Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for Automatically Delivering Predetermined Quantities of Liquid.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 31st Dec., 1892-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for Automatically Delivering
Predetermined Quantities of Liquid.
A communication from F. PASSADORO, of Via Ponte Reale, 2-32, Genoa, in the
Kingdom of Italy.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
In carrying this invention into practice there is provided a suitable train of
wheels preferably operated by means of a weight attached to a cord wound upon a
drum and having a flier or equivalent device for preventing the too quick action of
such gear. One of the wheels of the train is provided with one or more projections
recesses or equivalent with which engages one end of the lever upon whose opposite
end the coin when first introduced into the apparatus falls. Upon the spindle of
this same wheel is provided a cam-disc which is adapted to depress the end of a
lever which acts on the preferably spring-controlled spindle of a valve which
regulates the delivery of the liquid, the cam disc being provided with preferably
two notches or recesses by means of which when the lever actuated by the cam-
disc engages with these notches the delivery of liquid is stopped.
The coin-operated lever is raised to its normal position after a coin has dropped
from it by means of a spring which may be adjusted by a screw and nut or equivalent.
The spindle of the weighted drum has fitted on it a pitch wheel which by means of
a chain operates a device into which the coins successively fall so that say five or
six of the coins last inserted in the apparatus will always be in view.
By forming the recesses or notches of the wheel with which the coin-operated
lever engages, with steps the apparatus may be constructed for operation or release
by the insertion of two or more coins.
The before described apparatus may be modified without departing from the
spirit of the invention.
Dated this 21st day of September 1892.
ALFRED J. BOULT,
Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for Automatically Delivering
Predetermined Quantities of Liquid.
A communication from F. PASSADORO, of Via Ponte Reale, 2-32, Genoa, in the
Kingdom of Italy.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I. Mech. E., and Chartered Patent 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 :-
In carrying this invention into practice there is provided a suitable train of
wheels preferably operated by means of a weight attached to a cord wound upon a
drum and having a flier or equivalent device for preventing the too quick action of
such gear. One of the wheels of the train is provided with one or more projections
recesses or equivalent with which engages one end of the lever upon whose opposite
end the coin when first introduced into the apparatus falls. Upon the spindle of
this same wheel is provided a cam-disc which is adapted to depress the end of a

page_text: lever which acts on the preferably spring-controlled spindle of a valve which
regulates the delivery of the liquid, the cam disc being provided with preferably
two notches or recesses by means of which when the lever actuated by the cam-
disc
engages with these notches the delivery of liquid is stopped.
The coin-operated lever is raised to its normal position after a coin has dropped
from it by means of a spring which may be adjusted by a screw and nut or
equivalent. The spindle of the weighted drum has fitted on it a pitch wheel which
by means of a chain operates a device into which the coins successively fall so that
say five or six of the coins last inserted in the apparatus will always be in view.
By forming the recesses or notches of the wheel with which the coin-operated
lever engages, with steps the apparatus may be constructed for operation or release
by the insertion of two or more coins.
The before described apparatus may be modified without departing from the
spirit of the invention.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a view of a portion of a machine constructed according to this invention,
shown partly in front elevation and partly with the front plate broken away so as to
represent the operative mechanism in front elevation.
Fig. 2 is a view of the mechanism shown partly in side elevation and partly in
section.
Fig. 3 is a view looking from the back of the machine and shown partly in
elevation and partly in vertical section.
Fig. 4 is a view of the upper part of a machine constructed according to this
invention shown partly in side elevation and partly in section.
Fig. 5 is a view showing the means adopted for enabling the machine to be
operated by two coins successively introduced into the machine.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A represents a portion of the front plate of the machine through a slot A¹ in
which the coin for releasing the mechanism is inserted and to the back of which
plate is secured the mechanism by which the liquid is allowed to be delivered
through the nozzle B. This mechanism is mounted between or on two plates C and
is driven by a spindle D the back end of which is preferably squared so that it may
be rotated by means of a key when it is necessary to wind up the weight E Fig. 4.
On the spindle D is loosely mounted a weight drum F and rigidly mounted a gear
wheel G, ratchet wheel H and chain or pitch wheel I, the ratchet wheel being if
desired enclosed within the drum. The drum F may have pivotted to it a spring
controlled pawl F engaging with the ratchet wheel H so that when the ratchet
wheel is turned through the shaft D in the direction of the arrow a, Fig. 3, the
drum F will rotate with it and a cord, chain, or equivalent J will be wound upon
the drum. The toothed wheel G gears with a wheel K which through a suitable
train of gear wheels K' K' actuates the flier L to retard to a sufficient extent the
rotation of the mechanism after it has been released by the insertion of a coin into
the machine. The gear wheel K is provided with two pins, projections or
equivalent K diametrically opposite to each other. On the back end of the
spindle K of wheels K K is rigidly secured a cam M having two operative
surfaces M' and two recesses M² the operative surfaces being adapted to depress
the free end of the lever N (pivotted at N¹) so as to force down and open the
valve O by means of its spring controlled spindle O' while the recesses M² are
adapted to receive the end of the lever N when the machine is not in operation.
The valve O is contained within a casing O the outlet O³ from which is
connected by a suitable pipe 01' with the before-mentioned nozzle B as shown
clearly in Figs. 2 and 4. The inlet to the valve casing O2 may be connected by a
pipe O directly with the reservoir R, but in machines from which it is desired to
deliver liquids in a cold or iced condition the pipe O is preferably formed in a coil
or equivalent and this coil is located in a trough or vessel S as shown in Fig. 4, in
which ice or other cooling medium may be stored; the pipe 0 is moreover
preferably provided with a cock O" having a graduated scale and pointer O' by

page_text: which it may be adjusted to admit of the passage of any predetermined quantity of
liquid during the time when the valve O is open.
P is a lever (pivotted at P7) at one end provided with a spoon-shaped or
equivalent plate P which projects through a slot or opening Qi into the coin
shoot Q leading from the coin slot A' to the coin exhibitor hereinafter described.
The plate P and adjacent part of lever P are capable of swinging freely within
the coin shoot Q and the lever P at its opposite end is provided with a hook or
downward extension P2 capable of engaging with the before described pins or
projections K on wheel K. The lever P is provided with an upwardly extending
arm P³ to which is attached one end of a spring P4 the opposite end of which is
connected to a screw P³ capable of adjustment in a fixed bracket A² by means of a
nut P so that the tension of the spring P may be increased or decreased according to
the weight of the coin or token by which the apparatus is designed to be released.
The before mentioned chain or pitch wheel I gears with an endless pitch chain I¹
which at its lower part engages with a pitch wheel I secured on shaft 18 of the
coin exhibitor. The shaft Is is mounted in a frame I' secured to the back of the
front plate A by two bolts or studs and nuts I³ the frame I, before the last mentioned
nuts are screwed tightly against it, being adjusted as to its distance from the back
of the front plate A by set screws I which may be screwed more or less through
the frame I The frame I is formed with an opening in which the chain wheel I*
is located the metal of the frame 1' on either side of the chain wheel providing the
necessary bearings for the shaft 1³. On the front part of shaft I³ is secured the
disc T provided with a number of pockets T¹ each of which is adapted to receive
one of the coins as it falls down the shoot Q after leaving the plate P₁ of lever P
which at the coin-shoot end descends under the weight of the coin, and after the
mechanism has been released by the introduction of such coin; the coin falls off
the plate P' of lever P when under the weight of the coin said plate has descended
sufficiently to clear the passage through the shoot Q. The disc T is contained
within a casing T2 and is located at the back of an opening in the front of the
apparatus in which opening is fitted a sheet of glass Te through which the disc T
and the coins contained in the pockets T¹ thereof are at all times visible. The
upper opening or inlet T's of the casing T2 is connected to the lower end of the coin
shoot and the lower opening or outlet T4 is connected by a shoot T' with the
receptacle in which the coins are collected.
U is a shelf or bracket upon which a glass or equivalent may be placed for
receiving the liquid delivered through the nozzle B.
The weight cord J may be guided over one or more suitable pulleys J'according
to the most convenient position in which to have the weight E.
When it is desired to operate the before described apparatus a coin or token is
inserted through the slot A so that it falls on to the plate Pl and causes the shorter
arm of the lever P to ascend and liberate the projection P³ from the pin K³. The
weight J which before was prevented from descending only by engagement of the
pin K with the projection P2 is now free to descend and in so doing rotates
the train of wheels G K K and K and flier L. The speed at which these wheels
are allowed to rotate is determined by the flier L in the well known manner and
this speed of rotation also determines the length of time the valve O shall remain
open for the passage of liquid from the reservoir R through the nozzle B.
Immediately therefore upon the release of the projection P2 from the pin K the
weight E and cord or equivalent J cause the wheel G to rotate in the direction
indicated by the arrow g Fig. 1 which also causes the wheel K to rotate in the
direction indicated by the arrow k. This operation rotates the shaft K³ and
wheel K and also the cam M in the direction of the arrow m indicated in Fig. 3
the free end of the lever N being thereby depressed by one of the operative
surfaces M' which during the rotation of the cam M is presented to it and the
valve thereby opened with the result that the liquid descends by gravity from
the reservoir R passes through valve O and is delivered through the nozzle B into
the glass or equivalent placed below B to receive the liquid.

page_text: As soon as the wheel K shaft K³ wheel K' and cam M have completed half of a
revolution the operative mechanism is returned to its normal position by the free
end of the lever N being pressed upwards by the spring controlled plunger O'
into the recess M³ then presented to it, and by the engagement of the appropriate
pin or equivalent K2 with the projection P2 of lever P which projection, as soon as
the coin has fallen from the plate P¹, is drawn back by the spring P* into the
position in which it is shown in Fig. 1, so as to be ready when next one of the pins
or equivalent K2 is presented to it to arrest its further rotation. The lever P is
prevented from turning too far under the influence of spring P, by the end Pl
coming into engagement with the end of the slot Qin shoot Q in which slot the
lever end moves; or the travel of the lever P may be limited by any other
suitable stop or stops.
When the coin falls from the plate P' of lever P it passes down the shoot Q
into the uppermost pocket T' then presented below the end of Q and the chain
wheel I then being rotated by the descending weight E the dise T is rotated in
the direction indicated by the arrow t Fig. 1, so that the said coin is moved from
below the end of the shoot Q one step onwards towards the shoot T* whilst the
coin occupying the pocket brought by the same movement over the shoot T' falls
through the said shoot into the receptacle in which the coins are to be collected,
this operation of the coin exhibitor being clearly visible from the front of the machine
through the sheet of glass T*.
In this coin exhibitor a number of the coins last introduced into the apparatus
will always be in view so that should any mistake occur say, by a person
inadvertently inserting a coin of a different value from that intended for
releasing the machine, if reported in time, steps may be taken for rectifying
such mistake.
Instead of the wheel K₁ being provided with pins such as K' each adapted for
effecting the release of the apparatus by the insertion of one coin other means
may be provided whereby the apparatus may be released by the insertion of two
or more coins and not until such number have been introduced. For this purpose
there may be provided a disc K* formed in one with the wheel K' or otherwise
secured to the spindle K³ and having two stepped recesses K³ each formed with a
number of steps or engaging surfaces corresponding to the number of coins by
which it is intended the apparatus shall be released. In Fig. 5 each recess K
is formed with two engaging surfaces K K' so that the apparatus may be released
by the introduction of two coins. When the first coin is received on the lever P
the shorter arm thereof is raised to a sufficient extent to release P' from K° to
allow the disc K' under the influence of the descending weight E to rotate in the
direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5 but only to a very slight extent because
the further rotation of the disc K will be prevented by the second engaging
surface K' of recess K³ abutting against the projection P of lever P. By the
insertion of the second coin however the projection P2 is raised out of engagement
with the second surface K' so that the disc K' is allowed to rotate until the second
recess K³ is presented to the projection P² which thereupon engages with the
surface K of said recess and prevents the further rotation of the disc K until
the coins necessary for the operation of the apparatus are next inserted.
With this last described apparatus it will be necessary to provide means (not
shown in the drawings) for preventing the shorter end of lever P being raised by
the introduction of the first coin higher than what is necessary to allow the
engaging surface K to be free of the projection P2 and not so high as would
allow the surface K' to move past P2 by the introduction of this first coin. This
may be effected by providing an arm on the shorter end of lever P and a movable
weight against which the arm is adapted to come when the lever P is operated by
the first coin the weight or impact of which coin however is insufficient to raise
this movable weight, so that the projection P2 moves only sufficiently to release the
engaging surface K. The introduction of the second coin is sufficient to overcome
the movable weight which is raised by the shorter end of lever P which at the same

page_text: time releases the engaging surface K' and leaves the apparatus free to deliver
liquid as before described the coins falling from plate P₁ as soon as said plate
is lowered sufficiently to admit of their passing further down the shoot Q.
The before described apparatus may be modified without departing from the
spirit of this invention for example it may be arranged for delivering hot liquids
instead of cold for which purpose a Bunsen gas-burner or equivalent may be
arranged beneath the reservoir R or in connection with the vessel S or it may be
adapted for delivering mineral waters or other liquids under pressure for which
latter purpose it would be advantageous to provide means on the lever N for
adjusting the extent to which the valve O may be opened, for example the point
at which the lever N is in contact with the cam M may be the end of a screw
adjustable in the lever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is,-
1. Delivering liquid from a reservoir by opening a spring-controlled valve by
means of a power-driven cam released through the medium of a coin substantially
as described.
2. In a coin-freed liquid delivering apparatus the combination with a spring-
controlled valve of a cam such as M substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
3. In a coin-freed liquid delivering apparatus the combination with a spring
controlled valve of a cam such as M M M and lever such as N substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a coin-freed liquid delivering apparatus the combination with a spring-
controlled valve cam such as M and lever N of pins or equivalent such as K² and
spring controlled lever such as P P² substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
5. In a coin-freed liquid delivering apparatus the combination with a spring-
controlled valve such as M lever N and lever such as P P of disc such as K* K*
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In a coin-freed liquid delivering apparatus a coin exhibitor consisting of a disc
such as T having pockets T' adapted to rotate within a casing such as T2 at each
operation of the apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete coin-
freed apparatus for automatically delivering predetermined quantities of liquid
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of December 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Liverpool, Nottingham, and Manchester.