Improvements in or relating to Coin-freed Apparatus for Displaying Cards, Advertisements, and other Articles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
Improvements in or relating to Coin-freed Apparatus for
Displaying Cards, Advertisements, and other Articles.
We, JOSEPHA SCHIELE, of 12, Rue Plétinckx, Merchant, and SIMON HACKELBERG,
of 49, Rue Fosse aux Loups, Merchant, both of Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, 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 apparatus, the object of which is to display in stations
and other places closed or open post or letter cards, letters enclosed in envelopes,
advertisements and other articles, fastened to or suspended from an accessible outer
part of the apparatus.
The apparatus, the outer shape of which may be that of a box with flat sides
adapted to be arranged on the wall of an apartment, building etc., or it may be of
a prismatic or cylindrical column shape, presents this characteristic feature, that
fastening devices such as hooks, catches, bars or the like, suitably arranged in the
apparatus, are, by the action of an inserted coin or coins, released or disengaged
or thrust out, whereupon-after the articles to be exposed to view have been
inserted or placed in position-the fastening device is moved back by hand, thereby
fastening the article to the outer surface of the apparatus, the parts automatically
resuming their fixed or locked position.
The locking and releasing inechanism for the fastening devices is formed in
a most simple manner by a pawl or lever which, by its own weight, or by the action
of a counter-weight, is drawn downward and retained opposite a catch of the
fastening device, or in engagement with the fastening device, the action of the weight
being simultaneously such that a suitable catch-plate for the coin is balanced or
held in its raised position. When a coin is inserted and drops upon this catch-plate,
the bar is raised off the catch or from engagement with the fastening device, which
being released, moves rapidly outwards under the action of a spring, whilst the coin
is discharged from the catch-plate. The article etc., to be displayed. having been
put in place, the fastening device is returned by hand, the bar again descends and
engages with the fastening device and so holds it in position.
This invention is represented, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing,
in which
Fig. 1 is a front view showing a box shaped apparatus provided with a number
of devices-in this case 16-for fastening and displaying articles on the front wall
or face of the apparatus.
Figs. 2 to 4 respectively represent in front elevation, side elevation and plan a
single fastening device to be released by an inserted coin or coins.
In the constructional example, represented, the fastening device consists of a
horizontal slide 2 having its front extremity constructed in form of a hook; this
slide having, under the action of a spring a³ a tendency to move forward or
outwards and thereby to move the hook away from the wall of the apparatus. In
this operation the slide is guided in an opening in the face A of the apparatus,
which opening corresponds to the shape of the slide. For the purpose of securely

page_text: fastening the article, to be suspended for display, and of protecting the same from
being used by unauthorized persons, the hook a is so formed that, when the slide
occupies its rearward position (Fig. 3), the point a¹ enters an opening in the plate A
(Figs. 2 & 3)..
The slide a is retained in its locked position by a blade-shaped locking lever b
adapted to oscillate about a point 61; this locking lever being so constructed, that
its downwardly bent extremity 62, having its lower edge made somewhat sharp,
engages behind a catch of the slide, this catch being slightly inclined (Figs. 3
and 4). To the locking lever b 62 is pivotally connected a connecting rod 63 passing
through a fork or guide b, which rod serves to connect the locking device with
one end c² of a lever, oscillating about a pivot c, the said end c² being if necessary
weighted, as by a counter-weight c¹; the other arm or end c³ of the lever carrying
a catch-plate c for the coin, which is inserted in the slot B of the apparatus.
This catch-plate is so constructed, as to enable the coin dropping on to it, to slide
off sideways, into a receptacle below.
The ratio of the weight and of the leverage between the locking device and
releasing device is so arranged that the product of the total weight of the pawl b,
the connecting-rod 63 and the counter-weight c¹ multiplied by the lever-arm c² is
greater than that of the weight of the catch-plate et multiplied by the lever arm c³
but inclusive of the momentum of friction between a and smaller than the
product of the weight of the catch-plate plus the momentum of weight of the
striking coin multiplied by the lever arm c³, so that, in the normal position of
tho device, the lever b b² is drawn down with suflicient force and the catch plate
(see Figure 2) is held suspended in a raised position whilst, when the coin strikes
the catch plate, the locking lever is raised to a sufficient extent, so as to enable the
enlarged portion of the slide a², which forms its catch or head, to pass outwards so
that the released slide moves rapidly forward under the pressure of its spring,
until the surface a* comes in contact with the plate A, and the hook a projects
from the face of the apparatus and can thus be utilised. The movement of the
catch-plate which allows the coin to slide off instantly-is limited by a stop .
The locking lever remains upon the higher part of the slide, until the article to be
secured and displayed has been inserted under the guides C (Figs. 1 to 4) and
the hook a¹ and has been fixed to the outer surface of the apparatus by exerting
manual pressure upon the hook. By this pressure the slide is returned to its
former position and the lever bb² again descends and engages the catch part
the slide.
of
The card or the envelope containing the correspondence is introduced between
the guides C after a hook a has been disengaged by the introduction of a coin,
then the hook is pushed away and the card fixed in the apparatus as described.
It may be removed by the person for whom it is intended on the introduction of
another coin, but if desired the shape of the hook may be such as to enable the
card to be torn out. Thus the exposed articles may, according to the method
of fixing them, be either torn off or may be removed by releasing the fastening
device.
As it is convenient to have near the apparatus letter cards and advertisements
having the desired size to enable them to be introduced into the compartments,
a distributing apparatus containing a quantity of cards of each kind may be if
desired connected with the described apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A coin-freed apparatus for exposing cards, advertisements and other articles,
comprising fastening mechanism, normally retained in the interior of the apparatus,
and means for releasing and rendering same accessible upon the outside of the
apparatus, by the insertion of a coin or coins, the fastening mechanism being

page_text: pressed back and becoming relocked after the articlés to be displayed and secured
have been placed in position, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus of the kind described a locking device for the fasteuing
mechanism, to be released by an inserted coin or coins, comprising a series of
levers (b b b c² (3) weighted or not by a counter-weight and a co-operating
slide (2), actuated by a spring and carrying the fastening device proper, and a
balanced catch-plate for receiving the coin, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus of the kind described a fastening device consisting of a hook (a),
arranged at the front end of a slide (²), the point of which hook, when in its
locked position, is located within the front wall of the apparatus, substantially as
described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
mechanism for use in securing advertisements, cards and other articles to be
displayed, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
T
1000