Automatic Weighing Machine and Delivery of Articles in Exchange for a Coin or Coins of Stipulated Value.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th Mar., 1889
Automatic Weighing Machine and Delivery of Articles in Exchange
for a Coin or Coins of Stipulated Value.
I FREDERICK FOSTER of Niagara Works Eagle Wharf Road Hoxton in the County
of Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the combination of an automatic weighing machine with a
machine for the automatic delivery of prepaid articles the subject of my application
No. 3071 dated February 28th 1887.
By this arrangement the operator may stand upon the platform of the weighing
machine and upon inserting a coin of stipulated value he may operate the apparatus so
as to ascertain his weight and at the same time an article may be automatically delivered
in exchange for the coin or coins deposited by the operator.
For this purpose I cause a lever operated by the movement of the lift (which carries
the articles to be automatically delivered) to release a latch which otherwise detains
the hand in a fixed position on the dial upon which weights from zero upwards are
recorded.
The weighing machine is of the ordinary platform type indicating weights by means of
a spring balance the deflection of which is recorded by a hand upon a graduated scale
marked on a dial.
To the arbor which ordinarily carries the indicating hand I attach a connecting
piece having a central pivot upon which the indicating hand fits freely so as to allow
either the hand to turn upon the pivot or the pivot to turn while the hand remains
stationary. The hand is connected with the pivot by a light coiled spring so that
when the hand is detained and the pivot turns the spring will be coiled in such a
manner that the hand being released will be caused to take the same relative
position with regard to the pivot which it held before the pivot was caused to
revolve.
up
This point is determined by means of a stop piece upon the hand coming in contact
with a projection upon the pivot and this stop piece is capable of regulation in order
to allow the position of the indicating hand to be corrected to zero when the weighing
machine is relieved of any load.

page_text: By this arrangement I provide a platform weighing machine upon which a person
may balance his weight but the hand, which would otherwise indicate his weight
upon the dial, being detained, the weight remains un-indicated until by the release of
the latch holding the hand, the hand is carried by the light coiled spring to the position
which it would have before occupied had it not been detained.
After passing through the money inlet the coin descends for a short distance in a
"zig-zag" manner and its passage is rendered visible by the insertion of a glass plate
at this part and by that means a coin or other article inserted by an intending operator
may be kept in view for a period of a few seconds conveniently to serve as a safeguard
against tampering with the apparatus by the insertion of washers metal discs and such
like articles.
When it is required to make an automatic weighing machine without providing for
the delivery of any article in exchange for the coin then I provide a money inlet and
a conducting channel which conveys the coin into a position in which it is operated
upon by a lever communicating with an exterior handle to he operated by the person
requiring to ascertain his weight. The coin forms a connecting piece by means of
which the latch which detains the indicator hand is released and the weight is thus
indicated.
for a Coin or Coins of Stipulated Value.
I FREDERICK FOSTER of Niagara Works Eagle Wharf Road Hoxton in the County
of Middlesex 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 the combination of an automatic weighing machine with a
machine for the automatic delivery of prepaid articles the subject of my application
No. 3071 dated February 28th 1887.
By the arrangement hereinafter described the operator may stand upon the plat-
form of the weighing machine which so far as the weighing mechanism is concerned
is of the type commonly known as the Salter's platform weighing machine and
upon inserting a coin of stipulated value he may operate the apparatus so as to
ascertain his weight and at the same time an article may be automatically delivered
in exchange for the coin deposited by the operator.

page_text: For this purpose I combine the automatic delivery lifts with the platform weighing
machine in the manner hereinafter described reference being had to the accompanying
drawings in all the figures of which the same reference letter indicates the same part.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the upper part of the complete machine showing the dial
upon which the weights are indicated and the lifts from which the articles for sale are
automatically delivered. Fig. 2 is a section through the dial at the point where one
extremity of a Tee piece projects to engage with the dial-pointer for the purpose here-
inafter described. Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of part of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5
represent enlarged front and side views of the dial-pointer. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 represent
details of the arrangement for detaining and releasing the dial-pointer and Fig. 9
represents the Tee piece withdrawn so as to release the dial-pointer as required.
The apparatus so far as the delivery of the prepaid articles is concerned is the same
as the apparatus described in the specification of the Letters Patent previously granted
to me No. 3071 and dated February 28th 1887.
In Fig. 1 F is the slot at which the required coin is to be inserted.
In passing to the required position to operate the bolt H by contact with the adjustable
projection I the coin follows the circuitous path indicated, by means of the inclined
pieces K. K. K. K. alternating from side to side.
By this means a glass front being inserted in this part of the apparatus the article.
deposited within the apparatus is for a certain length of time exposed to view and
thereby the depositor of any article other that the required coin may be detected.
After inserting the coin as required pressure is brought to bear upon it by
means of the pull down piece L shown in Figs. 1 and 3 operating the lift for the
delivery of the prepaid articles in the manner described in the prior Patent
specification No. 3071 of the year 1887 herebeinfore referred to.
In order to provide for indicating the weight of a person standing upon the plat-
form of the weighing machine while operating the delivery apparatus to obtain a
prepaid article, I provide the usual platform weighing machine with spring balance
and dial indicator having graduated marks thereon to indicate the weights by the
rotation of an arbor in the usual way but having a dial-pointer which need not
necessarily travel with the said arbor.
The dial-pointer Q is provided with a block R capable of being secured to the
said arbor and having a coiled spring S one extremity of which is attached to the
block R while the other extremity is attached to the dial-pointer Q which is free
to rotate upon a central pin W on the block R.
A stop T, upon the block R, engages with a stop U on the dial pointer Q, so
that when moved by the spring S the dial-pointer Q always takes up the same
relative position with respect to the block R.
By this arrangement, the block R may rotate with the arbor of the spring balance
while the dial pointer Q remains detained at zero by contact of the projection P
with the extremity of the Tee piece N projecting through the dial.
Each lift is provided with projections M shown in Figs. 2 and 9 corresponding
in number with the number of compartments in the lifts.
When by the upward movement of one or both of the lifts, the projection or
projections M act upon the Tee piece so as to withdraw its extremity N as shown
by Figs. 2 and 9 the dial-pointer Q will be released and being urged by the coiled
spring S will take up its normal relative position with the block R as determined
by the stops T and U.
Thus the weight of the person standing upon the platform of the weighing machine
being registered by the rotation of the arbor of the spring balance, only becomes
apparent by the motion of thedial-pointer Q when this is released in the manner herein-
before described, by the operation of the apparatus for the delivery of the prepaid
articles.
Fig. 8 shows the wedge-shaped form of the projection P on the dial-pointer Q which
though capable of being arrested in the one direction allows the dial-pointer Q to fall
back to its position at zero either by driving inward the extremity of the Tee piece N
or by springing the dial-pointer Q over it.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination with an automatic weighing machine of apparatus for the
delivery of prepail articles arranged so that the operation of the delivery apparatus
discloses the weight registered though not previously indicated by the weighing and
indicating mechanism substantially as described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
2. The intervention of a coiled spring between the dial-pointer and the arbor of a
Salter's spring balance weighing machine for the purpose of allowing the arbor to rotate
in extent depending upon the weight placed upon the platform, the dial pointer being
detained at zero until it is released by the operation of the delivery apparatus being
performed by an operator substantially as described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
3. The arrangement of the dial-pointer urged by a spring S in combination with the
stops T and U to provide for the dial pointer taking up always the same relative
position with regard to the block R when left free to do so, substantially as described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. The circuitous path for the passage of the coins provided by the alternating
pieces K which with the employment of a glass front provides a means of detecting
the insertion of articles other than the stipulated coins substantially as described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of January 1889.
FREDK. FOSTER.
Ayrton & Thomas,
9 & 10, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.