Improvements in Coin Freed Mechanism for Electric Lighting of Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1897-Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Freed Mechanism for Electric Lighting of
Vehicles.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Loudon, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (which has been communicated to me from abroad by La Société Anonyme
d'Etudes et d'Exploitation de l'Accumulateur "Eclair," of Rue Neuve 68, Brussels,
Belgium) 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 mechanism provided in an electrically lighted vehicle for
hire so that on opening either door and introducing a coin in a slot the electric
lamp is lighted and continues lighted during the course, or by introducing a second
coin the lighting is continued for an hour as determined by clockwork connected
with the mechanism.
Figure 1 of the accompanying diawings is a diagram shewing the electrical
connections for operating in the manner set forth by a single coin. Figures 2 and 3
shew arrangements of the mechanism for operating with two coins. Fig. 2ª is a
sectional plan on the line xx¹ of Fig. 1. Fig. 2" is a plan ou the upper side of T
Fig. 1.
Referring first to Figure 1, L indicates an electric lamp or set of lamps, S a
battery or other source of electricity, a switch which when acted on by a coin
makes contact with C closing the lamp circuit. E is an electromagnet which by
attracting C opens the circuit, m and are contacts which on opening the doors or
either of them closes the circuit of the electro-magnet; m' are other contacts
normally closed, but connected to the door handles by moving which they are
separated. Thus when a door is opened while the lamp is lighted, a current takes
the course m n m³ n¹, magnet coil E and C to C', and the magnet being excited
attracts C opening the lamp circuit. The contacts m¹n may be dispensed with but
they are useful in preventing extiuction of the light during a momentary opening of
the door, the handle being kept hold of.
'
The apparatus shewn in Figure 2 is so arranged that the introduction of a coin
after the doors of the vehicle are closed effects the lighting and maintains the light.
during the course, that is to say until either door is opened, also that the introduction
of another coin maintains the light during a 'predetermined time independently of
the opening of the door.
T is a pull which is normally held by a pin p upon it being engaged by a spring
lever, but which is released when a coin q introduced depresses the lever 11, the
coin remaining between studs 8 8' projecting froin the side of T. The pull T can
then be pulled out and pushed in, the pulling out causing discharge of the coin into
a receptacle below. In a slot of the pull is engaged a stud t at one end of a pawl C,
beyond which is another pawl C nouuted ou a stationary pivot. A lever urged
towards the left by a spring r, has a notch e lined with insulating material, and has
an arm which when inoves to the left raises a pawl C" off from a stud projecting
from the pull T. This pawl C is jointed to a rack C which gears with a pinion z
.

page_text: on a clock-work spindle, on which is fixed a disc D having an insulating segment i
pressed upon by a spring connected by a wire to a projection B on the pull T,
on which projection bears a spring". Both the pawls C Care of iron so as to
operate as armatures of an electro-magnet E. The parts are shewn in the position
to which they had been brought after closing the doors of the vehicle, introducing
a coin to release p, and theu first pulling T so as to move to the right till C
engaged in its notch, and then pushing T so as to move the pawl C till its
catch engages behind which during this movement is held in position by the
pawl C. The pull of T has effected discharge of the coin which had been
introduced, and its push has put it in position to receive a second coin which
is shewn at q. Before any further movethent of T the electrical connections are
as follows. From one terminal of battery S through lamp L, w, C x, l, y z to
the other terminal, the lamp being thus in action. There is a branch circuit by
vr, B to, but, owing to the interposition of the insulating segment i, no
current passes by this course. When a door is opened closing the circuit at m
or n, then current passes from the one terminal of S by v₁ through coil of E
and by ww, C, c, yz to the other terininal. E being thus excited attracts the
pawls CC opening the circuit at and so extinguishing the lamp, at the saine
time releasing the lever allowing it to move towards the left. Owing to the
opening of the circuit, the excitement of the magnet E ceases, the pawls CC
drop, being now engaged in the notch e; the circuit of the lamp is thus broken
at and the pull T is held by its stud p being engaged with lever l¹.
If nuother coin q has been introduced the pull T is released by land can be
pulled and pushed. By its pull the lever is moved to the right and the pull
the rack C turning the pinion s so winding up the clock-work, and moving
nd the disc D so as to displace the insulating segment i. A circuit is thus
ompleted from one terminal of S through L, v, B, ¹, D and z to the other
terminal of S, this circuit remaining independent of the opening of the doors, and
the light continuing until the circuit is opened by the return of the segment i to
the position shewn in Figure 2, that is to say in an hour or such time as is
determined by the clock-work. When this occurs, the parts are in such a position
that the pull T is held by l, and the pawl C is in the notch e so that no circuit is
completed, and it requires the introduction of a coin to release T, the pull of T to
move to the right till C¹ engages in its notch and then the push of T to bring the
parts to the position shewn in Figure 2, being then beyond which is held by C¹.
In the modified apparatus shown full size in Figure 3, for the pull T is substituted
a kind of vertical slide G into which the coins are introduced and act on a bent
lever At the top of G is a slot. 8 of exact size for admitting the coin; the sections
of G at X Y and X' Y' are as shewn in Figures 4 and 5 respectively, those
allowing the coin to slide down vertically. The main circuit from S, through the
lamp divides into two branches, the one through the coil of the magnet E, and
the other through closed contacts c which are opened by the opening of the doors.
Both branches reach the frame of the apparatus at b. A coin descending G acts by
its weight on the lower arm of the level moving it from the position I-1 to the
position 2-2 and closing the circuit from the frame to a contact b¹ which as well as
another contact bis insulated from the frame. If the contacts c are closed, the
introduction of the coin by completing the circuit from the frame to lights the
lamp which continues lighted while neither door is opened. The position 2-2 of
the lever prevents the passage of another coin to the position occupied by the first,
but it may pass on the right hand side of the lever and acting ou another lever lí
disengages a catch from a notch e of a disc on the clockwork spindle thus starting
the clockwork, and also moves a spring (which is attached to ') into contact with b
thus electrically connecting 6 to the frame until another notch e is brought by the
clockwork movement to be caught again by the catch of 1.
If while the lever is in its 2-2 position, a door is opened, the current traverses
the magnet coil, an armature a is attracted allowing to be moved to a position 3–3
by the coin which then falls into a receptacle; the lever then returns to the

page_text: position 1-1 and the light is extinguished unless the clockwork is in operation, in
which case the light is not dependent on the doors being kept closed.
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
5 claim is :-
1
1. The herein described method of causing the electric lighting of a carriage by
Introduction of a coin and maintaining it until a door is opened, or, on introducing a
Becond coin, until clockwork is run down.
2. For operating in the manner above referred to, apparatus substantially as
O described with reference to the drawings.