An Improved Coin-actuated Vending Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1892-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coin-actuated Vending Apparatus.
I, GOTTLIEB JEHLE, of 311 Webster Avenue, Long Island City, in the County
of Queens, and State of New York, United States of America, Brass Finisher, 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:-
At hotels and in drug and stationary stores postage-stamps are frequently
provided for the convenience of customers, and the supply of these often involves
considerable trouble without any profit.
This vending apparatus is primarily intended for the supply of postage-stamps,
and it is adapted to hold postage-stamps-such, for instance, as pairs of postage-
stamps placed around a holder-so that two penny stamps will be delivered when a
three penny piece is inserted in the coin-slot. Hence the vender is enabled to make
a profit of one penny on each two stamps sold, and the apparatus is adapted to
keeping the stamps in such a position that the mucilage will not cause such stamps
to adhere to the holder, and the apparatus can be opened for the insertion of stamps
when the supply is exhausted, and the holder is stopped automatically when the
stamps are exhausted and an indication given that the apparatus requires to be
re-filled.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is an elevation of the holder with the case in section at the line. <,
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan at the line y y, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a detached sectional view at the line y', Fig. 1 ; and
Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing one of the stamp-holders with the projection
thereon that forms the automatic stop.
The case A is preferably circular with a hollow base B, which forms a receptacle
for the coins, there being an opening at 2 in the case A for the coins to pass into
the hollow base B, and the front C is removable, the same being preferably hinged
at 3 to the case A and provided with a locking device at 4 for holding the front
closed, and it is to be understood that a padlock or a suitable fastening may be
provided for securely holding the front or movable portion of the case when the
same has been closed.
The stationary arbor D is permanently secured in any desired manner to the case
and it is adapted to receive the holding-wheel E, which has a tubular axis 5,
surrounding the arbor D, and the wheel itself may be made either in the form of a
disk or as a ring with arms. Upon the tubular axis 5 is a ratchet-wheel F, and
there is a spring-pawl 6 (represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1) which engages the
teeth of the ratchet-wheel F to prevent the holding-wheel being turned backwardly,
and there is a spring-barrel G upon the arbor D, having ratchet-teeth around its edge
engaging with a pawl 7 on the holding-wheel E, and within the barrel G is a volute
spring fastened at one end to the arbor D and at the other end to the spring-barrel,
and this spring-barrel gives motion through the pawl to the holding-wheel E, when
the retaining mechanism hereinafter described is liberated, so as to turn the
holding wheel E in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, and it is to be understood
that each time the apparatus receives a fresh supply of stamps the spring-barrel G
is given a rotation in the opposite direction to the arrow, Fig. 1, so as to wind up
the spring and obtain the necessary movement to give a rotation to the holding-
wheel progressively as the stamps are delivered.
Upon the back of the holding-wheel there are as many projections or pins 8 as
there are stamp-holders, and these pins 8 engage the retaining lever H, which is
EDC17

page_text: provided with a finger 9, that engages the pins 8, and there is a spring 10 for
raising the retaining-lever H, and the strength of this spring is only sufficient to
raise the lever H, and when a three penny piece rests upon this lever, as hereinafter
described, its weight causes the lever to descend, drawing the finger 9 out of
contact with one of the pins 8, so that the wheel E is liberated and partially rotated
by the action of the spring in the barrel G.
22 is a stop to limit the downward movement of the lever H.
The retaining lever H is at the lower end of the coin-chute I, by which the three
penny piece or other coin is directed upon the lever H, and when said lever
descends by the weight of the coin, the coin rolls out at an opening Is in the side of
the slide I and falls through the opening 2 into the hollow base B. The upper
end of the coin chute is at an inclination to the lower portion I.
I will now describe the peculiarity of the holders for the postage-stamps or
similar articles. It is to be understood that any desired number of these holders
can be connected with the wheel E. I have represented twenty-four, and each
holder L is made by preference of sheet metal, with lips 11, 12 13 turned upon the
edges of the sheet metal, and the sheet metal is also cut with tongues 14 and 15,
bent down into the position indicated in the perspective view Fig. 4, so that there
Is a slight space between their outer ends and the lips 12 and 13, and these holders
are conveniently connected to the wheel E by the flange 16, riveted or soldered to
the wheel. The size and shape of each holder is such that the two connected
stamps can be received easily between the tongues 14 and 15 and the sheet metal.
base or body of the holder, and the lips 12 and 13 prevent the stamp becoming
displaced, and the lip 11 is at the opposite end of the stamps to the interior of the
case A, and the holders are sufficiently near the interior of the case A for the ends
of the stamps to be bent around into the curved position shown in Fig. 1 as they
are introduced into the respective holders, so that as the holding-wheel E is
revolved the curved end of the stamp is moved forward against the interior of the
circular case A, and this case is smooth, except where there is a mouth 17 cut
therein with an inwardly projecting lip 18. Hence as the stamps are brought
around in succession the advancing end of the stamp passes into the mouth, and in
being straightened or nearly so, by the lip 18, the end of the stamp projects, as
indicated in Fig. 1, sufficiently to be caught by the fingers and drawn out from the
holder. It will now be understood that each time the proper coin is introduced it
passes down the coin chute, and its weight upon the retaining-lever H causes such
lever to move downwardly and draw the finger 9 away from one of the pins 8, and
the spring within the barrel G rotates the holding-wheel. The coin rolling off the
lever H into the hollow base allows the lever H to return to its position and its
finger 9 to catch the next pin 8, and during this movement the stamp-holder L,
next to the mouth 17, is brought to that mouth and the stamp held by the holder
projects at its end through the mouth and can be easily withdrawn by the
purchaser.
If the parts before described only were made use of, the holding-wheel might
turn after all the stamps were exhausted. To prevent this, the sheet metal of one
of the holders is projected in the form of a spring lip 19, upon which the word
'empty' may be marked, and the last stamp in the apparatus is presumed to rest on
this holder. Hence as the stamp is brought down to position for being withdrawn
the sheet metal of the lip 19 stops against the lip 18, and the holding-wheel cannot
turn any farther. The holders are to be filled with stamps introduced laterally
with their projecting ends curved forwardly, and the apparatus is again ready
for use.
I have represented in the front C an opening with a glass at C. This allows the
interior of the apparatus to be observed; but this glass is not always desirable,
especially in places where the apparatus is not under the care of an attendant,
because the interior construction might be observed and an effort made to tamper
with the apparatus by means of a wire or otherwise; and in order to allow for
ascertaining the number of stamps that remain in the apparatus, especially if the

page_text: glass C¹ is dispensed with, I provide a suitable dial with numbers thereon corre-
sponding to the number of the stamp-holders L. This dial may be applied in any
convenient manner upon the wheel H. I have represented such wheel H as having
a cylindrical flange 20, and upon this flange numbers may be placed opposite to the
respective stamp-holders, and there may be an opening at 21 with a glass, by which
to observe the number upon the flange of the holding-wheel, and this opening and
glass I have shown as adjacent to the mouth 17; but it may be placed in any
convenient portion of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination, in a coin-actuated vending apparatus, of a wheel, a spring
to actuate the same, a retaining lever and coin chute for causing the wheel to be
liberated by the coin, a series of holders upon the wheel, each adapted to receive a
stamp or similar article, and an inclosing case, against which the ends of the stamps
or similar articles are in contact and bent forwardly, there being a slot through the
case with a lip at the opposite edge to the stamp, so that the end thereof will pass
through the opening by coming into contact with the lip, substantially as specified.
2. The combination, with an inclosing case having an opening and a lip at one
side, of a wheel, a spring to actuate the same, a retaining-lever and coin-chute for
causing the wheel to be liberated by the coin, and a series of holders
upon the
wheel, each adapted to receive a stamp or similar article with its projecting end
against the interior of the case, so as to be presented through the opening by the
end coming into contact with the lip, and a flange upon the wheel to arrest the
wheel after one rotation by coming in contact with the lip, substantially as
specified.
3. The combination, with the wheel in a coin-actuated vending apparatus, of a
series of holders for postage stamps or similar articles, each formed of a plate of
sheet metal, with a flange fastened to the wheel, lips 11, 12, and 13, and tongues 14
and 15 above the stamp, substantially as specified.
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.