Coin-freed Mechanism for Restaurants.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1899-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Coin-freed Mechanism for Restaurants.
I, MAX SIELAFF, of 23, Spener Strasse, Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Manufacturer, 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 an arrangement, the employment of which considerably
facilitates the service of guests in restaurants.
In carrying out my invention I use an apparatus of the ordinary kind of coin
freed mechanism, being consequently provided with slots for insertion of coins
of different value.
Each slot bears an indication for instance: "Rumpsteak 2sh. 6d." After inser-
tion of a coin into the slot and pulling out the corresponding handle piece the
apparatus delivers in the known manner a "Good for rumpsteak 2sh. 6d." Evidently
the apparatus can be provided with more slots for coins and goods of different
value, but only one good for the value for which a coin has been inserted can
be drawn out of the apparatus. This mechanism preferably is placed near the
entrance door of the dining room. A guest entering the restaurant and wishing
to have a rumpsteak, needs not to wait until the waiter comes to ask for his
wishes but only has to insert a coin into the slot corresponding to the meal ine
wants. The order given to this automatic waiter is communicated to the cook
in the following manner:
In the kitchen an apparatus provided having so many channels as are slots
in the coin freed mechanism of the dining room. These compartments are of
longitudinal form, open at the top and at the bottom and are filled out with small
superposed balls, which are kept in place by means of a nose of a wire clamp
attached to each of these channels. Behind each of these channels an electro-
magnet is arranged able to attract the wire-clamp thereby withdrawing the noss
of said wire clamp and disengaging a ball of the corresponding channel, which
then falls upon a plate provided with compartments in number conform to the
channels, and showing the cook that for instance a rumpsteak has been ordered
and paid for. The waiter only has to take the rumpsteak, to bring it into the
dining room and to give it to the guest against receipt of the "good for."
good for "
The electromagnets are electrically connected with the corresponding slots in
the coin freed mechanism and act as soon as a coin has been inserted and the handle
piece is drawn out, while the current will be interrupted when the "
has been withdrawn from the apparatus, and the coin is fallen into the cash box.
My invention will be the better understood, with reference to the annexed draw-
ings in which I represent two different constructions of my apparatus, and in
which:
Figure 1 is an elevational view of the coin-freed apparatus of the dining-room,
Figure 2 shows an elevational view of the controlling apparatus of the kitchen,
Figure 3 shows a section through the controlling apparatus,
Figure 4 shows the form of a good for, which can be withdrawn from the
apparatus after insertion of a coin,

page_text: Figure 5 illustrates a modification of my apparatus in which the coins are
conducted directly to the kitchen.
Figure 6 shows a section through the device for disengaging the coins.
The apparatus as represented in Figure 1 is placed in any suitable manner in
the dining room of the restaurant, preferably near its entrance-door.
<
The mechanism of this apparatus may be of any kind, but has to act in such
a way as to deliver through the opening c, a
good for "
as represented in Figure 4
after a coin has been inserted and the corresponding handle-piece 6 is drawn out.
Several slots for different sizes of coins are provided in this apparatus, each
one bearing a different name of meals or drinks.
A controlling apparatus of the kind represented in Figures 2 & 3 is arranged
in the kitchen. This apparatus consists of several longitudinal compartments or
channels efgh corresponding in number to the slots of the coin freed mechanism.
Underneath these channels e f g h small receptacles e f g h are provided.
Behind each channel an electro-magnet i is arranged, which magnet is in connec-
tion with the corresponding slot of the coin-freed mechanism by means of wires d.
The magnets are arranged in such a way, as to attract, when the current is closed,
wire-clamps attached to the back of the channels e, f, g, h. These channels
are filled with small balls. The lowest of them reposes upon noses 7 of said wire-
clamps k.
Supposed now, a coin is inserted, and the corresponding handle is pulled out,
the current within the corresponding electro-magnet will be closed, and the
wire-clamp attracted. The nose will be drawn out of the channel and the
hall m having reposed upon this nose 7 drops down into the receptacle e¹ thereby
indicating the cook that a certain meal has been ordered. A second ball is
prevented to drop down by a nose attached to the bent extremity of the wire-
clamp k, so as to enter the channel when the nose is withdrawn from it. When
the handle returns in its first position, the current is interrupted, the wire-
clamp leaves the electro-magnet and the nose 7 closes again the corresponding
channel, thereby the nose l¹ returns in its original position and the ball, which
has reposed up to now unon this nose , drops down onto the nose 7 to take the
place of the first ball, to drop outside when a new coin is inserted and the fore-
explained operation takes place. Evidently constructional alterations can be male
to my arrangement, but the purpose to indicate the cook as to what kind of meals
are ordered and paid for, must be attained.
A modified construction of my arrangement is represented in Figures 5 & 6.
This modification consists of conducting the coins directly into the kitchen and
to visibly superpose them in channels. Evidently this construction only can be
employed, when the coin freed mechanism is in proximity of the kitchen. The
advantage of this modification is, that the special controlling device as afore
mentioned, is rendered superfluous, as the coins themselves indicate the kind of
the ordered goods. The parts of this modification are similar to those of the before
described apparatus. The coin freed mechanism a is provided with slots o, each
of which is in connection with a channel o¹. These channels o conduct to a
receptacle having so many compartments as there are coin-channels. The
different compartments are provided with devices by means of which the coins
accumulated in the compartments may be liberated.
Figure 6 represents such a device, and a description will follow hereafter.
A coin inserted in the slot will fall upon the plate r of the coin-freed mechanism.
After withdrawal of the "good for," which is effected in the known manner, the
coin slides along the channel o¹ into the kitchen. Arrived at the bottom of the
channel, the way is stopped. It is advisable to cover these channels with a glass-
plate, so that the cook always can see when a new coin is inserted. If several
coins are inserted simultaneously, they will accumulate and their number will
indicate the number of meals, which are ordered. The coins t in this modified
construction take the place of the balls m in the before explained example. They

page_text: can be taken out of the coin-channel by a simple disengaging device, as shown
in Figure 6, so that no electric mechanism is wanted to disengage the coins.
Figure 6 illustrates a channel, in which several coins are accumulated. The
lowest coin t reposes upon a noses of the disengaging device. This nose sis
attached in known manner to a double-armed lever adapted to pivot round a
point and to move by means of a rod w, which rod constantly is pressed away
from the channel by a spiral spring. Thereby the lower extremity of the
lever is drawn against the channel and the coin will repose upon the nose s. If
now the spring is pressed together by pressure upon the bottom y of the rod w,
the lower extremity of the lever u will be pushed away from the channel, the
nose is withdrawn and the coin having reposed upon this nose drops outside
A second coin is prevented from dropping outside by means of a second nose s¹,
attached to the free extremity of the lever which when s withdraws from the
channel, will enter the same through a perforation provided in the wall of the
channel. When releasing the spring, the lever takes its original position and
the coin again falls down to the nose s, where it will stop.
From these explanations it will be evident that the second construction of my
apparatus is more simple than the first one, but it only can be used when the coin-
freed mechanism is located near the kitchen, while the construction first described
can be employed in any restaurant.
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 a coin-freed mechanism for restaurants, the combination of a mechanism
having slots for different sizes of coins and delivering goods for" conform to
the value of the inserted coins, with a controlling-device having channels in number
corresponding to the slots and filled with balls, wire-clamps k attached to the back-
side of said channels, noses and fixed to the wire-clamps to subsequently enter
the channels, supporting and disengaging the balls, electro-magnets placed
behind each channel, electrically connected with the corresponding slot of the
coin-freed mechanism, for the purpose and substantially as described.
2. In a coin-freed mechanism for restaurants, the combination of a mechanism
delivering "goods for" conform to the value of the inserted coins, with electro-
magnets i wires d connecting the electro-magnets to the coin-inserting slots of
the mechanism, channels filled with balls, wire-clamps attached to these channels,
noses and supporting and disengaging the balls, and means to receive the dis-
engaged balls, for the purpose and substantially as described.
3. In a coin-freed mechanism for restaurants, the arrangement of conducting
the coins inserted in the slots of an apparatus delivering goods for " directly
into the kitchen and to visibly superpose them in different channels, for the
purpose and substantially as described."
Dated this 30th day of January 1899.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co..
Agents for the Applicant.