Improvements in Coin-freed Telescopes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Telescopes.
I, MAX SIELAFF, of 39, Zionskirch, Strasse, Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Manufacturer 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 :-
apparatus
My invention relates to coin-freed telescopes of the kind having bellows that
push air to a flap-valve or a slide arranged within the telescope, thus withdrawing
the flap or slide and permitting the person that dropped the coin into the
to look through the telescope; and my invention consists in several novel devices
the object of which is to secure a precise working of the bellows and to prevent
fraud.
My invention therefore consists, firstly, of a suction-valve connected with the
bellows by a tube, and of means for shutting or opening the said suction-valve not
by the air-pressure but by means of a rod rigidly attached to the bellows in such
a manner, that the valve will accurately work according to the motion of the
bellows.
My invention consists, secondly, of suitable means for preventing the bellows
being filled with air more than once without dropping a second coin into the
apparatus.
My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus provided with the said means for
preventing fraud but not with the said suction-valve of novel construction.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a part of the apparatus on a larger scale and it
chiefly shows the bellows, the suction-valve of which is constructed according to
this my invention.
Figs. 3, 4, 5 & 6 are front elevations of the mechanism serving for preventing
fraud, the parts of the mechanism having different positions in the different
figures.
Fig. 7 shows a vertical section of Fig. 3.
Similar letters denote similar parts throughout the several views.
a is the telescope provided with a flap or slide b. The latter communicates by
means of the tube k with the interior of the bellows d, the latter having cylindric
shape. To the upper plate of the bellows d is rigidly attached the rod e which is
connected with the cord by means of mechanisms forming part of this invention
and being further described hereinafter. This connection, however, only takes
place when a coin has been dropped into the slot g. Cord has a ring h fixed to
its upper end. By pulling ring towards the bottom or in horizontal direction,
On
rode is raised and air enters the bellows d through the suction-valve i.
releasing ring h, the moveable part of the bellows d descends by its own weight and
by that of the mechanism fixed to rod e. The valve is thus closed and the air is
compelled to flow through tube k to the flap or slide b. The latter in consequence
is opened or withdrawn in such a manner, that the person that dropped the coin
into the apparatus may look through the telescope. The flap or slide b remains
open or withdrawn as long as an air-pressure exists within the tube k.
The construction of the flap or slide b, and the mechanism for opening and
shutting the same by means of the compressed air are not novel and need not be
explained.

page_text: In the construction, illustrated by Fig. 2, I dispense with the suction-valve i in
the bottom of the bellows. m is a tube leading from the bottom of the bellows to a
hollow conical piece n adapted to be shut by a lever o. The latter is hinged at p
and is provided on its under side with a disc of some elastic material, and on its
upper side, with a piece of some heavy material, the disc q serving for closely
shutting the mouth of piece n, and the weight for strongly pressing the said disc
against n.
ss is a bent lever pivotally arranged on pin t.
Arms of this lever works
against the under side of lever o, and it will be seen, that the mouth of part n is
open when arms is in the position shown by full lines; that, however, n is kept
closed when s has the position shown by dotted lines.
The rod e rigidly attached to the top of bellows d is provided with two pins u u¹
having the object of turning arms when rod e is moved upwards and downwards.
The operation of the mechanism above described is as follows:
On pulling ring to the bottom, or in a direction more or less horizontal, cord f
will draw rod e upwards, it being supposed that a coin was dropped into the
apparatus for establishing a connection in the mechanism between cord and rod e.
Whilst rod e is moving upwards, and the bellows expand the mouth of piece n
remains open as arm s¹ of levers, keeps lever o some distance apart from the
mouth of n. In consequence, air is allowed to enter the bellows through tube m.
As soon as rode has finished its up-stroke, pin u will strike against the arms, thus
causing arms to swing downwards (position shown by dotted lines). The disc q
now shuts the mouth of piece n and is kept in this position by the weight r, this
weight being heavy enough for overcoming the pressure of the air within the bellows
when the latter is compressed again.
During the whole down-stroke of rod e the mouth of piece n is closed, and no air
can leave the bellows through tube m. The compressed air, therefore, is forced to
take its way through the narrow tube k and thus to open the flap or slide 6 within
the telescope. The down-stroke of rod e being finished, pin u¹ presses the arms
downwards, arm s¹ and lever o swing upwards and the mouth of piece n is again
opened, thus allowing air to enter the bellows when the latter expand again.
The air contained within the expanded bellows, and kept therein under a certain
degree of tension or pressure by the weight of the mechanism acting on rod e,
is allowed to escape slowly by means of a pipe Z entering the bellows from below
like pipe k. Said pipe Z has on its top a valve, the orifice of which may be
widened or narrowed by aid of a hand, arranged over a scale, so that the time in
which the bellows shall collapse, may be altered as well as predetermined.
It will be seen that by this arrangement an exact working of the bellows is
obtained.
Figs. 3-7 represent the mechanism arranged between cord f and rode (Fig. 1).
The object of this mechanism is to prevent the person that dropped the coin into
the apparatus from looking through the telescope for a longer time than normally
permitted.
vis the frame standing on a plate W (Fig. 1) above the bellows d. xX' are
two slides adapted to be moved vertically within said frame r, slide a being
connected with cord and slide X' with rod e. These connections are established
by means of the rods y and ¹ (Fig. 1) respectively, the former being hinged at
the top of slide a and the latter being rigidly attached to slide X'.
When drawing rod y upwards by means of cord f and ring h, slide a will rise
alone, without taking slide X' with it. But as soon as a coin B (Figs. 3 & 7) has
fallen from the slot 9 (Fig. 1) into the slots A A' of the slides a X, the latter are
connected with each other, and now slide X' will rise together with slide x, the
former thus causing the bellows to expand.
Slide X¹ is provided with a lever C pivotied at D, and having a pivotted pawl E,
which catches between the teeth of a rack F arranged at a side of frame v. A
weight G tends to maintain the contact between the parts E and F.
Lever C has a projecting arm H with a bent end I. In the position shown by

page_text: Figs. 3, 5 & 6, the bent end I narrows the oblique slot A¹ in such a manner, that the
coin B cannot pass the same, but is retained therein.
K is a small slide attached to the top of the main slide X¹, and provided with a
stop L and a tooth M. Tooth M strikes against the stops N and H' when slide X'
has nearly reached its highest or its lowest position. By the action of the said
stops upon tooth M, the small slide K together with its stop L approaches the top
of slide X' or removes therefrom, according to the direction of the respective
movement. Hence, stop L at one time keeps head O of lever C in such a position,
that the bent end I of arm H lies over the guide-piece S for the coin, thus stopping
the path of the latter, and at other times allows the lever C to swing sidewards
and thus to free the coin retained in the slot A' (Fig. 4).
Slide slides behind slide X', as shewn in Figs 3 to 6. In the top of this
slide is provided a slot P, a pin Q, fixed to a connecting-piece R, being adapted
to slide within said slot P. The object of pin Q (Fig. 6) is like that of stop L,
viz. to prevent lever C from swinging sidewards.
If somebody with a fraudulent intention, pulls ring h, without having dropped a
coin into the apparatus, slide a will rise, but slide X₁ will remain in its normal
position (Fig. 5), as no connection has been established between a and X. In
consequence thereof, the bellows d is not expanded and no air can be pressed to the
flap or valve b, when ring is released. The flap or slide thus remains closed.
In the same way, slide X' is not raised, if a coin of too small a diameter is used
for establishing the connection, as such coin will pass the slots A A' without being
retained.
If, however, a normal coin has entered the slots A A¹ (Figs. 6 & 7), and a pull
is exerted on ring h, the slides x X' now rise together and the bellows d'are
expanded.
When the slides have nearly reached their highest position, tooth M strikes
against stop N¹, so that stop L does not move any farther, whilst slide X¹,
together with lever C, continues to rise (Fig. 6). Nevertheless, the lever C cannot
swing sidewards, pin Q still keeping the end O of lever C in its former position.
But on releasing ring h, the rod y and the piece R will immediately fall, and pin Q
will slide downwards within slot P. As the slides a X¹ sink slowly in the same
measure as the bellows d are compressed, pawl E will strike against the highest of
the teeth F, and lever C together with arm H and the bent end I is pressed side-
wards, thus delivering the coin retained in the slots A A¹.
The coin falls into a box not represented in the figures.
As soon as coin B has left the slots A A', the connection between the slides x X'
is interrupted; the slide X¹ descends according to the compression of the bellows,
pawl E having such an inclined position now, that it cannot come in contact with
the teeth F.
When pawl E has passed the lowest of the teeth F, the tooth M is retained by
stop N, and the projection L presses the end O of lever C back, so that the latter
regains its vertical position. The bent end I of arm H covers the slot A¹ again
partially, and prevents a second coin from falling through the slots.
The operation above described is the normal one. But now I shall suppose, that
somebody tries, by various manipulations, to look through the telescope for a longer
time than permitted.
Perhaps some person may try to obtain the said purpose by raising the slides. X'
not to their highest position, thinking, that he could do so several times without
causing the coin to leave the slots A A¹. The pawl E falling into the teeth F,
will, however, stop the slides x X' as soon as the ring his released, and thus the
slides are prevented from descending, and, in consequence, from compressing the
bellows.
Another manipulation that might be tried with the same fraudulent intention
consists in raising the slides x X fully to the top as usual, and then allowing the
ring h to fall so slowly, that the slide x is kept raised relatively to the slide X',
the velocity of descent being only just sufficient to allow the bellows to perform

page_text: their function. The coin would thus remain gripped between the slides, so that
not only would the normal time for the descent of the bellows be prolonged but the
person would be enabled to raise and let the slides fall several times without having
dropped more than one coin into the apparatus.
This manipulation is prevented, however, by pin Q (Figs. 4-6), which, when
holding the slide a up (not resting on the latter, as usual) has its position in the
upper part of slot P, and keeps, therefore, lever C of slide X by means of head O
in a vertical position (Fig. 6). Slide X¹ is, therefore, hindered from descending,
as pawl E of lever C is retained by rack F of the frame. The slide a, however,
can slide downwards, independent of slide X', a short distance further, and the
coin, which previous thereto, has been held by friction as well as by arm H, is held
now only by the latter. If the person continues slowly to release the ring h, the
pin Qwill get below head O, and will, thus, free the lever C, so that the bent
end I may move to the left, and may, thus, free the coin, which now falls into the
cash box as usual. The slides X' descend now completely and compress the
bellows and the latter can be expanded again only if another coin has been dropped
into slot g (Fig. 1).
It may, finally be remarked, that a vertical groove T (Fig. 6) is provided on the
rear-side of head O of lever C, for the purpose of letting the projecting part of
pin Qrise above said head O, without moving lever C; this will be necessary every
time when a fraud of the kind described in the last two paragraphs is tried, and
when the respective person will draw the two slides upwards again before the
bellows are completely compressed by them. If namely, the slide X' is held by
slide, and if the two slides begin slowly to move downwards, the slide X¹, is soon
hindered from a further downward movement, as pawl E of lever C is held back
by rack F. Slide, therefore, moves a short distance alone, so that now the pin Q
falls below head O of lever C, the latter being allowed thereby to turn as much as
necessary for bringing pawl E out of contact with rack F. By this movement of
lever C, the coin held between the slides up to that moment, and having effected the
coupling of them, is released, and slide X then glides down independent of slide x,
so that the slow movement of the latter does not hinder the slide X' from acting
on the bellows in the proper way. The bellows can be expanded again only by
introducing a fresh coin into the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. In coin-freed telescopes : a suction-valve consisting of a mouth-piece n
connected with the bellows d, and of lever o, for shutting and opening the mouth-
piece n, a bent levers s¹, the arm s' of which serves for moving the lever o, and
pins u u¹ fastened to a rod e rigidly attached to the top of the bellows and serving
for actuating the arms of levers s', all substantially as described and for the
purpose set forth.
2. In coin-freed telescopes, a suction-valve consisting of a mouth-piece n con-
nected with the bellows d by a tube m, and of a lever o having an elastic disc g on its
under side and a weight r on its upper side, the said disc g serving for shutting and
opening the mouth-piece n, a bent lever s s³, the arms of which serves for moving
the lever o, and pins u u' fastened to a rod e, rigidly attached to the top of the
bellows, the said pins uu¹ serving for actuating the arms of lever's s¹, all
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
3. In coin-freed telescopes, the slides x X' having slots A A¹ respectively, a
lever C pivotted at D and having a bent arm HI for partially covering the
slot A, and having a pivotted pawl E, and teeth Farranged along a frame v, all
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
4. In coin-freed telescopes, the slides x X having slots A A¹ respectively, a
lever C pivotted at D and having a bent arm H1 for partially covering the
slot A', and having a pivotted pawl E, teeth Farranged along a frame v,

page_text: stops N N¹ fastened to the frame v, and a small slide K attached to the slide X',
and having a tooth M and a tooth L, all substantially as described and for the
purpose set forth.
5. In coin-freed telescopes, the slides X' having slots A A' respectively, a
lever C pivotted at D and having a bent arm H I for partially covering the
slot A, and having a pivotted pawl E, teeth F arranged along a frame v,
stops N N¹ fastened to the frame v, a small slide K attached to the slide X' and
having a tooth M and a tooth L, a pin Q fastened to a piece R, and a slot P provided
near the top of the slide x, all substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.
Dated this 15th day of June 1803
By Robert Deissler,
38, Alexander Strasse, Berlin, C., Germany, Agent for the Applicant.