A Portable Coin Freed Apparatus for Generating Röntgen Rays.
Year: 1897

page_text: 0
Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1897
1
ACIL
1007
10th Mar 4000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Portable Coin Freed Apparatus for Generating Röntgen Rays.
I, MAURICE VIDAL, of 13, Rue Racine, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
My invention relates to a portable coin freed apparatus for generating Röntgen
rays.
The said apparatus is contained in a box divided into compartments and com-
prises an accumulator, provided with spring contacts for supplying the current
to a Ruhmkorff induction coil, the poles of which communicate with a Crookes
tube; and an automatic coin freed mechanism, operated by clockwork, for closing
the circuit of the accumulator so as to produce the efflorescence. The conducting
wires pass through holes in the sides of the compartments, and doors in such
compartments allow access to the various parts of the apparatus.
The coin freed mechanism comprises a weighted tilting lever, bent at one end
to form a contact, and carrying an insulating plate the other end being shaped
to receive the coin (introduced through a slot into a shoot) for operating the
apparatus. Two flexible contact blades, one connected to one of the terminals of
the accumulator and the other to one of the terminals of the Ruhmkorff induction
coil, are arranged to face either the insulating plate, or the contact of the tilting
lever, according to the position of the latter. Perfect contact is established by
means of a cam, or its equivalent, adapted to press against one of the flexible blades.
In conjunction with the tilting lever, I employ clockwork arranged to be wound
up by hand, at the time of using the apparatus, and causing a grooved pulley,
having a nib or projection, to revolve so as to act on the cam before mentioned,
and establish contact with the tilting lever.
A horizontally pivotted lever carries a vertical arm, reaching in front and a
little above the end of the tilting lever, and serves to retain the coin on the latter
during the working of the apparatus. The movement of this horizontal lever is
limited by a spring at one of its ends and a stop at its other end.
The Crookes tube is supported on a stand, provided with articulated arms, in
a separate compartment of the box.
A viewing or binocular glass is arranged at top of, or above the apparatus, and
is supported on rods pivotted to the sides of the box and adapted to be adjusted
in their angular position.
To prevent fraud, I may provide an automatic counter for registering the
number of times the apparatus has been operated.

page_text: I, MAURICE VIDAL, of 13, Rue Racine, Paris, in the Republic of France,
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 relates to an automatical apparatus, portable or otherwise, for
generating and exhibiting Röntgen rays.
This apparatus comprises a mechanical apparatus in connection with a dark
fluoroscopic chamber provided with an automatic shutter and with a Crookes tube
which is illuminated automatically. A counter or a coin introduced into the
apparatus causes the shutter of the dark fluoroscopic chamber and the Crookes
tube to be simultaneously operated. The apparatus contains an accumulator for
supplying the current to a Ruhmkorff coil, the poles of which are in communi-
cation with the vacuum or Crookes tube. The circuit of the accumulator is closed
by an automatic mechanism operated by the introduction of the coin or counter,
thus effecting the production of the fluorescence in the interior of the Crookes
tube.
In the annexed drawing. Fig. 1 shows the general arrangement of the apparatus
for generating and viewing the rays with one of the sides removed Fig. 2 is an
elevation of the coin freed automatic mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same.
Figs. 4 and 5 are views in elevation and in plan of an apparatus with several view-
ing glasses.
The apparatus consists of a wooden box or chamber Fig. 1 divided into several
compartments. Compartment 1 contains the automatic mechanism and is closed
by a door at the side of the apparatus.
Compartment 2 contains the apparatus for producing the X rays, it is closed by
the door 6, shown open, in the drawings.
Compartment 3 (shown in dotted lines) contains a Ruhmkorff coil, it communi-
cates with compartment 2 by a door having two holes for the passage of the con-
ductors.
Compartment
(shown dotted) contains the accumulator which communicates
with the apparatus in compartment 2 by wires and springs a and b establishing
contact by friction.
Compartment 5 is for receiving various appliances, such as the folding viewing
glass 7 and the rods 8 for supporting and for the adjustment of the same.
The automatic mechanism comprises an angular lever 9 pivoted at 9ª, and
which may be slightly flexible or capable of a slight lateral movement (Figs. 2
and 3) and carrying at one of its ends a contact piece 10 insulated by a plate 11
of ebonite or other insulating material and at its other end a plate 12 (Figs. 1
and 2) on which a coin or a metal disc of a pre-determined weight falls the weight
of such coin tilting the lever and causes the piece 10 to come between two flexible
blades or tongues 13, 14, the one 13 being connected to one of the terminals of the
accumulator, the other 14, to one of the terminals of the Ruhmkorff induction
coil.
To effect contact of the blades 13 and 14 with the contact piece 10, I employ
a cam 15 pivoted on a vertical axis 16, and provided with a pin 17 which projects
above and below the same and by means of which it is engaged or disengaged.
A circular casing 18 contains clockwork which after its spring has been wound
causes a pulley 19 to revolve. This pulley carries a tooth 20 and a curved rod 21
which operate the cam 15 by means of its pin 17 as is hereinafter described.

page_text: A rod e during the winding of the clockwork rests against a lever 22 pivoted
horizontally on an axis 23. This lever 22 is provided with a vertical, arm. 24
adapted to retain the disc, or coin, on the plate 12. A spring 25, and a pin or
rod 26 hold the lever 22 in place.
In order to wind the clockwork I use a pressure device composed of a horizontal
rod 27 and of a button 28 projecting from the exterior of the box. This device
slides in a support 29, and its forked end 30, engages during its forward movement
a bent rod 31 attached to the pulley 19. This arrangement allows the rod 31 to
be displaced during the forward movement of the rod 27 in such a manner as to
cause the pulley 19 to turn, which effects the winding of the spring of the clock-
work and also allows the backward movement of the rod and button without
engaging the rod 31. I regulate the movement of the clock work and the rod
so that by pressing the button the clockwork is wound for a predetermined time,
for instance 15 seconds, at the end of which, the spring being relaxed the clock-
work stops.
The action of the rod 27 is double. During the time it is effecting the winding
of the clock work, it also raises the obturator of the dark fluoroscopical chamber 7
(Fig. 1) in order to reveal the efflorescent screen arranged at the end of this
chamber. This arrangement, which for the clearness of the drawing is not shown
in Figs. 2 and 3, is shown in Fig. 4 which represents the multiple apparatus, of
which I will speak after.
The coin is introduced through a slot 33 placed in the lid of the box, it falls
on the plate 12 by following a vertical channel 34 (Figs. 1 and 2).
The Crookes tube 35 is carried by a foot 36 and a series of articulated arms
so as to enable the tube to be placed at any convenient height and position (Fig. 1).
The apparatus works as follows:
The disc, or coin, being introduced through the slot 33 falls onto the plate 12
of the tilting lever 9 which it then moves so as to bring the contact piece 10
between the blades 13, 14.
At the same time the rod 27 is pushed in by its button before mentioned so as
to wind the clock work. This movement of the rod 27 operates the rod 31 which
turns the pulley 19 forward in such a manner as to wind the clockwork or spring
in the case 18. This forward movement of the pulley causes its tooth 20 to strike
or bear against, the pin 17 at a point below the cam, the cam 15 consequently turns
in such direction that its projection strikes or bears on the blade 13, and causes
the same to press against the contact piece 10 of the lever 9 which is moved against
the blade 14. The lever 9 is thus held between the blades 13 and 14. The rod c
then strikes against the horizontal lever 22 and causes it to turn on its vertical
axis 23 and moves the flat arm 24 out of the way of the coin and enables the
latter to fall off the plate 12 to the bottom of the box or casing.
The electric current being established by the contact of the blades 13 and 14 with
the contact 10, the Ruhmkorff coil commences to work and produce efflorescence
in the Crookes tube.
The clockwork now commences to work and causes the pulley 19 to turn in the
reverse direction of the winding movement. The rod 21 strikes against the pin 17
and disengages the cam 15 by moving it back to its original position thus intercept-
ing the circuit of the accumulator.
The lever 9 released by the blades 13 and 14 falls under the action of the counter
weight 37, and the insulated plate 11 comes between the blades 13 and 14 and so
causes the apparatus to cease working.
I claim also the adaptation of an automatic counter to the apparatus of any
system for registering the number of times the apparatus has been operated, at the
same time the number of coins introduced, which thus checks any fraud.
Having described the mechanism of the invention suitable for an apparatus
with one viewing glass, I will now describe how, with the same source of genera-
ting X rays (accumulator coil Crookes tube), I can operate a multiple apparatus

page_text: allowing several persons to use the viewing glasses at the same time or not
independently of one another.
Fig. 4 shows the side view of an apparatus comprising five dark fluoroscopical
chambers. But I may alter this number at my convenience. Fig. 5 shows the
same apparatus in plan view on a smaller scale.
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 are the five dark fluoroscopical chambers; a¹ a² a³ a¹ as are the
five viewing holes adapted to the form of the face of the viewer and closed at
the entrance of the dark chamber by a sheet of glass or the like; 61 62 63 64 65 are
the five efflorescent screens covered with platino cyanide of barium or any other
efflorescent substances.
Each chamber is closed by an obturator similar to that shown by c³ (Fig. 4).
This obturator is a simple sheet of stiff black paper or of any other convenient
substance turning like a shutter round a horizontal axle d fixed in the sides of
the chamber, and carries a rod with a counterweight e. The axle d is connected
with the automatical movement contained in the casing B4 (the door of which is
shown removed) (Fig. 4) by means of a cord f which passing through one of the
hollow rods which serves as one of the supports for the dark chambers, is
attached to an arm mounted on a horizontal shaft i which is operated by means
of a lever which is under the action of a bent lever piece m which is moved by
means of the rod 27 (Fig. 4).
The action of these parts is as follows:-
The head of the rod 27 is pushed against the upper end of the bent lever m
Fig. 3 this lever is pivoted at m¹ and has its lower end bent at right angles as
shown at m², by the pressure of the rod 27 the lever m is turned on its pivot. m¹,
so that is end m² is swung forwardly and upwardly and acts on the under side of
a pivoted lever plate so as to cause the same to turn on its pivot in such a
manner as to cause its bevelled edge to press downwards a curved or bent lever j
which is rigidly fixed at its lower end to the shaft i, this shaft. i turns in bear-
ings ¹, so that by the downward and lateral movement of the lever j, the shaft i
is turned and moves an arm h rigidly connected to it so that the cord f attached
to the one end of the arm is drawn downwards and opens the shutter c³. This
shutter is maintained opened as long as the arm h is lowered and in order to keep
this arm lowered I use a V shaped piece 32 pivoted at 33" and indicated in plan
view Fig. 3. This piece 32 is operated by the arm 21 during the action of the
clock work and consists of the arm 32 and an arm 32b the latter provided at its
extremity with a hook o. A spring 32 holds the piece 32 in the normal position.
Under the action of the rod 27 the one end of the lever m is pushed against and
past the hook o of the piece 32 (which turns on its pivot 33" and allows the lever m
to pass by) and the lever m is held there by the hook o when the piece 32 resumes
its position under the action of the spring 32°. When the rod 21 is acting on
the pin 17 (Fig. 3) it at the same time slides softly against the branch 32° of the
piece 32 and when the rod 21 arrives at the end of its way its pressure on the
arm 32 is sufficient to turn the piece 32 on its pivot 33 so as to allow the end of
the lever m to escape from the action of the hook o. There being now no pressure
on the arm m the weight of the counterweight, e whilst closing the shutter draws
the cord in the upward direction and the arm h shaft i and levers j and I resume
their normal position.
Instead of the Crookes tube being in the box or chamber, it can be placed as
shown by C Fig. 4 in this case the two conducting wires of the Ruhmkorff coil
can be carried through the posts D¹ D³ which together with the hollow rods g³ għ
serve as supports for the chambers. The coil and the accumulators can be lodged
in a central space provided between the chambers of the automatic mechanisms.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An automatic coin freed apparatus for generating Rontgen X rays and

page_text: exhibiting on a florescent screen forming the bottom of the viewing glass the
effects produced by the X rays, on interposing the hand or any other objects
between this screen and a Crookes tube; the said apparatus being arranged for
that purpose substantially as described and shown in the annexed drawings
(Fig. 1 2 and 3).
2. The automatic mechanism operated by means of a coin introduced into the
apparatus and of a pusher which is pushed by hand; these two operations having
the purpose of producing the electric florescence in the Crookes tube and of lift-
ing during a predetermined time the shutter of the viewing glass.
3. The special arrangement of the clock work for closing the shutter at the
end of a predetermined time.
4. The disposition of the multiple apparatus indicated in Figs. 4 and 5 allow-
ing the simultaneous operation of viewing glasses independent from one another
with one and the same source of electricity or rays namely one coil and one
Crookes tube.
5. The special arrangement in a multiple apparatus of a Crookes tube placed
at the exterior of the box of the apparatus, whilst the accumulators and the coils
ar lodged in the space between the compartments containing the automatic
mechanisms.
6. The special arrangement of the pusher which by its movement winds the
clockwork and lifts the shutter..
7. The combination with my automatic apparatus for exhibiting X rays, of an
automatic registering counter of any system allowing of verifying the number of
coins received corresponding with the number of pushes effected on the pusher
and indicated by the counter.
Dated this 15th day of September 1897
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London.