Improvements in Coin-freed Lock Mechanism.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Lock Mechanism.
We, EDWARD SAMUEL FORD, Engineer, of 1, Wellington Avenue, Town
Road, and JAMES CHIDLEY, Sanitary Engineer, of Avenue House, Hertford
Main Road, both of Lower Edmonton, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
Our invention relates to locking mechanism for "penny in the slot" machines
which is freed by the insertion of a coin or coins and the goods delivery device
then released and capable of being withdrawn.
Our object is to provide simple and reliable means adapted for use with one or
two or as many coins as required inserted together, without liability of blocking
or failure of action.
We will describe our improvements in reference to the accompanying drawing,
in which Fig. 1 is a plan of the mechanism, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section thereof,
Fig. 3 shows a part of Fig. 2 in a changed position, and Fig. 4 is a transverse
section on the line A-B, Fig. 1, showing coin supports and guides.
In our arrangement as in many others we employ a vertical goods container A
fixed upon a bed-plate B and having a reciprocating slider C recessed at " to
receive the lowermost article a in the container A. We also use a fixed money
shoot D of suitable kind and form leading from the usual external slot to a second
movable shoot hereinafter described and serving to direct the coin or coins to
proper position in our new mechanism. The slider C is fitted to reciprocate in the
usual guides in the bed-plate B, and is normally locked by a pair of drop
pawls P, P pivotted to standards b, b in the bed-plate B, the ends of which will
engage when the slider is pulled out the lowest of the steps c on the stops c¹ c'fixed
to the rear end of the slider C; this therefore can only be withdrawn after the
two pawls P, P have been lifted clear.
Practically all the above described parts are in themselves old, and to them
separately we lay no claim.
From the point above reached our invention commences and is as follows.
To the rear end of the bed-plate B is hinged a somewhat upwardly curved
lever L with a broad flat T-head underlying the two pawls P P and having a
money-receiving slot S of such dimensious as to admit one or the desired number
of predetermined coins. Over this slot is fixed the lower part of the coin shoot D'
which is hopper shaped as shown and moves with the hinged lever L. On the
underside of said lever at its free end is a cam F with notch f. The slider C is
cut away about its middle part O so as to form two faces square in plan,
Fig. 1, but bevelled off in elevation at c, Figs. 2 and 3. With each of these
bevels engage the upwardly rising free ends 9 g of a curved bifurcated spring G
fixed to the bed-plate B at gl. In slider coincident with the slot S in the lever
head are cut recesses R R to receive the sides of the coin X which is supported
as in Figs. 2 and 4 by two shelves on the bed-plate B. The coin or coins X
being of predetermined thickness is or are thus compelled to stand upright in the
slot S and recesses R R supported by the shelves rras in Figs. 2 and 4; any
thinner article such as a tin disc or washer or other spurious article would lie over
at an angle or be bent in operation and operatively useless.

page_text: The proper number of coins being thus located, on commencing to pull out the
slider C, first the top of the coin Xengages the lever cam and raises lever L
whose head gradually lifts the pawls P P out of the line of travel of the stepped
stops as in Fig. 3; continued withdrawal causes the coin to pass over cam F
and be received and held by the notch f, thereby preventing return of slider. By
further outward motion the coin or coins is or are carried along the shelves rr,
Fig. 2, for a suitable distance when it or they fall to a subjacent receiver. The
slider is now fully open, and the article lying in its recess c" may be removed.
When it has been returned for a certain distance the pawls P P commence and
continue to engage the various steps c of the stop c¹ and so prevent the slider
being again withdrawn, the two ends g g of the bifurcated spring G then passing
over the bevelled edges c³ of the slider aperture O force it home and hold it in the
correct position for receiving the next coin or coins, and all parts are returned to
initial locked positions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this iuven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In an arrangement of coin-freed locking mechanism such as is above referred
to, the use of the binged slotted lever L with coin-directing shoot D' and
cam F, f, in combination with the slider C constructed as specified with
recesses RR for holding the coin supported on the fixed shelves rr, and the
return spring G, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as above
described and illustrated in the drawings.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts above defined together forming
our improved coin-freed locking mechanism substantially as described and
illustrated.