Improvements in Coin-Freed Automatic Machines for Taking Care of Articles left temporarily.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application 9th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 15th Jan., 1898.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Coin-Freed Automatic Machines for Taking Care
of Articles left temporarily.
I, MARTIN HOMMEL, of Geislingen Street, Wurtemberg, in the Empire of Germany,
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 that class of apparatus in which the insertion of a coin
releases a train of mechanism, and its object is to provide automatic cloak room
holders for use in cafés, theatre cloak rooms, and similar places, so that while
accessible to the user, safe custody of the articles deposited is guaranteed against
inistakes or theft, and the services of the special attendant usual in such places
obviated.
This invention consists of an automatic holder so arranged that hats, cloaks, sticks
or the like can, after the insertion of a coin, be securely fastened by means of a key,
which at the same time is automatically delivered to the user, and the key, when'.
used again to unlock the holder is automatically held in position, so that it cannot
be taken away while the holder is released.
One method of carrying this invention into effect is illustrated in the accompanying
sheet of drawings, as follows.-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the holder in a closed or locked position.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a back elevation of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the mechanism with the holder in a released or
open condition.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are details of the mechanism.
Figure 9 is a side view of the key.
On the wall-plate a, which is provided with a distinctive number such as b, a
hanging up hook d is arranged, hinging in a vertical plane at c, and this hook holds
securely when in its closed position any umbrella or stick introduced between the
pegs e, e, the forked ends f, f, of the hook d engaging with the pegs e, e, when in the
position shown in Figures 1 and 2, to secure the umbrella or stick. To lock this
swinging hook & the curved metal rod g attached to the vertical shaft h is employed,
its head or termination i springing over the knob or termination of the hook d.
The vertical shaft h carries at its lower end a plate l, the said plate being rigidly
attached to the shaft. Immediately underneath this plate lis a somewhat similar plate m,
which, although not attached directly to the shaft, can be carried by the motion of.
the shaft and its plate in a manner to be hereinafter described. Both these plates !>
and m are provided with slots n n¹, which are superimposed one above the other, and
of such a dimension that a coin inserted will form a locking medium for the two
plates. A spring p, is wound round the vertical shaft h, attached at one end to the
base plate, and at the other to the shaft. Upon the plate m, a pin r is placed, which
comes into immediate contiguity with the notch in the plate 1, so that rotation in
the direction shown by the arrow (on Figure 5 of the drawings) of the plate m will
Price 8d1

page_text: cause that plate to carry the plate with it, while at the same time unless a coin is
inserted the plate is free to inove in the direction of the arrows when carrying with
it the plate m.
Both the plates and m are provided with coincident notches 8, 8', which, if the
plates are keyed together by the presence of a coin, and turned together in the
direction of the arrow (Figure 5) allow of a spring bolt t springing into these notches
and holding the plates in that position, and therefore holding the metal bar y in the
locked position shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. The coin itself in the
first instance falls down the channel o, superimposed over the slots n n¹, and a second
channel v after the rotation of the plates m, l, becomes coincident with the slots n, n',
and allows the coin to fall out into a receiver. The bolt t which under the influence
of a spring is pressed home into the notches s, s¹, in the plates, is provided with
grooves which towards one side form an oblique surface, and upon the other side
carry a small notch or keeper x, which notch or keeper when the holder is open lies
in the groove or space y of the key 2, and prevents its withdrawal. For the introduction
of the key on opening the holder a slot ¹ is provided, and on the reverse of the wall-
plate a a spring 22 is also provided engaging in the slot ¹ for the purpose of foreing
out the key when the bolt t is in the position for release. "
The operation of the hereinbefore described automatic cloak room holder is as
follows. After the articles are hung or placed upon the hooks, of which there may
be any number in duplicate, a coin is inserted in the slot or groove o which falls down
into the slots n, n¹, of the plates m, l. The user then grasping the bar grotates it,
until it comes into the position shown in Figure 1, and this rotation by means of the
vertical rod h acting upon the two plates m, t, carries them round until the
notches 8, 8¹, come opposite the bolt t, when this bolt springs into position, and thus
locks the bar g, while simultaneous with this locking, the slots n, n¹, come in
line with the bottom channel and allow the coin to drop down that channel
into the receiver. On the springing in of the bolt in the spaces 8, 81, the keeper a
forming part of that bolt rides clear of the space y in the key z, and simultaneous
with this the spring 2 presses that key out, and it can be taken away by the user
till required.
If now the articles are to be removed or to be released from the holder the key 2
is introduced into the slot z¹, and pressed inwards. The inner end of it acts upon the
oblique slots on one side of the bolt t and forces it backwards, removing the engaging
end from the notches 8 8¹, thus allowing the spring p upon the vertical rod h to come
into action, it having been previously coiled up by the swinging of the bar g into the
locked position. Thus this spring rotates the shaft h to the open position, the
notch q upon the plate acting upon the pin r upon the plate m, and carrying that
plate with it into the open position. The backward movement of the bolt t brings
the keeper again into the space y of the key and prevents the removal of that
key until the operation is repeated by means of the insertion of a coin, and the
rotation of the bar g, all in the manner herein before described. It is evident that the
key z, and the locking slots on the bolt t can be varied in many ways without departing
from the subject-matter of this invention, while it is also possible to apply signal
arrangements on each holder indicating that the same is in use, while further
controlling arrangements and registering apparatus can be applied to recording the
number of persons using each automatic device.
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
clain is :-
1. In coin freed automatic machines in combination, pegs or hooks to receive
cloaks umbrellas or other light articles, capable of being locked after the insertion of
a coin in portion of the mechanism, a key automatically released after the locking,
and automatically held in position when the hook or pegs are again unlocked,
all substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2.-In coin-freed automatic machines the provision of a vertical shaft having upen

page_text: it a fixed and lose plate with coincident slots, so that the insertion of a coin in these
slots acts as a locking medium between the plates, and permit of their rotation
together as a means for operating the coin freed apparatus, substantially as and for
the purposes herein before described.
3. The coin freed automatic cloak-room holder herein before described with
reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 an.1 9 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this is my of August 1097.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.