Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Delivering Goods in Exchange for Coin.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 14th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Sept., 1888
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Delivering Goods in
Exchange for Coin.
I, EDWARD POWELL of 44 Broad Street, Newtown, in the County of Montgomery,
Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
=
In such apparatus as at present constructed it is usual either to place the articles to
be delivered loosely in a hopper or else in separate compartments of a tube-like form
carried by an endless band or vertical plate or disc. Both of these methods require
that the articles should all be of approximately the same size and shape and also
sometimes entail damage to the articles by the movement of the parts.
According to this invention I place the articles to be delivered in radial compart-
ments or cells arranged around the circumference of a horizontal disc or ring to which
a step by step motion of rotation is given so as to bring each compartment in turn
opposite to a hole in the casing of the apparatus. The articles to be delivered always
rest on the horizontal disc and are not liable to be damaged by its rotation whether
they fit the compartments or not.
The step by step movement is given to the horizontal disc by a handle on the out-
side of the casing capable of turning about the same vertical axis as the disc. This
handle is not rigidly fixed to the disc but a coin dropped into the apparatus forms a
key connecting the two together: the disc can then be moved one step when the coin
falls away severing the connection so that the disc cannot be moved the next step
until another coin has been inserted.
The mechanism for effecting this is as follows:-the division plates between the
compartments are prolonged to the underside of the horizontal disc and form stops, a
radial spring bolt entering between one pair of them so that normally the disc cannot
be turned. The coin enters the apparatus by a vertical slot above the handle and
remains in a vertical position when inside being carried by a hook on the handle and
being prevented from moving forwards or backwards by the hook and by a circular
guide concentric with the casing. When the handle is now turned the coin comes
against and forces back a curved lever which operates the bolt withdrawing it leaving

page_text: the horizontal disc free to be turned. As the handle continues to be turned the coin
comes against the next stop and the movement of the handle now causes the horizontal
disc to revolve the coin forming a key connecting the two. The coin shortly after
this clears the lever actuating the bolt and the latter being forced outwards by its
spring enters the next space between the stops and thereby prevents the disc from
being turned more than one step. When the handle has been turned so that the
mouth of the compartment is opposite to the opening the coin comes to the end of
the circular guide and being no longer supported by it drops out of the hook on the
handle and falls into a receptacle. The handle is now turned back to its original
position.
If a coin of too small a size is put into the apparatus it drops not being retained
as above described.
The apparatus can also be arranged so that the horizontal disc can only be turned
by the handle when two or other fixed number of coins are inserted. In this case
the circular guide is cut away opposite the coin slot.
All the coins introduced except
the last one run down past the circular guide being supported in an inclined guide
closed at the end, the last but one supporting the last and preventing it from passing
the circular guide.
When the handle is turned the end of the inclined guide is opened and all the
coins except the last drop out the latter being now supported by the circular
guide. For the rest of the movement of the handle the apparatus works as before
described.
It is evident that the apparatus may be made in the form of a column having a
number of horizontal plates with receptacles.
Datod this 15th day of Octobon 1007

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Delivering Goods in
Exchange for Coin.
I, EDWARD POWELL, of 44 Broad Street, Newtown, in the County of Montgomery
Solicitor, 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 such apparatus as at present constructed it is usual either to place the articles to
be delivered loosely in a hopper or else in separate compartments of a tube-like form
carried by an endless band or vertical plate or disc. Both of these methods require
that the articles should all be of approximately the same size and shape and also
sometimes entail damage to the articles by the movement of the parts.
According to this invention I place the articles to be delivered in radial compart-
ments or cells arranged around the circumference of a horizontal disc or ring to
which a step by step motion of rotation is given so as to bring each compartment in
turn opposite to a hole in the casing of the apparatus. The articles to be delivered
always rest on the horizontal disc and are not liable to be damaged by its rotation
whether they fit the compartments or not.
The step by step movement is given to the horizontal disc by a handle on the out-
side of the casing capable of turning about the same vertical axis as the disc. This
handle is not rigidly fixed to the disc but a coin dropped into the apparatus forms a
key connecting the two together; the disc can then be moved one step when the coin
falls away severing the connection so that the disc cannot be moved the next step
until another coin has been inserted.
The mechanism for effecting this is as follows:-the division plates between the
compartments form stops, a radial spring bolt entering between one pair of them so
that normally the disc cannot be turned. The coin enters the apparatus by a vertical
slot and remains in a vertical position when inside being carried by a hook on the
handle and being prevented from moving forwards or backwards by the hook and by
a circular guide concentric with the casing. When the handle is now turned the
coin comes against and forces back a curved lever which operates the bolt withdrawing
it leaving the horizontal disc free to be turned and at the same time protruding
another bolt. As the handle continues to be turned the last named bolt comes against
the next stop and the movement of the handle now causes the horizontal disc to
revolve. The coin shortly after this clears the lever actuating the first named bolt
and the latter being forced outwards by its spring enters the next space between the
stops and thereby prevents the disc from being turned more than one step. When
the handle has been turned so that the mouth of the compartment is opposite to the
opening the coin comes to the end of the circular guide and being no longer supported
by it drops out of the hook on the handle and falls into a receptacle. The handle is
now turned back to its original position.

page_text: If a coin of too small size is put into the apparatus it drops not being retained as
above described.
The apparatus can also be arranged so that the horizontal disc can only be turned
by the handle when two or other fixed number of coins are inserted. In this case
the hook on the handle is extended downwards so as to allow all the coins inserted
except the last to fall below the lever operating the bolts :-the concentric guide is
also extended downwards so that the coins are all held by same and the hook the first
coin being held in the hook and it and the subsequently inserted coins supporting
those coming after and the last coin being opposite the lever operating the bolts as in
the case of a single coin. The apparatus works and the coins fall as before.
It is evident that the apparatus may be made in the form of a column having a
number of horizontal plates with receptacles. __
In order that my said invention may be more fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
The drawings shew an apparatus having several horizontal plates with receptacles.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section.
Figure 2 is a front elevation with part of the casing removed.
Figure 3 is a section of the same on the line a Figure 1.
In these figures a a are discs upon a vertical axis a¹-'62 63 are the partitions
between the compartments containing the articles and which form stops by which the
discs are turned and retained. c is the handle. d d are the slits for receiving the
coins. e e are hooks inside the apparatus for receiving the coins. When a coin is
inserted through one of the slits d it is supported by the hook e and the plate f.
When the handle is moved in the direction of the arrow (Figure 1) the coin comes
against the incline on one end of the lever g causing the lever to turn about its
pivot gl so that its other end withdraws the bolt from between the partitions 6,2
and leaving the disc free to be turned-the same movement of the lever protrudes
the bolt between the partitions 3 and 4, so that, as the handle continues to turn the
bolt comes against the partition causing the disc to rotate with the handle. The
bolt has on its underside a projection j clearly seen in Figure 3. As the handle
j
continues to turn this projection is caught by the projection f¹ upon the top of the
plate so that when the coin passes the end of the lever g it with the bolt h is brought.
back to its original position by the spring h. The bolt j is still retained by the
projection f¹. When it passes the latter it is brought back to its original position by
the spring. A's the handle continues to turn the coin passes the end of the plate f
and being no longer supported by it, it rolls forward and drops on to an inclined
plate which carries it to one side so as to prevent it from dropping into the
mechanism of the other discs.
In order to expel the articles from the receptacles I employ a pusher 1, which is
actuated by a lever m pivotted at m¹. The other end of the lever carries a pin m²
which, as the handle is turned, is embraced by a fork c¹ upon it. By turning the
handle c about its axis c² the lever m is caused to turn upon its pivot m¹ and the
pusher is brought radially outwards, expelling the article from the open compart-
ment. The handle c is prevented turning on its axis c² until the article is opposite
the opening by a fixed stud v on the inner side of it and another stud at m¹. When
the handle c is released the parts are brought back again by the spring n at the end
of the pusher, and the spring 9 fixed to the handle. o, is a pawl to prevent the
backward turning of the discs.
It will be understood that a single handle may be used as shewn in the drawings
for all the discs, in which case a single casing running from top to bottom of the
apparatus contains all the hooks and bolts j which revolve with it and the handle, but
the mechanism corresponding to those discs only which have received coins will be
actuated, and those discs alone will be turned, for where no coin has been introduced

page_text: there is nothing to actuate the levers g, and therefore the bolts will not be withdrawn,
or the bolt j protruded.
Figure 4 shews the arrangement for actuating the apparatus by means of two or
more coins.
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 I wish it
to be understood that I do not claim generally automatic delivery boxes in which the
articles to be delivered are placed in compartments or cells arranged around the
circumference of a horizontal dise or ring but what I claim is :-
1. Apparatus in which such disc or ring is rotated by means of a handle on
the outside of the box to which it is connected only when a coin has been
introduced.
2. The pivotted lever which when actuated by the coin withdraws the bolt and
leaves the disc or ring free to be turned substantially as described.
3. The combination of the hook upon the handle and the curved plate by which
the coin is supported substantially as described.
4. The apparatus substantially as described and shown in figures 1, and 3 of
the drawings.
5. The modification substantially as described in connection with figure 4 of
the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of Tuly, 1000