improvements in apparatus for the Automatic Sale of Cigars and other similar articles
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1887
Complete Left, 21st Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 22nd June, 1889
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My Invention for improvements in apparatus for the Automatic Sale of Cigars and
other similar articles, are improvements connected with the apparatus described by me
in a former specification No. 1125-1887.
In the machine as there set forth a barrel is used under a hopper for the delivery
of the cigars as sold-Now in place of this barrel I prefer to use a travelling belt or
creeper to deliver the articles to be sold, as by this arrangement there is much less
prospect of the machine jaming by the cigars being of different shapes. The
creeper belt is moved or actuated by the same mechanism as described in the aforesaid
specification, and also in connection with the money entrance, in the previous
application the inclined shoot guiding the coins is constructed in two parts, the lower
part being pivotted to the upper part and so balanced that any heavier pieces than
copper pennies being delivered onto the shoot it tips up and causes the said coins to
be delivered into a shoot and thus out of the box, aud in order that washers &c. may
be stopped a spring on the pivotted part is employed.
Now in place of making the money entrance as above-I construct the said slide or
money slide as follows-
-
The inclined shoot down which the coins slide is in several parts-the upper end or
incline next the entrance is of just sufficient angle to always insure the coins put
thereon sliding down-at the termination of this part the coins fall a short distance
onto the next incline, so as always to insure the coins falling at the same place upon
the second incline there is only just room enough left for the proper coins to pass at
the end of the first incline, so that in the event of any others being placed thereon
they are stopped at the end of the first incline or shoot, and as they accumulate they
block or stop up the shoot, to get over this difficulty at the end of the said shoot I
arrange a door held in place by a spring, so that in the event of the shoot becoming
blocked from a coin too large being placed thereon-a few more coins pushed one against
DQ71

page_text: another push open the door and the whole lot fall upon the lower slide which tips up
and shoots them out of the box. This lower slide is balanced or pivotted so that coins
of the weight of a penny are carried forward towards the machine, but on one or two
other coins lodging thereon (or the equivalent weight) it tips up and sends them out
by the shoot placed to catch them and thus out of the box. Upon this second incline
I have a ring or opening exactly the size of the coins that the machine is intended to
take, and they pass through this ring and then continue to slide down the incline, this
incline is of such an angle that a penny will slide down fairly quick, but if a lead
penny is placed thereon it will not slide down but remains thereon or travels very
slowly and is eventually deposited in the shoot and returned out of the box. by the
slide tipping up.
The spring as mentioned in my previous specification for stopping washers or any
discs or coins having holes in them is placed on this incline.
Now at the termination of this second incline or shoot, I arrange another incline
which is also pivotted and balanced and forms a continuation of the same angle as the
second incline, but it is much more delicately balanced, and is to further insure the
detection of false coins &c. on a copper penny being slipped into the machine it passes
along the inclines at a good speed and thus passes over the second pivotted slide, but
in the case of lead which being a soft metal slides slower, or with coins having rough
edges they do not pass quick enough along this second pivotted slide before it tips
and deposits them into the shoot, and thus out of the machine.
Dated this 18th day of July 1007

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Sale of Cigars and
other similar Articles.
I, JAMES PARKER, of 20 Pendril Street, Beverley Road, Hull, in the county of
York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention for Improvements in apparatus for the automatic sale of cigars and
other similar articles consists chiefly of Improvements on and additions to a prior
invention described by me, and for which Letters Patent were granted to me numbered,
1125 and dated the 25th day of January 1887. The apparatus as there described
and set forth comprised, a box provided with a hopper for the cigars, and with such
mechanism, that on suitable coins being inserted through a slot in the side of the box,
they slid down an inclined shoot into a pan or tray on the end of a balanced lever,
which, being depressed by the weight of the said coins rotated a longitudinally grooved
drun receiving cigars from the hopper, thus causing a cigar to be delivered from the
drum down an inclined shoot to the outside of the main box, and to the person
inserting the coins. At the end of the depression of the lever, the coins were knocked
out of the pan on the end of the lever, the hinged bottom of the said pan coming in
contact with a projection arranged for that purpose, and were deposited into a drawer
or other cash receptacle in the main box. The lever then returned to its original
position, it being suitably counterbalanced for that purpose. In order to prevent lead
or other discs, or iron or other washers being employed instead of the proper coins
for obtaining the cigars, the inclined shoot guiding the coins was constructed in two
parts, the lower being pivotted to the upper part, and so balanced, that, when any
piece heavier than a bronze penny or any other suitable predetermined coin was
delivered on to it from the upper part of the shoot, that balanced part was depressed,
and returned the rejected piece by an open shoot to the outside of the main box. In
order that washers might be rejected, a small spring was arranged in the balanced
shoot so that it entered the hole in the washer and prevented it sliding down the
shoot, it being eventually delivered into the aforesaid open shoot. The upper part of
the inclined shoot was constructed to guide the coins only at their circumferences, so
that coins of a less size than a penny dropped through the open bottom directly into
the aforesaid open shoot.
Now, according to my present invention, instead of the longitudinally grooved
drum hereinbefore referred to, I prefer to employ a travelling pitch belt or creeper,
provided with transverse shelves or blades so as to form compartments for securing
and carrying forward and delivering the cigars to be sold. By this arrangement the
probability of the apparatus becoming jammed in consequence of the cigars being of
different shapes is greatly reduced. The creeper belt is actuated by mechanism
similar or equivalent to that described for actuating the drum in the prior patent
referred to..

page_text: Instead of the coin entrance and detector mechanism herein before referred to I
construct the inclined coin shoot down which the coins slide to the operating lever in
several separate parts. The upper end or incline next to the entrance for the coin is
fixed, and of just sufficient inclination to always insure the coins placed thereon
sliding down. At the termination of this part the coins fall through a short distance
on to a second incline, hinged and balanced in such manner, that coins and pieces
heavier than the predetermined weight falling upon it cause it to overbalance and
discharge the piece through an open shoot beneath it. Between the first and second
incline is placed a divided stop ring of the exact diameter of the required coins, the
front part being secured to the second slide, while the back part is hinged and
balanced, so that, on a coin of the proper diameter being passed down the first slide
it falls through the said ring which always insures the deposition of the coin on the
second and balanced slide in the same place; but when a coin of larger diameter, or a
piece of irregular shape is passed into the coin slide, it is retained on the top of the
stop ring, and pushing open the hinged back part falls through the open shoot to the
outside of the box.
Immediately above the front part of the divided stop ring is arranged a horizontal
hinged door or flap held in position by a spring, so that, in the event of the shoot
becoming blocked from a coin too large being placed thereon, or by the introduction
of rubbish, the accumulating pieces force open the door, and are deposited on to the
balanced slide, which tips up, and discharges them through the shoot to the outside
of the box.
The inclination of the slides is such, that a bronze coin such as a penny will slide
down quickly, but on a lead disc of the predetermined weight being placed thereon
it travels very slowly, or remains quiescent, and eventually overbalances the slide,
and is discharged through the shoot to the outside of the box.
At the termination of the second slide I arrange a third slide which is also pivotted
and balanced and forms approximately a continuation of the second incline, but is
much more delicately balanced. The object of this second balanced slide is to further
insure the detection of false or spurious coins, discs, and such like articles.
In the accompanying two sheets of illustrative drawings.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my apparatus on a plane through the creeper belt
and delivery race.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a box with one side removed, and shewing the general
arrangement of the operating and detector mechanism.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the coin shoot with detector mechanism, and
Fig. 4 is a plan of the same.
The cigars 1 to be delivered are placed in the compartment 2 and fall into the
several divisions of the travelling pitch belt or creeper 3 formed by the transverse
blades or shelves 4. The creeper is driven over the pitch drum 5 and drum 6 by
mechanism to be presently described, and carries forward the cigars so that at each
operation of the actuating mechanism one cigar is ejected forwards into the race 7,
and falls to the bottom 8, from whence it is extracted by the purchaser through the
opening 9.
The mechanism for operating the creeper is substantially the same as that described
in a prior patent hereinbefore referred to and consists of a coin shoot 10 provided
with detector mechanism through which the coins pass to the pan or tray 11 on the
end of a counterbalanced lever 12. The pan 11 is held in its initial position by the
weighted trigger lever 13 until the required coins are deposited in it, when it over-
balances the lever 13 and descends into the position shewn in dotted lines, the coins
being knocked out into the receptacle 14 by means of a stop 15 striking the hinged
bottom 16 of the pan 11.
During the descent of the lever 12 the link 17 engages with the ratchet wheel 18
connected to the spindle 19 of the creeper drum 5, and so carries forward the creeper 3
through one division.
The lever 12 is returned to its initial position by the counterweight 20. When
there is no cigar on the creeper ready for delivery a lever 21 which in its normal

page_text: position rides upon the cigar to be next delivered falls into the position shewn in
dotted lines, which drops the end 22 of a lever 23 connected to it in front of the
money slit, and so prevents the passing of coins down the shoot.
The inclined coin shoot (Figs. 3 and 4) is constructed in several parts as shewn.
The first or upper incline 24 is fixed to the frame 25 and is of just sufficient inclina-
tion to always insure the coins placed thereon sliding down. They next fall on to a
second incline 26 hinged at 27 and balanced by the weight 28 as shewn, so that pieces
heavier than the predetermined weight falling upon it, cause it to overbalance and
discharge them into a shoot placed for their reception. Between the first slide 24
and the second 26 is placed a divided stop ring 29 30 the exact diameter of the
required coins, the front part 29 being secured to the slide 26 while the back part 30
is hinged at 31 and balanced by the weight 32, so that, on a coin of the proper
diameter being passed down the slide 24 it falls through the ring 29 30, which always
insures the deposition of the coin on the slide 26 at the same place; but pieces of
larger diameter, or of irregular shape, are retained on the top of the ring 29 30, and
pushing open the hinged part 30 and overbalancing the slide 26 fall into a shoot
placed to receive them.
Immediately above the front part of the ring 29 30 is the hinged door or flap 33
held in position by the spring 34, so that, in the event of the shoot becoming blocked
the door is forced open, and the pieces being deposited on the slide 26 tip it up, and
are ejected into a shoot placed to receive them.
At the termination of the slide 26 I arrange a third slide 35 forming approximately
a continuation of slide 26 but much more delicately balanced, for the further detection
of false or spurious coins, discs, and such like articles.
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. The construction of the inclined shoot or slide for conveying the coins to the
end of the operating lever, in several parts, hinged and balanced, substantially as
described and for the purpose set forth.
2. The construction of the divided circular coin stop ring at the end of the first
division of the coin slide in two parts; one part being secured to a balanced lever for
rejecting irregular shaped pieces, and the other part being secured to the first
balanced slide, so as to insure the deposition of the coins on the said slide at the
required place substantially as described.
3. The employment of an auxiliary hinged stop or door held by a spring, so that
pieces which would otherwise block the coin slide are allowed to pass over the coin
stop ring substantially as described.
4. The employment of the hinged slide delicately balanced and terminating the
inclined coin shoot, to further insure the detection and rejection of spurious pieces
substantially as described.
5. The arrangement and construction of apparatus for the Automatic Sale of
Cigars and other similar articles substantially as described with reference to the
drawings.