Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 26th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 1st June, 1888
We, FRANK VILLIERS-STEAD and ELWARD RADFORD HEDGMAN both of No. 50
Lombard Street in the City of London Electrical Engineers and JAMES SPRATT of
21, Watling Street in the said City, Mercantile Agent do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
In a Machine for the automatic supply of small articles the application of electricity
for the delivery of articles contained in the machine by means of a drawer or
otherwise.
The drawer or other arrangement for retaining the Article to be delivered is
retained in position in opposition to the force of a spring by means of rackwork
attached to the drawer controlled by a catch which is released by an electro magnet
set in operation by the weight of coins dropped through a zig zag flat tube in the
Machine causing a displacement of a tray. This causes an electric current to be
established from a battery which operates the electro magnet and the construction of
the Machine is such that the drawer or arrangement retaining the article can be
released when any specified number of coins is deposited in the machine but the
machine can be adjusted so that it can be made to operate for any desired number of
coins of any desired size.
D: 36th day of Soutamber 1887
FRANK VILLIERS-STEAD.
ELWARD R. HEDGMAN.
JAMES SPRATT.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Electrical Automatic Boxes for the Delivery of Small Articles.
We, FRANK VILLIERS-STEAD and ELWARD RADFORD HEDGMAN both of No. 50
Lombard Street, in the City of London Electrical Engineers and JAMES SPRATT of
No. 21 Watling Street in the said City Mercantile Agent, 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:-
The present Invention relates to mechanism for operating a Machine for the auto-
matic distribution of articles such as Cigars Match boxes, Packets of Sweetmeats,
Tickets &c.
The
The machine the general appearance of which is shewn in figure 1 consists of a box
containing a store of articles to be delivered. By the insertion of a coin or coins of
sufficient value in a slot placed in some convenient part of the box a drawer con-
taining one of the Articles to be distributed or the article itself is released.
special features of the present Machine are as follows (1) It is operated by electricity
(2) More than one coin can be inserted in the Machine if desired (3) Shot sand or
other material cannot operate the machine nor (4) can the Machine be operated by
the insertion of a wire. There are several Machines at present in use for the purpose
of the automatic distribution of articles but none of them to the best of our belief
contain the special features of this machine.
The mechanism hereinafter described is operated by electricity and its arrangement
being such that more than one coin can be inserted in the Machine if desired, it can
by a simple adjustment of certain parts be made to operate for any given number of
coins. In carrying out our invention we employ a box of which a general view is
given in Figure 1 and which is divided into an upper and a lower compartment as
shewn in Figure 2.
In Figure 1 there is represented, by way of example a machine constructed for the
delivery of three different sorts of articles. Figure 2 is a section showing the lower
compartment of the Box containing any suitable galvanic battery and also a
receptacle P in which the money deposited in the Machine is received. The upper
portion contains the drawer or drawers F or the slide which causes the delivery of the
articles together with the mechanism hereafter to be described and the box is sur-
mounted by a tower or towers as shewn in figure 1 containing the articles to be
distributed. The towers are not essential to the construction and operation of the
machine but allow of a greater number of articles being stored and thus prevent the
necessity of the machine being frequently restocked.
The coin which is to operate the machine is inserted through a slit in a convenient
position such as the top of the Box. The coin passes down a zigzag channel or
conduit A figures 2, 3 and 4 and figure 7 and descends upon the dish or tray B
figures 2, 3, and 4 and figure 5. The zigzag channel or conduit is made entirely of
plain metal or webbing or perforated material or with perforated metal or webbing on
the lower edges marked a" a" and all all figure 7 (the perforations being of any

page_text: shape) so as to avoid a wire being inserted and so operating the machine and thus
protection is afforded against a fraudulent use of it. The back part of the zigzag is
easily removed from the front by incans of the thumb screws a¹ if the passage should
get obstructed.
The tray B figures 3 and 4 and figure 5 is suspended on an axle d¹ which rocks on
2 adjustable pivots as shewn. The tray is counterpoised by a bar carrying an adjust-
able weight C figures 3, 4 and 5 which can be moved along the length of the bar
until the weight of the coin or coins which is or are to operate the tray is properly
counter balanced. In order to avoid fraud by the insertion of shot sand or other
material of that character the tray has a slot cut in at 61 (figures 34 and 5) and
guiding pieces 6111 (figures 4 and 5) are fastened to the interior of the tray so that
any shot or sand or small articles of that character falling upon the tray would
immediately pass through the slot and out of tray and would not accumulate
sufficiently to equal the weight necessary for operating the machine. Across the
deeper end of the tray a thin bar figures 4 and 5 is placed to prevent the coins
rebounding after their fall.
The drawer or slide F figures 2 and 4 runs upon rods I I figure 4 and is shot
forward from the Box by a spring or springs as shewn in figure 4 or by a weight or
other mechanical equivalent. It is kept in its position by means of the rack work J.
and the escapement arinature K.
The escapement which we prefer to use and which may be varied in details of con-
struction is made in the following manner. AU shaped piece of metal J figure 4
having a certain number of notches cut on each of the inner sides (forming a double
rackwork) is affixed to the side of the drawer whereof one arm as shewn in the figure
being the outside arm not attached directly to the drawer must have the number of
teeth one less than the number of coins of the largest denomination which it is
intended shall operate the machine and the other arm should have the same number of
teeth at least as the said number of coins of the largest denomination.
It is necessary that the notches on one side of the frame should be opposite to the
teeth on the other.
The other part of the escapement consists of the long armature K belonging to
the electro magnet L. L figure 4. This armature swings on a pivot at M figures 4
and 6, and bears at the distant end a double catch as shewn. The extreme distance
between the edges of the teeth of the catch is greater than the free space between the
two arms of the double rackwork. The armature is drawn away from the poles of the
magnet by means of the lever and spring 1 which are adjusted to the strength of
the magnet and of the springs operating the drawer by means of a sliding bar &
binding screw N and the amount of vibration of the armature is controlled by the
poles of the magnet. L. L and the adjustment screw k.
The manner in which the machine works is as follows. A coin or coins of a weight
to which the tray is adjusted by means of the counterpoise being inserted through the
zigzag tube A figures 2 and 4 and figure 7 falls or fall upon the tray B this tray is
adjusted so that it will tilt up with any particular weight. This tilting empties the
coin or coins into the Receiver P figure 2.
At the same. time and by the tilting of the tray the cam D figures 34 and 5 (which
is fastened to the axle of the tray and is in electrical communication with the battery)
comes in contact with the spring E (figures 3 and 4) which is in electrical communi-
cation with the electro magnets L. L the other terminal of which is connected with
the Battery.
This completes the electrical circuit. The magnetism of the electro inagnet, L. L
is set up and draws the escapement armature K towards it and in doing so releases
the catch from the first tooth in the double rackwork I, but the catch is immediately
As soon as the tray
caught by the first tooth on the opposite side of the rackwork.
has discharged its load it recovers its former position and the cam D being removed
from the spring C the electrical circuit is broken the escapement armature is
released from its position by the spring and lever and at the same time it flies
to the opposite arm of the double rackwork where as the drawer is urged forward

page_text: by the springs or their equivalent on the rods II it arrives in time to engage the
second tooth on the inner side of the rackwork. The apparatus is then as it was
before it was set in operation excepting that the escapement has been released one
degree and the drawer is partly opened, namely by one step.
Another coin is now inserted with the same result and so on until the last coin
releases the drawer entirely and it flies open.
The cam D figures 3 and 4 is secured to the axle by means of the screw din
order that it may be readily adjusted. The spring E figures 3 and 4 is also adjusted
and its vibrations are controlled by the screw e.
Supposing the machine to be made to operate with 3 penny pieces as shewn in
figure 4. The tray is adjusted to tilt to the weight of one penny but two half penny
pieces can also be used or four farthings or one halfpenny and two farthings and upon
the necessary weight being put into the tray the tray will tilt and release the drawer
one step or stage. This operation must be performed three times and upon the last
coin necessary to make up the weight being inserted in the machine the drawer will
spring forward the full distance until stopped by the rubber buffer f¹ figure 4.
In order to bring the machine into operation again it is necessary to push the
drawer back into its place and the catch will pass in between the arms of the
rackwork.
The drawer is kept supplied with articles from the tower in the following manner
but no claim is made to this part of the construction of the machine. The tower is
continued down within the box immediately above the drawer and any article in the
tower will, when the drawer is pushed home drop into the Chamber G figure 4
which is cut out of the thickness of the drawer so as exactly to fit the article which is
to be delivered. Upon the drawer being released by the spring it passes underneath
the object next above it in the tower and the back part of the drawer is raised up to
a level with the front part so that it may easily and without interference slide under
the articles in tower. Upon the drawer being emptied and pushed home, another
article falls down into it and so on until the tower is emptied or it may be arranged
that the article itself shall be delivered by the release of a lever or any similar known
method.
If the machine is intended to operate so that only one step shall be made before
the article is delivered a single rackwork or stop working in combination with a catch
will suffice the action being precisely similar to that already described when the
drawer or slide advances by one step or stage, the teeth on the outer arm of the
escapement or its equivalent being now removed, inasmuch as the drawer or slide is
released at one movement of the armature.
In any case we prefer that there should be several teeth on the inner side of the
rackwork as it allows of the drawer being more securely replaced.
Figures 8 to 12 shew some of the various ways in which the escapement can be
modified and portions of it can be placed on one side of the drawer, and other portions
on the other, or the position of the Electrical apparatus or of the escapement or
of any part or parts thereof may be varied without departing from the principle of
the invention.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained our invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed we would have it understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the precise details shown and described as they may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the invention but what we do
claim is
1. The general construction and arrangement of the improved apparatus or electrical
automatic box for the delivery of articles substantially as herein described and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The use of an escapement consisting of a combined catch and double ratchet or
their equivalents when operated by an armature and electro magnet whereby the
step by step movement of the delivery drawer or slide is controlled substantially as
described.

page_text: 3. For coins where one step only of the delivery drawer or slide is required the
use of a combined catch and ratchet or stop when operated by the armature of an
electro magnet as and for the purposes described.
4. The method of operating the drawer or slide of an automatic delivery box by
the use of a spring or springs or their equivalent controlled by the armature of an
electro-magnet and an escapeinent or its equivalent as herein described.
5. The combination of a tilting tray balancing lever cam and contact spring for
operating electrically the delivery of articles from an automatic box as and for the
purposes described and as shewn in Figure 3.
6. The means of preventing the fraudulent employment of shot or sand or the like
by perforating the tray and channel for the coin and by the use of guide pieces as set
forth.
F. VILLIERS-STEAD.
E. R. HEDGMAN.
JAMES SPRATT.