Unfolded by Previously Inserting a Coin.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1887
Complete Left, 10th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th Apr., 1888
or Unfolded by Previously Inserting a Coin.
I, JOHN TOURTEL, of 3 Prince's Street, Westminster in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My invention relates to a seat so arranged that the insertion of a coin, such as a
penny, enables the operator to draw open or unfold it, and to retain it open or
unfolded so long as he remains seated upon it; but when he rises from the said seat
it automatically closes or folds, and eventually locks itself by means of a catch, in
such a manner that it cannot be again drawn open or unfolded unless another coin be
previously inserted.
For this purpose I provide under a slit in which the coin is inserted two parallel
slides or discs disconnected from each other but each having a slot or notch so
arranged that when the coin is introduced it serves to connect them, if the said coin
be of the required value. One of these slides or discs being then moved by a handle
or pedal the other is moved with it, and this releases the catch which previously
When
locked the seat and permits of the said seat being drawn open or unfolded.
the first slide or disc is sufficiently moved over by hand or foot the coin is released
and drops into a receptacle, then (if the handle or pedal be free to move) this slide or
disc returns to its normal position, through the action of a weight or spring, and in
doing so it releases a catch, which holds for the time being the second slide or disc,
and thus enables the said second slide or disc to return to its normal position and
drop the locking catch which is then free to engage with a socket fastened upon the
arm of the seat, and with which it will engage as soon as the seat has closed or
folded. The seat is made to close or fold by means of a weight or spring, the
tendency of which to close or fold the seat is overcome by the superior weight of the
operator; but when this weight is removed, the weight or spring attached to the seat
is free to act and causes the said seat to close or fold. To prevent the effective

page_text: insertion of a coin of smaller value than what is required, I make the slot or notch in
that slide or disc which I have called the first slide or disc of sufficient depth to
hold the said coin without permitting it to connect the two slides or discs. If such a
coin be inserted, and the handle or pedal before-mentioned be actuated as herein before
described, the said coin will be moved over and will drop into a receptacle without in
any way interfering with the second slide or disc.
Dated thin 12th 1 of T1007
CUM LEIE SPECIFICATION.
Automatically Closing or Folding Seat which may be Drawn Open
or Unfolded by Previously Inserting a Coin.
I, JOHN TOURTEL, of 3 Prince's Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, 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 seat, so arranged, that the insertion of a coin, such as a
penny, enables the operator to draw open or unfold it, and to retain it open or
unfolded so long as he remains seated upon it; but when he rises from the said seat
it automatically closes or folds, in such a manner that it cannot be again drawn open
or unfolded unless another coin be previously inserted.
Referring to the drawings:-Figure 1 is a vertical end section illustrating my
invention, Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the apparatus into which the coin is
introduced, and by means of which the seat may be operated.
In Figure 1, A represents a seat, Z a closed box, provided with convenient
apertures, containing the greater part of the mechanism relating to my invention,
and so constructed as to be able to contain the seat A when the said seat is closed, as
shewn dotted at A¹. The seat A is attached to a cross bar B; which cross bar is
fastened to the supports C, pivoted at D. By any convenient method of construction,
and by the use of any suitable material, I make the seat A flexible, so that it may
bend easily around the roller I. To the inner end of the said seat I attach a weight W.
When the seat is drawn open to its full extent the weight W is raised into the.
position shewn in full lines and is retained in this position by the superior weight

page_text: of the operator ; but as soon as the operator rises from the said seat, the action of
gravity upon the weight W will bring the seat into the position shewn dotted
at A¹ W B¹ C¹.
P is a pedal fulcrumed at Q. The inner arm R of the pedal P is connected by
means of a string d or any convenient substitute, to a slide M, which slide forms
part of the apparatus by means of which a coin is made to operate the seat. Figure 2
is an illustration of the said apparatus drawn to a larger scale. M and N are two
slides, through each of which a slot is made of sufficient size to admit of the
introduction of a specified coin, for instance a penny. The slide M is attached to the
arm R of the pedal P, Figure 1, as already described; so that if the pedal be
depressed at P the arm R will be raised, and by means of the string d (which is
guided by suitable pulleys to the slide M) the slide M will be drawn in the direction
of the arrow.
If now the pedal be released, the slide M will be brought back to its
original position by means of the spring j, Figure 2, which will also bring back to
its original position the pedal P through the string d.
The slide N, which moves upon the back of the slide M, is connected by means of
a string e, or any convenient substitute, to the arm E of a catch lever F, fulcrumed
at f, and of which the other arm G is made to engage with a catch H fixed upon the
cross bar B. The catch lever F will only be able to engage with the fixed catch H
when the seat is closed and the said fixed catch occupies the position shewn dotted
at H', Figure 1, and will be kept thus engaged by means of the spring K. If the
slides M and N be connected by a coin of the required value, then upon the slide M
being moved by the pedal P, as above described, the slide N will be moved with it,
and by means of the catch lever F will release the fixed catch H, and the seat may be
drawn open by the operator pulling the cross bar B.
The slide M is made of such a depth that if a smaller coin than what is required
be inserted into the slot S it will be entirely contained within the slide M ; and upon
the said slide being operated as hereinbefore described the coin will not be able to
engage with the slide N, and when it has been sufficiently moved over it will drop
into the coin receptacle through the opening J.
When the slide M is moved in the direction of the arrow, it will, through the
projection p, strike a catch lever I, fulcrumed at m, and will raise it into the position
shewn dotted at ; and if the slides M and N be not connected at the time by
means of a coin, the upper extremity of the said lever I will pass under the projection n
of the slide N, without striking it. When, however, the slides M and N are connected
by means of a coin, the projection n, upon the slide N, and the lever I will be moving
at the same time; but the upper extremity of the lever I will move at a greater
speed than the slide N, because this point is farther from the fulcrum m than is the
point in contact with the projection p on the slide M, from which the said lever
receives its motion, as does also the slide N. When in the position of rest, the upper
extremity of the lever I was separated by a small space from the projection n on the
slide N; consequently it will not overtake the said projection until it (the lever) has
reached the position ¹; and being now much nearer the vertical position than when
at rest, it will be unable to pass underneath the projection n, shewn dotted at n¹, and
will therefore engage with the said projection; and by this means it will, as the
motion of the slide M continues, cause the slide N to move faster than the slide M,
thus releasing the tension on the coin, which is now over the opening J, and will let
it drop into the coin receptacle O. The slides will now remain connected by the
catch lever so long as the pedal P remains depressed; but upon the said pedal
being released the slide M will return to the position of rost, as hereinbefore described,
and in so doing will allow the catch lever ? to return with it; and when the said
lever has dropped to a sufficient extent it will become disengaged from the projection n,
thus allowing the slide N to return to its original position, as well as the locking
catch lever F.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to the use of the
mechanism I have described for unlocking this seat, as many known forms of
mechanism for effecting by the insertion and operation of a coin the unlocking of a

page_text: catch (such as that described in Gamgee's Specification No. 2828 of 1870) can be
used equally well for unlocking this seat. Neither do I claim as an absolutely
essential part of this invention that form of mechanism I have described, in which
two disconnected slides or discs are connected by means of a coin; but this is a
convenient form of mechanism by means of which the locking catch may be
operated.
Having now described, my invention and the manner in which it may be carried
out. I declare that I am aware of Specifications Nos. 86, 10682, 12993, 15631,
and 16756, all of 1886, and do not claim anything which is thereby covered, but
what I claim is,
An automatically closing or folding flexible seat which can only be drawn open or
unfolded after insorting a coin into a slot provided for the purpose and operating a
handle or pedal, substantially as described and illustrated.