Improvements in and relating to Coin-freed Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Coin-freed Apparatus.
A communication from RODOLPHE DE LAMPRECHT, of Gagny, in the Republic of
France.
I, ARTHUR FREEMORE SPOONER, of 323, High Holborn, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to coin-freed apparatus and its chief object is to provide
a new mechanism, applicable to all classes of such apparatus, in combination with
a registering or recording device for enabling the number of times the said
apparatus has been operated to be ascertained, and thus to provide an efficient
check and prevent fraud.
According to the said invention a suitable bed or base-plate is provided upon
which is supported the whole of the mechanism. Upon this bed or base-plate are
fixed two uprights or standards between which is mounted a toothed wheel of large
diameter gearing with a small toothed wheel or pinion, which latter, in the
present apparatus is arranged to impart intermittently, by means of a partially
toothed or cut away wheel and of a pinion adapted to mesh therewith, movement
to an arrangement of photographic views worked by means of the shaft or axis of
the said pinion.
The large toothed wheel has rotary motion imparted to it through a pinion keyed
upon a shaft or axis passing through one of the said uprights or standards, and
which shaft or axis has keyed upon it another pinion governed by a strong spring
drum. The speed of all the above described gearing is governed or controlled by
a regulator consisting of a clockwork movement having a suitable flier. Upon the
shaft or axis of this flier, is keyed a star wheel which has a constant tendency to
rotate under the action of the above mentioned spring barrel but which is
normally prevented from rotating by a catch placed at the lower end of a rod or
stem fixed to one end of a balance lever, which balance lever is arranged to
oscillate about its axis upon the falling of a coin of a predetermined value or its
equivalent which has been introduced from the exterior of the apparatus through
a suitable chute. The above mentioned balance lever has, on that end next the
chute, a tongue-piece which engages with a spring catch jointed to a small support
fixed to one of the uprights or standards. And the said balance lever is also pro-
vided with adjustable counterpoise weights, intended to equilibrate its oscillations
in accordance with the weight of the coin or its equivalent to be received in
payment, and to cause it to resume its locked position with the stop in engagement
with the star wheel and thus to arrest the movement of the train of gearing when
the above mentioned tongue-piece is freed.
The locking position of the above described rod or stem with the star wheel can
be regulated or adjusted by means of a screw or the like.

page_text: The large toothed wheel is provided upon its side face or in some other con-
venient position, with two or other convenient number of wipers which act upon
a tail or extension of the spring catch to oscillate or move the latter and release
the balance lever as each of the said wipers successively comes in contact therewith.
during the rotation of the said large toothed wheel. And the said large toothed
wheel has also two pins or projections located at points determined by the position
of the above mentioned wipers the function of which latter will be hereinafter
explained.
The registering or recording device which operates in combination with the
above described mechanism is constructed as follows:-
-
Upon the bed or base plate carrying the above described mechanism and
arranged perpendicularly to the herein before mentioned large toothed wheel, is
placed a support upon which are mounted, one above the other, two grooved wheels
which serve as reels or bobbins adapted to receive a band, strip, or ribbon of paper
or of other suitable material.
The upper or one of these grooved wheels is provided upon one of its side faces
(preferably that opposite to its support) with any suitable number of pin teeth
which are so arranged that they will be successively engaged by one of the
pins or projections placed upon the large toothed wheel and the said grooved
wheel will be turned or rotated thereby through a certain angle. This grooved
wheel carries between it and its support a ring or crown having ratchet teeth
with which teeth a finger or ratchet piece fixed upon the end of a spring blade
or piece successively engages and thereby ensuring the absolute stoppage of the
said grooved wheel after each of its displacements. This spring blade or piece
is provided just above the band of paper or its equivalent and facing the said
finger or ratchet piece, with a receptacle terminating at its lower end in a hollow
style.
This receptacle is filled with ink or the like and prints or marks through the
said hollow style upon the paper band or its equivalent each time that the grooved
wheel is carried round or rotates through a certain angle by reason of the
engagement of one of its pin teeth with one of the pins or projections upon the
large toothed wheel, and at this moment the finger or ratchet piece mounts upon
the inclined plane situated upon one side of one of the ratchet teeth, raising at
the same time the inking device so as to allow of a certain amount of the paper
band or its equivalent passing without being printed or marked, until such time
as one of the following depressions or spaces between the said teeth presents itself
to the said finger or ratchet piece when this latter falls into it, and is accompanied
in its descent by the inker, which, through its style marks a point upon the band
of paper or its equivalent.
It will be seen that at each fall of a coin of the predetermined value, or its
equivalent upon the balance lever the following operations will take place:
First The oscillation of the balance lever occurs which liberates the clockwork
movement and engages its tongue-piece with the spring catch. Second-The
rotation of the large toothed wheel which through one of its pins or projections
turns the grooved wheel so as to mark the band of paper or its equivalent.
Third The raising or removing of the tail or extension of the said spring catch
by one of the wipers so as to free the balance lever and lock by means of the stop
fixed upon its rod or stem, the star wheel, thus arresting the movement of the
train of clockwork mechanism and consequently the rotation of the said large
toothed wheel.
These different operations will repeat themselves at each introduction of a coin
of the predetermined value or its equivalent into the chute, and will stop only
upon the running down of the spring in the barrel, which latter can be wound
up by means of a key placed upon a square upon its spindle, from the exterior of
the apparatus, in any usual or convenient manner.
The mechanism herein before described is arranged, as has been already
mentioned, to actuate an apparatus containing photographic views, but it will

page_text: be readily understood that by obvious modifications the same can be adapted to
operate an apparatus for selling or distributing articles of any description.
It is to be understood, moreover, that in order to ensure the efficiency of the
control or check provided by the said registering or recording device, and to
facilitate its use, the bands of paper or other material may be stamped or impressed
with the seal of the company or proprietor of the apparatus, and number the
spaces to be marked by the style of the registering or recording device in such
a manner as to admit of the total number of marked spaces being read at a glance.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1898.
Improvements in and relating to Coin-freed Apparatus.
A communication from RODOLPHE DE LAMPRECHT, of Gagny, in the Republic of
France.
I, ARTHUR FREEMORE SPOONER, of 323, High Holborn, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement: —
This invention relates to coin-freed apparatus and its chief object is to provide
a new mechanism, applicable to all classes of such apparatus, in combination with
a registering or recording device for enabling the number of times the said
apparatus has been operated to be ascertained, and thus to provide an efficient check
and prevent fraud.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a side view, showing the internal mechanism of the apparatus, and
Figure 2 is a front view thereof.
Like letters refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
According to the said invention a suitable bed or base-plate A is provided upon
which is supported the whole of the mechanism enclosed in any suitable framing.
Upon this bed or base-plate A are fixed two uprights or standards B, B', between
which is mounted a toothed wheel C of large diameter gearing with a small
toothed wheel or pinion D. This pinion D in the apparatus of which that illus-
trated forms part is arranged to impart intermittently, by means of a partially
toothed or cut away wheel E and of a pinion F adapted to mesh therewith, move-
ment to an arrangement of photographic views worked by means of the shaft or
axis F of the said pinion F, but it will be readily understood that by obvious
modifications the shaft or axis F¹ can be adapted to operate any other apparatus
for selling or distributing articles of any description. The large toothed wheel C
has rotary motion imparted to it through a pinion G keyed upon a shaft or
axis G passing through one or both of the said uprights or standards B, B', and
which shaft or axis G has keyed upon it another pinion G" governed by a strong
spring drum H, or operated by any other suitable motive power. The speed of all
the above described gearing is governed or controlled by a regulator consisting
of a clockwork movement I having a suitable flier I. Upon the shaft or axis Ini
of this flier I is keyed a star wheel J which has a constant tendency to rotate under
the action of the above mentioned spring drum H or its equivalent, but which is
normally prevented from rotating by a stop J placed at the lower end of a rod
or stem K fixed to one end of a balance lever L, which balance lever L is arranged

page_text: to oscillate about its axis L' upon the falling of a coin of a predetermined value or
its equivalent which has been introduced from the exterior of the apparatus through
a suitable chute M. The above mentioned balance lever L has, on that end next
the chute M, a tongue-piece L" which engages with a spring catch N jointed to a
small support fixed to one of the uprights or standards B, B. The said
balance lever L is also provided with adjustable counterpoise weights 0, 0¹,
intended to equilibrate its oscillations in accordance with the weight of the coin
or its equivalent to be received in payment, and to cause it to resume its locked
position with the stop J' in engagement with the star wheel J and thus to arrest the
movement of the train of gearing, when the above mentioned tongue-piece Lu is
freed.
The locking position of the above described rod or stem K with the star wheel .J
can be regulated or adjusted by means of a screw V or the like.
The large toothed wheel C is provided upon its side face, or in some other
convenient position, with two or other convenient number of wipers C¹ which act
upon a tail or extension N of the spring catch N to oscillate or move the latter
and release the balance lever L as each of the said wipers C' successively comes
in contact therewith, during the rotation of the said large toothed wheel C. This
large toothed wheel has also two or more pins or projections c located at points
determined by the position of the above mentioned wipers C₁ the function of
which latter will be hereinafter explained.
The registering or recording device which operates in combination with the
above described mechanism is constructed as follow:-Upon the bed or base
plate A carrying the above described mechanism and arranged perpendicularly to
the herein before mentioned large toothed wheel C is placed a support P upon
which are mounted, one above the other, two grooved wheels P¹, pil which serve
as reels or bobbins adapted to receive a band, strip, or ribbon Q of paper or other
suitable material. The upper or one, P¹, of these grooved wheels is provided upon
one of its side faces (preferably that opposite to its support P) with any suitable
number of pin teeth 7 which are so arranged that they will be successively engaged
by one of the pins or projections placed upon the large toothed wheel C, and
the said upper grooved wheel P¹, will be turned or rotated thereby through a
certain angle. This grooved wheel P¹ carries between it and its support P a ring
or crown having ratchet teeth p', with which teeth a finger or ratchet piece q,
fixed upon the end of a spring blade or piece U, successively engages and thereby
ensuring the absolute stoppage of the said grooved wheel P₁ after each of its
displacements. This spring blade or piece is provided just above the band Q
of paper or its equivalent, and facing the said finger or ratchet piece q, with a
receptacle R terminating at its lower end in a hollow style S. This receptacle R
is filled with ink or the like, and prints or marks through the said hollow style S
upon the band Q of paper or its equivalent each time that the grooved wheel Pl
is carried round or rotated through a certain angle by reason of the engagement
of one of its pin teeth with one of the pins or projections e upon the large toothed
wheel C, and at this moment the finger or ratchet piece q mounts upon the
inclined plane situated upon one side of one of the ratchet teeth p¹, raising at the
same time the inking device R so as to allow of a certain amount of the band Q
of paper or its equivalent passing without being printed or marked, until such
time as one of the following depressions or spaces between the said teeth 1
presents itself to the said finger or ratchet piece q, when this latter falls into it,
and is accompanied in its descent by the inker R, which, through its style S marks
a point upon the band Q of paper or its equivalent.
It will be seen that at each fall of a coin of the predetermined value, or its
equivalent, upon the balance lever L the following operations will take place: --
First The oscillation of the balance lever L creurs, which liberates the clock-
work movement I and at the same time the tongue-piece L" of the said balance
lever engages with the spring catch N. Second The rotation of the large
toothed wheel C which through one of its pins or projections c turns the grooved

page_text: wheel P¹ so as to mark the band Q of paper or its equivalent. Third-The raising
or removing of the tail or extension of the said spring catch N by one of the
wipers C¹ so as to free the balance lever L and lork, by means of the stop J¹ fixed
upon its rod or stem K, the star wheel J, thus arresting the movement of the train
of clockwork mechanism and consequently the rotation of the said large toothed
wheel C.
These different operations will repeat themselves at each introduction of a coin
of the predetermined value or its equivalent into the chute M, and will stop
only upon the running down of the spring in the drum H, which latter can be
wound up by means of a key placed upon a square spindle T, from the exterior of
the apparatus, in any usual or convenient manner.
It is to be understood, that in order to ensure the efficiency of the control or
check provided by the said registering or recording device, and to facilitate its
use, the bands of paper or other material may be stamped or impressed with the
seal of the company or the proprietor of the apparatus, and the spaces to be
marked by the style of the registering or recording device numbered in such a
manner as to admit of the total of marked spaces being read at a glance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
-
1. In a coin-freed apparatus the releasing device constructed substantially as
set forth.
2. In a coin-freed apparatus the arresting device constructed substantially as
set forth.
3. In a coin-freed apparatus the recording device constructed substantially as
set forth.
4. In a coin-freed apparatus means, substantially as set forth, serving to release
the actuating mechanism and, after a prodetermined period, to arrest such
mechanism.
5. The combination, in a coin-freed apparatus, of a recording device and
an arresting device both operated by the actuating mechanism substantially as
set forth.
6. A coin-freed apparatus comprising a balance lever operated by the inserted
coin, an actuating mechanism released by the said lever, and a recording device
and an arresting device both operated by the actuating mechanism substantially
as set forth.
7. The coin-freed apparatus constructed substantially as described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of December 1898