Improvements in and Apparatus for Automatically Delivering Postage Stamps and other similar Articles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
Improvements in and Apparatus for Automatically Delivering
Postage Stamps and other similar Articles.
I, ALPHONS BRÄU, of Amberg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria and Empire of
Germany, Assistant Mining Inspector of the Royal Mining Board, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to automatically deliver postage stamps and other
similar articles such as railway theatrical and other tickets checks or passes postcards
postal orders and commercial articles of similar size these articles being delivered
free when the mechanism which holds them fast is released by the insertion of a
definite coin in an opening provided for the purpose in the apparatus.
On the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a machine in which two of my improved
apparati are joined together.
Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line x-y of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 shews the form of drum used for the insertion of two coins for effecting
the release of the mechanism and two corresponding funnel shaped receptacles m. m.
Fig. 5 illustrates a drum designed to receive three coins and provided with a
similar number of funnel shaped receptacles.
Fig. 6 shews a front and a side view of the plate n upon which the stamps are
carried and
Fig. 7 illustrates a front and side view of a modification of such plate for the
sale of other articles.
Fig. 8 shews details of the drum for the insertion of a single coin and
Fig. 9 shows details of the drum arranged to receive three coins.
The apparatus consists of a casing or framework a' which is fixed in position in
a suitable manner to a vertical wall by means of the brackets j or which may if
desirable be placed upon a suitable stand. One upright frame & arranged on the
inside of the casing a supports a lever a which is bored throughout its length and
capable of oscillating being pivoted or suspended between the pointed screws b³.
The shorter arm of this lever a is provided with a tubular extension a³ which
encloses a spring t for firmly holding in position a rod i passing centrally through
the lever whilst the other or longer arm of the lever a is provided with a
drum to receive the coin as it is dropped from the receptacle m. The horizontal
arm of the upright frame b is furnished with a set screw c by means of
which the tension of the spiral spring d can be regulated by a key inserted
through the opening of the framework a'. This spring d bearing at one end
against the set screw c and at the other against the extension a². A lever *
is mounted and oscillates on the axis of the upright arm and has
projections d³ and d bent down at right angles as illustrated. A spiral spring e is
arranged at one end upon the arm by means of a projection d³ its other end
being affixed to the arm b' of the upright frame b. The projections d³ and d
engage at the required instant with a device hereinafter more fully described to
regulate the delivery of the postage stamps tickets or other articles to be disposed
of. The drum e serving to receive the coins mounted upon the longer arm of the
double lever a consists of a cylinder furnished with a slot e¹ into which the coin
drops and with another slot e formed in the lower half of the cylinder through
which the coin falls and escapes into the compartment beneath. The slide" is
arranged in the drum e and carries upwards the plate 7 (see Fig. 5) the forks fo
and which are capable of turning upon the axes and f and which are held in

page_text: predetermined positions by the springs f" and f¹. The slide is held in position
by the spring the extremities of which are respectively fixed to this slide" and
to the plate. The said slide f¹ is capable of sliding in the cylinder or drum e
and is guided by the casing formed by the two plates f and ". The diameter of
the plate is equal to the clear width of the slide and the projections g and g'
of the same are bent down at right angles. The plate 10 is also furnished with
projections 92, 9 bent down at right angles and with a central opening 9 (see
Fig. 8). The plate f10 and f" are connected together by screws f1 which likewise
fix them in the drum. The drum further contains the plate 3 furnished with a
central opening and two projections go and g". This last plate is firmly held in
position against the rear wall of the drum e by the pins 99 screwed through the
plate and is under the control of the springs 8, 9. The rod i passes through the
rear wall e of the drum and is enclosed in the tubular or hollow lever a herein-
before described its outer end carrying the fork the prongs of which have a tendency
to enter the opening of the plate for an arm which like the frame f" supports
the two forks arranged on one side thereof oscillating upon the two axes i³ ³
and held by springs in a suitable position against the arm it. The lower half of the
drum e is provided with the slot e³ through which the coin is dropped into the
machine. The frame 12 carries the point k upon which a pusher is capable of
operating the latter being located in an extension of the framework or casing a¹
and held by the spring in a predetermined position limited by the collar 13. Above
the drum is arranged the coin feed device consisting of a funnel in mounted upon
the frame or casing a' in such a manner that the opening or outlet me of the same
is situated exactly above the slot el in the drum e. Mounted in the funnel m are
the extremities of an axis m' carrying four radiating blades m², m³, m², m³ which
turns freely therewith and serve to prevent the lever a being acted upon without
first paying the purchase money. The coin being inserted in the slot m².
The improved mechanism for carrying the supply of postage stamps tickets and
the like is constructed in the following manner that is to say: Upon a plate n
furnished upon its face with needles n are placed the articles which are to be
delivered. This plate has formed on its edge at suitable distances apart a number of
projections or teeth n. The plate n thus furnished with articles for sale
introduced in the slot n' of the casing a¹ and firmly held therein by the arms a³ of
the lever these arms being connected together by the cross bars dodd (see
Fig. 3) and permanently held in position by the spring e. The part of the
plate n protruding through the slot n' is surrounded by a casing n which is fixed
upon the back plate a of the apparatus. The casing a¹ carries immediately
in front of the slot n the inclined or slanting plate o which comes into contact with
the plate n at its free extremity. The space or receptacle p is designed to receive
and store up the coins as they drop from the drum e. The action of the machine is
as follows: When the apparatus is in its normal position the lever a does not
assume a horizontal position as shewn in the drawings the arm carrying the drum e
being on the contrary a little higher. As soon however as the coin (representing
the value of the article which is to be purchased) is inserted in the slot m' it falls
into the drum e and re-establishes the equilibrium of the lever that is to say brings
it in such a position that the pusher when operated strikes the point of the
drun e and pushes forward the slide 12 so that the forks f and f of this frame
bear firmly upon the dropped coin and move at the same time the forks and of
the rod i. This rod i by overcoming the power of the spring t causes the lever d
oscillating upon the axis d¹ to release the teeth n' of the plate n which slides down
until the arms d³ are brought again into play under the action of the spring e* and
thus arrest the action of the plate n. The stamps held by the needles n' are
released as the plate n moves downwards owing to their being caught by the
slanting plate o. These stamps or other articles for sale are thus placed upon the
plate o from whence they can be readily obtained by the purchaser. When
the pressure on the knob / of the pusher is withdrawn the same is brought back
into its normal position by the spring in consequence whereof the slide" and

page_text: forks and f³ which now release the coin are likewise brought back by the
spring into their former position. The spring t now pushes forward the rod i
with the forks and the coin laid in front of the plate f³ as the coin passes by
the slot e it falls through the same into the storage receptacle p.
6
The
When the machine is used for the sale of articles the price of which has to be:
paid for by means of different coins for instance a ld. and an d. the said machine is
provided with a drum having two or three slots e¹ to receive the coins and an equal
number of slots e to allow them to drop through while a corresponding number of
funnel shaped receptacles m are also provided. The said drums are in such cases.
arranged as follows: Upon the slide f" furnished with a point k and the movable
forks and the prongs of which have a tendency to press upon the disc f10 is
further mounted a disc z (see Fig. 9) having four openings 2¹ to allow for the
entrance of the four prongs of the two forks 28. These forks are formed with
the four prongs two of which extend to the left and two on the right hand side
and the rack holding the two forks is fixed to the disc by the pins 21.
disc is fixed to the drum e by means of its projections which are bent down at
right angles and of the screws. The rack 2 is movable laterally as well as the
disc z and is firmly held in position by the springs. The forks 23 which oscillate
on the axis y y are also held in corresponding and determined positions by the
springs y³. The disc is furnished with two notches or openings y and y' through
which the right handed prongs of the forks 22, nearest to the pin have a tendency
to meet while the right handed prongs furthest from the pin can move over the
periphery of the disc which has for this purpose a less diameter than the distance
between the two fork points passing away over The disc 2 follows also the
second slot through which the second coin dropped and this slot (as well as in
the drum arranged for the reception of only one coin) is limited by the plate f³.
furnished with an opening g' and projections 90, 9" and screwed to the rear wall e
of the drum by screw pins passing through the said plate f3 which is controlled or
held in position by the springs 98, g'. The rod i with the arm ¹ carrying the two
forks, on one side is inserted as in the drum hereinbefore described through the
rear wall of this drum. The lower half of the drum e is furnished with the two.
slots ee through which the coin drops in the storage part of the casing. The mode
of operation of a drum arranged for the insertion of two coins is as follows:-
花
After the latter have both been dropped, on the pusher knob / being actuated the
same pushes forward the slide 12 of the drum e the forks f f of which press
consequently against the coin inserted through the slot e¹ and move the same forward
as well as the disc z and the rack furnished with forks which rack seizes hold
of the second coin and pushes it along the latter on its part pushing the arm ¹ of
the rod i. The rod i releases now the levers holding the stamp plate n and when the
pressure is removed from the pusher knob the mechanism moves back and on its
return stroke the inserted coins are freed by the respective forks so as to be able
to drop through the slots e of the drum e into the receptacle below. If it is desired
that the machine should allow of the insertion and operation of three coins three
funnel shaped receptacles in are provided and an arrangement of plates, rack="
with forks, are arranged before the arm of the rod i. The drum e then.
receives another slot upon its upper half for the insertion of another coin and a
corresponding slot on its lower half to allow the said coin to drop through into the
storage space or receptacle.
When instead of postage stamps other objects such as post cards railway omnibus
and theatrical tickets checks or passes or commercial articles of similar size are
required to be sold the plate n is accordingly differently constructed that is to say
is furnished with divisions compartments or chambers in each of which is placed
one of the articles for sale and the slot n is enlarged to allow for the passage of
corresponding plates the inclined plate o being dispensed with while the double
levers d' are connected together by cross bars d', d' of a length corresponding to
the width of the compartments or chambers n. The apparatus operates exactly as.
above described.

page_text: In the casing a¹ is arranged an opening closed by a glass pane through which
the position of the lever a may be controlled by means of an index. The storage
receptacle is opened or closed by the key t¹. Fig. 3 shews two apparati
surrounded by one common casing for the delivery of various stamps or cheques
but several apparati may be likewise enclosed in one common casing each separate
apparatus being constructed in exactly the same manner as if it was furnished with
a distinct casing.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved apparatus for delivering postage stamps and the like consisting
of a rod sliding in a hollow or tubular lever so suspended or counterpoised as to be
normally out of equilibrium but capable of being brought into a horizontal position
by a coin previously dropped in the slot of the drum and in such a manner that by
actuating the pusher the rod i is moved along substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
2. In the apparatus above claimed for the delivery of postage stamps and other
similar articles the combination of the lever a with a coin receiving drum e furnished
with the frame point and with forks ƒ ƒ³ in which the rod i with the forks i*, *
is located while the coin drops between the pairs of forks fe, f, i, and so arranged
that as the coin falls through the slot e' it becomes suspended between the pairs of
forks f, f, i, 1 in such a manner as to transmit to the rod i the pressure exerted
upon the pusher the said rod thus operating the mechanism holding the stamp
supply and further returning the said rod to its normal or releasing position when
the pressure is removed from the pusher and during which motion the coin leaves
the drum through the slot e substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
on the accompanying drawings.
3. In the apparatus described in Claims 1 and 2 for the delivering of several
classes of postage stamps and other similar articles upon prepayment by means of
several classes of coins the use of a drum furnished with a number of slots corre-
sponding with the number of classes of coins to be received and a similar number
of slots for the discharge of the latter and containing several arrangements of
plates rack z with forks 22, between the frame f¹ provided with the
forks, and the cross arm furnished with the forks, and in which arrange-
ments the plate and the rack are firmly held in position by the springs and
the coins dropped between these various arrangements forming a connection in such
a manner that the pressure exerted upon the point k is transmitted to the rod i
while during the return motion of this rod i the coins drop away through the
slots of the drum e substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the
accompanying drawing.
2
4. In the apparatus described in Claims 1 to 3 for the delivery of postage stamps
and other similar articles the arrangement of funnels m furnished with slots m' and
radiating blades the fummel shaped outlets openings or mouths m² of which are
inserted in the casing a' and are arranged directly above the slots e¹ of the drum e
for the purpose of preventing the lever a being acted upon without first paying the
purchase money substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the
accompanying drawing.
5. In the apparatus described in Claims 1 to 4 for the delivery of postage stamps
and other similar articles the substitution for the plate n of a shell furnished with
teeth and formed with compartments for the sale of goods of various sizes
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Fig. 7 of the accompanying
drawing.
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