Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for the Freeing and Delivery of Goods by the Action and Operation of a Coin or Equivalent.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for the Freeing and
Delivery of Goods by the Action and Operation of a Coin or
Equivalent.
We PERCY RUSKIN ALLEN of 35 Mall Road, Hammersmith Mechanical
Engineer, WILLIAM DAVID GOOCH of 28 Victoria Street Westminster, Engineer
and FREDERICK THOMAS RUSHTON of 14 New Inn, Strand, Solicitor, all in the
County of London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to the locking and releasing mechanism of apparatus
wherein are stored goods normally locked but one of which is freed on receipt of
a coin or equivalent and the operation thereof by an external manual device.
"
The object of our invention is to provide a simple and strong apparatus not
liable to derangement or fraud, and though applicable to general "automatic
vending or delivering purposes it is designed more particularly for the sale or
delivery of flasks bottles or other vessels containing beverages.
Such vessels are placed in a rack, or stand adapted to revolve or otherwise, and
may be secured between a fixed plate and a moveable holder, or between two
moveable holders, or they may be embraced by jaws or clasps, or enclosed by doors
or other holders in suitable manner; such holding device or devices is or are
normally locked but adapted to be liberated on receipt of the proper coin and
operation of an external part. The essential feature of our invention is the use
for the purpose of obtaining a constant mechanical motion for the purpose of
releasing said holders of a screw of suitable pitch mounted in bearings and working
through a corresponding nut or sleeve. The latter is normally free to revolve
inoperatively with the screw but when a coin is inserted the nut is held thereby
and then rotation of the screw will cause the nut to travel longitudinally, and this
motion is utilized to operate the releasing connections to the holders. A slot for the
coin is cut longitudinally in the nut and the inserted coin is directed thereto by
the coin shoot and when the screw is turned the coin is held for a given travel by
suitable guides and then escapes into a receptacle. The operative travel of the
nut may serve to force forward a trigger plate sliding on guides against the face of
a spring and withdraw the trigger from a locking plate, tumbler, cam or ratchet
wheel or equivalent connected by suitable levers or the like to the holder or holding
device whereby the latter will be liberated and the goods may be removed.
The same tumbler or equivalent is or may also be connected to a lock pawl or
stop engaging the goods carrier (if moveable) so as to prevent more than one
delivery for one payment.
The reclosing of the liberated cover causes all the parts to be returned to normal
positions, aided by suitable springs if required. Each locking mechanism may
have its separate screw nut and shoot if desired, or one screw may serve to operate
any number of nuts and their gear; and in square or angular apparatus several
screws may be geared together by bevel wheels or the like so that one external
manual device of any convenient type will serve to operate them all and the holder
or holders to which coin has been applied.
All the mechanism is enclosed in a suitable casing with conveniently arranged
fittings, and to enable the attendant to conveniently liberate all holders simul-
taneously a pendent lever is or may be fixed to the sliding trigger plate or part
operated by the nut, projecting into the coin drawer, so that when it is withdrawn
so also is the sliding plate and hence all the holders are freed.
Dated this 11th day of April 1892.
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for the Freeing and
Delivery of Goods by the Action and Operation of a Coin or
Equivalent.
We, PERCY RUSKIN ALLEN, of 35 Mall Road, Hammersmith, Mechanical
Engineer, WILLIAM DAVID GOOCH, of 28, Victoria Street, Westminster,
Engineer, and FREDERICK THOMAS RUSHTON, of 14, New Inn, Strand, Solicitor,
all in the County of London, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the locking and releasing mechanism of apparatus
wherein are stored goods normally locked but one of which is freed on receipt of a
coin or equivalent and the operation thereof by an external manual device.
The object of our invention is to provide a simple and strong apparatus not
liable to derangement or fraud, and though applicable to general
66 automatic "
vending or delivering purposes it is designed more particularly for the sale or
delivery of flasks, bottles, or other vessels containing beverages.
Such vessels are placed in a rack or stand adapted to revolve or otherwise, and
may be secured between a fixed plate and a movable holder, or between two
movable holders, or they may be embraced by jaws or clasps, or enclosed by doors
or other holders in suitable manner:-such holding device or devices is or are
normally locked but adapted to be liberated on receipt of the proper coin and
operation of an external part. The essential feature of our invention is the use
for the purpose of releasing said holders of a screw of suitable pitch mounted in
bearings and working through a corresponding nut or sleeve. The latter is
normally free to revolve inoperatively with the screw but when a coin is inserted
the nut is held thereby and then rotation of the screw will cause the nut to travel
longitudinally, and this motion is utilized to operate the releasing connections to
the holders. A slot for the coin is cut longitudinally in the nut and the inserted
coin is directed thereto by the coin shoot and when the screw is turned the coin is
held for a given travel by suitable guides and then escapes into a receptacle. The
operative travel of the nut may serve to force forward a trigger plate sliding in
guides against the force of a spring and withdraw the trigger from a locking plate,
tumbler, cam or ratchet wheel or equivalent connected by suitable levers or the
like to the holder or holding device whereby the latter will be liberated and the
goods may be removed.
The same tumber or equivalent is or may also be connected to a lock pawl or
stop engaging the goods carrier (if movable) so as to prevent more than one delivery
for one payment.
The reclosing of the liberated cover causes all the parts to be returned to normal
positions, aided by suitable springs if required. Each locking mechanism may
have its separate screw, nut, and shoot if desired, or one screw may serve to
operate any number of nuts and their gear; and in square or angular apparatus
several screws may be geared together by bevel wheels or the like so that one
external manual device of any convenient type will serve to operate them all and
the holder or holders to which coin has been applied.
All the mechanism is enclosed in a suitable casing with conveniently arranged
fittings, and to enable the attendant to conveniently liberate all holders
simultaneously a pendent lever is or may be fixed to the sliding trigger plate or
part operated by the nut, projecting into the coin drawer, so that when it is with-
drawn so also is the sliding plate and hence all the holders are freed.
We will now describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which similar letters refer to similar parts.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the motor screw and its nut.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a plan and Fig. 3 a front elevation of an apparatus for vending
decanters of spirits or the like, to which our invention is applied.
Fig. 4 is a sectional back elevation illustrating one arrangement of interposed
functional mechanism combined with the screw.
Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of same, the changed positions of parts being
shown in dotted lines.
Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a sectional side elevation and a part front view of
another arrangement of interposed functional mechanism combined with the
motor screw.
A is the motor screw of suitable pitch and B its nut with coin slot b; P is the
operating plate with tubular extension p fitting loosely on screw A, and D is
the return spring. Qis the casing of the mechanism in which the screw A is
mounted; C is the fixed money shoot extending from top of casing Q to just above
slot of nut B; its foot is extended at c¹ parallel to the screw A and for a
suitable distance. The screw is operated through pinion M fixed to its outer end,
and rack N by means of a hand-operated spring return spindle N¹ suitably disposed
as illustrated, or otherwise.
The casing of the mechanism and the operating gear above described are suitably
mounted in a main frame such as T, around which an annular goods carrier S is
fitted, above which in suitable position a locking cover G¹ is fitted. The goods R R
are placed in a groove or sockets upon the carrier S which is mounted upon
rollers running in the frame, and has formed in its inner surface radial slots s
behind and opposite to each article R. The carrier S is arranged vertically below
the goods locking cover G¹ hereinafter described and adapted to be freely revolved
by the operator so as to bring any goods he may desire beneath same prior to
purchase. Below the frame an open-topped and locked money drawer is provided.
The duty of the motor screw is to operate and release the cover G locking the
goods. To this end the cover G' is attached to a lever G centred at and
extended internally as illustrated in Fig. 5, and provided with a spring H constantly
tending to pull down the lever and open the cover. Above and parallel with the
screw is fitted across the casing Q a guide bar E upon which slides freely a
projecting part 1 of the plate P. This part pl normally holds up in locked
position the nose F1 of a rocking lever or tumbler F centred at f upon a bracket
such as ; this tumbler F is adapted when operated to discharge the dual function
of at once opening the cover G' and locking the goods carrier S so as to prevent its
being moved until the cover is closed. The lever G is connected to the tumbler F
at one side of the centering f by an upward link and at the other side of the
same centering the tumbler F is connected by a downward link f' to a carrier
catch K centred at k on the casing Q and passing through same. In operation the
inserted coin takes the position illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, at x, i.e., standing
on edge in slot band partly engaging also in the foot c¹ of shoot C. On operation
through spindle N' and gear M Ñ of screw A, revolution of the loose nut B being
prevented by the coin, the said nut is travelled along by the screw in the direction
of the arrow, Fig. 1 until the upper edge of the coin arrives at the end of the
guide c', when it is released and also the nut B, the coin falling to the money
drawer.
This travel of the nut serves to push forward the plate P removing its
locking projection p from beneath the nose F¹ of tumbler F, which being thus
freed, by the action of spring H on lever G through link, is pulled down upon
the guide bar E, and this also simultaneously raises the cover G', freeing one
article R, and the same action through link serves to depress catch K into a
slot and so lock the carrier S. The parts are maintained in this position, which
is shown dotted in Fig. 5, owing to the depressed position of nose F₁ of tumbler F,
preventing return to normal position of plate P until the cover G' is reclosed, and
when this is done, the nose F¹ of tumbler F being raised, the plate P is returned
by spring D, and all the parts take the normal positions illustrated ready for the
next operation.
To provide for releasing the carrier during refilling I arrange a horizontally

page_text: sliding plate V, Figs. 5 and 54, preferably above the money drawer; in it is cut
an L-shaped slot through which an arm p² depending from plate P passes freely.
For refilling, the machine is to be operated as usual once, and the slide is then
moved until the slot and arm p² take the dotted position of Fig. 5, in which the
slot holds the plate P in its operated or second position. By partly closing
cover G', the catch K is released from the carrier, and then by working the
cover G¹ up and down the goods can be removed and replaced at will.
In some cases, and particularly where a superposed arrangement of goods
carriers is required as in a large apparatus, top covers such as G¹ would or might
not be convenient. Therefore we have designed as specially applicable in such
cases the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. Herein the arrangement of
motor screw, nut, operating gear, plate P, shoot C, goods R, revolving carrier S,
and carrier catch K remain substantially the same as above described, but instead
of employing a top lifting cover G' as described, we employ a swivelling cover
plate G fixed on the end of an oscillating spindle J underlying the carrier and
mechanism, the said plate being normally held vertical so as to cover and retain an
article R, by the locking plate P, against the force of a coiled spring such as o.
The plate P has a foot på sliding on the base with which normally an arm j on
spindle J engages and is held up. The spindle J also carries a cam acting upon
the tail of the spring-pressed carrier catch K. In operation, when the plate P is
travelled back by the nut and screw as above described, as soon as its foot p³
clears the arm the spring o at once acts and oscillates the lever through an arc
limited by any suitable stops, thereby swivelling the plate G2 clear of the article R
which may then be removed. By the same oscillation of spindle J the cam ;'
serves to lift the tail and depress the nose of catch K into carrier slot & and so
locks the carrier as before.
We desire to state that we are aware of Edward Thomson's Patent No. 14482,
A.D. 1889, and that we lay claim to nothing therein specified and claimed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for the freeing and delivery of goods by the action and operation
of a coin or equivalent, the use and adaptation of a screw carrying a loose nut such
as B, both normally inoperative, but adapted to be geared together by the inserted
coin or equivalent, in such manner as then to permit operative rotation of the screw
to produce a constant mechanical motion, substantially as and for the purposes
hereinabove set forth.
2. In apparatus such as is above described the combination with the motor screw
carrying a loose nut with coin slot, and the coin shoot having a foot guide such as c¹
and directing the inserted coin to the position described, of the gear for operating
the parts in such manner as to produce the motion required for the purposes above
set forth.
3. The apparatus having for its operating medium a screw and nut and
constructed and arranged as and for the purposes above described and illustrated
in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings.
4. The apparatus having for its operating medium a screw and nut and
constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes above described and
illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.
Doted this 11th day of February 1892