other articles, to be obtained in exchange for a
coin, or token, I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings illustrating it. as applied to the delivery of postage stamps for which
it has been more especially designed.
at a.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of the apparatus, Fig. 3 is a
longitudinal vertical section and Fig. 4 a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 5
is a transverse section of a portion of the apparatus drawn to a larger scale and
Figs. 6 to 9 are detail views of the pusher or plunger by which the apparatus is
operated and the tube in which the plunger slides. A is a closed casing pro-
vided with a sliding door A¹ by which access can be had to the interior when
required, the said door being secured in its closed position by a lock and key
This casing has a slot B for the admission of coins, or tokens, and an open-
ing Cat which the stamps are successively presented for removal. In the cas-
ing A is a table D rotatable on a stud or pivot d and provided in its upper surface
with recesses E for the reception of stamps. On the periphery of the table D
are teeth by which successive movements of partial rotation can be given to
it by a pusher or plunger G when a coin or token is inserted in the apparatus.
When a coin is inserted through the slot or orifice B it enters a slot in the
plunger G which slot when the plunger is in its normal position is opposite
the said coin slot or orifice B. The plunger G is fitted to slide in a tube or
guide H in one side of which is a sloth into which the teeth F on the table 1)
project. The table is held in its normal position by a spring catch I secured
to the bottom of the tube or guide H the said spring having at its free end a
nose or projection i which engages with notches or recesses 22 in the underside
of the table 1). When a coin is inserted and the plunger is moved by means of
the handle G2 projecting outside the casing the spring catch I is first depressed
by the pressure of the coin thereon, so that the nose or projection is removed
from engagement with the table, to allow, by the further movement of the
plunger, the said table being partially rotated so as to present one of the recesses
containing a stamp or stamps opposite the opening C at which the stamp can be
removed. When by the movement of the plunger the coin passes over the end
of the spring catch I the said spring will rise and prevent the return movement
of the plunger until the coin passes from the slot in the said plunger. After
the coin has passed over the end of the spring the said coin is retained in the
slot by bearing upon the bottom of the guide H until one of the recesses in the
table D containing a stamp is brought by the movement of the plunger opposite
the delivery opening C in the casing at which time the coin will have been car-
ried by the plunger beyond the end of the bottom ¹ of guide H and will have
fallen from the slot into a drawer or receptacle K below. On releasing the
handle G2 after the coin has passed from the plunger, the said plunger is returned
by a spring L to its normal position to receive another coin. The nose or pro-
jection on the spring catch I engages with a recess in the underside of the
table D, each time a recess E in the top surface of the said table is brought oppo-

page_text: site the delivery opening C and so prevents the table D from being rotated
except by the insertion of another coin. . A slot M in the side of the plunger
permits of the return of the said plunger to its normal position without rotating
the table D, the teeth F of which enter the said slot. A slot Me is also provided
in the bottom of the plunger into which slot the spring catch I enters so as to
admit of the free movement of the plunger to its normal position. In order to
prevent a coin being inserted when the apparatus is empty I may make one of
the notches in the underside of the table, with which the spring catch aforesaid
engages deeper than the rest of the said recesses so that the catch enters into
this notch further than it can do in the other notches and allow the spring to
project into the path of the plunger G as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 5 so as
to prevent the return of the plunger into position to bring the slot g in the
plunger opposite the coin slot B in casing A, a projection g¹ on plunger being
then directly in front of the slot B. The recess which is of increased depth,
corresponds to a recess in the table which recess should be marked with the
word "empty" and is the last to be brought opposite the delivery opening C.
Fig. 10 shews another arrangement for preventing coins from being inserted
when the apparatus is empty and consists of a plate g¹ pivoted to the interior of
the casing and having a tail which is acted on by a projection g³ on the rotating
table so as to close the slot B when the table is moved into position to present
the recess containing the last postage stamp or article opposite the delivery
aperture C. To recharge the recesses with stamps the top of the casing may be
hinged and secured in its closed position by a lock and key, so that by opening
this lid or top, ready access can be had to the recesses E for charging with stamps
or the like. In the arrangement shewn in the drawings access to the interior
of the casing is had by the sliding door A. In the interior of the casing is a
lever N by means of which the spring I can be depressed and held out of engage-
ment from the recesses 2 so that the table D can be freely rotated to bring each
of the recesses E in succession opposite the opening C to receive a stamp.
have shewn the apparatus as being operated by pushing inwards the plunger G
but it is obvious that with slight modification it may be made to operate by
drawing the plunger out. It is also obvious that the apparatus may be con-
structed to deliver goods other than postage stamps by making the recesses E
of suitable shape and dimensions.
I
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. In apparatus for enabling postage stamps or other articles to be obtained
in exchange for coins or tokens, the combination with a closed chamber having
an opening or slot therein for the insertion of the coins or tokens and an open-
ing through which the postage stamps or other articles can be obtained, of a
rotatable table in the closed casing having recesses in its upper surface to con-
tain postage stamps or other articles, teeth on the periphery of the table by which
rotation given to the said table a pusher or plunger fitted to slide in the closed
casing, a slot in the side of the pusher or plunger into which the teeth on the
table enter, another slot in the pusher or plunger into which a coin inserted in
the slot in the closed casing passes and engages with one of the teeth on the
table so that by moving the plunger movement of partial rotation is given to
the table and a recess therein containing a postage stamp or other article brought
opposite the delivery opening in the closed casing substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. In combination with the subject matter of the preceding claim, a spring
catch engaging with recesses in the table to retain the said table in the position
to which it has been moved by the coin in the plunger, one of the said recesses
being of greater depth than the other recesses to admit of the spring catch
entering further into the table to prevent the plunger from being returned into

page_text: position and prevent coins from.being inserted into the apparatus when all the
stamps or articles have been delivered from the apparatus substantially as herein-
before described.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the apparatus for
obtaining postage stamps or other articles in exchange for coins or tokens sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.