A New or Improved Coin Freed or Coin Actuated Apparatus, applicable for the Reception and Securing of Umbrellas, Walking Sticks, Parcels, or other articles during the Absence of the Owner.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Coin Freed or Coin Actuated Apparatus,
applicable for the Reception and Securing of Umbrellas, Walking
Sticks, Parcels, or other articles during the Absence of the
Owner.
I, ROLAND NEW of Bank of Liverpool Buildings, Victoria Street, Liverpool in
the County of Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this-invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to coin freed or coin actuated apparatus, and it has for its
object anew or improved apparatus of this description intended as a means for
receiving and securely retaining an umbrella, walking stick or the like during the
temporary absence of the owner, as at places of public resort, and at other places
where such articles would generally be left in charge of an attendant or left to take
care of themselves.
.
I
The apparatus comprises a chamber, within which the article may be placed, and
which, when closed, may be secured by a lock and key. The insertion of a pre-
determined coin into the apparatus releases or operates mechanism in such manner
that the said lock and key (or key alone) are (or is) rendered accessible to the user,
who then unfastens the lock, opens the chamber, deposits his umbrella, etcetera,
therein, closes and locks the chamber again and puts the key in his pocket. When
the user desires to regain possession of his property, he unlocks and opens "the
chamber again, abstracts his belongings and closes the chamber again. The
unlocking, opening or closing of the chamber or the removal of the article there-
from, or some one or more of these operations, is or are the means of restoring the
mechanisms to their original positions, and obscuring the lock and key, so that
another coin must be inserted before the apparatus can be utilised again.
The following description of its application to the retention and securing of an
umbrella will serve to indicate more precisely the nature of the invention, although
such description is given merely by way of illustration, as the apparatus may be
constructed in a variety of ways, depending greatly upon the object to which it is
to be applied.
Within a suitable casing, I construct a chamber, adapted to receive an umbrella
on end, and having its upper end closed by a lid and secured by a look and key,
adapted to be operated by the user, the lid being also secured, if desirable, by a
bolt or catch adapted to be operated or rendered operative either directly or
indirectly by the action of the coin.
On the insertion of a coin of the predetermined kind, into the apparatus, suitable
balanced mechanism is operated or rendered operative by the weight or impact of
the coin, and the movement of such mechanism withdraws a stop or releases a catch,.
whereby a shaft, driven by a spring, weight or its equivalent, is permitted to revolve,
the coin then falling into a suitable receptacle and the balanced mechanism aforesaid
returning to its original position. The shaft rotates for a certain distance, say,
half a revolution, when its movement is arrested by a second movable stop or catch,
hereinafter described. During the above rotation of the shaft, it performs two
operations: First, it withdraws the bolt or catch aforesaid and leaves the lid of the
chamber free to be opened when unlocked, the shaft being connected to the bolt by
an eccentric and rod or other suitable mechanism; and, Secondly, it operates, by
suitable mechanism, a slide or slides in such manner that, the coin slot is, obscured
and: the lock and key (or, the key alone if the lock be always visible) are or is
rendered accessible to the user.
:
The user now unfastens the lock, raises the lid, thrusts his umbrella into the

page_text: chamber, closes and locks the lid again, and removes the key from the lock. The
umbrella rests, at the lower end of the chamber, upon a movable plunger or equiva-
lent device, located at such a distance from the upper end of the chamber that, when
the lid is closed, it shall come in contact with the upper end of the umbrella and
depress the latter and the plunger upon which it rests.
When the user wishes to regain possession of his umbrella, he unfastens the lock,
raises the lid and removes his umbrella. The raising of the lid permits the plunger
to be raised, by a spring or other equivalent device, into its original position, and
during this movement the plunger actuates a rod, stop or other suitable device
which engages the second shaft holding catch in such manner that it releases the
shaft and the latter revolves into its initial position, being retained therein by its
engagement with the stop or catch of the balanced coin mechanism as before
described. The rotation of the shaft shoots the lid bolt, and actuates the slide or
slides aforesaid in the opposite direction, so that the lock is again obscured and the
coin slot rendered accessible.
The lock is so constructed that the lid, when closed, locks itself. The bolt afore-
said is also constructed in such manner that it may be pressed back when the lid is
being closed, but may spring forward again and securely fasten the lid as soon as
the latter is closed tightly. It is also preferable to so construct the lock and key
that the latter can only be removed from the lock when the lock is fastened.
The spring barrel or weight drum is so connected with the shaft that it can be
wound up from time to time without disturbing the shaft and its other connections.
The winding may conveniently be done by the attendant when he collects the coins
or at other times as desirable.
It will be obvious that the mere weight of the umbrella or other article may be
made the means of depressing the plunger or its equivalent, without any co-operation
on the part of the lid. The apparatus may be so modified that the coin must be
placed in the slot after the first closing of the lid, in order to enable the user to
regain possession of his property. In this case, however, the lock and key would
be visible at all times.
Dated this 25th day of November 1800.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Coin Freed or Coin Actuated Apparatus,
applicable for the Reception and Securing of Umbrellas, Walking
Sticks, Parcels, or other articles during the Absence of the
Owner.
I, ROLAND NEW, of Bank of Liverpool Buildings Victoria Street Liverpool in
the County of Lancaster, Merchant 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:-
This invention relates to coin freed or coin actuated apparatus and it has for its
object a new or improved apparatus of this description intended as a means for
receiving and securely retaining an umbrella, walking stick or the like during the
temporary absence of the owner, as at places of public resort, and at other places
where such articles would generally be left in charge of an attendant, or left to
take care of themselves.
The apparatus comprises a chamber, within which the article may be placed, and
which, when closed may be secured by a lock and key. The insertion of a pre-
determined coin into the apparatus releases or operates mechanism in such a manner
that the said lock and key, (or key alone) are (or is) rendered accessible to the
user, who then unfastens the lock, opens the chamber, deposits his umbrella, etcetera,
therein, closes and locks the chamber again, and puts the key in his pocket. When

page_text: the user desires to regain possession of his property, he unlocks and opens the
chamber again. The unlocking, opening, or closing of-the chamber, or the removal
of the article therefrom, or some one or more of these operations is or are the means
of restoring the mechanisms to their original positions and obscuring the lock and
key so that another coin must be inserted before the apparatus can be utilised
again.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have appended to the
description herein following, the accompanying three sheets of drawings in which
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.
Figure 1, Sheet is a front elevation of the apparatus, and Figure 2 upon the
same sheet is a side sectional elevation thereof, shewing part of the inner partition
broken away.
Figure 3, Sheet 2 is a front elevation, with part of the casing broken away to
reveal the mechanism and Figure 34 upon the same sheet is a side elevation thereof,
shewn in section upon the line A B Figure 3 illustrating the position of the various
parts when the machine is closed and ready for use.
Figure 4, Sheet 3 is a similar sectional elevation, shewing the position of the
various parts when the machine is being used; and Figure 5 upon the same sheet is
a view of part of the front, shewing the keyhole exposed, and
Figure 6 is a plan view shewing the door or lid removed.
The following description of the application of the apparatus according to my
invention to the retention and securing of an umbrella will serve to indicate the
nature thereof, and the principles of construction generally although said apparatus
may be modified to suit the requirements of different cases of application.
Within a suitable casing A. Figures 1 and 2, I provide a coin slide B communi-
cating with a slit C in said casing A. Said coin slide B is inclined, and the sides
are grooved to allow the predetermined coin to slide freely. A slot a in the slide B
allows a pendulum pivotted at c to obstruct said coin, said pendulum however
being balanced so as to be displaced by the coin if this be of the proper weight,
allowing said coin to fall through the slot into the bottom of the case or other
receptacle where there is a door such as Z. If a coin of smaller diameter is placed
in the apparatus, so that it does not fit the grooves in the sides of the slide a it
drops through the opening e before reaching the pendulum 6 and dropping upon the
slide is ejected at g.
A clock train D, operated by a spring or a weight as shewn by Figure 3 Sheet 2,
drives a shaft carrying a disc i with a stop j. A tension is thus maintained upon
said shaft h which is prevented from revolving by the catch d holding the stop j.
When the coin of predetermined weight and size displaces the pendulum ↳ a cam
or crank upon the fulcrum e tilts the catch d and releases the stop j allowing the
disc i to revolve. The relative positions of the several parts are indicated by the
dotted outline. The shaft can only rotate through half a complete revolution by
reason of the stop; aforesaid engaging with the spring catch k. The positions of
each part before the introduction of the coin are shewn by Figure 3*. The semi-
revolution of the shaft h causes two eccentrics m and n attached thereto to be
similarly rotated.
The function of the eccentric m is to depress the block p allowing the lid E to
be raised, exposing a chamber F for the reception of an umbrella, walking stick, or
the like. In a similar manner the movement of the eccentric n, by means of a
cranked lever w and cross bar v depresses the shutter u exposing a key y which
enables the lock H to release the lid E.
The same movement of the cross bar covers the money slit C as shewn by the
dotted outline Figure 3. Sheet 2. The lid E being thus released, an umbrella or
the like may be inserted in the chamber F as shown by Figure 4 Sheet 3. The
lower part of F is closed by a perforated pan or plates attached to a lever Gand
retained in position by a spiral spring t. This pan s is depressed by the introduction
of the umbrella and draws downwards a rod r attached to the lever G, thus raising
a catch l, which, being provided with a pawl, passes by a projection upon the spring

page_text: catch without altering the position of the latter. I may however employ a pan s
pivotted at such a distance on G as to allow of a practically continuous descent on
the introduction of the umbrella or the like, operating a sliding rod instead of the,
fodr.as shewn, which retains a catch of wide range within a suitable slot in lieu of
the short catch 1. This allows of the introduction of umbrellas, sticks, parcels or
the like, of any length within the compass of the external case.
Presuming that the umbrella or the like is now in its place within the chamber F,
the lid E may be closed and secured by the lock H, the key y being taken away by
the user.
The money slit C being closed, as hereinbefore described, is sufficient
indication that the apparatus is in use.
When it is desired to recover the umbrella
or the like, the key y may be reinserted in the lock H and the lid E released,
opened, and the article withdrawn. The pan or plate s is then raised by the tension
of the spring thus lifting the rod r and causing the catch to engage with the
projection upon. lifting the latter the required distance and then passing it by,
thus releasing the stop j, when a second semi-revolution of the shaft brings the
stop back to d, and the cover u is restored to its normal position enclosing the key y,
the inoney slit C is again uncovered and the lid E may be closed, the spring stop
allowing said lid to be locked when p is raised as herein before described.
The lock H is so constructed that the key y can only be removed therefrom when
the bolt or bolts thereof are locked.
In order to procure additional security, I may arrange a pair or a series of locks
upon. a disc, barrel or the like, the rotation of which is effected by the mechanism
herein described, so that each lock and its corresponding key are distinct from the
others placed in the series.
The spring barrel or weight drum of the clock train D is so constructed that it
may be wound, from time to time without disturbing the shaft and its other
connections. Said winding may conveniently be done by the attendant when he
collects the coins, or at other times as may be desirable.
It will be obvious that the actual weight of the umbrella or the like may be made
the means of depressing the pan or plates and operating the mechanism in con-
nection therewith without employing the lid E, or a hinged bar or plate may be
used for that purpose. The apparatus may be so modified that the coin may be
placed in the slit C after the closing of the lid, in order to enable the user to regain
possession of his property. In this case however the key y would be visible at all
times; therefore I preferably employ the mode of construction herein described in
detail and shewn by the drawings.
I may cause the mechanism to operate moveable advertisements placed behind
the front of the case which in this instance would be transparent. Said advertise-.
ments are preferably painted or mounted upon hexagonal bars; or plates x as
shewn at Fig. 34 in the annexed drawings. Said plates are so arranged as to be
operated by the bell crank w which lifts a rack w¹ geared into pinions fixed to
the end of each plate, so that each time the apparatus is used the bell crank- in
moving up or down exposes alternately the two faces of the plates a. If however
hexagonal or octagonal bars or plates are used I dispense with the rack wo¹ and
pinions and operate the bars or plates (to the ends of which ratchet wheels are
attached) by a series of pawls so that each face of the bar is successively presented
to view under the action of crank w or other part of the mechanism each time that
the apparatus is used-but I do not especially claim this combination.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;
First: The construction and arrangement of parts forming a coin freed apparatus
for the purpose herein set forth, and substantially as described and shewn by the
appended drawings.
Second: In a coin freed apparatus as referred to in the preceding claim; the
construction and use of a coin slide a with a slot e, pendulum & in combination with

page_text: releasing mechanism d and j substantially as herein described and shewn by the
drawings.
Third. In a coin freed apparatus as above described the construction and use of
a chamber F, lid E pan or plate s in combination with a locking device p, lock H
and key y substantially as herein described and shewn by the appended drawings.
Fourth. In a coin freed apparatus as above described the construction and use
of the releasing and stopping mechanism dijk l, in combination with a clock
train D lever v and shutter a substantially as herein described and shewn by the
drawings.
Dated this 19th day of August 1891.
FREDK. WALKER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.