Improved Coin-freed Goods Delivery Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improved Coin-freed Goods Delivery Apparatus.
I, JOHN TURNER-TURNER, of Avon Castle Hotel, Ringwood, in the County of
Hampshire, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a coin-freed delivery apparatus designed particularly
for use in hotels and suchlike places for storing and automatically supplying on
due payment bottles containing spirits, wines, and so forth, and adapted als to
contain glasses and aërated waters, all readily accessible to the purchaser after
payment of the fixed price.
According to my invention I employ a casing divided into any convenient
number of separate compartments each containing superposed bottles filled with
different kinds of liquors; another compartment is provided and fitted with suitable
shelves containing drinking glasses, and room may be provided or not for a soda
water syphon or the like.
Below each of the said containers is arranged a similar coin-operated goods
delivery mechanism consisting of a sliding block having in it a vertical slot to
which the inserted coin is conducted by a shoot from an external coin admission
slot arranged in front of the apparatus one for each container. This sliding block
beneath the gocds container is adapted to be slidden in guides by an external push
bar and returned to normal position by a spring. The inserted coin is supported
in the slot with its upper part projecting above same by a lower fixed shelf which
may serve also as a guide for the sliding block, and when the latter is carried
forward under action of the push bar the projecting part of the coin comes against
and operates a suitable delivery slide containing the lowermost article in the goods
container, the said article being pushed out by the slide into the rear of the
apparatus where it falls and is directed by an inclined shoot of such kind as not to
injure the bottle or article to the operator in front of the machine. Above the
sliding block and in the line of travel of the said projecting part of the coin are
arranged two horizontal spring-piessed racks or levers with ratchet teeth adapted
to close over the coin as it is carried forward and prevent its return until the
article is discharged from the container, when it falls out into a suitable
receptacle, assisted by the closing action of the spring-pressed levers, and the
sliding block and delivery slide are returned by spring action to their normal
positions.
I may in some cases provide the drinking glass and aerated water containing
compartment with a door or cover adapted to be released by operation of the
delivery apparatus; also one sliding block with one push bar and two or more
slots one for each container may be employed to operate the delivery slide of
either or hoth containers accordingly as the coin is inserted in one or the other
or both.
By the above described apparatus the operator may select his liquor and on the
insertion of the proper coin receive a bottle of same, and also have access to a
glass and aërated water.
The apparatus will be found particularly convenient for use in hotels and

page_text: suchlike places, since it will obviate the necessity of calling servants to supply
the customers' wants.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1996
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Agent.
I, JOHN TURNER-TURNER, of Avon Castle Hotel, Ringwood, in the County of
Hampshire, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, nl in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described an ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a coin-freed delivery apparatus designed particularly
for use in hotels and such like places the principal object of the invention being
to provide a means for storing and automatically supplying on due payment bottles
containing spirits, wines, and so forth, and adapted also to contain drinking glasses
and nerated waters, all readily accessible to the purchaser after payment of the
fixed price.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will describe an apparatus
constructed in accordance therewith for delivering bottles of liquid, and illustrated
by the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus, Fig. 2 a vertical section through a
part of the same showing the position of the bottles therein and of the mechanism
when ready for operation,
Fig. 3 is a similar section to Fig. 2 but showing the changed position of the
parts when the coin has been inserted and the mechanism operated to deliver a
bottle,
Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the mechanism case on the line 1-2 of
Fig. 2,
Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the mechanism case on the line 3-4
Fig. 2,
Fig. 6 is a plan of the operating mechanism; and Fig. 7 is an inverted plan of
the same.
Like letters of reference refer to the same parts in the several figures.
According to my invention I employ a casing a divided into any convenient
number of separate compartments bb each containing superposed bottles e e filled
with different kinds of liquors to be delivered in exchange for a coin; another
compartment is provided and fitted with suitable shelves d d for supporting drinking
glasses, and with a shelf d for supporting a soda water syphon (as shown in Fig. 1)
or the like.
Below each of the containing compartments b is arranged a mechanical device
adapted to be operated by a coin; it consists of a sliding block e fixed to the inner
end of a push bar k, and provided with a slot f to which the inserted coin g is
conducted by a shoot, communicating at its upper end with a circular coin
admissico cavity i opening at the front of the apparatus, one cavity for each con-
tainer. The block e is caused to slide on guide rods jj by the push bark which
extends through the mechanism case to the front of the apparatus, and which is
fixed to the said block e by means of a boss e and set screw e. Springs 1, 1,
attached at one end to hooks on the block and at the other end to the case or
frame of the mechanism, return the block to its normal position. The inserted
coin g is supported in the slot f of the block e, in such a manner that its upper
part projects above the slot, by the guide rods jj fixed in the front wall of the

page_text: mechanism case. When the block is carried toward the rear by the operation of
the push bar k, the projecting part of the coin g is pressed against, and moves a
delivery slide n the part n of which rests immediately beneath the bottles,
supported by the curved ledge of the container b. This slide a consists of a
plate provided with bevelled guide surfaces n' a slot n³ into which the coin
projects to operate it, a pin a' for engaging the plate e to return the slide n to the
normal position after operation, and a piece n' adapted to push a bottle from the
container and at the same time, by means of the ledge n° to prevent the descent of
the bottles resting above the battle being pushed out. The latter bottle is ejected
into the rear of the apparatus where it falls upon a shoot o inclined toward and
traversing the front wall of the apparatus where it is provided with a curved part
or rest of adapted to hold the bottle which can be conveniently removed therefrom
by the customer. The shoot o is faced with velvet or other soft material in such a
manner that the falling bottle will not be injured by striking it.
Above the sliding block e and in the line of travel of the projecting part of the
coin, are arranged two horizontal rack plates p pressed inward by springs pl which
encircle pivot pins p³ carried at the lower part of the mechanism case and passing
through holes at the bottom of vertical extensions of the rack plates, which
Oscillate about the said pins, one end of each spring pressing against the
vertical part of the corresponding rack plate, the other end being fastened to the
case of the apparatus. The plates p have ratchet teeth at their upper inwardly
turned edges, adapted to engage the coin as it is carried backward and prevent its
return until the bottle is discharged from the container when the said coin,
disengaged from the rods jj falls out into a receptacle g, the closing action of
the spring-pressed rack plate assisting in its ejectment. The insertion of a coin
into the apparatus is rendered impossible, unless the push-rod be in its normal
position by an extension e of the block e which closes the slot during the travel of
the push-rod. This extension is provided with a slot which allows the block e to
travel independently of the pin n on the slide n, when the push-rod is operated
without a coin; thus a bottle cannot be obtained by simply operating the push-
rod The block e and delivery slide n are returned by the action of the
springs, to their normal position. The coin receptacle g is supported immediately
below the operating mechanism and above the shoot o by the casing a of the
apparatus.
The mode of operating the apparatus is as follows:-A person desirous of
obtaining a bottle of liquid from one or other of the compartments b, inserts a
coin of the kind for which the apparatus is adapted into the cavity i, at the foot
of the compartment containing the liquid he has selected, in such a manner that it
can pass by way of the shoot h to the slot f in the block e; he then presses the
push-bar & so that the projecting part of the coin will engage the slot and the
slide n, be carried backward so that the part n will eject the lowermost bottle c
from the compartment b and cause it to drop to the shoot o, down which it rolls to
the lip o' whence the purchaser can conveniently remove it. The bottles which
were supported upon the bottle ejected are supported by the ledge n° at the top of
the part n during the ejectment, and on the return of the mechanism to its normal
position the said bottles descend, the lowermost being supported on the piece at
the foot of the compartment b. The coin rests on the rods j, j as has been already
mentioned, and during its backward travel it passes between the serrate:l edges of
the rack plates p the teeth of which are so inclined as to allow the backward
passage of the coin but prevent its return; therefore the mechanism cannot be
returned to its normal position until the rod k has been pushed in sufficiently far
to allow the coin to clear the ends of the rods jj and drop into the receptacle q.
The serrated edges of the plates p, in addition to preventing the return of the
coin, hasten its fall from the slot g in the plate e by pressing against its circum-
ference near the top. When the push-bar is released after the coin has left the
slot the operating parts are all drawn to their normal position by the spiral

page_text: springs and the apparatus is again ready for operation on the insertion of
another coin.
I may in some cases provide the drinking glass and aerated water containing
compartment with a door or cover adapted to be released by operation of a delivery
apparatus; also one push bar and one sliding block with two or more slots one for
each container may be employed, in lieu of the arrangement above described, to
operate the delivery slide of one or more of the containers accordingly as the coin
is inserted in one or the other of the slots.
By the above described apparatus a customer can select the liquor he desires
and on the insertion of the proper coin, will receive a bottle of the same, and also
have access to a glass and aerated water.
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 I
claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for delivering an article in exchange for a coin, a sliding
block provided with a slot for holding a coin and with an operating push-bar;
guides for supporting the coin and for preventing the exit thereof from the slot
until the push-bar has travelled a pre-determined distance, and serrated plates or
racks at either side adapted to prevent the return of the coin, all arranged and.
adapted to operate substantially as described.
2. In an apparatus such as is above referred to the combination with the
mechanism above claimed having a sliding block E, of a sliding piece actuated
thereby and adapted to discharge one of the articles for delivery while supporting
the other articles, substantially as described.
3. The improved coin-freed goods delivery apparatus constructed substantially
as described with reference to, and shown in the accompanying drawings and
adapted to operate in the manner set forth.