Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus.
I, ROBERT GEORGE GRAHAM, of 8, Drapers' Gardens, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a novel construction of apparatus whereby on the
insertion of a coin two figures are caused to move so as to go through the action
of boxing, the mechanism being so arranged that after a certain time or after a
certain number of blows have been given one of the figures will fall apparently
under the effect of the last blow of the other figure, the arrangement being such
that it cannot be determined beforehand which of the figures will fall.
In a suitable arrangement for carrying out my invention I mount the two
figures which are constructed in any well known manner so that when acted upon
the said figures will perform the movements of boxing.
In order to set the figures in movement I employ an incline, preferably in the
form of a spiral tube or trough, down which a ball when released or placed in
proper position will roll and in its passage will successively strike against a series
of levers, the levers being so arranged that the movement communicated to them
by the ball will communicate the required movements to the figures. As 8000 as
the ball shall have passed the last of the series of levers it passes onto a portion
of the incline which is widened and is studded or provided with pins against which
the ball strikes and its direction is thereby diverted and rendered uncertain so
that when it reaches the bottom of the incline it falls into either one or the other
of two receptacles, striking in its descent a lever in communication with either one
or the other of the two figures causing the arm of the said figure to strike out and
at the same time the ball will also depress or otherwise operate a lever or its
equivalent attached to the other figure which is thereby caused to fall as if struck
by the last blow of the first figure.
In practice I find it advantageous to arrange for the ball to fall onto a projection
or bucket on a wheel which is locked in position until a coin is inserted to release
it when the wheel can be turned so as to bring the ball to the top of the incline,
the discharge of the ball automatically locking the wheel. Or the ball may on
leaving the incline fall into a suitable receptacle outside the apparatus, in which
case the opening to the incline would be closed until opened or released by the
insertion of a coin, the said opening automatically closing after the ball has
passed.
Dated this 14th day of September 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus.
I, ROBERT GEORGE GRAHAM, of 8, Drapers' Gardens, in the City of London,
Gentleman, 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 a novel construction of apparatus whereby on the

page_text: insertion of a coin two figures are caused to move so as to go through the action
of boxing, the mechanism being so arranged that after a certain-time-or after a
certain number of blows have been given one of the figures will fall apparently
under the effect of the last blow of the other figure, the arrangement being such
that it cannot be determined beforehand which of the figures will fall.
In a suitable arrangement for carrying out my invention I mount the two figures
which are constructed in any well known manner so that when acted upon the said
figures will perform the movements of boxing.
In order to set the figures in movement I employ an incline down which a ball
when released or placed in proper position will roll and in its passage will
successively strike against a series of lever-flaps so arranged that the movement
communicated to them by the ball will communicate the required movements to
the figures. Near the bottom of the incline the ball meets with obstructions
which divert it against one or the other of two lever-flaps connected with the
respective figures in such a manner that whichever lever-flap is operated will
cause the corresponding figure to fall as if struck by the last blow of the other
figure.
In practice I find it advantageous to arrange for the ball to fall into.a bucket
which is locked in position until a coin is inserted to release it when the bucket
can be moved so as to bring the ball to the top of the incline.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved apparatus, part of the case being
broken away to reveal some of the parts behind; and,
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same :
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Figure 2; and,
Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Figure :
Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Figure 2:
Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Figure 5, drawn to an enlarged scale.
a is the casing of the apparatus within which is a platform 6 upon which the
figures c, c are mounted and beneath which is the inclined plane. This inclined
plane is advantageously formed of a series of superposed sections from one to the
other of which the ball is adapted to drop. Any number of sections may be
employed according to the time that the figures are to be operated: in the drawings
I have represented the inclined plane as having six sections d, d', d', d³, d', d³, the
At the sides
several sections being supported between the sides of the casing a.
of the inclined plane sections are ribs or flanges e, e which serve to prevent the
ball from rolling off.
To permit the ball to pass from one plane section to another, the lowest end
of each section is provided with a hole through which the ball can drop onto
the plane section beneath, and in order to reduce the concussion due to the falling
of the ball I advantageously place beneath each of the said holes or openings fa
cushion fo in the form of bellows. These bellows I prefer to so arrange that the
operating ball when dropping upon them will not pass entirely through the holė
until the air is pressed out of the bellows; this arrangement serving to retard the
motion of the ball and so prevent the latter from running down the incline too
quickly. In Figure 3 I represent at f', f¹ the position of the ball as it drops onto
the bellows.
h, h are the lever-flaps which are pivotted across the inclined plane in suitable
standards h', h' in such a manner that as the ball rolls down the plane it will strike
against the said flaps and lift the same so as to impart movement to levers i, i upon
the axes or shafts, carrying the said flaps.
The motion of the levers i, i is communicated to the figures to operate the latter
by the following means.-Immediately beneath the platform bupon which the
figures stand two shafts j, j are arranged and each of these shafts carries a series of
arms k, k the extremities of which are connected by cords or chains to the
respective levers i, i.

page_text: In practice I find it advantageous to arrange two lever-flaps on each section
of the inclined plane the lever i of one of which is connected with the corre
sponding lever k on the shaft ; and the lever i of the other of which is connected
with the shaft j¹.
Each figure is pivotted upon one foot at 1 so that it can drop backwards into
nearly a horizontal position and up this pivotted leg extend two rods m, m³ one of
which serves for operating the right arm and the other the left arm of the figure.
by means of well known mechanism. These rods m, m³ project somewhat below
the sole of the foot and are adapted to be actuated or lifted by means of levers
n, n¹
pivotted at no, which levers are themselves operated or moved from the shafts j, j
respectively by means of the lever-arms o, o', that is to say, each of the shafts j, j
carries two levers o, o¹ one of which operates the right arm of one figure and the
second the left arm of the other figure. Thus, as each figure has one of its arms
operated from the shaft j and the other from the shaft and as the levers are so .
arranged that when the right arm of one figure is moved the left arm of the
other figure will be moved it will be obvious that the movement of both the
figures takes place each time the ball passes one of the lever-flaps, the move-
ment of the lever-flap at the top of the incline causing the movement of the right
arm of the figure cand of the left arm of the figure c' and the movement of
the next lever-flap causing the movement of the left arm of the figure e and of the .
right arm of the figure c.
;
o', o' are balance weights upon arms fixed to the shafts j, j', which weights serve
to return the said shafts to their normal positions after they have been moved by
the levers i, i.
P, p' are two lever-flaps placed side by side the former of which has its lever i
connected by means of a cord or chain 7 to a bell-crank lever q' which acts against
a lever on the pivot of the figure c in such a manner that when the ball strikes
the said lever-flap p the figure c will be thrown upon its back. The other
flap has its lever i connected by a cord to a bell-crank lever ' which
latter is connected by a cord to a lever on the pivot 1 of the figure cso
that when the said flap p' is operated by the ball the said figure c' will be thrown.
upon its back.
In order that there shall be uncertainty as to which of the figures c, c' shall fall,
I arrange on the inclined platform in front of the lever-flaps p, pl diverting pieces s, s
which serve to direct the ball against a pin s¹ from which it will roll off against one
or the other of the said lever-flaps; or I may arrange a series of pins in any
suitable manner for the same purpose.
To replace the figure which falls I arrange on the lowermost section of the
inclined plane a lever-flap t having two levers i, i one of which is connected with
the lever q² of the figure c by means of the cord to, the bell-crank lever t¹ and the
rod t, whilst the other lever i is connected with the lever of the 'figure c' by the
cord u, the bell-crank lever u' and the rod u².
The mechanism for raising the ball to the top of the incline and freeing the
apparatus by means of a coin is as follows:-
:―
vis a cage or bucket into which the ball rolls by gravity from the lowermost
section of the inclined plane over. the incline d* and by means of which the ball.
is raised to the level of the upper end of the uppermost section d of the inclined.
plane. This bucket has an open side and an inclined bottom as shewn in Figure 5
and in order that the ball shall not rest at the point where the incliue d* and the
incline of the bucket meet I provide the flap above the opening through which
the said ball rolls, the said flap moving inwards as the ball rolls into the bucket
under the momentum which it acquires in running. from the inclined plane
section and then closing behind the said ball as shewn in Figure 5.
bucket is adapted to be raised and lowered in the well o' by means of a handle o*
extending through a slot in the front of the casing a. During the time that
the bucket is being raised the ball therein bears against the side of the well :
1 ...
This

page_text: as soon, however, as the bucket reaches its uppermost position the ball rolls out of
the same.
To ensure that when the bucket is lifted to place the ball on the upper end of
the inclined plane the ball shall not be released and allowed to operate the figures
until the bucket is again returned to the bottom of the well ready to receive the
ball, I place on an inclined plane w, onto which the ball rolls from the bucket
before it runs onto the upper end of the sectional inclined plane, a stop w¹ which
when the bucket is lifted from the bottom of the well projects sufficiently above
the plane w to retain the ball when the latter rolls out of the bucket, the said stop
being connected by a rod w³ to a foot w upon which the bucket when in its lower-
most position acts to draw down the stop to allow the ball to roll onto the sectional
inclined plane. w is a spring which serves, to raise the stop when the weight of
the bucket is taken off the foot.
"
is a double rack fixed in one side of the well and serving in conjunction with
a pawl (pivotted upon one side of the bucket v and shewn clearly in
Figures 5, 5 and 6 and acted upon by a spring ¹) to ensure that when the bucket
is moved it shall be lifted to the top of the well to discharge the ball and moved
down again to receive the ball, the said pawl running up one side of the said rack
and down the other side in a manner which will be readily understood.
y is a lever-catch pivotted upon a bracket yl on one side of the well and so
arranged that when the apparatus is inoperative its lower end will project over the
top edge of the bucket to prevent the latter from being lifted, as shewn in
Figure 1, a weight y on the said lever serving to retain the latter in this locking
position.
2. is a counterweighted lever carrying the money bucket z' which being of ordinary
construction requires no description, the coins being inserted into the said bucket
through the slot in the casing of the apparatus. This lever z has a lug or projec-
tion which acts against an extension of the lever y in such a manner that when
a coin is introduced into the bucket the lug 2 will act against the lever extension **
to move the lever y out of engagement with the bucket so that the latter can be
lifted. When the lever y is out of engagement with the bucket the extension **
projects at its upper end into the well so that as the said bucket in being raised passes
the said end of the extension 2 it will act against the same and force it backwards, the
lever at the same time acting against the lug z' to lift the bucket 2¹ and discharge
the coin. On the downward movement of the bucket the latter acts against the end
of the lever y and presses it back so that when the said bucket is in its lowermost
position the weight y' will move the lever over the top of the bucket to again lock
the same, it being understood that the weight y' is sufficient to return the empty
coin bucket to its normal position.
0
The operation of the apparatus hereinbefore described is as follows:-
A coin being introduced into the money bucket z¹ the lever z is moved to draw the
lever-catch y out of engagement with the bucket v. The said bucket which
contains the operating ball is then lifted to the top of the well so that the ball
rolls out against the stop w' and then the bucket is again lowered until it presses
against the foot w³ and draws down the stop w¹. The ball being thereby released
rolls down the sectional inclined plane moving in its course the various lever-
flaps and one or the other of the lever-flaps p, p, whereby the figures are caused to
go through their various movements and one or the other is thrown backwards.
the ball runs down the last section of the inclined plane it strikes the lever-flap t to
again lift the figure which fell backwards, the ball then rolling into the bucket v
ready for another operation.
As
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 annaratus havin
umiliate immenting

page_text: movement to the said figures by means of a ball rolling down an inclined plane and
in its course striking a series of levers or lever-flaps to move the same, the
motion of the said levers being transmitted to the figures, substantially as
described.
2. In a coin-freed apparatus having two figures representing pugilists operated
by the rolling of a ball down an inclined plane, forming the said plane with a series
of superposed sections so arrauged that the ball will drop from one to another of
the same, substantially as described.
3. In a coin-freed apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding claiming
clause the arrangement of bellows beneath the openings in the inclined plane
through which the ball drops substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
4. In a coin-freed apparatus having figures representing pugilists to which
motion is imparted by a ball rolling down an inclined plane the combination with
the said plane of a series of lever-flaps against which the ball strikes, substantially
as described.
5. In a coin-freed apparatus having figures representing pugilists operated by
the movement of a ball down an inclined plane, arranging the said figures to fall
backwards and the provision of means whereby there shall be uncertainty as to
which figure shall fall, substantially as described.
6. In a coiu-freed apparatus having two figures representing pugilists operated
by the rolling of a ball down an inclined plane and in which the said figures are
adapted to fall backwards, the arrangement of two lever-flaps connected with the
said figures and so placed that the operating ball can strike one or the other of
them in an arbitrary manner substantially as described.
7. In a coin-freed apparatus having two figures representing pugilists operated
by the movement of a ball down an inclined plane, the arrangement of a bucket,
substantially as described, for lifting the ball from the bottom to the top of the
inclined plane, the said bucket being normally locked by means of a lever which is
released when a coin is inserted into the apparatus, substantially as described.
8. In a coin-freed apparatus of the kind hereinbefore described, the combination
with the inclined plane and with the bucket. for raising the weight from the lower
to the upper end of the same, of a stop for retaining the ball after it leaves the
bucket until the bucket is returned to the lowermost end of the plane to receive
the ball, substantially as described.
9. The combination of parts forming the improved coin-freed apparatus herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of July 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.