Delivery of Cigarettes, Cigars, Boxes of Matches, and other Goods in Packets.
Year: 1884

page_text: Delivery of Cigarettes, Cigars, Boxes of Matches, and other
Goods in Packets.
I, NORMAN WILLIS RUSS of Fern Bank, Champion Grove, Denmark Hill, in
the County of Surrey Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE AUTOMATIC SALE AND DELIVERY
" to
OF CIGARETTES, CIGARS, BOXES OF MATCHES AND OTHER GOODS IN PACKETS'
be as follows :—
The object of my Invention is to produce a simple and effective means or
machine for the automatic sale and delivery to any one who pays for same of
a cigarette, cigar, box of matches or other goods in packets. I will describe my
Invention as applied to the construction of a box for the automatic sale and
delivery of cigarettes.
The apparatus or machine is contained in a box of the required size sufficient to
hold the required number of cigarettes say fifty or any other desired number. At
the top of the box and inside same there is an inclined plane communicating with
an aperture in the box sufficiently large for the insertion of say a penny or other
coin. This coin slides down the inclined plane on its surface, at the end of this
incline there is another in the contrary direction with sufficient space at the
junction of the two inclined planes for the coin to fall over and to travel down
the next incline in the contrary direction at the bottom of which there is another
junction similar to the last whereby the position of the coin is again reversed and
from this it falls on to a platform which is always maintained in a horizontal
position by being pivoted to a rod on the underside with parallel motion for
keeping the tray in a horizontal position but when the coin falls on the tray the
lattor descends sufficiently to allow a rod to be pushed over the surface of the tray
on which the coin is placed. When the tray is in its upper or normal position the
rod cannot be operated to act on a cigarette. The end of the tray opposite the
pushing rod is provided with a shutter hinged to the side of the tray and it is
against this shutter that the pushing rod acts first and subsequently pushes back
the shutter and with it the coin off the tray into a receptacle below. The rod is
cranked round the tray and extends forward to an opening in a box or receptacle

page_text: containing cigarettes hereafter described; the other end of the rod passes through
bearings in the side of the box and is provided with a knob or handle at the end.
There is a spring for carrying back the push rod and another to return the shutter
to its normal position: The cigarette receptacle is made in the form of a double
wheel forming thereby an annular space on its outer circumference. In this space
the cigarettes are inserted and the wheel being made to correspond in width with
that of cigarettes the latter are supported throughout their length-The wheel is
supported in a pivot bearing on say the front or door of the box so that on opening
the door the wheel is exposed and can be then filled with the cigarettes A spiral
spring connected at one end to the pivot and at the other to the inner circum-
ference of the wheel always has. a tendency to drive the wheel in one direction
but the wheel is prevented from so moving by a fixed finger piece which passes
through the annular space in the wheel and presses against a cigarette. In the
annular space I place a block or regulating piece which travels with the wheel and
pushes forward the cigarettes as the wheel rotates up to and against the fixed
finger piece so long as there are any cigarettes in the wheel: the block also connects
the inner and outer ring of the annular space and strengthens the structure.
Opposite the cigarette against the fixed finger there is an aperture in the box for
the exit of a cigarette and this aperture is made conical or bell mouthed for the
free exit of the cigarette. There is a bearing for the push rod opposite the annular
chamber in the wheel, so that on pushing the rod towards the annular chamber
which is done by pushing the knob end of same the coin is pushed off the tray as
before described and the push rod pushes out the cigarette which comes opposite
to it, that is the one next to the fixed finger. There is a shutter over the exit
aperture which is worked automatically by the rising and falling of the tray
through a cord which is carried over guides and thence to the shutter. When
all the cigarettes are used a pin on the outer circumference of the wheel comes
against a slide having a cam shaped edge whereby the slide is pushed over the
coin aperture which cannot be again opened until there is a supply of cigarettes
placed in the wheel. The wheel must be set in position by the attendant who fills
same which is done by turning the wheel once round in the reverse direction to
the spring and then inserting the cigarettes. Before leaving the box for uso the
coin shutter may be pushed back or removed by hand and the exit shutter must
be adjusted for which purpose I provide a door. For the delivery of larger articles
the exit apertures must be arranged accordingly as well as the annular opening
of the wheel and the balance weight must be altered to suit the amount of money
to be paid for each article.

page_text: A New or Improved Machine for the Automatic Sale and
Delivery of Cigarettes, Cigars, Boxes of Matches, and other
Goods in Paokets.
I NORMAN WILLIS RUSS of Fern Bank, Champion Grove Denmark Hill in the
County of Surrey Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE AUTOMATIC SALE AND DELIVERY OF
CIGARETTES, CIGARS, BOXES OF MATCHES AND OTHER GOODS IN PACKETS" and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :--
The object of my invention is to produce a simple and effective means or
machine for the automatic sale and delivery to any one who pays for same of a
cigarette, cigar, box of matches or other goods in packets I will describe my
invention as applied to the construction of a box for the automatic sale and
delivery of cigarettes.
And in order that this my invention may be more readily understood I will
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1 is
a sectional elevation of the whole machine. Fig. 2 is a side view of the round box
or wheel for holding the cigarettes or other articles to be delivered. Fig. 3 is a
detail view in cross section through line A B Fig. 1 with the shoot left out. Fig. 4
is also a detail view in inverted plan of slit for the money and showing the shoot
partly in section. Fig. 5 is a right handed side view of the money receiving scale
mechanism. Fig. 6 is a plan showing the top of the cabinet and the money
removed and also showing the cigarette box or wheel in section, Fig. 7 is a part
plan section of the door C¹ through the finger Q and Fig. 8 is a detail left handed
side view of the shutter for closing the cigarette delivery aperture.
The apparatus or machine is contained in a cabinet C of the required size
sufficient to hold the required number of cigarettes say fifty or any other desired
number. At the top D of the cabinet or box C and inside same there is an
inclined plane communicating with an aperture a in the box sufficiently large for
the insertion of say a penny or other coin. This coin slides down an inclined
plane on its surface at the end of this incline there is another in the contrary
direction with sufficient space at the junction of the two inclined planes for the
coin to fall over and to travel down the next incline in the contrary direction at
the bottom of which there is another junction similar to the last, whereby the
position of the coin is again reversed as shown on the drawings the several
separate inclined planes may be done away with and instead thereof may be made
in one shoot E and curved as shown from one side to the other and with a narrow
throat at El to guide the coin and prevent it from toppling over. The coin drops
out of the shoot E and on to, a platform F which is always maintained in a
horizontal position by being pivotted to a lever rod b provided with a counter-
weight V and on the underside with parallel motion c d for keeping the tray in a
horizontal position, but when the coin falls on the tray the latter descends
-

page_text: sufficiently to allow a pushing rod G to be pushed over the surface of the tray F on
which the coin is placed. When the tray is in its upper or normal position as
shown in Fig. 1 the rod cannot be operated to act on a cigarette because if the
rod G which as shown in Fig. 6 is cranked to go round the tray F be pushed in
from the outside by pushing on the little projection knob or handle H which
moves in a slot in the tubular cap I the said cranked part comes against a rim Fª
on the tray F which stops its further progress. The end of the tray opposite the
pushing rod is provided with a pivotted angular rim or shutter h h' hinged to one
side of the tray F and when the tray F is weighed down by the weight of the
coin dropped in it is against this shutter h h¹ that the pushing rod G acts first and
pushes back the shutter h h³ and with it the coin off the tray F into a receptacle
below, or it may fall on to the floor of the cabinet being prevented from rolling
into the tray mechanism by the guard K. The cranked rod G extends round the
tray and forward to an opening in a box or receptacle L M containing cigarettes
bereafter described. Y is a guide for the pushing rod G. There is a spring i
which is attached at one end to the cabinet C and at the other end to the arm g
which is fixed to the rod G. This spring is for carrying back the push rod G and
there is another k see Fig. 5 wound round the pivot of the shutter h h¹ to return
the shutter to its normal position and the tray is provided with a stop or flange
to prevent the two sided shutter h h¹ from going back. The cigarette receptacle is
made in the form of a double wheel, the distance between the outer periphery of
the inner wheel or drum L and the inner periphery of the outer wheel or rim M
forming an annular space N. The rim M is fixed to the druin L and kept at a
proper distance therefrom by a spacing piece R which also serves as a stop. In the
space N the cigarettes are inserted parallel to the axis of the wheel L M and the
said wheel being made to correspond in width with the length of the cigarettes or
other articles to be delivered, the latter are supported throughout their length.
The wheel is supported in a pivot bearing P in say the side or door C¹ of the box
or cabinet C so that on opening the door C¹ the wheel is exposed and can then be
filled with the cigarettes. A spiral spring O connected at one end to the pivot P
and at the other to the inner circumference of the drum L always has a tendency
to drive the wheel in one direction but the wheel is prevented from so moving by
a fixed finger piece Q which passes through the annular space N in the wheel and
by means of the stop R which extends parallel to the axis from one side to the
.other of the drum M and presses against the cigarette or cigarettes. The block R
in the annular space travels with the wheel L M and pushes forwards the cigarettes
as the wheel rotates up to and against the fixed finger piece Q so long as there are
any cigarettes in the wheel. Opposite the cigarette against the fixed änger Q there
is an aperture S in the box for the exit of a cigarette and this aperture is made
conical or bellmouthed for the free exit of the cigarette. There is a bearing T for the
push rod G opposite the annular chamber in the wheel so that on pushing the rod
towards the annular chamber which is done by pushing the knob H of same the coin
is pushed off the tray Fas before described and the push rod G pushes out the cigarette
which comes opposite to it, that is the one next to the fixed finger Q. There is a
shutter a over or inside of the exit aperture S which shutter is worked automatically
by the rising and falling of the tray the lower end of the rod c or shank of the
tray acting on the disc t on the end of the lever t' as shown or it may be through a
cord which is carried over guides and thence to the shutter. When all the cigarettes
are used a pin U on the outer circumference of the wheel comes against a slide u
having a cain shaped edge u¹ whereby the slide is pushed over the coin aperture a
which cannot be again opened until the door C¹ is opened or until there is a fresh
supply of cigarettes placed in the wheel. The slide is provided with a small
spring u* for pulling it back into its normal position and to prevent it shutting by
accident. The wheel must be set in position by the attendant who fills same
which is done by turning the wheel once round in the reverse direction to the
spring O and then inserting the cigarettes. A door C is provided in front for
gaining access to the interior in addition to the door C

page_text: In order to prevent the pushing rod G from being pushed backwards and
forwards and thereby pushing out more than one cigarette whilst the tray F of the
scale mechanism is being held down by the cranked part of the said rod G after or
before the coin is deposited on the floor of the box, it is provided with a weighted
pawl f which will catch into the teeth fl of a rack fixed to a standard f³, which
also serves as a guide for the cranked rod, when an attempt is made to take less
than the whole forward or backward stroke of the pushing rod, because supposing
the proper stroke of the pushing rod is 1 inch, and supposing it be pushed say only
half an inch and then an attempt be made to pull it say inch back without
allowing the tray to go up again, then the pawl f catching in the pawl teeth will
prevent such partial backward movement, in fact no backward movement can take
place until the whole forward movement has first been effected. I thus prevent
the fraud of taking more than one cigarette for one penny or other coin. For
further security I may operate the pawl lever ƒ by a connection from the tray so
that when the latter descends the pawl lever is raised out of gear and kept so by a
spring which latter is released by the pushing rod on its back stroke so that the
pawl can then again drop into gear.
And in order to prevent money from being placed in the tray F when the pivotted
shutter is sweeping across the tray and thereby perhaps damaging the
mechanism, the shutter or slide u is connected to the arm ġ on the pushing rod G
by means of a string or cord x x guided by pulleys y and y¹ so that it is impossible
to put a coin into the aperture a when the pushing rod G is moved forward out of
its normal position.
For the delivery of larger articles the exit apertures must be arranged accordingly
as well as the annular spacing of the wheel and the balance-weight must be altered
to suit the amount of money to be paid for each article.
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 claim is.
First. In a machine for automatically delivering cigarettes or other articles by
dropping a coin into the machine the shoot E having a curve of contrary flexure
and with a throat E' substantially as described.
Second. A shoot or equivalent inclined planes in combination with a tray which
overbalances when the right coin is dropped into the shoot and with a pushing rod
which is released thereby and which sweeps the coin off the tray and with a wheel
adapted to receive the cigarettes or other articles arranged in an annular space
provided with a stop or spacing piece and having retractile spring or weight in
combination with a fixed stud or finger in the annular space and in combination
with pawl appliance for necessitating the proper action of the pushing rod
substantially as described.
Third. The wheel L M having the retractile spiral spring O and spacing piece R
and operating in conjunction with a stationary stud Q substantially as described.
Fourth. The tray F in combination with weighted lever b and parallel motion
rods c and d and with the angular shutter h h¹ with spring k and Z substantially as
described,
Fifth. The pushing rod G in combination with the cord connected thereto and
with the shutter slide u and spring u³ and stop U on the wheel L M, substantially
as described.
Sixth. The pushing rod G in combination with the weighted pawl ƒ and the
rack f substantially as described.
Seventh. The balance tray F with rod d in combination with the lever t¹ and
shutter & substantially as described.
Eighth. The cabinet C with slit a for insertion of the coin and door O¹ on
which is mounted the wheel containing the articles to be delivered substantially as
described.

page_text: Ninth. The apparatus for the automatic delivery of cigarettes or other articles
consisting essentially of the shoot E E in combination with the balance tray F
having angular shutter h h¹ for sweeping off the coin and with the cranked pushing
rod with retractile spring i the shutter u the wheel L M with stop U the
stationary peg Q in the annular space thereof the pawl f and rack fl and the
shutter & connected to the lever t¹ which is operated from the balance tray, the
whole being enclosed in a cabinet provided with suitable apertures for inserting
the coin for operating the pushing rod and for the exit of the cigarette substantially
as described.