Year: 1887

page_text: I, HENRY MOORE of 1 Lancaster Villas, Brighton in the county of Sussex, Cycle
Factor do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a lock or latch capable of being released or operated by a
penny or other coin, so that the door or similar barrier fastened by the said lock or
latch may be released by any one, by placing the required coin in a slot in the lock,
latch, or box or case containing the same; and it has for its object, enabling any
one to unfasten a lock or latch and so gain admittance within a locked enclosure
by payment of a given sum, without the necessity of providing a collector for the
said monies.
It will be obvious that my invention is capable of large application, the best known
perhaps being for the doors of W.C.'s in public buildings, such as Railway
Stations etc.
One method of constructing my improved automatic lock or latch is as follows:-
A lock or latch lever is pivotted somewhere about the centre of its length in a suitable
case. The one end of this lever extends through the side of the case to engage with
a catch on the jamb or post of the door, the case of the lock or latch being fixed to
the door. The other end of the lock or latch lever extends within a trough or slide
formed in the said case. The said trough or slide being made of the exact size to
permit a penny-or any other desired coin-travelling along it by gravity. A
suitable slot or opening is made in the case to permit of the coin being placed within
it, and the trough or slide is so constructed as to prevent the end of the lock or latch
lever being operated by the insertion of anything of a different shape or weight than
the penny or other desired coin by which it is intended the lock or latch shall be
operated.
When the coin is insorted in the slot or opening in the case, it falls down the
trough or slide and bearing on the inner end of the lock or latch lever depresses it
and so lifts the outer end of the lever clear of the catch with which it engages thus
allowing the door to be opened. On the inner side of the door is fitted an ordinary
sliding holt, the inner end of which, or a projection formed thereon, forms a support

page_text: for the inner end of the lock or latch lever when the outer end thereof is clear of its
catch. In this position the coin is still held in the trough by the end of the lock or
latch lever, but when the bolt is shot to fasten the door from the inner side, it
allows the inner end of the lock or latch lever to further descend by the weight
of the coin on it, until the coin is free to pass it and fall into a suitable
receptacle when the lock or latch lever rises to its normal position to engage with the
catch again.
I prefer to make the receptacle for the coins of glass or partially so and of any
desired shape, so that the coins may be visible from the outer side of the door, thus
providing a means of detecting the fraudulent use of base coin or its equivalent for
operating the lock or latch.
Over the slot or opening for the insertion of the coin a slide is arranged to work,
the said slide bearing the word ENGAGED. This slide is connected with the bolt on
the inner side of the door so that when it is shot the slide covers the slot or opening,
for the insertion of the coin and displays the word "engaged." The door to which
the automatic lock or latch is fixed must be made self closing by means of a spring or
its equivalent, and to enable the door to be opened by an interested party, such as an
attendant, the lock or latch lever is so arranged as to be capable of manipulation by
a key.
Instead of having a lock or latch lever of the type hereinbefore described, a sliding
one may be used in which case it would be operated by a bell-crank or compound
lever one end of which is arranged to be operated by a coin as previously
described.
It will be obvious that my invention may be carried out in other ways than those
herein before described without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention,
such as for instance-arranging the automatic mechanism in the jamb of a door to
operate a catch to release a fixed stop or its equivalent on the door.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
•
An Improved Automatic Lock or Latch Operated by a Coin.
I, HENRY MOORE, of 1 Lancaster Villas, Brighton, in the County of Sussex, Cycle
Factor, 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 a lock or latch capable of being released or operated by a
penny, or other desired coin, so that the door or similar barrier fastened by the said
lock or latch, may be released by any one by simply placing the required coin in a
slot in the lock, latch, or box or case containing the same, and it has for its object,
enabling anyone to unfasten a lock or latch, and so gain admittance within a locked
enclosure by payment of a given sum, without the necessity of providing a collector
for the said monies.
It will be obvious that my invention is capable of large application, the best known
perhaps being for the doors of W.C.'s in public buildings, such as Railway
Stations etc.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will particularly describe it
making reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1. and 2.'are
views in elevation of the lock with the cover plate removed to show the mechanism
more clearly. Figure 1. shows the position of the latch lever in its normal position,
and also in the position it occupies when a coin is placed in the slot-in fine dotted
lines. Figure 2. shows the latch lever in its third position to allow the coin to pass
to the receptacle therefor. Figure 3. is a view in transverse section through the slot,
and Figure 4. is a plan of the lock.
Throughout these views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
In a suitable case A. a lock or latch lever B. is pivotted at or about the centre of
its length. The pivots of this lever are preferably coned centres, so as to give a
nicety of balance to the said lever, which is so proportioned as to be slightly heavier
at the locking or engaging end than at the other, so that in its normal state it lies
approximately borizontal, in which position it engages with a catch on the jamb or
post of the door, the lock itself being preferably fixed on the door. The other end of
the lock or latch lever B. extends within a trough or slide a. formed in the said case,
the said trough or slide being made of a suitable size to permit a penny-or any
other desired coin-to travel freely through it by gravity. A suitable slot or
opening a' is made in the case to permit of the coin being placed within it, and any
suitable device may be fitted to the trough or slide to prevent the end of the lock or

page_text: latch lever being operated by the insertion of anything of a different shape or weight
than the penny, or other desired coin, by which it is intended the lock or latch shall
be operated. When the coin is inserted in the slot or opening in the case, it falls
down the trough or slide a. and bearing on the inner end of the lock or latch lever B.
depresses it as shown in fine dotted lines in Figure 1.-and so lifts the outer end of
the lever clear of the catch with which it engages, thus allowing the door to be
opened. In the case A. is also fitted a sliding bolt C, the one end of which, or a pin c.
projecting therefrom, forms a support for the inner end of the lock or latch lever
when it is depressed by the weight of the coin on it, as shown by Figure 1. In this
position the coin is still held in the trough a. by the end of the lock or latch lever B,
but when the bolt C. is shot by means of the knob C on the inner side of the case to
fasten the door from the inner side, the inner end of the lock or latch lever B. further
descends by the weight of the coin on it, until it assumes the position shown by
Figure 2, when the coin is free to pass it and fall into a suitable receptacle A' forming
part of the case A. The lock or latch lever B then rises to its normal position to
engage again with the catch on the jamb post of the door. To enable the lock or
latch lever B. to be lifted from the inside to open the door, a tumbler lever D. is
pivotted in the case, the said lever being provided with a suitable operating knob D¹.
The tumbler lever D. is kept in its normal position by the spring E. The position
the tumbler lever assumes when lifting the engaging end of the lock or latch lover is
shown in fine dotted lines in Figure 2. To enable the lock or latch lever to be
operated from the outside by an attendant the outer end of the spindle d. of the
tumbler lever is adapted to receive a key by which it may be turned.
Over the slot or opening for the insertion of the coin a slide may be arranged to
work, the said slide bearing the word "ENGAGED." The slide would be connected
with the bolt C. so that when it is shot, the slide covers the slot or opening for the
insertion of the coin and displays the word "ENGAGED." Instead of fitting this
slide to the slot I sometimes utilize the bolt C. as the slide, arranging the word
"ENGAGED" so that it shows through a slot in the outer face of the case A. when
the bolt is shot. This arrangement is shown in the drawings.
I prefer to glaze one face of the receptacle for the coins, so that they may be visible
from the outer side of the door, thus providing a means of detecting the fraudulent
use of base coin, or its equivalent, for operating the lock or latch.
The door to which this automatic lock or latch is fixed must be made self-closing
by means of a suitable spring or its equivalent.
As a modification the lock or latch lever may be arranged to slide instead of rock,
in which case it would be operated by a bell-crank, or compound, lever one end
of which is arranged to be operated by the coin as previously described for the rocking
lever.
It will be obvious that the details of my invention may be varied in many ways,
and 1 therefore hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly
fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. An automatic lock operated by a coin, constructed, arranged, and operating,
specifically as set forth.
2nd. In a lock operated by the introduction of a coin, the rocking lock or latch
lever adapted to be operated directly by the coin, as set forth.
3rd. In a lock operated by the introduction of a coin, the bolt for fastening the door
to which the lock is applied, and for controlling the passage of the coin through the
lock, as set forth.
4th. In-a-lock-operated-by the introduction-of-a coin, the combination of the lock-
or latch lever B, and the sliding bolt C, combined arranged and operating as set
forth.

page_text: 5th. In a lock operated by the introduction of a coin, the combination of the lock
and latch lever B, the sliding bolt C, and the tumbler lever D, all combined, arranged
and operating as and for the purpose set forth.
6th. In a lock operated by the introduction of a coin, the combination with the
operating mechanism, of a slide bearing the word "ENGAGED," and adapted to
display the said word when the chamber controlled by the said lock is occupied, as set
forth.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.