Coin Freed Apparatus for Exposing Objects to View for a Limited Period of Time upon the Insertion of a Coin.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Coin Freed Apparatus for Exposing Objects to View for a Limited
Period of Time upon the Insertion of a Coin.
I, ERNEST JAMES KEY, of 163, Barnsbury Road, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Art Metal Worker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide apparatus wherein upon the insertion
of a coin, articles such for instance as microscopical objects may be exposed to
view for a limited period of time.
For this purpose I provide a rotative shaft mounted in suitable bearings
traversing a chamber in which the articles are to be exposed to view and carrying
therein a drum upon which these articles may be exhibited in a manner to be
brought successively into view by the operator who rotates the shaft by means of
a handle provided outside the apparatus.
In order to enable the operator to make only one complete turn of the shaft
I provide a ratchet wheel and pawl to prevent the shaft from being turned in
one direction and a detent wheel engaging with a detent lever upon which the
coin falls to release the detent and so allow the shaft to be rotated in the other
direction. The detent lever being depressed at one end by the coin striking
thereon, is maintained in that position by a slight frictional spring engaging with
its elevated end until the greater portion of the rotation of the shaft is com-
pleted when by means of a projection from the rotating shaft the elevated end
of the detent lever is depressed.
The chamber in which the objects are exposed to view is provided with a
suitable lens through which the operator looks but the chamber being otherwise
closed the objects therein contained can only be seen when and so long as the
interior chamber is lighted by means of an electric lamp.
The electric light is provided by means of any suitable batteries enclosed in
the apparatus a special device being provided for making contact and so producing
the light after the insertion of the coin and for automatically breaking contact
after a certain interval of time measured from the monient at which the contact
was made.
The contact pieces consist of two bow springs which by their tension take up
a normal position overlapping each other but removed from contact, and which
being brought into contact by pressure exerted upon the uppermost one slide
upon one another and so tend to keep the contact points clean. A weighted
lever is provided the heavier end of which rests upon a buffer while the lighter
end projects across and beyond the bow spring which forms the upper contact
piece and removed from contact therewith but capable of being depressed thereon
and of remaining so depressed for a measured period of time during which the
electric lamp remains lighted in the manner hereinafter described.
provide a closed cylinder having trunnions or journals by which it is carried
in suitable bearings at right angles to its axis these bearings being set in line
with the bearings of the rotative shaft but not in the same plane. The rotative
shaft is provided with a carrier pin to engage with one or other end of a cross
bar secured to one of the trunnions or journals of the closed cylinder outside its
bearing. By this means when the rotative shaft is rotated the carrier pin comes
in contact with one end of the crossbar causing the closed cylinder to rotate in
its bearings until by virtue of the want of coincidence of the axes of rotation of
the closed cylinder and the rotative shaft the carrier pin disengages the crossbar.
The closed cylinder is divided into separate compartments within from one to

page_text: the other of which water is transferred by percolating through small apertures
made in the walls forming the separate compartments. Thus when the closed
cylinder is rotated the end containing the water is elevated and passes from
below to above the projecting light end of the weighted lever depressing in so
doing the heavier end upon the buffer which restores the lever to its normal
position with the lighter end in readiness to arrest the closed cylinder after its
release by the disengagement of the carrier pin. By this means the super-
incumbent weight of one end of the closed cylinder due to the presence of the
water contained in the compartment formed at that end causes the closed cylinder
to depress the weighted lever making contact and thus producing the required
light and breaking contact when by transference of the water to the other end
of the closed eylinder, retirement from the weighted lever is automatically
performed and the light censes.
The coin which operates the detent lever is to be introduced at a coin inlet
slot connected with a coin shoot in the usual way adopted for coin freed machines
and may be stored in position in which the last coin introduced remains visible
being moreover illuminated at night during the operation of the apparatus by
rays of light directed from the electric lamp in the exhibition chamber.
Rays of light may be similarly directed to illuminate advertisement spaces in
the apparatus.
Dated this 30th day of April 1890.
AYRTON & THOMAS.
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Coin Freed Apparatus for Exposing Objects to View for a Limited
Period of Time upon the Insertion of a Coin.
1. ERNEST JAMES KEY, of 163, Barnsbury Road, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Art Metal Worker, 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 object of this invention is to provide apparatus wherein, upon the insertion
of a coin articles such for instance as microscopical objects may be exposed to view
for a limited period of time.
For this purpose 1 provide the apparatus hereinafter described with reference to
the accompanying drawings in all the figures of which the same part is indicated by
like letters of reference.
Figure is an elevation of the complete apparatus having the lower portion of
its stand removed.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the inside mechanism.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an end view of Figure 2 taken at the line ―r.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of part of Figure 2 taken at the line the position
of the timing device being altered to that which it occupies during the time for
which the contact is made to produce the electric light.
A is a rotative shaft mounted in bearing B traversing the chamber in which the
articles are to be exposed to view and carrying therein a drinn Cupon which
plates D are fixed to hold the articles to be exhibited in a manner to be brought
successively into view by the operator who rotates the shaft A by menus of a
handle E provided outside the apparatus.
In order to enable the operator to make only one complete turn of the shaft A
I provide a ratelet wheel and pawl G to prevent the shaft from being turned in
one direction and a detent wheel 1 engaging with a detent J capable of being
withdrawn by the coin lever N and so allow the shaft A to be rotated in the other
direction. During that part of the rotation of the shaft A while the objects are on

page_text: view it is a convenience to allow the shaft to be turned in either direction for
bringing the object exhibited to the exact position which the operator may desire.
To provide for this some of the teeth are removed from the ratchet wheel Fas
shown in Figure 4.
The coin lever N being depressed at one end by the coin conducted thereon
through the money chute K is maintained in that position, a counterpoised lever L
retaining the coin thereon until by continued rotation of the shaft A a projection M
disturbs the counterpoised lever L and releases the coin the detent J being
thereafter free to engage with the detent wheel H when the rotation of the shaft A
is completed.
The chamber in which the objects are exposed to view is provided with a
suitable lens P through which the operator looks but the chamber being otherwise
closed the objects therein contained can only be seen when and so long as the
interior of the chamber is lighted by means of an electric lamp T.
The electric light is provided by means of any suitable batteries enclosed in the
apparatus, a special device being provided for automatically breaking contact after
a certain interval of time allowed to the operator for viewing the objects through
the microscope.
The contact pieces consist of two bowed springs a a¹ which take up a normal
position overlapping each other but removed from contact and which being brought
into contact by pressure exerted upon the upper one a slide upon one another and
so tend to keep the contact faces clean.
A lever Q has a projecting part to rest upon the contact spring a² and is capable
of being depressed thereon so as to make contact between the bowed springs a
and a and of remaining so depressed for a measured period of time during which
the electric lamp remains lighted in the manner hereinafter described.
I provide a closed cylinder R having trunnions or journals by which it is
carried in bearings c. The bearings c are set in a line parallel with the axis of the
rotative shaft A which is provided with a crank S to engage with one or other end
of a cross bar d secured to one of the trunnions of the closed cylinder R outside
the bearing c. By this means when the shaft A is rotated the crank S comes in
contact with one end of the cross-bar d causing the closed cylinder R to rotate in
its bearings until by virtue of the want of coincidence of the axes of rotation of the
closed cylinder R and the rotative shaft A the crank S disengages the crossbar d
whereupon the closed cylinder R drops into the position shown in Figure 5 and
resting upon the lever Q causes contact to be made by the bowed springs a and a¹.
The closed cylinder R is divided into two separate compartments within from
one to the other of which water is transferred by percolating through small
apertures e made in the walls which form the two separate compartments.
Thus when the closed cylinder R is rotated the end containing the water is
clevated and passes from below to above the lever Q which arrests it after its
release by the disengagement of the crank S from the cross bar d. The super-
incumbent weight of one end of the closed cylinder R due to the presence of the
water contained in the compartment formed at that end causes the lever Q to he
depressed upon the bowed springs a and a¹ making contact until by transference of
the water through the aperture e to the other end of the closed cylinder R retire-
ment from the weighted lever is automatically performed and the light ceases.
The coin which operates the coin lever is to be introduced at a coin inlet
slot U connected with a money chute K in the usual way adopted for coin freed
machines and finally falls into a position in which it is visible through a glass
panel V being morcover illuminated at night during the operation of the apparatus
by rays of light directed from the electric lamp through a suitable aperture in the
exhibition chamber.
Rays of light may similarly be directed to illuminate advertisement spaces Win
the apparatus,
Advertisements appearing at the openings W may be made changeable by
rotation the movement being derived from the rotative shaft A by means of a
•

page_text: pair of mitre wheels of which the driver X is shown in Figures 2 and 3. By
suitably arranging the number of teeth for the pair of initre wheels the
advertisements appearing at the openings W after eacli operation of the apparatus
change in the regular order of their cycle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. Apparatus in which articles exhibited in a dark chamber become visible by
means of electric light, the electric current for which is established by the operator
after inserting the required coin substantially as described.
2. In coin freed apparatus for viewing by means of an electric lamp objects
exhibited therein, the timing device whereby contact is made and maintained only
for a measured period of time after the insertion of a coin substantially as
described.
3. The apparatus for allowing articles contained therein to be viewed through a
microscope for a measured period of time by operations permitted upon the
insertion in the apparatus of the required coin substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of January 1891.
AYRTON & THOMAS,
Agents for the Applicant.