Improvements in Automatic Vending Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1889
[Communicated from abroad by FRANCIS LEWIS WELLMAN, of Temple Court,
Beckman Street, New York, United States of America, Counselor-at-Law.]
Improvements in Automatic Vending Apparatus.
PHILIP ARTHUR NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of automatic vending apparatus in which the
deposit of a coin of the proper denomination in the apparatus, sets in motion suitable
mechanism for automatically ejecting or delivering the goods in position to be taken
by the purchaser, thus avoiding the necessity of the services of a salesman. Tho
apparatus.constituting the invention is especially designed for the automatic vending
of postage stamps, railway tickets, accident insurance policies, and similar things,
which are or may be prepared and put up in the form of long strips and wound upon
a reel or spool.
Supposing the strip of articles to be sold to consist of Postage Stamps, the stamps
are led from the spool, and after passing above a support, are led between a pair of
feeding rolls, and are projected through an opening in the front of the apparatus.
The feed roll is positively driven to advance the proper number of stamps through
the opening in a manner which will be hereinafter explained, and in order to secure
a more positive feed of the stamps, it is provided with one or more series of points
which give it a more positive feeding action. The companion roll revolves by
frictional contact, and is pressed against the first roll by means of springs which bear
upon its journals. Located upon the front of the apparatus, and pivotted in suitable
position to move across an opening in the case, is a cutting blade which is provided
with a suitable handle projecting at the side of the apparatus, and by which the blade
can be depressed so as to sever the stamps from the strip as they are projected through
the opening. The blade is normally held in its raised position, so as not to obstruct
the opening by means of a spring. The opening will preferably be covered by a
downwardly opening hood which will conceal the opening and the cutting blade,

page_text: and there will also preferably be located beneath the hood. and the opening, a ledge
upon which the stamps as they are severed will fall in position to be taken by the
purchaser. The apparatus is provided upon its front and near its top with an opening
to receive the purchase money. This opening is of just sufficient size to receive a coin
of the proper denomination. This opening communicates with an inclined shute, which
extends to the rear part of the apparatus, and terminates in position to discharge the
coins into a hopper arranged for their reception. The bottom portion of the inner end
of the shute is composed of a tilting table over which the coins must pass as they
arrive at the end of the shute, and from which they are discharged into the hopper.
The table is supported upon an arm extending from a rock shaft, which is provided
with an arm carrying a weight which is so adjusted as to just counterbalance the
weight of the table, and bold it in its raised position, but which will not be sufficient
to prevent the tilting of the table by the weight of the coin passing over it. The
shaft also carries a U-shaped circuit closer, the two arms of which, when the table is
in its raised position, make contact with two contact points, but which, when the table
is depressed by the passage over it of a coin, are rocked by the movement of the
shaft, so as to make contact with two contact points located upon the opposite side of
the circuit closer. These contact points are included in an electric circuit, which
includes a suitable battery, and an electro magnet which is termed for convenience the
releasing magnet. The magnet is provided with an armature which is pivotted, and
is provided with a suitable retractile. The armature is connected to a vertical rod
which is pivotted to the armature, so as to have a slight rocking movement between
stops, and is acted on by a spring so as to be normally pressed inward against its
inner stop. The rod is provided with an inward lateral projection which is acted on
by a back stop, to limit the upward movement of the rod and is provided with a toe
which is so arranged that as the rod is drawn downward by the movement of the
armature, it will engage with a toe projecting from a rock shaft having an arm to
which is secured a plate having a number of slits, through which pass a series of pins
which play loosely in openings in transverse bars, and normally rest upon the upper
surface of the stamps as they pass forward over their support. The pins are provided
at their upper ends with heads which engage with the plate above mentioned as the
latter is moved upward by the rocking of the shaft, and thus cause all of the pins to
he simultaneously elevated slightly from the stamps. The strip of stamps is provided
with the usual transverse rows of perforations marking the lines of division between
the several stamps, and if the strip comprises other articles, such as tickets or
insurance policies, instead of stamps, then the individual tickets or policies will be
separated by rows of similar perforations. The pins which form a transverse now
extending partly or wholly across the strip, are arranged at irregular distances from
each other, so that as the strip is advanced by the feed rolls, and as each transverse row
of perforations arrives beneath the ends of tho pins, some one or more of the pins
will be sure to be in position to enter and fall through some one or more of the
perforations in the row." The purpose of this will appear when the operation of the
apparatus is explained. Located above the heads of the pins, in position to be engaged
by the heads of the pins, when the latter are raised by the upward movement of the
plate, are a series of springs. One end of each of the springs is fixed upon, but
insulated from a cross-bar, while the opposite end is free to be moved up and down by
the action of the pins. The two outer springs of the series are connected at their
fixed ends by wires with the contact points, or with the circuit upon opposite sides of
the contact points. The intermediate springs are also electrically connected, at their
fixed ends, in pairs, as indicated. Located above the free ends of the springs are
insulated contact plates, which are so arranged that when the springs are all raised
by the action of the pins, they connect the free ends of the springs in pairs, as also
indicated, and thus form a continuous electrical connection through the entire series
of springs. From this it will be seen that the springs form a series of circuit
closers which are included in the circuit, and so arranged that when all of the springs
are raised by the pins, the circuit will be closed, and that whenever any one of the

page_text: pins is allowed to fall, so as to disconnect its spring froin the contact plate, the circuit
will, be broken. Contact points are included in a branch circuit which connects with
one of the outside springs and with the circuit between the releasing magnet and the
battery, and includes an electro magnet termed for convenience the feeding magnet.
The armature of the feeding magnet is provided with an arm which carries a spring-
pressed pawl which engages with a ratchet fixed upon the shaft of the feed roll, in
such manner that as the armature is vibrated by the energizing of the magnet, the
roll will be operated to advance the strip of stamps. To effect the rapid energizing
and deenergizing of the magnet, to operate the feed roll, the circuit which includes
the magnet is provided with an automatic circuit closer and breaker, which is
supported upon the bracket which supports the magnet, and is operated through an
adjustable point carried by the armature in the usual manner, to break the circuit as
soon as the magnet is energized, and has attracted its armature, and to close the
circuit and re-energize the magnet as soon as the armature is retracted, the retraction
The remaining
of the armature being accomplished by means of a retractile.
features in the construction and organization of the apparatus will be described in
connection with an explanation of its operation, which is as follows:-
•
The spool having been supplied with stamps, or other articles which are to be
vended by the apparatus, in the form of a continuous strip, the strip will be led
from the spool above the support and between the feed rolls, and its end advanced
just to the opening. The apparatus will then be ready for operation. When a
purchaser desires to make a purchase, he will drop the proper coin through the
opening. The coin dropped through the opening will pass downward in the inclined
shute, and onto the tilting table. The sides of the shute are contracted immediately
above the table to such an extent that the coin will be momentarily arrested directly
above the table so as to rest thereon. The weight of the coin resting upon the table
will tilt it downward, thereby releasing the coin from the contracted sides of the
shute, and allowing it to drop into the hopper. As the table is tilted downward, the
circuit closer will be rocked into contact with the two contact points, thereby closing
the circuit through the releasing magnet. This will energize the magnet, and cause
it to attract its armature, thereby drawing downward the bar, and causing the toe to
rock the shaft and raise the plate, as before described. As this plate is raised, the
sides of the slits in the plate will engage with the heads of the pins, and raise all of
the pins out of contact with the strip, and at the same time press the heads of the pins
against the springs, so as to raise the free ends of the latter, and cause them to make
contact with the plates. This will close the circuit through the releasing magnet.
As soon as the coin passes from the table, the weight will restore the table to its
normal position, thereby rocking the circuit closer away from the contact points, and
into contact with the other points. The releasing magnet, having, however, been
energized, so as to raise the springd close the circuit through the branch, the
circuit, through the releasing magnet, will remain energized after the circuit closer
has been rocked away from the contact points. As soon as the circuit closer is rocked
into contact with the second pair of joints, as just explained, the circuit will also be
closed through the branch and feeding magnet, so that a part of the current will pass
through the branch and the feeding magnet, thereby energizing the latter magnet.
As soon as the feeding magnet is thus energized, it will attract its armature, and
thereby, through a pawl, operate the feed rolls, to advance the strip of stamps.
As soon as. the armature is attracted it will, through the point and circuit breaker,
break the circuit through the branch, and thus release the armature and retract the
pawl. The releasing of the armature will operate to again close the circuit through
the branch and re-energize the magnet, and so the operation will be repeated and
the strip of stamps will continue to be advanced. The armature will also preferably
be provided with a striker, which, as the armature is vibrated, will strike upon a
gong, and thus give notice that the apparatus is being operated. The shaft of the
roll is provided with one or more arnis, which, as the shaft is revolved, come into
engagement with a pivotted lug carried upon the side of the bar, in such manner as

page_text: +
to rock the bar outward, and carry the toe out of engagement, thereby allowing the
plate to rock downward away from the heads of the pins. This will not, however,
take place until after the strip of stamps has been advanced by a partial revolution
of the roll, so that the pins, when released by the plate, will rest upon and be sup-
ported by the strip so as to still maintain the springs in contact with the plates, and
thus maintain the circuit through the magnets closed. The feeding magnet will then
continue to operate the pawl and feed rolls, to advance the strip until one of the
transverse rows of perforations arrives beneath the ends of the pins. As soon as.
this takes place, one or more of the pins will come into register with one or more
of the perforations, and will drop through said perforations, thereby allowing one or
more of the springs to fall away from the plate or plates, and thus break the circuits
through the magnets. This will at once de-energize the magnets, so as to arrest the
feed rolls, and allow the bar to be restored to its normal position by its retractile.
The parts will be so adjusted. that when the strip of stamps is thus arrested by the
falling of one or more of the pins through one or more of the perforations between
the stamps, the next line of perforations, or some previous line of perforations, will be
directly beneath the edge of the cutting blade. As soon, therefore, as the feed rolls
are arrested, notice of which will be given to the purchaser by the stopping of the
ringing of the gong, the purchaser has only to depress the cutting blade, which will
sever the stamps which have been projected through the opening, and the stamps thus
severed will fall upon the ledge from which they can be taken, and so the operation
will be repeated each time a coin is dropped through the opening.
In order to prevent the deposit of coins in the apparatus, after the stamps with
which it is supplied have become exhausted, or nearly exhausted, it is desirable to
provide means by which the opening will be automatically closed as soon as the
supply of stamps has become nearly or quite exhausted. For this purpose, the
apparatus is provided with a sliding gate, which is arranged to close the opening,
so as to prevent the insertion of a coin after the stamps have been nearly or quite
exhausted. The gate is acted upon by a stud extending from the end of a lever,
the opposite end of which is arranged to be engaged by a catch carried by the
armature of an electro-magnet, which is called the stop magnet. The parts are so
arranged that so long as the catch remains in engagement with the lever, the
gate will be elevated, so as to leave the opening unobstructed, and that whenever
the catch is disengaged from the lever, the latter will be rocked by its own weight,
so as to allow the gate to fall and close the opening. The spool upon which the
strip is wound is made of insulating material, and is provided at its end with a
metallic disc which is in contact with the spindle upon which the spool is mounted.
The disc is provided with a spring which extends along the spool, and the end
of which extends within a metallic ring which is insulated from the spindle. The
ring and spring form a circuit closer which is included in a branch of the circuit,
and which also includes the stop magnet. When the strip is wound upon the
spool, the spring will be pressed inward close to the spool, so that its end will be
held out of contact with the ring, and the circuit through the branch will there-
fore be broken. As soon, however, as the strip is nearly or quite unwound from
the spool, the spring will be released, and will spring away from the spool, so
that its end will come into contact with the ring, and thus close the circuit through
the branch. This will at once energize the magnet, which will attract its armature,
and release the lever, thereby allowing the gate to fall and close the opening. In
order to break the circuit through the branch as soon as the gate has been allowed to
fall, and thus prevent the running down of the battery, the circuit is provided with a
circuit closer which is operated by the lever in such manner as to close the circuit
through the branch as soon as the lever is allowed to rock upon being released from
the catch.
In order to prevent the apparatus from being set in operation by means of a wire
inserted through the opening, and thus causing stamps to be fed out through the
opening when no coin has been deposited, the shute is provided upon its top and

page_text: bottom with a large number of perforations into which the end of a wire, if one
should be introduced into the shute, will enter, so as to prevent the wire from reaching
the table.
The apparatus, when in use, will, of course, be enclosed in a suitable cabinet or
casing, one side of which will be in the form of a door, which can be removed or
swung to one side, to gain access to the interior, and to permit of the removal and
replacing of the spool when it is necessary to supply the same with stamps, and also
for the removal of the accumulation of coins from time to time.
Dated this 19th day of February 1889.

page_text: I, PHILIP ARTHUR NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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 that class of automatic vending apparatus in which the
deposit of a coin of the proper denomination in the apparatus, sets in motion suitable
mechanism for automatically ejecting or delivering the goods in position to be taken
by the purchaser, thus avoiding the necessity of the services of a salesman.-The
apparatus constituting the invention is especially designed for the automatic vending
of postage stamps, railway tickets, accident insurance policies, and similar things,
which are or may be prepared and put up in the form of long strips and wound upon
a reel or spool.
A full understanding of the invention can only be given by an illustration and a
detailed description of an apparatus embodying the same. All preliminary description
will therefore be omitted, and a full description given, reference being bad to the
accompanying drawings, in which--
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the working parts of the apparatus, one side of the
casing being removed.
-
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the side of the apparatus
opposite that shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on substantially the line 4, 4, of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a similar view, taken on substantially the line 5, 5, of the same Figure.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a part of Fig. 4.
Fig. 7 is a cross section of the parts shewn in Fig. 6, taken on the line 7, 7, of said
Figure.
Figs. 8 to 11 illustrate details which will be hereinafter referred to, Fig. 8 being
a view of the circuit closer for closing the circuit through the releasing magnet;
Fig. 9a view of the feeding magnet; Fig. 10 a view of the circuit breaker for
breaking the circuit through the stop magnet; and Fig. 11 a section of the spool
upon which the strip is wound.
Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating the electrical connections for operating the
apparatus.
Referring to said drawings, it is to be understood that the postage stamps, tickets,
or other articles A, which are to be vended, are prepared in the form of a long strip,
and are wound upon a spool B, mounted to turn freely upon a spindle 50 supported
upon the framework.
As the apparatus, as herein illustrated, is especially constructed for vending postage
stamps, the strip Á will hereinafter he referred to as comprising postage stamps.

page_text: The stamps A are led from the spool B, and after passing above a support 49, are led
between a pair of feeding rolls 48, 47, and are projected through an opening 46 in
the front of the apparatus. The feed roll 48 is positively driven to advance the
proper number of stamps through the opening 46, in a manner which will be herein-
after explained, and, in order to secure a more positive feed of the stamps, it is
provided with one or more series of points 9, which give it a more positive fooding
action. The companion roll 47 revolves by frictional contact, and is pressed against
the roll 48 by means of springs 10, which bear upon its journals.
Located upon the front of the apparatus, and pivotted in suitable position to move
across the opening 46, is a cutting blado 45, which is provided with a suitable
handle 44 projecting at the side of the apparatus, and by which the blade can be
depressed, so as to sever the stamps from the strip A, as they are projected through
the opening. The blade 45 is normally held in its raised position, so as not to
obstruct the opening 46, by means of a spring 39. The opening 46 will preferably
be covered by a downwardly opening hood 43, which will conceal the opening and
the cutting blade, and there will also preferably be located beneath the hood and the
opening, a ledge 42, upon which the stamps, as they are severed, will fall in position
to be taken by the purchaser. The apparatus is provided upon its front, and near
its top, with an opening 41 to receive the purchase money. This opening is of just
sufficient size to receive a coin of the proper denomination, which, in the case shown,
is supposed to be a nickel five-cent piece.
This opening communicates with an inclined shute 40, which extends to the rear
part of the apparatus, and terminates in position to discharge the coins into a
hopper 51 arranged for their reception.-The bottom portion of the inner end of the
shute 40 is composed of a tilting table 38, over which the coins must pass as they
arrive at the end of the shute, and from which they are discharged into the hopper.
The table 38 is supported upon an arm 37 extending from a rock shaft 36, which is
provided with an arm 35, carrying a weight 34, which is so adjusted as to just
counterbalance the weight of the table 35, and hold it in its raised position, but
which will not be sufficient to prevent the tilting of the table by the weight of the
coin passing over it. The shaft 36 also carries a U-shaped circuit closer 33 (see
Fig. 8), the two arms of which, when the table 38 is in its raised position, make
contact with two contact points 8, but which, when the table 38 is depressed by the
passage over it of a coin, are rocked by the movement of the shaft 36, so as to inake
contact with two contact points 7, located upon the opposite side of the circuit
closer. The contact points 7 are included in an electric circuit 6, which includes a
suitable battery, as indicated at D (see Fig. 12), and an electro-magnet C, which is
termed, for convenience, the releasing magnet. The magnet is provided with an
armature 32, which is pivotted, as indicated at 31, and is provided with a suitable
retractile 30. The armature 32 is connected to a vertical rod 29, which is pivotted
to the armature, so as to have a slight rocking movement between stops 2, and is
acted on by a spring 12, so as to be normally pressed inward against its inner stop.
The rod 29 is provided with an inward lateral projection, which is acted on by a
back stop 25, to limit the upward movement of the rod, and is provided with a¸ toe 3,
which is so arranged that as the rod is drawn downward by the movement of the
armature 32, it will engage with a toe 4 projecting from a rock-shaft 28, having an
arm 27, to which is secured a plate 26, having a number of slits through which pass
a series of pins 5, which play loosely in openings in transverse bars 13, and normally
rest upon the upper surface of the stamps, as they pass forward over the support 49.
The pins 5 are provided at their upper ends with heads, which engage with the
plates 26, as the latter is moved upward by the rocking of the shaft 28, and thus
cause all of the pins to be simultaneously elevated slightly from the stamps. The
strip A of stamps is provided with the usual transverse rows of perforations 14,
marking the lines of division between the several stamps, and if the strip comprises
other articles, such as tickets or insurance policies, instead of stamps, then the
individual tickets or policies will be separated by rows of similar perforations.-The
pins 5, which form a transverse row extending partly or wholly across the strip, are

page_text: arranged at irregular distances from each other, as shewn in Figs. 6 and 7, so that
as the strip is advanced by the feed rolls 47, 48, and as each transverse row of
perforations arrives beneath the ends of the pins, some one or more of the pins will
be sure to be in position to enter and fall through some one or more of the perforations
in the row. The purpose of this will appear when the operation of the apparatus is
explained. Located above the heads of the pins 5, in position to be engaged by the
heads of the pins when the latter are raised by the upward movement of the plate 26,
are a series of springs 15. One end of each of the springs is fixed upon, but
insulated from a cross-bar 16, while the opposite end is free to be moved up and
down by the action of the pius 5.-The two outer springs of the series are connected,
at their fixed ends, by wires 17 with the contact points 7, or with the circuit 6, upon
opposite sides of the contact points 7.-The intermediate springs 15 are also electrically
connected, at their fixed ends, in pairs, as indicated. Located above the free ends
of the springs 15, are insulated contact plates 18, which are so arranged that when
the springs are all raised by the action of the pins 5, they connect the free ends of
the springs in pairs, as also indicated, and thus form a continuous electrical connection
through the entire series of springs. From this it will be seen that the springs 15
form a series of circuit closers, which are included in the circuit 6-17, and so
arranged that when all of the springs are raised by the pins 5, the circuit will be
closed, and that whenever any one of the pins 5 is allowed to fall, so as to disconnect
its spring from the contact plate 18, the circuit 6-17 will be broken.
The contact points 8, before referred to, are included in a branch circuit 19, which
connects with one of the outside springs 15, and with the circuit 6, between the
releasing magnet and the battery, as indicated at a in Fig. 12, and includes an
electro-magnet E, ternied, for convenience, the feeding magnet. The armature 52 of
the magnet E is provided with an arm 54, which carries a spring-pressed pawl 53,
which engages with a ratchet 55, fixed upon the shaft of the feed roll 48, in such
manner, that as the armature is vibrated by the energizing of the magnet, the roll 48
will be operated to advance the strip of stamps.--To effect the rapid energizing and
de-energizing of the magnet E, to operate the feed roll, the circuit 19, which includes
the magnet, is provided with an automatic circuit closer and breaker 56 (see Fig. 9),
which is supported upon the bracket 69, which supports the magnet, and is operated
through an adjustable point 57, carried by the armature in the usual manner, to
break the circuit as soon as the magnet is energized and has attracted its armature,
and to close the circuit and re-energize the magnet, as soon as the armature is
retracted, the retraction of the armature being accomplished by means of a re-
tractile 58. The remaining features in the construction and organization of the
apparatus will be described in connection with an explanation of its operation, which
is as follows:-
The spool B, having been supplied with stamps, or other articles which are to be
vended by the apparatus, in the form of a continuous strip A, the strip will be led
from the spool above the support 49, and between the feed rolls 47, 48, and its end
advanced just to the opening 46. The apparatus will then be ready for operation.
When a purchaser desires to make a purchase, he will drop the proper coin, a nickel
five-cent piece, for example, through the opening 41. The coin dropped through the
opening will pass downward in the inclined shute 40, and onto the tilting table 38..
The sides of the shute 40 are (see Fig. 4) contracted immediately above the table 38,
to such an extent, that the coin will be momentarily arrested directly above the table,
so as to rest thereon. The weight of the coin resting upon the table will tilt it
downward, thereby releasing the coin from the contracted sides of the shute, and
allowing it to drop into the hopper 51. As the table is tilted downward, the circuit
closer 35 will be rocked into contact with the two contact points 7, thereby closing
the circuit 6 through the releasing magnet C. This will energize the magnet C, and
cause it to attract its armature 32, thereby drawing downward the bar 29, and
causing the toe 3 to engage with the toe 4, so as to rock the shaft 28, and raise
the plate 26. As the plate 26 is raised, the sides of the slits in the plate will
engage with the heads of the pins 5, and raise all of the pins out of contact with

page_text: the strip A, and at the same time press the heads of the pins against the springs 15,
so as to raise the free ends of the latter, and cause them to make contact with
the plates 18. This will close the circuit 6-17 through the magnet C. As soon
as the coin passes from the table 38, the weight 34 will restore the table to its normal
position, thereby rocking the circuit closer 33 away from the contact points 7, and
into contact with the points 8. The magnet C having, however, been energized
so as to raise the springs 15, and close the circuit through the branch 17, tho
circuit 6-17 through the magnet C will remain energized after the circuit closer 33
has been rocked away from the contact points 7. As soon as the circuit closer 33 is
rocked into contact with the points 8, as just explained, the circuit will also be closed
through the branch 19 and feeding magnet E, so that a part of the current will pass
through the branch 19 and the magnet E, thereby energizing the latter magnet. As
soon as the magnet E is thus energized, it will attract its armature 52, and thereby,
through the pawl 53, operate the feed rolls 48, 47, to advance the strip of stamps. As
soon as the armature 52 is attracted, it will, through the point 57 and circuit
breaker 56, break the circuit through the branch 19, and thus release the armature
and retract the pawl 53. The releasing of the armature 52 will operate to again
close the circuit through the branch 19 and re-energize the magnet, and so the
operation will be repeated, and the strip of stamps will continue to be advanced. The
armature 52 will also preferably be provided with a striker 59, which, as the armature
is vibrated, will strike upon a gong 60, and thus give notice that the apparatus is
being operated. The shaft of the roll 48 is provided with one or more arms 20,
which, as the shaft is revolved, come into engagement with a pivotted lug 21, carried
upon the side of the bar 29, in such manner as to rock the bar outward, and carry the
toe 3 out of engagement with the toe 4, thereby allowing the plate 26 to rock
downward, away from the heads of the pins 5.-This.will not, however, take place
until after the strip of stamps has been advanced by a partial revolution of the roll 48,
so that the pins, when released by the plate 26, will rest upon, and be supported by
the strip, so as to still maintain the springs 15 in contact with the plates 18, and thus
maintain the circuit through the magnets C, E closed. The magnet E will then
continue to operate the pawl 53 and feed rolls 48, 47, to advance the strip A until
one of the transverse rows of perforations 14 arrives beneath the ends of the pins. As
soon as this takes place, one or more of the pins 5 will come into register with one or
more of the perforations, and will drop through said perforations, thereby allowing
one or more of the springs 15 to fall away from the plate or plates 18 (see Fig. 7),
and thus break the circuits 6-17 and 6-17-19, through the magnets CE. This
will at once de-energize the magnets, so as to arrest the feed rolls and allow the
bar 29 to be restored to its normal position by its retractile 30. The parts will be so
adjusted that when the strip of stamps is thus arrested by the falling of one or more
of the pins 5 through one or more of the perforations between the stamps, the next
line of perforations, or some previous line of perforations, will be directly beneath the
edge of the cutting blade 45. As soon, therefore, as the feed rolls are arrested, notice
of which will be given to the purchaser by the stopping of the ringing of the gong,
the purchaser has only to depress the cutting blade 45, which will sever the stamps
which have been projected through the opening 46, and the stamps thus severed will
fall upon the ledge 42, from which they can be taken, and so the operation will be
repeated each time a coin is dropped through the opening 41.
In order to prevent the deposit of coins in the apparatus after the stamps with which
it is. supplied have become exhausted, or nearly exbausted, it is desirable to provide
means by which the opening 41 will be automatically closed as soon as the supply of
stamps has become nearly or quite exhausted. For this purpose, the apparatus is provided
with a sliding gate 61, which is arranged to close the opening 41, so as to prevent the
insertion of a coin after the stamps have been nearly or quite exhausted. The gate 61
is acted upon by a stud 62, extending from the end of a lever 63, the opposite
end of which is arranged to be engaged by a catch 64, carried by the armature 65
of an electro-magnet G, which is called the stop-magnet. The parts are SO
arranged that so long as the catch 64 remains in engagement with the lever 63, the
B

page_text: gate 61 will be elevated, so as to leave the opening 41 unobstructed, and that when-
ever the catch 64 is disengaged from the lever, the latter will be rocked by its own
weight, so as to allow the gate 61 to fall and close the opening 41. The spool B
upon which the strip A is wound, is made of insulating material, and is provided at
its end with a metallic disc 22 (see Fig. 11), which is in contact with the spindle 50
upon which the spool is mounted. The disc 22 is provided with a spring 24, which
extends along the spool, and the end of which extends within a metallic ring
66, which is insulated from the spindle 50. The ring 66 and spring 24 form a
circuit closer, which is included in a branch 67 of the circuit 6, and which also
includes the magnet G. When the strip is wound upon the spool B, the spring
24 will be pressed inward close to the spool, so that its end will be held out
of contact with the ring 66, and the circuit through the branch 67 will therefore
be broken. As soon, however, as the strip is nearly or quite unwound from the
spool, the spring 24 will be released, and will spring away from the spool, so that
its end will come into contact with the ring 66, and thus close the circuit through
the branch 67. This will at once energize the magnet G, which will attract its
armature, and release the lever 63, thereby allowing the gate 61 to fall and close the
opening 41. In order to break the circuit through the branch 67 as soon as the gate
61 has been allowed to fall, and thus prevent the running down of the battery, the
circuit 67 is provided with a circuit closer 68, (see Fig. 10), which is operated by the
lever 63 in such manner as to close the circuit through the branch 67 so long as the
lever is held by the catch 64, and to break the circuit through the branch 67 as soon
as the lever is allowed to rock upon being released from the catch 64.
In order to prevent the apparatus from being set in operation by means of a wire
inserted through the opening 41, and thus causing stamps to be fed out through the
opening 46 when no coin has been deposited, the shute 40 is provided upon its top
and bottom with a large number of perforations 23, into which the end of a wire, if
one should be introduced into the shute, will enter, so as to prevent the wire from
reaching the table 38.
The apparatus, when in use, will of course be enclosed in a suitable cabinet or
casing H, one side of which will be in the form of a door, which can be removed
or swung to one side to gain access to the interior, and to perimit of the removal and
replacing of the spool E, when it is necessary to supply the same with stamps, and
also for the removal of the accumulation of coins from time to time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
from abroad, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination in a vending apparatus, of a feeding mechanism for advancing
a strip comprising the articles to be vended, a feeding magnet for controlling
said feeding mechanism, an electric circuit including said feeding magnet and
controlled by a coin, and a shute for receiving a coin and directing it into proper
position to control the circuit, substantially as described.
2. The combination in a vending apparatus, of a pin arranged to enter an
opening in a strip comprising the articles to be vended, a releasing magnet
for withdrawing said pin, and an electric circuit controlled by the deposit of a coin,
to control the releasing magnet, substantially as described.
3. The combination in a vending apparatus, of a feeding mechanism for advancing
a strip comprising the articles to be vended, a pin arranged to enter an opening in the
strip, a releasing magnet for withdrawing the pin, a feeding magnet for operating
the feeding mechanism, and an electric circuit controlled by the deposit of a coin,
to energize said magnets, substantially as described.
4. The combination in a vending apparatus, of a feeding mechanism for advancing
a strip comprising the articles to be vended, a feeding magnet for controlling said
feeding mechanism, an electric circuit including said feeding magnet, a circuit closer
for said circuit, arranged to be operated by the deposit of a coin, and a shute for
receiving a coin and directing it to said circuit closer, substantially as described.

page_text: 5. The combination in a vending apparatus, of a pin arranged to enter an opening
in a strip comprising the articles to be vended, a releasing magnet for withdrawing
said pin, an electric circuit including said magnet, and a circuit closer for said circuit,
operated by the deposit of a coin, substantially as described.
6. The combination in a vending apparatus, of a feeding mechanism for advancing
a strip comprising the articles to be vended, a pin arranged to enter an opening
in the strip, a releasing magnet for withdrawing the pin, a feeding magnet for
operating the feeding mechanism, and a circuit closer operated by the deposit of
a coin to control said magnets, substantially as described.
7. The combination with the case having the opening 41, of the gate 61 for closing
the opening, the magnet G for controlling the position of the gate, and a circuit
closer controlled by the strip comprising the articles to be vended, to operate the
magnet and close the opening when the strip is nearly or quite exhausted, sub-
stantially as described.
8. The combination with the case having the opening 41, of the gate 61 for
closing the opening, the magnet G for controlling the position of the gate, the spool
B having the spring 24, the ring 66 co-operating with the spring to form a circuit
closer, and an electric circuit including the spring, ring, and magnet, substantially
as described.
9. The combination with the pins 5, adapted to pass through openings in the strip
comprising the articles to be vended, of the springs 15, arranged to be engaged by
said pins, and forming a number of circuit closers in an electric-circuit, substantially
as described.
10. The combination with feed rolls 47, 48, of the blade 45, the feeding magnet
for operating the rolls, the shute 40 and tilting table 38, and the circuit closer 33,
operated by said table, to energize the feeding magnet, substantially as described.
11. The combination with the feed rolls for advancing the strip comprising the
articles to be vended, of the pins arranged to pass through perforations in
said strip, the springs 15, acted on by said pins, and forming circuit closers, the
plate 26 and magnet C for simultaneously raising all of the pins, the magnet E for
operating the feed rolls, electric circuits including the magnet C, the magnet C and
springs 1, and the springs 15 and magnet E, and the circuit closer 33, normally
closing the circuit through the magnet E and springs 15, and operated by the
deposit of a coin, to temporarily close the circuit through the magnet C, substantially
as described.
12. The combination with the springs 15, of the piñs 5, the feed rolls 47-48, the
magnet C for raising the pins, the magnet E for operating the feed rolls, and an
arm 20 carried by one of the rolls, for releasing the pins after the feeding has com-
menced, substantially as described.
Tx
101
CA
* 1000