An Improved Locking and Unlocking Device for Use in Connection with Automatic Coin-freed Apparatus for the Sale of Goods.
Year: 1889

page_text: An Improved Locking and Unlocking Device for Use in Connection
with Automatic Coin-freed Apparatus for the Sale of Goods.
I BRUNO WESSELMANN of Hamburg in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare
the nature of this Invention to be as follows :—
My said Invention relates to automatic coin freed apparatus for the public sale of
goods as is well understood and consists in an improved device for locking and
unlocking the slide, pusher, drawer, tap or other part operated by the purchaser and
delivering or permitting the delivery of the goods. The device in its most convenient
form consists of two parts suspended from equidistant pivots and forming together a
shute or slide to receive a coin or coins. Those parts are so hung as to converge at
their lower ends and thus narrow the coin slide at the foot; or the sides of the shute
may so converge. The consequence is that when the coin reaches the foot of the slide
the pivotted halves are separated by the coin and are pushed free of a hooked or barbed
attachment to the pusher or other part allowing it to be drawn out. The coin then
falls into the till and when the pusher is returned the parts again assume their normal
position.
In order that my said invention may be properly understood I will now refer to the
accompanying sheet of drawings which illustrate the device.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section at the line A. B (Fig. 3) of the casing of an automatic
sale apparatus. Fig. 2 is a similar section at right angles to Fig. 1 that is to say at
the line C. D. (Fig. 3). Fig. 3 is a plan in section at the line E. F, Fig. 2. The
aforesaid separable shute consists of the parts B. B¹. These two parts are loosely
suspended from pivots b. 6' and are weighted at the foot at E the points of suspension
and the weights being so arranged that the parts B. B' hang converging towards each
other at the foot as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig 1. These parts B. B' together
form a coin shute which in its normal position as shown by the dotted lines is narrow
at the foot and at the top is wide enough to receive a coin. Above the pivotted top
is the coin entrance shuto a through which the purchaser inserts the coin or coins.
It is to be understood that in Fig. 1 the parts B. B¹ are shown separated by a coin
which has been dropped into the shute. Beneath the shute B. B' is a projection m

page_text: oxtending from the back of the pushor S which might be a drawer for delivering
sweetmeats or cigarettes or other goods contained in the compartment J. This
projection m is furnished with a head n presenting shoulders on the inner side which
cover or project partly over the parts B. B when they are not soparated by the coin
for example as shown in the plan view Fig. 3. It will thus be seen that so long as
the parts B. B remain unseparated the pusher or drawer S is locked and cannot bo
drawn out. On the other hand when the parts B. B' are separated by a coin as shown
in Fig. 1 the said parts are moved quito clear of the shoulders on the head and the
part can be drawn out. The mode of operation is as follows. The coin x is dropped
through the opening a and falls down the shute B. B' into the position shown at Fig. 1
separating the parts B. B and holding them clear of the shoulders on the head n.
The coin for the present rests on the projection but when the pusher or drawer S is
drawn out by the purchaser the projection mis drawn from beneath the coin which
falls into the till. The purelmer having removed his purchase from the part S
pushes back or a subsequent purchaser does so, whereupon the pointed head a
separates and passes between the parts B. B which then assume their normal position
shown in Fig. 3. Means may be taken to prevent the insertion of a coin before the
part S is pushed back. The improved device presents a double security against fraud.
In the first place the coin (say for example a penny) must be of the proper size; if it
is larger it will not enter the shute; if it is smaller it will not separate the parts B. B'
sufficiently to clear the head a.
In the second place it must be of sufficient weight as
the parts B. B' can be hung and weighted so as to yiek apart only to a coin of the
proper weight. Instead of hanging towards each other the parts B. B' may have
inclined sides causing the coin to separate the parts at the foot as described. It will
be evident that the improved locking device can be employed to lock and unlock
a pusher or drawer to deliver solids or a sliding spindle opening a tap to deliver
liquids.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) In automatic coin freed apparatus for the sale of goods the locking and unlocking
device arranges and acting substantially as described and shown.
(2) In a looking and unlocking device for automatic coin freed apparatus the coin
shuto composed of two parts B. B suspended loosely on pivots so as to hang towards
each other at the foot or having inclined sides so that the coin in its descent, shall
separate the two halves of the shute in combination with a pusher, drawer or sliding
part or spindle carrying or formed with a part or parts m. n interlocking with the foot
of the coin shute when in its normal position and clearing the said shute when
soparated by a coin arranged and acting substantially as herein before described
and shown.
(3) In a locking and unlocking device for automatic coin-freed salo apparatus the
pivotted separable shute B. B as and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and shown.
41
1000
DUTTON & FULTON,
1. St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.