Year: 1888

page_text: A communication from JULIUS MEHLHARDT, Bookseller, and ANTON BRAUNE,
Gentleman, of Dresden, in the Empire of Germany.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
M.I.M.E. 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 the present invention is the erection of circulating libraries in much
frequented places such as railway stations or the like, from which a book will be
delivered automatically after introducing a predetermined coin and the book to be
exchanged.
Each single book is contained in a separate apparatus several of which are erected
at the same station so as to offer a larger selection and the title of the book can be
seen through a glass covered opening in the apparatus. In the apparatus containing
the book it is desired to obtain a coin of the predetermined value is introduced through
a slot and also the book it is desired to exchange, when the book contained in the
apparatus can be taken from a drawer of the apparatus.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the apparatus at the moment when the coin
and the book to be exchanged have just been introduced the door being removed to
show the interior.
Fig. 2 is the same at the moment when the book introduced has reached the
bottom and the book previously in this position is laying on the drawer ready to be
delivered.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the interior the front plate being removed.
Fig. 4 represents the top plate with the money slot and the opening for the
introduction of the book to be exchanged.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the interior the top plate being removed.

page_text: Fig. 6 is a diagram of the manner in which a series of these apparatuses may be
grouped so that the titles may be inspected all round.
The interior width of the apparatus is adequate to the width of the books B its
height is about three times that of the books and the depth is according to the inner
mechanism. The apparatus is provided with a door T on one of its sides and with a
small glass window G in front, and in the top are formed the slot e for the introduction
of the coin and the opening E for the insertion of the book to be exchanged.
It is advisable to erect a series of these apparatuses at each station, preferably in
the manner represented in Fig. 6 so as to offer to the public as large à selection as
possible.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows: first a coin of the predetermined size
and value is introduced in the slot e. This coin falls orto a shoot R passes over the
opening Land drops down the flat tube R' onto the pivotted lever D¹ the opening A
being still closed by the lever H. Smaller coins fall through the opening L into the
receptacle F and therefore do not operate the apparatus.
The weight of the coin M depresses one end of the lever D¹ while the other end
liberates the book B seo figure 1. When the book to be changed B' is introduced
into the apparatus through the opening E it will in falling depress one end of the
pivotted lever D² the other end of which will rise, to this other end the cords or
chains are attached. The cord or chain k passes over the guide pulleys 71 73 to
the pivotted lever D³ and actuates this lever in such a manner that its end which
previously was bearing against the book B is raised thus also liberating this book.
The second chain k' is attached to the lever H' which until now covered the opening A
and prevented the coin from falling into the receptacle C. Thus the book B³ is
liberated simultaneously with the opening of A. In the arrangement Fig. 6 one
common receptacle C serves for the whole of the several apparatuses. When the coin
rolls off the fever D¹ this will return to its original or normal position and would
again bear against the book B' if this had not meanwhile been forced to fall flat onto
the drawer S.
The book B is thrown down in the following manner simultaneously with the
raising of lever D³, the book B' introduced into the apparatus will depress the angle
lever to which is connected with the lever by the cord z thus raising the
pivotted lever which will throw the book B2 over onto the drawer S.
book B Fig. 2 will then stand on the fallen one B' and the levers D¹ D³ resume their
normal position.
The
The book B can now be obtained by pulling out the drawer S which when released
will return to its original position under the influence of the weight P which is
attached to the drawer S by means of a cord or chain passing over the pulley r. Το
prevent the book B' from shifting the position of the book B during the pulling out
of the drawer S the end of the levor will bear against the book B' and hold it in
position. The nose i of the pivotted lever J bears against the drawer S when closed
but when the latter is withdrawn the nose i is released and the lever 1 will fall down
thus releasing the lever H' against the nose of which the lever I previously engaged
for the purpose of holding the lever H2 up. The lever H³ will now fall down and
bear against the book B' see dotted lines Fig. 2.
The pivots of the four levers D¹ D' D and H' are respectively d¹ d² d³ and h³.
The book introduced is guided during its fall and prevented from opening by the
guide bars U and Q Q. The curved bars N guide the book B' during its fall onto
the drawer S.
The whole of the mechanism is mounted in the interior of the apparatus to the
door T only the guide bars Q Q the curved bar L and the receptacle F are attached so
that the apparatus may also be operated when the door is open.
All books belonging to these apparatus must be of the same dimensions and have
uniform covers with strongly projecting edges in front and are preferably bound
with metal rims.
The title of the book is placed on the cover in such a manner that it will be visible
through the glass covered opening G when the book stands in the apparatus.

page_text: Any one desirous of using these circulating libraries must first obtain a book
belonging to these apparatus and a check from some authorised person for instance
the hall porter of the hotel or railway station, on payment of a deposit representing
the value of the book. This book may now be changed as often as desired by
introducing the necessary coin and the book into the apparatus as described and
on returning a book and the check to the authorised person the deposit originally
paid will be returned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is —
An apparatus for the automatic changing of a book by the introduction of said book
and a predetermined coin into said apparatus comprising :-
1. The pivotted double armed lever D₁ which is turned by the weight of the
coin introduced in such a manner that it releases the book B2 it is desired
to obtain.
2. The pivotted double armed levers & connected by a cord or chain k the lever D'
being turned by the weight of the book B¹ introduced and freeing the book B³ from
the lever D (Fig. 1).
3. The levers w and a connected by the cord or chain z which force the book B' to
fall flat onto the drawer S so that it may be withdrawn with this.
4. The lever H2 pivotted in 2 which when released by the lever I and when the
book B2 has fallen down and book B¹ stands in its place holds the latter in position
when book B is withdrawn with the drawer S the whole constructed and operating
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
D
OIL 1
LM 1000
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.