Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for Exhibiting Transparent Photographic Views and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for Exhibiting Transparent
Photographic Views and the like.
We, CHARLES FAURE, of 23, Boulevard Poissonniére, and MAURICE DUFossée,
of 55, Rue des Petites Ecuries, both of Paris, in the Republic of France, Mer-
chants, 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 an improved apparatus for exhibiting transparent
stereoscopic photographs, and, generally speaking, all kinds of views, drawings,
pictures, advertisements and so forth, the picture or the like being visible for a
predetermined period of time after the spectator has introduced a coin into the
apparatus through a slot provided for the purpose.
One of the essential characteristics of our invention consists in a simple device,
and one which is not liable to get out of order, for operating the frames carrying
the photographic views or the like.
Another essential characteristic feature consists in the application of an electric
current interruptor controlled by means of a suitable mechanism and auto-
matically interrupting the illumination of each view for a predetermined period
of time.
One of the forms of carrying our invention into practice is illustrated in the
accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the right hand side of the apparatus, and
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the left hand side of the same.
In the improved apparatus, the views are carried in a series of frames a
consisting of iron or brass wire fixed upon cross pieces 6 connected one to the other
by means of rings and together forming a kind of chain which passes over a
shaft c having a square section and over a cylindrical cross-piece d. The journals
of the shaft c are supported in two uprights ef braced by the cross-piece d, which
is fixed.
The upright e supports the driving mechanism of the shaft c, comprising a
disc g fixed upon this shaft c and provided with four pins h projecting from one
of its faces, a rod i terminating in a projection or nose ; enabling the tenons to
be seized and depressed one after the other and with a lever k mounted upon a fixed
pivot upon which lever is pivoted the rod i. The lever k terminates in a
handle m projecting from the casing which enclose the apparatus. and arranged
within reach of the spectator.
The disc is provided upon its periphery with a series of notches n equal in
number to the tenons h and in which a pawl o, forced into contact with the disc
by means of a spring p, is able to engage.
The driving mechanism is combined with a locking mechanism serving to

page_text: stop the operation of the apparatus after the completion of a revolution of the
endless chain formed by the cross-pieces b. For this purpose a pinion q fixed
upon the shaft c gears with a toothed wheel r rotating freely upon its axis; in
contact with this wheel r is a lever s pivoting upon the fixed axis t, and provided
with a suitable counter-weight u at one of its extremities; a flat box v open in
front is fixed to the opposite extremity of the levers for the reception of the
coins introduced into the apparatus.
The lever s is also provided with a tenon a which is capable of engaging in a
notch y formed upon the periphery of the wheel r.
The controlling mechanism is arranged upon the upright f of the framework;
it consists of a train of epicycloidal gear wheels 1 2 3 4, the last movable wheel
of which 4 carries upon its axis projections or wings 5. The first wheel 1 is
mounted freely upon the shaft 2. This epicycloidal train, is supported by a
cage 6 pivoting freely upon the shaft c and provided with a pin 7 which serves
to limit its oscillation by engaging in the notches 8 and 9 of the upright f. The
driving of the wheel 1 by the shaft c is effected by means of a stop 10 provided
on the shaft c and a pin 12 fixed to the wheel 1. In order to enable the position
of the stop 10 to be easily adjusted upon the shaft c, it is made in the form of a
collar 11, of flexible metal embracing the shaft and with its ends bent outwards
to enable a screw 21 to pass loosely through one of the ends and to be screwed
into the screw-threaded part 22 forming the other end. The projection thus
formed by 21 and 22, at the rotation of the shaft c comes against the pin 12 of the
wheel which it then causes to rotate.
The wheel 1 is driven by the shaft c by means of a tappet 10 fixed to a flexible
band 11 which is pressed with slight friction upon the shaft c, and of a pin 12
fixed upon the wheel 1. The ratio of the wheels 1 and 3 to the pinions 2 and 4
is determined in such a manner as to impart great velocity to the wings 5 of the
governor as compared with the relative angular velocity between the cage 6
and the wheel 1.
There is arranged in continuation of the cage 6 an arm 13 provided with a
counter weight 14; when this cage oscillates under the influence of the counter
weight 14 and assumes the position indicated in the drawing by means of full
lines, the counter weight 14 comes into contact with an oscillating arm 15 acted
upon by a spring 16, and disturbs it from its position of equilibrium, in such
a manner as to break the contact between this arm and a fixed part 17. An
electric lamp arranged behind the apparatus, at 18, enables the photographic or
other views exposed within view of the spectator to be illuminated.
The apparatus does not operate until after the introduction of coin into a
suitable passage which conducts it into the box r, the weight of this coin causing
the levers to oscillate and releasing the tenon r from the notch y. In order to
cause a view to appear, the spectator presses upon the handle m and depresses
it until it occupies the position represented in dotted lines in Figure 2, the
rod i descends and causes the disc g. and consequently, of course, the square
shaft c and the frames a fixed upon the upper cross-pieces 6 in contact with this
shaft to rotate one quarter of a revolution. At the same time, the epicycloidal
train is disturbed from its position of repose, the wheel 1, being displaced by
the tappet 10 and raising the wheels 234 the cage 6 and the arm 13 as a whole,
as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3. The pawl o, upon engaging in one
of the notches n of the disc g, prevents the shaft c and the governor from imme-
diately returning to the preceding position when the spectator ceases to press
upon the handle m; at this moment, the lever k and the rod i are drawn
upwards by a spring 19, and the nose ; of the rod i passes
fresh pin h of the disc g. The spring 20 maintains the rod i constantly pressed
against the pins h in order to ensure their engagement by the nose j. Owing
to its special form, the nose ; maintains the disc g motionless and by acting simul-
taneously upon two tenons h at the same time as the pawl o acts upon a notch n,
over a

page_text: it ensures that the photograph or the like which is being exhibited shall be
perfectly vertical.
When the epicycloidal train has been caused to assume the position which has
been indicated, the action of the weight tends to cause it to again descend, but
its fall causes the rapid rotation of the wings 5, and is, owing to this fact, reduced
in a predetermined proportion by reason of the resistance opposed to the rotation
of these wings by the air.
So long as the counter-weight 14 is raised above its position of repose, contact.
takes place between the parts 15 and 17 which are interposed in the circuit of
the lamp 18, in such a manner that this latter illuminates the view which is
being exhibited, but immediately the counter weight 14 encounters the arm 15
contact ceases and the lamp is extinguished.
When the spectator presses upon the handle. m so as to bring the first picture
into view the rotation of the shaft c has been communicated by the pinion q to
the wheel which is thereby caused to revolve through the same fraction of a
revolution. During this motion a projectión 23 upon its periphery has come
into the path of the lever s. and exercises sufficient pressure against this latter to
cause it to oscillate downwardly and to enable the coin to escape from the front
box and from this moment the counterpoise u tends to press the lever s against
the wheel r.
When the spectator has exhausted the series of views after having pressed
each time upon the handle m, the wheel r has effected a complete revolution and
is again locked by the tenon of the lever s. The apparatus cannot again
operate until the introduction of a fresh coin.
We reserve the right to modify the arrangements above described in their forms
and dimensions in the ratio and number of the toothed wheels we also reserve
the right to substitute for the lamp 18 a movable screen intercepting the vision
at the end of the period of operation of the governor by means of a releasing
device similar to that of the interruptor 15.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
:
1. In an apparatus for exhibiting transparent photographic and other views,
comprising an endless chain carrying the views and passing over a driving
shaft of square section, in combination with a regulating device and a locking
device operating after the completion of a revolution of the endless chain, which
devices consist essentially on the one hand of a disc fixed upon the square shaft,
a rod driving this disc owing to its locking in one direction, a lever enabling the
said rod to be operated by hand, a pinion fixed upon the square shaft, a toothed
wheel gearing with this pinion and loose upon its axis, a counter-weighted lever
capable of locking the said toothed wheel by means of a projection of the one
penetrating in a notch or recess of the other, a box open in front fixed to the
said lever for the reception of the coins introduced into the apparatus the whole
operating under the conditions and for the purpose above specified with reference
to the accompanying drawing.
2. An apparatus for exhibiting transparent photographic and other views com-
prising an endless chain carrying the views, an operating device for the said
chain enabling it to be unwound link by link, a locking device suspending the
operation after the chain has effected a complete revolution, in combination with
a governor serving to limit the duration of the time during which each view
is visible, this governing device consisting of a train of epicycloidal gear wheels
mounted in a cage loose upon the driving shaft of the chain and provided with a
counter weight, the said cage being raised when the shaft is actuated and then
again falling with a velocity which is diminished by means of wings mounted
upon the last movable wheel of the epicycloidal train, and in combination with
a. locking device operated by the fall of the said cage, and causing the extinction

page_text: of a lamp or the displacement of a screen for the purpose of interrupting the
vision at the termination of each period of operation substantially as above
described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
3. In an apparatus for exhibiting transparent photographic and other views,
a rod (2) for the intermittent actuation of a disc provided with pins (h), this
rod terminating in a nose successively seizing pins (h) and locking at the same
time the pins situated above in such a manner as to render the mechanism
motionless and to maintain the view which is being exhibited perfectly vertical,
substantially as above described.
A. The apparatus for exhibiting transparent photographic and other views, with
hand operating device, the disengagement by means of the fall of a coin, the
limitation of the duration of vision by means of a winged governor, as a whole
and in its details as described above and represented by way of example in the
accompanying drawing.
Dated th: 011
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.