Improvements in Coin Operated Telephone Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th Feb., 1893--Accepted, 2nd June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ELOY NORIEGA, of Mexico, in the Republic
of Mexico.]
Improvements in Coin Operated Telephone Apparatus.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a coin operated telephone switch in
which the telephone circuit is established by the introduction of a coin of the
specified size, and which will permit of a reply by the central office when the line
is occupied, and which will return the coin if service cannot be rendered, also to
automatically control the circuit.
My invention consists in the combination with the coin chute, of a mechanical
circuit closer operated by the weight of the coin, and coin releasing mechanism
worked by an electro-magnet controlled by the central station. It also consists in
means for returning the coin to the depositor in case service cannot be rendered,
all as will be hereinafter described.
The coin which is to pay for the use of the telephone and by which the operations
of the various parts are controlled, is introduced into a slot whence it passes through
a test guide where it is tested as to its diameter and thickness. Below the inner
end of the test guide is located a second guide which is pivoted to an ear attached
to the back of the casting, and below the said pivoted guide are supported lower
guides in a fixed position, and the pivoted guide is capable of delivering the coin
received by it to either of the lower guides. To the pivoted guide is attached an
arm which is pressed forward by a spring and in the front of the casing of the
instrument is placed a push button by means of which the arm is tilted so as to
cause the pivoted guide to communicate with the outer one of the lower guides.
Under the said guide is placed a curved coin chute which passes through the
casing and terminates in a small trough attached to the outer surface of the wall
of the casing, and below the inner-lower guide is arranged a coin receptacle.
Behind the pivoted guide is fulcrummed a lever of the second order which carries
a contact point and which is connected by a rod with a lever of the first order,
pivoted to a fixed support. The lever projects through a slot in the pivoted
guide and the other lever projects through slots in the stationary lower guides.
To the back of the instrument which supports the fixed parts of the mechanism
is attached a contact spring which lies in the path of the contact and is touched
thereby when the lever is tilted in the manner presently to be described. At the
sides of the stationary guides are journalled irregular discs which are provided with
toothed segments by means of which they are made to rotate simultaneously. The
upper disc is provided with a slot for receiving a pin projecting from an arm
attached to the side of an armature lever having a fixed fulcrum. The said
armature lever is arranged in front of the electro-magnet and is provided with a
back stop and a front stop. The free end of the armature lever is furnished with a
spring which bears on the periphery of the disc when the armature lever is drawn
away from the magnet by the action of the retractile spring. A spiral spring is
connected with a pin projecting from the face of the disc and tends to oppose the
pull of the armature lever. The upper end of the armature lever is provided with
an extension carrying a roller the periphery of which projects into the slot so that
the roller is pushed laterally when a coin is introduced into the slot.
The object of the first disc is to establish the circuit for the call at the general

page_text: office, and to permit the coin to be returned if communication cannot be established.
The coin falls into the pivoted guide and it strikes the lever moving it downward
until it springs out of the guide. This permits the coin to come into contact with the
upper disc. The movement of the lever established an electrical contact between the
contact point and the contact spring. The contact point is connected with the earth,
and the circuit is closed through the spring, the wire, the telephone lever, the micro-
phone, the primary circuit of the induction coil, the battery section, the relay, the
telephone receiver, the telegraph key and line. If the central office replies that the
line is occupied, the coin will be returned by pressing the button. This will swing
the pivoted guide outward so that the coin may fall into the outer lower guide, and
striking the lever, will tilt the said lever, returning the lever to its original position,
breaking the circuit between the point and the spring. The coin passes from the
said guide to the chute, by which it is delivered to the trough.
If the line is free, that is, if communication can be established, the central office
will send a current to the one who wishes to speak and give the reply call. The
current from the office passes to the ground; this causes, by means of the relay,
the closing of the local circuit, the current then passing through the electro magnet
causes the armature lever to be attracted, thus, by the engagement of the arm
projecting from the armature, turning the disc to the right so that the cut away
portion comes opposite the coin, thereby liberating the coin and allowing it to fall
into the inner lower guide; but the disc is turned by the same movement of the
armature. The coin is stopped for an instant by the middle disc and can be released
only when the circuit of the magnet is broken when it will fall on the edge of the
lower disc where it will be retained. When the conversation is ended, the person
who called gives the signal and by closing the line circuit causes the armature to
be temporarily attracted. In consequence of this the disc rotates to the right and
presents a cut away portion which allows the coin to fall through the guide into
the box below.
The coin in leaving the guide strikes the lever inclining it downward. The
lever, being connected by the rod with another lever the said lever is raised to its
normal position, thus interrupting the circuit between the point and the spring.
If the subscriber who called does not give notice that the conversation is ended, the
office cannot call him again.
In order that the apparatus may always be returned to its position of rest for
another call or conversation, the roller is provided, which is pushed laterally by a
coin forced into the slot, thus causing the armature to change its position as if it
were attracted by the electro-magnet. To prevent the local microphone battery
from running down unnecessarily, the telephone switch lever is provided, so that
when the telephone is hung up after use, the local circuit will be broken in the
usual way.
My improvements can be combined with the ordinary telephonic apparatus.
In this case the connections are practically the same, except that the transmitter
battery is separate from the battery used for other purposes.
Dated this 21st day of June 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Operated Telephone Apparatus.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby 5
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
The object of my invention is to provide a coin operated telephone switch in

page_text: which the telephone circuit is established by the introduction of a coin of the
specified size, and which will permit of a reply by the central office when the line
is occupied, and which will return the coin if service cannot be rendered; also to
automatically control the circuit.
My invention consists in the combination with the coin chute, of a mechanical
circuit closer operated by the weight of the coin, and coin releasing mechanism
worked by an electro-magnet controlled by the central station. It also consists in
means for returning the coin to the depositor in case service cannot be rendered,
all as will be hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the coin chute and mechanism connected
therewith for controlling the entrance of the coin;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of an automatic pay station; and
Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a pay station combined with a subscribers'
station.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the coin chute shewing the coin controlling
mechanism with a coin inserted for operation.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
In the drawings of my improved apparatus I have omitted the casing and also
the telephone apparatus proper, merely showing the coin chute, the electrically
controlled guides, and the circuits.
The coin which is to pay for the use of the telephone and by which the
operations of the various parts are controlled is introduced into a slots, whence it
passes through a test guide P, where it is tested as to its diameter and thickness.
Below the inner end of the test guide P, is located a second guide R, which is
pivoted to an ear a attached to the back of the casting, and below the said pivoted
guide R are supported lower guides R R2 in a fixed position, and the pivoted
guide R is capable of delivering the coin received by it to either of the
lower guides R R2. To the pivoted guide R is attached an arm H, which is pressed
forward by a spring H', and in the front of the casing of the instrument is placed a
push button K, by means of which the arm H is tilted so as to cause the pivoted
guide R to communicate with the other one of the lower guides R².
Under the said guide R2 is placed a curved coin chute Z which passes through
the casing and terminates in a small trough Z', and attached to the outer
surface of the wall of the casing, and below the inner-lower guide R', is arranged
a coin receptacle C. Behind the pivoted guide R is fulcrumed a lever i, of the
second order, which carries a contact point c, and which is connected by a rod
with a lever, of the first order, pivoted to a fixed support 2. The lever i
projects through a slot in the pivoted guide R, and the other lever projects
through slots in the stationary lower guides R', R².
To the back g' of the instrument which supports the fixed parts of the mechanism
is attached a contact spring c which lies in the path of the contact c, and is
touched thereby when the lever i is tilted in the manner presently to be described.
At the sides of the stationary guides R R', are journaled irregular disks r, r¹³,
which are provided with toothed segments by means of which they are made to
rotate simultaneously. The upper disk is provided with a slot 3 for receiving a
pin projecting from an arm m attached to the side of an armature lever A,
having a fixed fulcrum a. The said armature lever A is arranged in front of the
electro-magnet N, and is provided with a back stop S, and a front stop S¹. The
free end of the armature lever A is furnished with a spring h, which bears on
the periphery of the disk r¹ when the armature lever is drawn away from the
magnet by the action of the retractile spring f. A spiral spring e is connected
with a pin projecting from the face of the disk 2, and tends to oppose the pull of
the armature lever A. The upper end of the armature lever A is provided with
an extension V carrying a roller the periphery of which projects into the slots,
so that the roller is pushed laterally when a coin is introduced into the slot.

page_text: The object of the first disk is to establish the circuit for the call at the
general office, and to permit the coin to be returned if communication cannot be
established. The coin falls into the pivoted guide R, and it strikes the lever i,
moving it downward until it swings out of the guide. This permits the coin to
come into contact with the upper disk r, as shown in Fig. 5. The movement of
the lever i establishes an electrical contact between the contact point c and the
contact spring c¹. The contact point c is connected with the earth E, as shown in
Figure 3, and the circuit is closed through the spring e', the wire Y, the telephone
lever d, the microphone M, the primary circuit of the induction coil M', the battery
section K', the relay D, the telephone receiver T, the telegraph key t and line L.
If the central office replics that the line is occupied, the coin will be returned by
pressing the button K. This will swing the pivoted guide R outward so that the
coin may fall into the outer lower guide R2, and striking the lever i will tilt the
said lever, returning the lever i to its original position breaking the circuit between
the point c and the spring c. The coin passes from the said guide R² to the chute Z,
by which it is delivered to the trough Z¹.
If the line is free, that is, if communication can be established, the central office
will send a current to the one who wishes to speak and give the reply call. The
current from the office, according to the diagram Figure 3, passes through the
line L, the telephone key t, the telephone T, relay D, wires V, X, Y, contact
point c to the ground E; this causes, by means of the relay D, the closing of the
local circuit Z, K'; the current then passing through the electro-magnet N causes
the armature lever A to be attracted, thus, by the engagement of the arm m
projecting from the armature, turning the disk r to the right so that the cut away
portion comes opposite the coin, thereby liberating the coin and allowing it to fall
into the inner lower guide R'; but the disk is turned by the same movement of
the armature. The coin is stopped for an instant by the middle disk 7, and can be
released only when the circuit of the magnet N is broken, when it will fall on the
edge of the lower disk where it will be retained. When the conversation is ended,
the person who called gives the signal and by closing the line circuit causes the
armature A to be temporarily attracted. In consequence of this the disk rotates
to the right and presents a cut away portion which allows the coin to fall through
the guide R¹ into the box below.
The coin in leaving the guide R' strikes the lever, inclining it downward.
The lever being connected by the rod g with the lever i, the said lever is raised
to its normal position, thus interrupting the circuit between the point c and the
spring c. If the subscriber who called does not give notice that the conversation
is ended, the office cannot call him again.
In order that the apparatus may always be returned to its position of rest for
another call or conversation, the roller V is provided, which is pushed laterally by
a coin forced into the slot s, thus causing the armature to change its position as if
it were attracted by the electro-magnet N. To prevent the local microphone
battery from running down unnecessarily, the telephone switch lever u is provided
so that when the telephone is hung up after use, the local circuit will be broken in
the usual way.
My improvements can be combined with the ordinary telephonic apparatus in
the manner shown in Figure 4. In this case the connections are practically the
same, except that the transmitter battery is separate from the battery used for
other purposes.
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-operated switch for telephones, the combination with a coin chute,
of a pivoted coin guide for receiving the coin from the chute, a pair of coin guides
for receiving the coin from the pivoted guide, a cash box, and a curved chute
leading out of the switch casing, substantially as specified.

page_text: 2. In a coin operated switch for telephones, the combination with the swinging
and fixed coin guides, of a contact spring, and a circuit closing lever adapted to be
operated by the descending coin, substantially as specified.
3. In a coin operated switch for telephones, the combination with the circuit
closing lever, of an auxiliary lever connected therewith for opening the electric
circuit by the falling of a coin, substantially as specified.
4. In a coin-operated switch for telephones, the combination with the coin guides,
of electrically operated mutilated disks for arresting the coin and releasing it,
substantially as specified.
5. In a coin-operated switch for telephones, the combination with the coin chute
and coin releasing mechanism of a lever connected with the coin releasing
mechanism and extending into the coin chute, substantially as specified.
Dated this 27th day of February 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.