A New or Improved Automatic Coin-freed Machine for Giving Electric Shocks.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 11th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec.,
1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Automatic Coin-freed Machine for Giving
Electric Shocks.
I JOSEPH MASON, of 28 Cardigan Road, Bow, in the County of Midlesex,
Electrical Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to an improved coinfreed apparatus for giving electric shocks
and has for its object to provide simple mechanism whereby a coin dropped in a
suitable receptacle will form with the intermediary of a part of such mechanism, the
electric connection required to set the apparatus in operation.
In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a suitable case at the top of which
is formed a slot leading through a short shoot to a receptacle of peculiar form.
This
receptacle consists of a narrow bottomless box furnished at the lower part of one of
its sides with a recess in which is screwed or otherwise fixed a movable flat finger bar
closing a portion of the open under part of such box. This finger bar is retained
across the above recess by one end of a spring the other end of which is fixed to the
other side of the box, so that, when the finger bar occupies such a position, the coin
dropped through the slot and shoot is thereby held in the latter box. This box is
connected by means of a cross piece to a connecting rod fixed to one end of another
rod passing through and actuating an electro-medical coil and secured near its other
end to a handle on the outside of the case aforesaid. This connecting rod is joined to
a cranked lever controlled by a spring. Opposite the box and against the inner
surface of the case is fixed a notched bar over which the said box is made to travel by
turning the handle in such a manner that in the forward travel of the same, its finger
bar slides over the said notches but when the box is moved back, the said bar is pulled
by either notch off the recess which it covered in the first instance disclosing the lower
opening of the box and allowing the coin to drop through the box into a suitable
receptacle, by which means the electric current is immediately interrupted. During
the travel of the box the upper edge of the coin placed therein establishes the electrical
connection by bearing constantly upon the under surface of a crank lever controlled
by a spring and pivotted upon the front end of a cross pin on the other end of which
pivots a lever or catch, releasing when an electric connection is established, a ball
insulated therefrom and which normally locks the box in its position of rest.
As soon as the hand'e has been turned sufficiently far and the box has travelled a
suitable distance over the notched bar, the edge of the coin reaches the bent portion
of the crank lever above mentioned and the electrical connection ceases, when by
releasing the handle the box travels back and the coin is also released by one of the
notches of the notched bar in the manner herein before described, the same thing
occuring whenever the index hereunder mentioned is allowed to move beyond two
given numbers.
The electro-medical coil is excited by any suitable battery stored in the case of the
apparatus on the outer surface of which is provided a sliding index for indicating the
quantity of electricity supplied. This index is graduated correspondingly with
the notches of the notch bar.
Dated this 31st day of T1000
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Automatic Coin-freed Machine for Giving
Electric Shocks.
I, JOSEPH MASON, of 28 Cardigan Road, Bow, in the County of Middlesex,
Electrical Instrument Maker, 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:-
My Invention relates to an improved automatic coinfreed apparatus for imparting
electric shocks and has for its object to provide simple mechanism whereby a coin
dropped into a suitable receptacle will become itself a part of the clectric circuit, or act
as a contact maker by a Mechanical action.
In order that the Invention may he fully understood, I have hereto annexed 2
sheets of drawings illustrative thereof such parts only of the apparatus being shewn as
are necessary to explain my Improvements.
As ordinarily constructed, the apparatus consists of a box or case for containing the
batteries &c., such box being provided with a door in front, to which are fixed the
handles by means of which the shock is conveyed to the person using the machine.
As, according to my Invention, the whole of the mechanism is attached to the inner
surface of the door, I have not thought it necessary to shew any other portion of the
box or case.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents an interior elevation of the
door, with the mechanism attached thereto, Fig. 2 a plan thereof, and Fig. 3 a front
view.
.
Fig. 4 is a partial repetition of Fig. 1 shewing the parts in the position which they
assume when the movable handle is turned round and contact made by means of the
coin. The coin box is here cut away, and the coin itself is indicated in dotted lines,
and it will be noticed that the bolt N is raised clear of the stop thereby allowing
the bar D to move forward, whilst the lever H2 having been raised by the periphery
of the coin is in contact with the spring J, thus rendering the electric circuit
complete.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4 and shews the inclination of the rack G under
forward motion of the lever F¹.
Fig. 6 is a cross section of the bar D and guides D³ taken through the line ♫ ☛ of
Fig. 1.
Fig. 7 is a detail full size of the underside of the coin box F, lever F', and rack G,
during the return movement of the coin box shewing how the teeth of the ratchet
bar operate to remove the lever outwards and so increase the opening of the coin
box sufficiently to allow the coin to pass.
A is the door of the apparatus, to which are attached the usual handles A' A³.
The handle A' is fixed by a nut a, but the handle A³ is mounted on a spindle a¹
and is free to revolve. B is an ordinary induction coil provided with its core or
armature B¹ and vibrating contact maker C for securing the necessary alternations
of the current. To the cord B' is connected a sliding bar D, the connection being
effected by means of an angular bracket D¹ shewn in Fig. 5 in detail. The bar D
is capable of sliding in a dovetailed groove formed in a plate D³ which is screwed
to the door. This sliding of the bar occurs when the handle A² is turned, and is
effected by means of the jointed lever E, one arm of which is fixed to the
spindle a and the other to the bracket D¹. Attached to the bar D, by means of
a bracket D, is a rectangular frame F, resembling an oblong box without top or
bottom, the interior of the box being of sufficient dimensions to allow a penny or
other specified coin to pass through freely. The opening on underside of the box
is contracted by means of a lever F1, pivotted at f, and kept in position by a
spring f¹, connecting the longer end of the lever with a stud f, fixed in the side

page_text: of the box. The shorter end of the lever is bevelled in one direction in order
that it may pass smoothly over a ratchet bar Gas the bar D slides in the direc-
tion of the induction coil. As it is intended that the unbevelled edge of the
lever F¹ shall engage with the rack on the return movement, the latter is pivotted
at g to a lug formed on the plate D so that it will yield as the lever F moves
forward but, being kept in contact with the end of the lever by the spring g¹,
the perpendicular edges of the ratchet teeth will engage with the unbevelled
edge of the lever F¹ on the return movement and cause this lever to turn on its
axis. In so doing the longer arm of the lever will turn away from the box or
frame F, and so enlarge the opening on the underside. On a stud H, fixed to
the door is mounted a sleeve Ĥ to the outer extremity of which is fixed a flat
lever arm 2, the free end of which reaches the nearest side of the frame or
box F, but does not rest thereon, being prevented from doing so by the adjusting
screw which bears on a short arm fixed to the inner end of the sleeve H.
Fixed to the door is a flat spring J which projects over the lever arm H' and
nearly touches the same.
:
Having mentioned the most important parts of the apparatus, I will now describe
the action thereof. In the normal condition the electrical circuit is broken in two
places viz. where the spring J is not in contact with the arm H2, and where the
said arm H is not in contact with the box or frame F. In other places the
circuit is complete as will be readily seen by tracing the course of the conducting
wires it being presumed that the handles are connected through the body of
the person receiving the shock. If now a penny or other specified coin be
dropped into the shoot K (not shown in fig. 2) it will fall into the frame F but
will not pass through, by reason of the lever F¹ contracting the opening on the .
underside. The edge of the coin, thus arrested, remains projecting above the top
of the frame F. The handle A being now turned the bar D and with it the
frame Fare drawn forward and the coin comes in contact with the slightly up-
turned edge of the lever H2 thus closing one break in the circuit. As the bar
and coin continue to travel forward the end of the lever H³ rises upon the coin
and in so doing comes in contact with the spring J and the circuit is complete.
The strength of the shock of course increases the further the handle is turned
round, the coin remaining in the frame F. On the release of the handle A' the
sliding parts are returned to their original position by means of the spring L, and
as soon as this return motion commences, the end of the lever F' engages with
the ratchet bar G with the result that as before described, the coin is released
and free to fall into a receptacle provided for the purpose, thus the current is
interrupted & the circuit broken. In order to afford a true indication of the
strength of the current, a graduated scale is fixed on the outside of the door in
which is a slot m, through which passes a pin or stud which is fixed to the
sliding bar D, the outer end of this stud carries an index or pointer m' which
travels along the scale as the bar is moved forward.
In order to prevent the fraudulent use of the apparatus, I provide a locking
lever N which is pivotted on a stud n; the longer arm of this lever rests on the
bracket D whilst the shorter arm is in insulated contact with an arm n', fixed on
sleeve H¹. On the bracket D³ is a stop piece n², which prevents the bar D from
being moved forwards if the proper coin is not inserted. When however the
proper coin is inserted the lever arm H' is raised as before described and simul-
taneously the arm n² fixed to the sleeve H¹ is depressed, this depression being
accompanied by a corresponding movement of the short arm of the lever N
whereby the longer arm is elevated clear of the stop piece n². As it is
requisite that the bar D should travel forward a short distance before the arm H³
can be elevated sufficiently to cause the lever N to clear the stop n³ the requisite
interval is allowed between the end of the lever and the stop to afford time for
this to take place.

page_text: Having thus 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 a coin freed apparatus for imparting electric shocks, the method of and
devices for enabling the coin to form part of the electrical circuit substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The general construction and arrangement of parts for effecting the automatic
administration of an electric shock substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of October 1889.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.