A MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DELIVERY OF PREPAID ARTICLES
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 25th May, 1889
1, GEORGE ROLAND ALSTON, of 60, Longridge Road, Earls Court, Kensington, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for A MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DELIVERY OF PREPAID ARTICLES
to be as follows :-
My invention consists of a machine or apparatus for the automatic delivery of
prepaid articles.
The machine or apparatus may be made in the shape of a box in which a tube or
passage, so shaped as to prevent fraud by using other than a coin of suitable
denomination, is placed; down this tube or passage the coin passes, or enters, into a
slot, slit, or cavity, through which slot, slit, or cavity it enters into the parts hereafter
described.
These parts consist of a series of slides, or-horizontal pieces, some of which are
fixed & others movable, thus in one instance three are fixed & two movable.-At one
end of which slidos, or pieces, a slit, slot, or cavity is so cut, or made, that after the
coin has entered therein from the above-mentioned tube or passage it keys or locks
the same, and also allows of the same being propelled.
In another suitable position a cavity, slot, slit, or recess, about the size of the
article to be delivered, is made, for the reception of such article; and each such
cavity, slot, slit, or recess, is made in such a position in the fixed and movable slides,
or pieces, that when the two or more movable slides, or pieces are propelled the cavities,
slots, slits, or recesses all come one beneath the other and thus allow the article
to be delivered by falling or dropping through such cavities, slots, slits, or
recesses, into a suitable receptacle.-On one such slide, or piece, a handle is
placed for the public to propel the two or more movable slides, or pieces to
the required position after having put in a coin of suitable denomination, but such
handle must not be placed on the movable slide, or slides, piece or pieces, which first
receive the article to be delivered.-After such prropelling the coin by gravity falls or
drops through a slit, slot, or cavity, cut or made in the fixed slide, or piece,
immediately below the bottom movable slide, or piece, in such a position as to allow
of the necessary propelling prior to dropping or falling into the lower portion of the box.
[Price 8d.]

page_text: The movable slides or pieces are shortened so as to allow of the necessary traverse,
and the upper movable slide, or slides, piece, or picces, are so shaped as to allow of it
or their being propelled back to their proper positions by means of a vertical, or
otherwise, projecting piece, or pieces fixed on the bottom movable slide, or slides,
piece or pieces. The middle fixed slide, or slides, piece, or pieces, between the top
and bottom slide, or slides, piece, or picces, is also so made as to allow of the above
return propelling.
In some instances where agitation of the article to be delivered is necessary, vertical,
or otherwise projecting pieces are placed on the top movable slide, or piece, and work
through slits, slots, or cavities cut or made through the top fixed slide or slides, piece
or pieces; the thickness of the top movable slide or slides, piece or pieces, above the
middle fixed slide or slides, piece or pieces, is the same as that of the article required
to be delivered, and the distance from or between the top movable slide or slides, piece
or pieces, and the bottom movable slide or slides, piece or pieces, taking into account
the thickness of the fixed middle slide or slides, piéce or pieces, is such that when a
coin of suitable denomination has passed into the slits, slots, or cavities above described,
it locks or keys such slides or pieces ready for propelling.
Dated thin
M1000

page_text: Longridge Road, Earl's Court, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 relates to a machine or apparatus for the automatic delivery of prepaid
articles.
The machine or apparatus shown by way of illustration in the accompanying
drawings, and shown in this case for the delivery of articles such as cigarettes, is so
constructed as to deliver one or more articles in exchange for a coin or coins of one
denomination and twice the number of articles for a coin or coins of greater
denomination.
In some cases the machine or apparatus may be constructed to deliver at each
operation another article for use with the article which the machine is chiefly designed
to deliver thus when cigarettes are the article to be delivered, a match
delivered with each.
may be
In the accompanying sheet of drawings Fig. 1. is a sido elevation of the machine,
with one side of the casing turned back to show the interior.
Fig. 2. is a central longitudinal vertical section.
Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 are detail views hereinafter referred to.
Fig. 10 is a sectional detail view illustrating a modification.
1. is a casing within which is arranged a coin shoot 2 slotted at 3 and terminating
at its lower end above a fixed slotted plate 4. Below this slotted plate are three
slides 5, 6 and 7 that rest on stationary plates 5°, 6 and 7* respectively.
The slides 5, 6 and 7 are shown separately in plan in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 and the
plates 5, 6, and 7° in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 respectively.
On the lowermost plate 7 are two projections S, 8, each curved at its inner side
s shown more clearly in Fig. 6 which is a section in the line a-b Fig. 5. These
wo projections form a way on which a coin can rest on edge and along which it
an be slidden. A penny will rest upon the upper parts of the projections, and a
alf penny will rest upon the curved inner portions. Coins of less size can fall
hrough a slot or hole 7 in the plate 7* into the coin receptacle without enabling the
machine to be operated. The bottom of the slide 7 has corresponding recesses at 9
Fig. 9) for the reception of the projections 8, 8 over which it works. The slides 5
nd 6 are each recessed at 10 (Figs. 7 and 8) for the passage of a coin and at 11 for
he passage of the article or articles to be delivered. They are also each formed with
lots 12 through which extend pins 13 fixed to the lower slide 7, and also with another
ct 14 in which another pin 15, fixed to the slide 7, may work when the lower slide is

page_text: operated in the absence of a coin within the space between this pin and the adjacent
part of the slide 6 or slides 5 and 6. The slide 7 is normally held in its outer position,
shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by springs 16 but it can be pushed inward by a rod 17 and
knob 18. 19 is a hinged flap forming the bottom of a hopper 20 for the articles to
be delivered the upper part of the casing forms the sides of this hopper. The
1;
pins 13 bear against the under side of the flap 19 and when the slide 7 is moved
backward and forward they cause the flap to rise and fall and thereby allow one or
two cigarettes as the case may be to fall into the slot or slots 11 formed in the slides 5
and 6.
The pins 13 also serve to return the slides 5 and 6 to their normal positions.
Instead of hinging the flap 19 as shown Figs. 1 and 2 and vibrating it by the
pins 13 for the purpose of lifting up the body-of cigarettes in order that one or more
may freely descend into the slot or slots 11 in the slide, it may be made stationary
and be provided with a tubular extension 20 as shown in section in Fig. 10 in which
a plunger 20 is caused to work by one or both of the pins 13 when the slide 7 is
moved inward, and thus raise the cigarettes for the purpose mentioned.
21 is a passage down which the cigarettes are delivered to a receptacle. 22. 23 is the
coin receptacle.
30, is a receptacle for matches 31 the lower-most of which rests upon the inner end
of the plate 6. 32 is a projecting portion of the slide 6 that serves to push the
lowermost match into the passage 21 through which it falls and is delivered with the
cigarette when the slide 6 is pushed inward.
33. is a weighted lever one end of which normally projects into the shoot 2 to
prevent the passage of bodies of less weight than that of the smallest coin necesary
for enabling an article to be delivered.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
If a coin of suitable denomination (say a half-penny) to obtain a single delivery be
dropped into the shoot 2 it will descend through the recesses-10 in the slides 5 and 6
falling between the inner end of these recesses and the pin 15 and rest upon the
curved surfaces of the projections 8, extending upward through the slot 7° in slide 7
a sufficient distance to bear against the slide 6 when it is forced inward by the slide 7
and pin 15, but not to bear against slide 5. If now the knob 18 he pressed inward,
slide 7 will be operated and through the intervention of the coin will move slide 6
and bring the slot 11. therein above the passage 21 so that the cigarette within such
slot will fall into the passage and receptacle 22. When the slide 6 is near the end of
its inward stroke, the projecting portion 32. of the slide 6 will pass through an aperture
at 34 and displace the lowermost match in the receptacle 30 by pushing it off the
plate 6ª into the passage 21 down which it is delivered with the cigarette from the
slide 6.
If a coin of greater denomination say a penny, be inserted in the machine for
effecting a double delivery it will rest upon the projections 8 and extend upward
sufficiently to come opposite part of the slide 5 so that when slide 7 is pushed inward,
slides 5 and 6 will also be moved inward and the two cigarettes contained in the
slots 11 in such slides will be delivered into the passage 21 together with a match
as before.
When the knob 18 is released, the springs 16 will return the slide 7 to its normal
and outward position, the pins 13 also returning the slides 5 and 6 to their outward
positions. As the pins work in slots in the slides 5 and 6 the first portion of the
return stroke of the slide 7 is performed whilst the slide 5, or slides 5 and 6 are
stationary thereby releasing the coin previously held against the slide or slides by
the pin 15 and permitting it to fall through a slot 7d in the plate 7 into the coin
receptacle 23. Upon the further outward movement of the slide 7 the pins 13
return the slides 5 & 6 to their normal positions and also allow the flap 19 to fall
and fresh cigarettes to pass into the slots 11.
As will be obvious, machines or apparatus constructed according to this invention
may in some cases be provided with two slides only such as 6 and 7. also that
the means for delivering a match, in some cases may be dispensed with,

page_text: 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. In a machine or apparatus for delivering prepaid articles the combination with
a hopper or chamber for the articles to be delivered of an operating slide such as 7
and one or more delivery slides, such as 5 and 6, constructed and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and shown in the drawings
annexed for the purposes set forth.
.
2. Providing the slide 7 referred to in the preceding claim with pins such as 13
and forming the slide 6, or slides 5 & 6, with slots 12, wherein said pins work,
substantially as herein described for the purposes set forth.
3. In a machine or apparatus of the kind referred to in chim 1, providing an
additional receptacle such as 30 for containing articles such as matches and adapting
one of the slides to deliver one of such articles each time it is operated to deliver an
article from the main hopper or chamber substantially as described and shewn.
4. The improved machine or apparatus for delivering pre-paid articles constructed
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
and shewn in the drawings annexed whether or not it be provided with the
means for delivering articles such as matches at each operation of the machine or
apparatus.
Dated this 96th dow of Manal 1000