Year: 1895

page_text: 1, FRANK EDWARD MORGAN, of West Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a simple but efficient prepayment
vending apparatus, which may be conveniently attached to measuring, weighing
or other coin controlled apparatus, and which can be operated by the insertion of
a coin.
The casing of the apparatus is provided with an operating shaft and an operated
shaft controlling the feed or supply mechanism of a gas meter or other measuring,
weighing, delivering or vending apparatus. The operating shaft is provided on
the outside of the casing with a suitable knob or handle by which it can be turned
or otherwise moved and in the casing is a coin slot to be closed by a hinged cover.
Within the casing on the operating shaft is a disc and the parts which constitute
the coin-carrying mechanism. The material parts of the coin-carrying mechanism
are two jaws, one moveable towards the other by means of a spring, and away
from it by the insertion of the coin. One of the jaws is also mounted to turn
upon a hinge, pivot or axis to a limited extent. These two jaws have grooves for
the reception of the coin, and the disc or other part carrying the jaws can be
turned to bring them into line with the coin slot in the outer casing, so that the
coin which is introduced through the slot will enter between the jaws and by its
size push them apart. A projection on the inner face of the door of a size to
enter the coin slot in the casing, serves to push the coin through the slot and into
place by the closing of the door upon the inserted coin.
The jaw which I may term the sliding jaw or a part carried thereby or moveable
therewith, has a projection to engage with a tooth or teeth on the operated shaft
but normally these two parts are out of engagement. When however, a proper
coin is introduced through the slot into the casing, and between the jaws, the
consequent movement of what I have termed the sliding jaw, will cause the
projection connected with it to then engage with the tooth or teeth connected with
the operated shaft, so that if then the primary operating shaft is moved (it is
preferable to make it a rotary shaft), the operated shaft being now clutched or
geared with it, will move to a like extent and so transmit motion to the parts of
the gas meter, measuring, weighing, delivering or vending apparatus, to allow of
the supply of the desired amount of the commodity to be sold.
A stop, stationary but adjustable, on the same fixed part of the casing, is provided
to act upon a projection on the rotary jaw, when the operating shaft has been
moved to the extent proportionate to the value of the coin introduced, so as to give
a partial rotary motion to the rotary jaw, and so throw out the coin from between
the jaws and into the bottom of the casing or other receptacle. This discharge
of the coin allows the sliding jaw to move by a spring back towards the other
jaw to its normal position, and so unclutches the operating shaft from the operated
shaft.
The disc or other carrier for the coin jaws is preferably provided with a
notch into which a dog on the cover may enter, the disc or carrier preventing

page_text: the opening of the door at other times, and this notch is so located that the door
can thus only be opened when the carrier has been turned or otherwise moved to
bring the jaws into alignment with the coin-slot in the casing.
The rotary jaw may be turned back upon its pivot or axis to its normal position
after the throwing out of the coin, either by a spring or by this same dog acting
upon a wedge-shaped groove or cam-like projection upon the said rotary jaw.
Dated this 11th day of February 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Prepayment Vending Apparatus.
I, FRANK EDWARD MORGAN, of West Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to construct a simple but efficient prepayment
vending apparatus, which may be conveniently attached to measuring weighing or
other coin controlled apparatus, and which can be operated by the insertion of a
coin, and operated through the coin itself.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a transverse section of apparatus according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the
arrow 1.
Fig. 3 is a section on the same line looking in the direction of the arrow 2.
Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 1 but shewing a coin in position.
Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective diagrams illustrating the operation of the
mechanism.
Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 shew modifications.
A is the casing of the apparatus, B is the operating shaft, and C is the controller
shaft to which motion is imparted, this shaft C being connected to any of the supply
controlling parts of a gas meter or any other measuring, weighing, delivery or
vending apparatus. The shaft B is provided with a suitable knob 6 by which it
can be turned.
In the casing is a coin slot a to be closed by a hinged cover a pivotted at a² to
the casing and having a dog a. To the shaft B is attached a disc B¹ and the
parts which constitute the coin carrying mechanism. In the disc is a hole which
can be brought in line with the coin slot a in the casing and when these two slots
coincide, a notch 61 in the periphery of the disc B₁ is in line with the dog a³, so
that then and then only can the cover a' be raised to allow insertion of a coin.
Upon the disc B₁ are mounted two coin receiving jaws D and E, the latter
moveable towards and from the other, to receive and hold the coin. For the
discharge of the coin, the jaw D which has a groove d' for the reception of the
coin, is preferably mounted to be capable of rotation in bearings in the disc B', and
a bearing plate d, which is carried by studs d d on the disk.
In bearings e e projecting from the disk B' are sliding rods e¹ which carry the
jaw E which has a slot e² for the reception of the coin. When the coin is inserted
between the jaws, they positively clamp and hold it between them.
On one of the rods e¹ is a spring which tends to force the jaw E towards the
jaw D, so far as a stop pins permits. The jaws D and E are in line with the
slots à and 2, so that when a coin is passed through the slots a and b, it enters
between and is firmly held by the jaws D'and E, which, owing to the spring e³, may
be termed spring jaws.

page_text: A projection at on the inner face of the door a' serves to push the coin onwards
when the door is closed. The space between the jaws in relation to the size of the
coin for which the apparatus is intended is such that when the coin is forced
between the jaws, the jaw E is moved away from the jaw D, and a projection.et on
the jaw E is caused to engage with a toothed wheel F on the shaft C.
If then the shaft B is turned, the shaft C will also be turned with it, but when
the coin is released from control of the jaws, the spring e moves the jaw E so as to
disengage the projection et from the wheel F, and the disk B¹ can then be turned
back to its normal position without turning the shaft C.
On the shaft C is a ratchet wheel, with which engages a pawl f³ mounted on
the casing, thus preventing the shaft C from accidentally turning back.
In order to discharge the coin from the jaws, I prefer to pivot the jaw D, as
already explained, and provide means for turning the jaw on its pivot to throw out
the coin at any desired point in the rotation of the coin carrying mechanism.
Projecting from the jaw D is a pin or lug i which is normally set in the position
shewn in Fig. 2 by a spring it, and this pin or lug is so set in respect to a stop m
which may be directly or indirectly on the casing, that when the disk B' is turned
the pin will strike the stop m, and turn the jaw D as shewn in Fig. 6 causing the
coin to be then thrown out from between the jaws; the spring of the jaw E aids in
discharging the coin, when the jaw D is thus turned.
The stop m in the present instance projects from an adjustable plate or disk M,
which is confined to the casing by a clamp screw m' and clamp m³, but on releasing
the clamp screw, the plate can be turned to adjust the stop m to any desired
position, according to indicating marks which I preferably use ou the disk as shewn
in Fig. 3.
If, for instance, the apparatus is to be applied to a prepayment gas meter, and
the coin is a penny, then the disk M is set, so that a penny worth of gas may be
used on the insertion of the coin. If the apparatus is used to receive coins of other
denominations or the price of gas varies, then the disk M may be turned so that
the apparatus will cause the desired quantity to be automatically measured out or
delivered for the value paid.
In Fig. 7 I have shewn a modification in which the end e of one of the rods e
of the jaw E engages with the teeth of an internal gear F1 which occupies the
place of the gear F, shewn in Fig. 1. In this case, the jaw D' is fixed while the
jaw E is adapted to rotate in its carrier posts e to eject the coin when
the carrier B' has been turned the required distance.
In the modification shown in Fig. 8, also, the jaw D' is fixed, while the jaw E' is
drawn by springs e towards the jaw D', and can have a partial rotary movement
in the sliding frame e. In Fig. 8 there are shewn two sets of coin jaws on the
carrier disk, for coins of different denominations, and it is to be understood that
more than two sets may be used without departing from this invention.
The spring has been omitted from Figs. 5 to 8 for the sake of clear.less of
illustration.
In Fig. 9 I have shewn a slide carrying the two jaws D2 and E2; the latter
being the moveable jaw is in the form of a spring arm, while the jaw D³ can be
turned upon its pivot.
The coin carrier slide B can be moved back and forth by a pinion p on a shaft
with a handle such as Bb herein before described, this pinion p gearing with a
rack p¹ on the slide.
A projection on the jaw E² engages, when the coin is inserted, with the teeth F¹
on a longitudinally moveable rod C₁ controlling the vending mechanism.
In Fig. 10, the rotatable jaw D³ is shewn provided with a series of notches for
the coin so that the jaw can simply turn in one direction, thus dispensing with
the return spring , or the jaw D₁ may be made, as shewn in Fig. 11, with a
wedge shaped slot d³, into which the dog a³ on the door a can enter, upon the
opening of the door to positively turn the jaw back to its original position after it
has discharged the coin.

page_text: 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 in respect of prepayment vending apparatus is :-
1. The combination of the casing having an opening for the passage of the coin,
with a moveable carrier having two jaws adapted to align with the opening and
receive the coin between them, one of said jaws being moveable towards and from
the other, the said jaws being arranged to positively hold the coin in place
between them by their clamping action alone, with connections between the
moveable carrier and a supply controlling device so that on the movement of the
carrier away from the opening with a coin between the jaws, the feeder or
controller will be operated, and means for discharging the coin from the jaws,
substantially as described.
2. The combination of a carrier having two jaws, one moveable in respect to the
other, with means whereby said moveable jaw engages with a supply controlling
device when a coin of the proper denomination is inserted between the jaws,
means for moving the carrier and a stop acting on one of said jaws to release the
coin, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a carrier having two jaws, one jaw adapted to move
towards and from the other jaw, and one jaw being adapted to rotate with means
for turning the carrier, a toothed wheel with which said sliding jaw engages when
a coin is inserted between the two jaws, and means for rotating the rotary jaw
to discharge the coin, as the carrier is turned, all substantially as described.
4. The combination of the casing, an opening therein for the passage of the
coin, an operating shaft, jaws mounted on said shaft, one of said jaws being
moveable from and towards the other, and a spring tending to close the jaws,
with a toothed wheel with which a part on the carrier engages, and means acting
to discharge the coin when the jaws are moved away from the slot in the casing to
a predetermined point, substantially as described.
5. The combination of the casing, an opening therein for the passage of the
coin, and a cover for said opening, with a carrier having jaws for the coin within
the casing, said carrier being so set in relation to the cover that the cover cannot
be opened except when the coin jaws are opposite the opening, and the carrier
cannot be operated except when the cover is closed, substantially as described.
6. The combination of the casing having a coin opening, an operating shaft, a
disk on said shaft having a notch and jaws carried by said disk to receive the
coin, with a cover for the opening in the casing, said cover having a portion
adapted to enter the notch in the disk and so situated that the cover cannot be
opened except when the notch is brought opposite the cover, substantially as
described.
7. The combination of the casing having a coin slot and a moveable coin carrier
within the casing having a pair of jaws to receive and hold the coin between them, with
a hinged cover having a projection to enter the slot and a lug on said cover for
retaining the carrier in position for the insertion of a coin, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
N
1
100
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.