Improvements in and connected with Actuating Mechanism for Coin- freed Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1898 -Accepted, 11th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Actuating Mechanism for Coin-
freed Machines.
I, CARL RAMSPECK, of Ottensen, near Hamburg, in the German Empire,
Engineer, 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 improvements in actuating mechanism for automatic
machines, and has for its object various improvements in the construction of the
same.
In automatic machines having a non fixed slide, that is to say, such machines,
where the continually movable slide on the outside of the machine becomes con-
nected with the slide which delivers the goods only upon the insertion of a coin,
it is necessary that the coin establishing the connection between both slides shall
be held for such a period between the said slides until the goods are entirely and
with absolute certainty ejected from the machine.
As soon as the article is delivered, the slide drawn forward is released, where-
upon the same rapidly returns to its former position, the coin which up to now
effected the connection, must be caused to fall into the cash-box for the reason
that when the mechanism is in a position of rest, the previously employed coin
cannot under any circumstances be allowed to remain between the two slides or
in the actuating mechanism of the machine.
This secure and certain retaining of the coin between the connected parts, until
the goods are delivered, and then the also absolutely certain removal of the coin
upon the springing back of the previously coupled parts or slides has heretofore
often been found to possess the disadvantage, that the coin hitherto, when the
slides or levers sprang back into their former position, was sometimes still held
between the said parts instead of falling out of engagement. For this reason
I cause in my improved construction only the " outer or outside" lever to spring
back, whilst the lever or constructional part delivering the goods, remains station-
ary with the coin. The part which according to the present invention, is con-
nected with the outside slide, receives a rotary movement, which rotary movement
can be directly used for the desired purpose, or this said movement may be trans-
formed into a to-and-fro motion.
The movement of the outside slide can be transformed to a shaft, the rotation
of which can be used in any optional manner for delivering the goods. Upon this
driving shaft I may arrange a star-shaped dise provided with slots for the recep-
tion of the coin connecting said disc forming a kind of ratchet and pawl
mechanism with the to-and-fro rotating outside actuating slide which acts as an
oscillating carrier of the articles to be delivered, in which mechanism the coin is
the organ by means of which the parts effecting the above mentioned movements
are coupled. Whilst the oscillating actuating slide continually performs a
to-and-fro motion, the before mentioned disc upon the shaft can only move in one
direction, viz. under the influence of the connecting coin, which only during the

page_text: sliding movement is held between both of the slides or levers, whereas as soon as
the goods-carrier commences its return movement, the said coin becomes released.
By an especial device, preferably by means of, a "pawl" the said disc attached
to the shaft, can be caused to be held in the various positions of rest in both
directions whereby again the coin is used to release the mechanism.
I have shown in the accompanying drawing one method of carrying my inven-
tion into effect.
Figures 1 & 2 show two varying characteristic positions of my improved
mechanism, whilst
Figure 3 is a side view in section of Figure 1, seen from the left.
In the drawings a is the driving shaft, the rotation of which, as already men-
tioned, is utilized in any suitable manner for the movement or actuation of the
goods delivering mechanism. With this shaft a disc. b is rigidly connected, the
form of which is clear from the drawing. The section of the disc is step-formed.
Upon the periphery of said disc slots c are provided, into which slots a pawl d
can fall, whereby a rotation of the disc b towards both directions is prevented.
Upon the step or contracted part of the disc b which possesses the smallest
diameter, star-shaped walls or partitions are caused to form chambers or
receptacles e for the reception of the coins, which of course are open towards the
front side. The coin chamber which for the time being is at the top, that is to
say, the chamber under the coin channel is also closed towards the front or outer
side by means of the carrier h, as shown in Figures 1 & 2, which carrier h has a
sector shaped form so that the coin i is securely retained within this receptacle.
The carrier which is loosely located on the shaft a, is provided with a lateral
arm k, (Figures 1-3), said arm k extending beyond the partition f, whereby,
as will be clear, the revolution of the carrier must carry the coin with it.
To set the apparatus in motion, that is to say, in order, by means of the outside
lever on the carrier to effect a forward, or to-and-fro movement of the said
carrier whereby the disc b would be rotated to the extent of one chamber in a
forward direction, the pawl ratchet d must be first brought out of engagement
with the said disc. This is effected by the coin itself. As shown in Figures 1 & 2,
the said chambers e of the disc b are of such a length that upon the movement of
the carrier h the coin itself in the chamber e has to move along a certain distance,
before it reaches the corresponding parting wall f.
Figure 1 shows the commencing position of the various portions of the actuating
mechanism, or more precisely the position where the coin has reached the chamber
or slot under the money channel g, whilst the position of the various parts as
shown in Figure 2, represents the carrier as having been moved so far forward
that the coin has reached the lefthand partition wall, i.e. has reached the position,
in which the said coin effects a connection between the disc b and the carrier h,
so that now in the further movement, the both parts b and h will be jointly moved.
The movement of the coin in its casing is also used for the purpose of releasing
the pawl d, said pawl (see also Figure 2) having in the mean time been lifted
by the edge of the coin i out of engagement with the aperture c.
The disc b can now be freely rotated until the pawl d falls into the next recess c.
The oscillating carrier h is now returned to its first position, and after a further
coin has been inserted, the above described movements will be repeated. The
previously inserted coin will remain in the coin chamber or slot, until the rotation
of a disc b causes the same by its own weight to fall into the coin box of the
machine.
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 an actuating mechanism for automatic machines, the combination with
a disc band apertures or recesses c provided on said disc, a carrier h adapted, from
the outside of the machine to set the said disc b in rotation in such manner, that

page_text: the inserted coin becomes pressed against the partition wall f of said recess c,
whereby the movement of the disc b can take place, the said coin being caused to
remain for so long a period in the corresponding recess c of the disc 6, until by
the further rotation of the disc b the ejection of the said coin is effected, as set
forth.
2. In an actuating mechanism for automatic machines, the combination with
a disc b, of apertures or recesses c, provided on said disc at regular intervals upon
the same, a pawl d arranged to engage in said apertures of the said disc b, in which
apertures the said pawl d is arranged successively to fall, subsequent to being
successively lifted by the action of the coin, a carrier adapted from the outside
of the machine to set the said disc b in rotation in such manner, that the inserted*
coin becomes pressed against the partition wall f of said recess c, whereby the
movement of the disc b can take place, the said coin being caused to remain for
so long a period in the corresponding recess c of the disc b, until by the further
rotation of the disc b the ejection of the said coin is effected, as set forth.
Dated this 12th day of December 1898.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.