A New or Improved Coin-freed Apparatus for Giving Access to a Book, such as a Directory or other Book of Reference.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Coin-freed Apparatus for Giving Access to a
Book, such as a Directory or other Book of Reference.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM JACOB, of Hampton Wick, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus by means of which access can be
had to a book, such for instance as a directory or other book of reference, after a
pre-determined coin, such for instance as a penny, has been first inserted into an
appropriate opening.
which
In order to put my invention in operation I make a table or platform upon
the directory or other book is placed in a convenient position for reference. Upon
the two side covers of the book are formed or attached plates of metal, wood, or
other suitable material, which are hinged at the points where the sides of the book
join the back in such manner that when the plates are vertical the book is closed
whilst when turned down to a horizontal position it can be opened and referred to
and read. The hinges are jointed to fixed supports upon the platform, and the
side plates described have curved arms projecting downward below the platform,
and a transverse bar or frame is arranged horizontally between them in such manner
that when it is brought down, its extremities force apart the curved bars, whilst
when raised sufficiently it allows the latter to approach each other and enables the
book therefore to be opened as described. In the centre of the moveable frame is
a vertical socket through which passes freely a corresponding vertical rod provided
at its upper end with a collar or head so that when it is drawn down it brings with
it the moveable bar or frame already described and so closes the book.
It works through suitable guides and is made of sufficient weight to descend and
close the book when in its normal position, and to its lower end is pivotted a lever
or treadle turning upon a centre in such a position that when the person using the
apparatus stands upon its outer end his weight is sufficient to raise the vertical bar
and leave the transverse bar or frame free to rise.
In a suitable position below the table or platform I arrange a pivotted lever one
end of which is connected to the moveable frame in such manner that the latter is
raised when the outer end of the lever is depressed, and I form such outer end of
the lever in the shape of a fork or with a vertical hole through it, arranged below
a corresponding vertical spindle working in guides and having its upper end
projecting above the table and provided with a handle or knob, a spring being
arranged by which the handle is raised when in its normal position. If therefore
the handle be depressed or be forced down, the lower end of the spindle passes
freely through the fork or opening at the end of the lever, but if a coin such as a
penny be interposed between them, then the lever is forced down and its other end
raises the moveable frame and allows the book to open. When the pressure upon
the handle is removed the coin drops off the lever, and when the person using the
apparatus removes his weight from the treadle, the weighted vertical bar draws
down the transverse frame and closes the book which cannot be reopened until a
fresh coin has been inserted.
I make a suitable slot through which the penny or other coin is introduced, and
a locked receptacle into which it falls.
I do not confine myself to the precise form of construction and arrangement of
the apparatus described, which may obviously be varied more or less to obtain the
same result, that is to say, to enable a person using it and inserting a determined
coin to obtain access to a book, which book is automatically closed when the person

page_text: leaves the apparatus, and remains closed and locked until it is again required to be
used and another coin has been inserted.
Dated this 4th day of December 1890.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Coin-freed Apparatus for Giving Access to a
Book, such as a Directory or other Book of Reference.
1, FREDERICK WILLIAM JACOB, of Hampton Wick, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 and accompanying drawings, that is
to say:-
This invention relates to improved apparatus by means of which access can be
had to a book, such for instance as a directory or other book of reference, after a
pre-determined coin has been first inserted into an opening provided for it.
In the accompanying drawings, which are in illustration of my invention,
Figures 1 and 3 are vertical sections shewing the apparatus closed, and
Figure 2 is a similar section shewing it open so that access can be had to the
book contained in it.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus.
Figures 5, 6, and 7, are detailed views on a larger scale of the device by which
the coin is made to operate, and
Figure 8 is a vertical section of a modified form of the apparatus and of the
device by means of which the coin operates.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures.
a is a table or platform upon which the directory or other book is placed in a
convenient position for reference. b,, are two side covers or cases enclosing the
book when the latter is shut, and hinged at the points c, c, to the platform of the
machine, in such manner that when they are vertical, as shewn in Figures 1, 3,
and 4, the book is closed, whilst when turned down to a horizontal or nearly
horizontal position, as shewn in Figure 2, it can be opened and referred to and
read.
The side cases, b, are provided with curved arms d, d, projecting downward
through openings in the top of the apparatus, and a transverse bar or frame e is
arranged horizontally between them and is capable of moving up and down so that
when it is brought down, its extremities force apart the curved bars d, d, as shewn
in Figures 1 and 3, and enclose the book in the cases b, b, whilst when raised
sufficiently, as shewn in Figure 2, it allows the bars d, d, to approach each other
and the cases b, b, to open so that the book can be referred to as already described.
At the centre of the moveable frame e, is fixed a lateral vertical socket f, as
shewn more clearly in Figures 5, 6, and 7 through which passes freely a corre-
sponding vertical bar g provided at its upper end with a collar or head h, so that
when it is drawn down it brings with it the moveable bar or frame e and so closes
the cases b, h, and the book contained in them. The bar g passes through a suitable
guide and is made of sufficient weight to descend and close the book when in its
normal position, as shewn in Figures 1, 3, and 4, and below its lower end kis
arranged a lever or treadle 1, Figure 3, pivotted to the frame of the apparatus, and
in such position that when its outer end is depressed by the foot of the person
using the apparatus its inner end raises the bar k and the frame e for a short
distance, freeing the latter from the bars d, d, so that the cases b, b, can be opened
into the position shewn in Figure 2, the ends of the bars d, d, raising the frame e

page_text: and the bar g, k, into the position shewn. The lower end of the bar is provided
with ratchet teeth into which when the lever is depressed, a pawl m at the upper
end of a prolongation of the lever, engages, so that the bar 9, is prevented from
descending as long as the lever is kept depressed.
g
When however the lever is released, the pawl m is disengaged and the bar and
frame e descend, closing the cases b, b, and the book.
A spring stop or buffer, or an air cylinder or vessel containing a piston or plunger
attached to the rod g, is arranged as indicated at n, to prevent too great shock from
the descent of the bar g when the pressure is removed from the lever l.
The upper part of the bar g and the socket f have an inclined slot o formed
through them to receive a coin which passes into them, when the machine is at
rest, through a shoot r having an opening at its upper end accessible to the person
using the apparatus. If no coin be introduced into the slot, when the lever is
depressed the barg rises without lifting the socket f, and frame e, and the cases b, b,
consequently remain closed. If however a coin p be introduced as shewn in
Figure 5, it serves to connect the socket f to the bar g, and the former is raised
until it frees the points of the arms d, d, and the cases b, b, can then be opened by
hand as already described, the coin at the same time falling out of the slot and
above the guide i, into a drawer or receptacle provided for it, the cases b, b,
remaining open until the pressure is withdrawn from the lever 1, when the bar
descends, its head drawing down the socket f and bar or frame e, and closing the
cases b, b, and the book, and thus preventing further access to the latter until another
coin has been inserted and the lever again depressed.
In the modified arrangement shewn in Figure 8 a levers is shewn pivotted to the
apparatus at t having lateral projections upon it and passing between the points of
the bars d, d, when the cases b, b, are closed, so as to prevent the latter from being
opened. This lever s is kept raised by a spring u and its outer end is perforated
at v below a plunger w, the upper end of which passes through the top of the
apparatus and is provided with a knob or handle and a spring y by which it is
kept normally raised.
X
If the knob x be depressed, the bar w passes down through the levers without
moving the latter, but if a coin be introduced through a shoot, it rests upon the
perforated end of the lever at v below the bar w, and when the latter is depressed
the presence of the coin prevents it from passing through the lever v, so that the
latter is depressed sufficiently to free it from the ends of the bars d, d, and the
latter (when the socket and frame e are raised) can come together, thus allowing
the cases b, b, to be opened and access to be had to the book. A is a stop which
prevents the coin from passing too far down but allows the latter to fall off when
the pressure upon the knob a is removed and the lever is therefore free to rise. In
this arrangement the socket f is fixed to the bar g.
It is evident that the details and method of construction of the apparatus may be
varied more or less, without departing from the principle of the invention, which
consists in allowing access to be had to a book only after a certain pre-determined
coin has been first introduced. For instance instead of cases b, b, plates of metal
or other suitable material may be used, and may be attached to the sides of the
book itself and hinged at c. Or, instead of two cases b, b, a single one only may be
used, arranged to turn completely over and enclose the book. In all cases the
book is attached to the platform e in such a manner that it cannot be surreptitiously
removed.
bar
The ratchet and pawl m may be omitted, the lever being arranged to lift the
g to a sufficient height.
The outside of the apparatus may be made of any ornamental shape desired.
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 apparatus for giving access to a book, the combination with a case or cases

page_text: or plates containing such book of devices by which such case or cases or plates are
only capable of being opened after a predetermined coin has been inserted into the
apparatus, and are automatically closed as soon as the person using the book has
withdrawn from the apparatus, substantially as described.
2. The combination of the platform a, case or cases b, b, hinges c, c, arms d, d,
frame or bar e, bar 9, and treadle or lever 1, substantially as and for the purposes
described and illustrated.
3. The combination with the case or cases b, b, arms d, d, and frame or bare, of
the socket, slotted bar g, head h, guide i, and coin shoot r, substantially as and for
the purpose described and illustrated.
4. In combination with the case or cases b, b, arms d, d, frame or plate e, and
moveable bar g, the ratchet teeth k, lever 1, and pawl m, substantially as described
and illustrated.
P
and
knob or handle ., and
5. The combination with the case or cases b, b, arms d, d, frame or bar
moveable barg, of the lever s, fork or perforation v,
bar
stop A, substantially as described and shewn in Figure 8.
Dated this 4th day of September 1891.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.