provements in Apparatus or Devices for Unfastening a Box or Receptacle to Gain Access thereto on the Proper Payment being Made.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1889-Accepted, 31st Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Apparatus or Devices for Unfastening a Box or
Receptacle to Gain Access thereto on the Proper Payment being
Made.
I, JAMES SPRATT of Fern Villa, Ellison Road Streatham Common in the County of
Surrey, Mercantile Agent do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows
-
The object of my Invention is to provide a simple and efficient apparatus or device
for causing a box or receptacle to be unfastened on the introduction of a coin or
coins or the like in payment for access to the said box or receptacle.
The invention is more especially intended for use in connection with boxes or
receptacles in theatres for containing opera glasses to enable the person depositing the
proper coin or coins in payment for the hire of the opera glasses to open the box or
receptacle to obtain the said glasses but the invention is not restricted to use for that
particular purpose. According to my Invention I provide the catch by which the
receptacle is fastened with an extension or attachment which constitutes an armature
in proximity to the poles of a permanent magnet and which when the receptacle is
fastened is retained by a catch lever so that the attractive force of the magnet is
prevented from moving the said extension or attachment to release the fastening.
The said catch lever is so centered that when a coin or coins or the like representing
the proper value is or are deposited in a slit provided for the purpose it or they cause
the catch lever to move so as to release the aforesaid extension or attachment when it
is attracted by the permanent magnet and the catch which fastens the receptacle is
withdrawn. In order to prevent the withdrawal of the coin a second lever is provided
upon which the coin (or the like) first falls so that it is first overbalanced and then
returns to its normal position when the coin or the like falls upon the aforesaid
catch lever to release the fastening as hereinbefore described.
Instead of using a permanent magnet for operating the fastening I may use a spring
or weight for the same purpose.
ዕለ
Improvements in Apparatus or Devices for Unfastening a Box or
Receptacle to Gain Access thereto on the Proper Payment being
Made.
I, JAMES SPRATT of Fern Villa Streatham Common in the County of Surrey,
Mercantile Agent 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 my Invention is to provide a simple and efficient apparatus or device
for causing a box or receptacle to be unfastened on the introduction of a coin or
coins or the like in payment for access to the said box or receptacle. The invention
is more especially intended for use in connection with boxes or receptacles in
theatres or the like for containing opera glasses to enable the person depositing the
proper coin or coins in payment for the hire of the opera glasses to open the box or
receptacle to obtain the said glasses but the Invention is not restricted to use for that
particular purpose.
According to my Invention I provide the catch by which the receptacle is fastened
with a lever or device which constitutes an armature in proximity to the poles of a

page_text: permanent magnet which lever or device when the receptacle is fastened is retained
by a catch lever so that the attractive force of the magnet is prevented from moving
the said lever or device to release the fastening. The said catch lever is so centered
that when a coin or coins or the like representing the proper value is or are deposited
in a slit provided for the purpose it or they causes or cause the catch lever to move so
as to release the aforesaid lever or retaining device when it is attracted by the
permanent magnet and the catch which fastens the receptacle is released. In order
to prevent the withdrawal of the coin or token a second lever is provided upon which
the coin (or the like) first falls or is pressed so that it is first over balanced or caused
to move aside and then returns to its normal position when the coin or the like falls
upon the aforesaid catch lever to release the fastening as herein before described.
Instead of using a permanent magnet for operating the fastening I may use a spring
or weight for the same purpose.
The accompanying drawings represent in front view partly in section in Figure 1
in cross section in figure 2 and in plan in Figure 3 an arrangement according to
my Invention. A is the box for containing the article to be hired, say a pair of
opera glasses. It is provided with a lid a having a catch a². This lid when fastened
prevents the contents of the box A being had access to. Between the side plate a
of the box A and the door B is a space of small sectional area in which the locking
and releasing mechanism of the box is situated. This consists of a lever C centered
at c and having a catch at top for engaging with the catch a' of the lid the lower
end of the said lever constituting the armature of a permanent magnet D. E is a
lever centered at e and provided with a catch with which engages the end of the
lever (so as to keep it from being attracted by the magnet D. When the catch e
is engaged with the end of the armature lever Ċ the catches a³ and are engaged
and the box cannot be opened.
For preventing the coin or token from being withdrawn I prefer to use a second
lever G centered at g and held by a stud 9 its outer end abutting against the
lever C. When it is desired to obtain access to the contents of the box A a coin or
token is inserted into the slit f and this drops on the lever G and turns it on its
centre. After the coin or token has left the lever G the said lever returns to its normal
position. The coin or token then falls onto the lever E and causes that also to turn
on its centre so as to move the catch e from its engagement with the end of the
lever C which is then attracted by the permanent magnet D and the catch ³ 18
removed from its engagement with the catch a' and the lid a of the box A can be
opened and its contents removed. The coins or tokens fall into a space at a closed by
a door H. The doors B and H are furnished with locks so that access to the
mechanism for resetting the device or to the box in which the coins or tokens are
received cannot be had except by the possessors of the keys. The levers G and E
may of course be so counterweighted that they return to their normal position after
the coin or token has passed them.
In order to prevent the box being opened by a wire or the like inserted in the
slit I may use a lever I with two horns and. When the lever G moves down
to deliver the coin or token on to the lever E the horn i is acted upon to turn the
lower end of the lever I over the lever E and so the lever I prevents the lever E
from moving until the lever G has returned to its normal position when it acts on
the horn and moves the end of the lever I from off the lever E.
In case it may be requisite to prevent the box from being opened by a smaller
coin or token than that proper for payment for access to the box A I make the
lever G with a recess y at its end (see Figure 4) with which engages the catch y³
and I place it in an inclined position. When too small or light a coin is inserted in
the shit fit runs down the inclined plane formed by the lever G and catch y³ and
thence into a box without releasing the lid a. When a coin or token of the proper
value is pressed into the slit f in the box the lever G is depressed and released from
the catchy and overbalances and the coin or token falls on to and operates the
lever E and then by moving that the coin falls into the box beneath and the box lid
18 released as herein before described.

page_text: Figure 5 shows an arrangement wherein the lever G is made with a cup at top
and is set or centerbalanced so that when the coin is inserted it tips up as shewn
in dotted lines and delivers the coin on to the lever E and so releases the lid fastening.
In place of permanent magnet D I may use a weight or spring exerting a
corresponding pull on the lever t.
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 :-
1. In a box or receptacle (for giving access thereto on proper payment being
made) the combination of a lid or closure with a catch and of a lever Cheld by a
catch on a lever E (so that on the introduction of the proper coin or token the lever C
is released) and of a permanent magnet or a weight or spring for moving the lever C
and releasing the fastening of the box substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the apparatus sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the
accompanying drawings. Also the modifications hereinbefore described and illustrated
in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1889.
ADD TH
ES SPR
TTHAT TO