IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING STAMPS, TICKETS, CHEQUES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Austin Usher, of Powell Street East, Goswell
Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING STAMPS, TICKETS, CHEQUES, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 20th December 1878, and dated the 9th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Austin Usher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th October 1878.
ALFRED AUSTIN USHER, of Powell Street East, Goswell Road, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING STAMPS,
TICKETS, CHEQUES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus for
delivering stamps, tickets, cheques, and other similar articles on placing a coin of
the required or corresponding value in a suitable orifice or receptacle.
For this purpose, I arrange the stamps, tickets, cheques, and other similar articles
in a columu inside a tube or receptacle of suitable dimensions, and intermediate of
a number of discs or plates fitting loosely the interior of such tube or receptacle.
In the centre of this tube or receptacle, extending from the bottom to the top
thereof, is fixed a fine wire on to which the discs or plates and the stamps, tickets,
cheques, and other similar articles are threaded; these discs or plates are provided
with grooves or slots to enable them to pass sideways over the top of the fine wire,
and they are so formed and guided as to ensure their being retained in their correct
position in the tube or receptacle.
The uppermost disc or plate is retained in position by a bolt, detent, or catch
until the proper coin is placed in the required position, say in an orifice gauged to
fit such coin, when it falls or rolls on to a lever which, in moving, brings the coin
Poving G

page_text: into such a position that by pushing a knob or moving a slide a lever or instrument
is brought into action, which, by pushing against the coin communicates motion to
an instrument or lever which removes the detent, bolt, or catch, and at the same
time pushes off the uppermost disc or plate from the pile and leaves a stamp, ticket,
cheque, or other article exposed ready to be taken by the person depositing the
coin. On removing the hand from the knob, the coin falls into a till, and tho
detent, bolt, or catch returns to its normal position.
The pile of discs or plates, and stamps, tickets, cheques, or other articles is pressed
upwards by a spring or weight acting thereon.
If desired, the apparatus may be arranged to deliver 6, 12, or any other number :
of stamps, tickets, cheques, or other similar articles, according to the value of the
coin for which the apparatus is arranged.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Austin Usher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th April
1879.
11
ALFRED AUSTIN USHER, of Powell Street East, Goswell Road, in the County of
Middlesex. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING STAMPS,
TICKETS, CHEQUES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus for
delivering stamps, tickets, cheques, and other similar articles on placing a coin of
the required or corresponding value in a suitable orifice or receptacle.
For this purpose I arrange the stamps, tickets, cheques, and other similar articles
in a column inside of a tube or receptacle of suitablo dimensions, and intermediate
of a number of discs or plates fitting loosely the interior of such tube or receptacle.
In the centre of this tube or receptacle, extending from the bottom to the top
thereof, may be fixed a fine wire, on to which the discs or plates, and the stamps,
tickets, cheques, and other similar articles are threaded, in which caso these discs
or plates are provided with grooves or slots to enable them to pass sideways
over the top of the fine wire, and they are so formed and guided as to ensure their'
being retained in their correct position in the tube or receptacle, but I preferably
dispense with the use of such fine wire.
The uppermost disc or plate is retained in position by a bolt, detent, or catch
until the proper coin is placed in the required position, say in an orifice gauged to
fit such coin, when it falls or rolls on to an instrument into such a position that by
pushing a knob or moving a slide the said instrument is brought into action, which,
by pushing against the coin, communicates motion to an instrument or lever which
removes the detent, bolt, or catch, and at the same time pushes off the uppermost
disc or plate from the pile, and leaves a stamp, ticket, cheque, or other article
exposed ready to be taken by the person depositing the coin. On removing the
hand from the knob, the coin falls into a till, and the detent, bolt, or catch returns
to its normal position.
The pile of discs or plates, and stamps, tickets, cheques, or other articles is pressed
upwards by a spring or weight acting thereon.
If desired, the apparatus may be arranged to deliver 6, 12, or any other number
of stamps, tickets, cheques, or other similar articles, according to the value of the
coin for which the apparatus is arranged.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section; Figure 2 is a side elevation; Figure 3 is a plan
or top view; Figure 4 is an under side view; and Figure 5 is a cross section on
the line 1, 1, of Figure 2, representing apparatus constructed according to my
Invention. Figure 6 is an edge view, and Figure 7 is a top view of a disc or plate
used in my said apparatus, and Figure 8 is a vertical section. Figure 9 is a side
elevation, and Figure 10 is an under side view of parts of similar apparatus of a
somewhat modified construction.
According to my Invention, I arrange the stamps, tickets, cheques, and other
similar articles in a column inside a tube or receptacle a of suitable dimensions,
and intermediate of a number of discs or plates b fitting loosely the interior of such
tube or receptacle a. These dises or plates b are made smooth on their under
surfaces and are roughened on their upper surfaces so as to enable the uppermost of
such discs or plates to be pushed freely. off the uppermost, stamp, and at the same

page_text: time cause such stamp to be retained in position on the next disc or plate by the
roughened surface of the latter.
The pile of discs or plates b, and stamps, tickets, cheques, or other articles inter-
mediate thereof is pressed upwards by a spring c acting thereon, or it may be by a
weight.
When a coin corresponding in value to one of the stamps, tickets, or other
articles in the tube, or receptacle a is passed through the aperture d in the top
plate it falls into the tubular guide e, and in doing so, by its edge, pushes back
the bolts or catches f so as to disengage them from the forks g' of the slide g; the
coin now being between the front end of the pusher and the rear ends of the
forks g' enables motion to be communicated to the slide g by pushing the knob h',
during which motion the coin will be held between such parts, and the slide g will
push off the uppermost disc or plate b, and then when the slide g has returned to
its normal position, as shown in the Drawings, the uppermost stamp, ticket, or other
article with which the apparatus is supplied will rise through the opening in such
slide g, which will then be over and in a line with the tube or receptacle a, when
said stamp or other article may be removed through the aperture & in the plate d.
And in order to prevent the contents of the tube or receptacle a being tampered
with and removed through the aperature & without first placing a coin in the
apparatus, I fix across the aperture d² a bar d³.
The pusher is acted upon by a spring ², and the slide g by springs to return
them to their normal positions, and in order to insure the coin falling into the box
in which the apparatus is fixed, at every action of the apparatus, an incline & is
fixed in position to act upon the upper edge of the coin and push it down between
the front end of the pusher h and the rear ends of the forks gl, which hold the
saine, when by coming against the lower edge of the tubular guide e the coin will
be disengaged from such parts and will fall into the box in which the apparatus is
fixed.
In the arrangement represented at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the tube or recep-
tacle is formed square, and is provided with a door a¹, provided with a spring
catch a to hold the same in a closed position, and a spring catch a³ is employed to
hold the head or follower c¹ down when the discs or plates b and stamps or other
articles intermediate thereof are being arranged in the interior of the tube a, and the
tube or receptacle a is represented as being provided at its upper end with
flanges a to fit supporting guides j fixed to the under side of plate d to facilitate
the removal of an empty or exhausted tube or receptacle a, and the placing in
position of one newly charged, and in order to ensure a correct adjustment of such
tubes or receptacles a and the removal and refixing of the same in position,
the flanges of the tube a are caused to come against a stop j¹, and a spring
catch is employed to retain the tube or receptacle a in position.
A chain, shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, is employed to prevent the head or
follower being forced out of the tube or receptacle a when the latter is removed
from the apparatus to be recharged.
The slide g runs in guides & fixed to the top plate d, and the forks g¹ run in slots
formed in the tubular guide e, and project slightly into the interior of said tubular
guide e to enable the coin for which the apparatus is arranged to act on the ends
thereof.
In order to supply the tube or receptacle a with its charge of discs or plates b
and stamps or other articles, the head or follower c' is first pushed down by a stick
or other instrument until it is caught by the spring catch a³, the door a is then
opened and the tube or receptacle a charged, then by closing the door a¹ and
releasing the spring catch a³ the spring c will be allowed to act upon the pile of
discs or plates b and stamps or other articles to force the same upwards.
The aperature in the top plate d is gauged accurately to fit the coin for which
the apparatus is arranged, and should a smaller coin than that be passed through
the said aperture it will be simply pushed out of the tubular guide e by the
pusher h without operating the slide g. By locking the slide 9 in its normal position

page_text: by the spring catches f, the uppermost disc or plate b will be firmly held in position
within the opening in the slide g, and cannot be pushed out sideways therefrom, as it
is held on its four sides by the slide g. In the arrangement represented at Figures 8,
9, 10, instead of generally fixing the various parts to the top plate & by screws, as in
the previously described arrangement, they are soldered thereto, and the tube or recep-
tacle a is soldered in position and is formed round instead of square, whilst said tube or
receptacle a is provided with a revolving cover or door a¹ instead of a hinged one.
This mode of construction greatly cheapens the cost of the apparatus but is not so
convenient as that shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, as the tube or receptacle a is not
removable.
The apparatus may be fixed in a box or case of any suitable form and material,
and two or more of such apparatuses may be mounted in one box or case, whilst the
apparatus may be arranged to deliver one or more stamps, tickets, or other articles
for each coin deposited therein.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details herein shown and described, as such may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention, but what I do
claim is,
First. The peculiar arrangement and combination of apparatus for automatically
delivering stamps, tickets, and other articles therefrom on the deposit of a suitable
coin therein, substantially as herein shown and described.
Secondly. I claim arranging stamps, tickets, and other articles in a tube or
receptacle between plates or discs roughened on their upper surface and smooth on
their lower surface, and causing the same to be pushed upwards by a spring or
weight, in manner and for the purpose substantially as herein shown and described.
Thirdly. I claim communicating motion to a slide by a pusher, and causing the
same to be dependent upon the presence between the two parts of a proper coin
for the purpose of removing the uppermost disc or plate from a pile, and delivering
a stamp, ticket, .
.or other article, in manner substantially as herein shown and
described.
Fourthly. I claim the employment of bolts or catches for locking the slide until
a proper coin is inserted into the apparatus, and the employment of a bar over the
pile of stamps, tickets, or other articles to prevent tampering with the apparatus
and the surreptitious removal of stamps, tickets, or other articles therefrom,
substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Austin Usher, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.