Improvements in Escapement and Releasing Mechanism, Especially Applicable to Machines for Delivering Automatically Prepaid Articles.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 26th Oct., 1888
Improvements in Escapement and Releasing Mechanism, Especially
Applicable to Machines for Delivering Automatically Prepaid
Articles.
I FREDERICK FOSTER of Niagara Works Eagle Wharf Road Hoxton in the County of
Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to the construction of escapement and releasing mechanism
especially applicable to machines for the delivery of prepaid articles such as those
forming the subjects of my prior applications Nos. 2575 and 3071 of the year 1887
actuated by a motive power weight or spring wound up periodically as required.
It consists in providing means whereby the motive power weight or spring not only
performs the necessary movement of the mechanism for delivering the prepaid articles
but at the same time compresses a spring in such a manner as to store up the necessary
power for moving the escapement, when the releasing mechanism is operated by means
of the weight of the required coin acting as a counter balancing weight on one end
of a lever or by the impact of the coin falling thereon through a shoot provided to
conduct the coin to the required position.
For this purpose I provide the mechanism illustrated by the accompanying drawings
of which Fig. 1 is a front view of the escapement and releasing mechanism combined
and Fig. 2 is a view of an eccentric stop hereinafter described.
The escapement wheel or disc A carries a pinion B to engage with an intermediate
wheel and a rack when the object is to release and detain alternately a lift provided
with a rack as described in the specification accompanying my application No. 3071
of the year 1887 above referred to.
The pinion B is also required when the escapement is to control the action of a
train of wheels but is not required when the escapement is applied directly to delivery
apparatus such as in the manner described in the specification accompanying my
application No. 2575 of the year 1887 hereinbefore referred to.
Projecting at right angles with the face of the escapement wheel or disc A I provide
any desired even number of pins C dividing the disc A into an even number of equal

page_text: parts. Between opposite pairs of the pins C I provide an escapement latch D capable
of movement in guides I and with can parts E so shaped that when the escapement
latch D is lifted to the required height, the two pins C1 C2 can enter the cam paths E
and the escapement wheel or disc A is then capable of being set in motion by the
motive power weight or spring employed to operate the delivery mechanism. Imme-
diately upon entering the cam paths E the pins C¹ C² act upon the sides of the cam
paths E in such a manner as to forcibly return the escapement latch D to its normal
position and then the movement of the escapement wheel or disc A. is arrested by
contact of the next succeeding pins C with the escapement latch D at points removed
from the position of the cam paths E. In its descent the escapement latch D bears
upon a rod F passing freely through guides G and provided with a guide H in the
form of a hollow screw capable of being regulated so as to form a guide for the rod F
and at the same time to provide the required tension of the spring J.
The rod F is fitted with a projection or collar K under which the forked end of a
lever L bears on each side of the rod F. At the under side of the lever L a loose
collar slides upon the rod F and is urged against the forked end of the lever L more
or less according to the tension of the spring J. The opposite end of the lever Lis
held in a catch M which holds the lever L in the position to which it is brought
by the downward movement of the escapement latch D communicating its motion to
the rod F and thereby not only raising the end of the lever L to engage with
the catch M but compressing the spring J so that this shall be in readiness to
lift the escapement latch D whenever the catch M is removed from contact with
the lever L.
The catch M is connected with the lever N by the toggle joint P so that the
weight of the required coin W placed upon the lever N will remove the catch M
from the lever L or the required coin W may fall upon the lever N being conducted
there (as shewn in Fig. I) by the shoot Q and in this case a shorter length of lever N
may be adopted.
After acting upon the lever N the coin W passes by the continued shoot R and is
thereby conducted to a money-till.
When the escapement and releasing mechanism herein before described is employed
with a rack to provide for the release and detention of a lift as hereinbefore 'referred
to, then in order to provide for winding down the lift when it has reached its highest
position I provide the eccentric stop S (Fig. 2) by means of which the rod F may
be raised to the required position to make the channels T in the escapement latch Ď
concentric with the escapement wheel or disc A so that the escapement latch D cannot
obstruct the passage of the pins and the lift can be wound down to its lowest
position by revolving the escapement wheel or disc A by means of a key or winch
handle applied to the axle of the escapement wheel or disc A.
When the escapement and releasing mechanism hereinbefore described is employed
with or without a train of wheels to provide for the release and detention of any
rotary delivery apparatus as herein before referred to, winding up the motive power
weight or spring may be effected by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl without
disturbing the escapement and releasing mechanism and in such arrangements the
channels T and the eccentric stop S will not be required.
Dated this 14th day of December 1887.

page_text: Improvements in Escapement and Releasing Mechanism, Especially
Applicable to Machines for Delivering Automatically Prepaid
Articles.
I FREDERICK FOSTER of Niagara Works Eagle Wharf Road Hoxton in the County of
Middlesex Engineer 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 :-
This Invention relates to the construction of escapement and releasing mechanism
especially applicable to machines for the delivery of prepaid articles such as those
forming the subjects of my prior applications Nos. 2575 and 3071 of the year 1887
actuated by a motive power weight or spring wound up periodically as required.
It consists in providing means whereby the motive power weight or spring not
only performs the necessary movement of the mechanism for delivering the prepaid
articles but at the same time compresses a spring in such a manner as to store up
the necessary power for moving the escapement when the releasing mechanism is
operated by means of the weight of the required coin acting as a counterbalancing
weight on one end of a lever or by the impact of the coin falling thereon through a
shoot provided to conduct the coin to the required position.
For this purpose I provide the mechanism illustrated by the drawings accompanying
my provisional, specification of which Fig. I is a front view of the escapement
and releasing mechanism combined and Fig. 2 is a view of an eccentric stop herein-
after described.
The escapement wheel or disc A carries a pinion B to engage with an intermediate
wheel and a rack when the object is to release and detain alternately a lift provided
with a rack as described in the specification accompanying my application No. 3071
of the year 1887 above referred to. The pinion B is also required when the escape-
ment is to control the action of a train of wheels but is not required when the
escapement is applied directly to delivery apparatus such as in the manner described
in the specification accompanying my application No. 2575 of the year 1887 herein
before referred to.
Projecting at right angles with the face of the escapement wheel or disc A I provide
any desired even number of pins C dividing the disc A into an even number of equal
parts. Between opposite pairs of the pins CI provide an escapement latch D (capable
of movement in guides I) with cam paths E so shaped that when the escapement
latch D is lifted to the required height the two pins C¹² can enter the cam paths E
and the escapement wheel or disc A is then capable of being set in motion by the
motive power weight or spring employed to operate the delivery mechanism.
Immediately upon entering the cam paths E the pins CC act upon the sides of
the cam paths E in such a manner as to forcibly return the escapement latch D to its
normal position and then the movement of the escapement wheel or disc A is arrested
by contact of the next succeeding pins with the escapement latch D at points
removed from the position of the cam paths E.
In its descent the escapement latch D bears upon a rod F passing freely through
guides G and provided with a guide H in the form of a hollow screw capable of being
regulated so as to form a guide for the rod F and at the same time to provide the
required tension of the spring J.

page_text: The rod F is fitted with a projection or collar K under which the forked end of a
lever L bears on each side of the rod F. At the under side of the lever La loose
collar slides upon the rod F and is urged against the forked end of the lever L more
or less according to the tension of the spring J. The opposite end of the
lever L is held in a catch M. which holds the lever L in the position
to which it is brought by the downward movement of the escapement latch D
communicating its motion to the rod F and thereby not only raising the end
of the lever L to engage with the catch M but compressing the spring J so that this
shall be in readiness to lift the escapement latch D whenever the catch M is removed
from contact with the lever L.
The catch M is connected with the lever N by the toggle joint P so that the weight
of the required coin W placed upon the lever N will remove the catch M from the
lever L or the required coin W may fall upon the lever N being conducted there as
shown in Fig. I by the shoot Q and in this case a shorter length of lever N may be
adopted. After acting upon the lever N the coin W passes by the continued shoot R
and is thereby conducted to a money till.
When the escapement and releasing mechanism herein before described is employed
with a rack to provide for the release and detention of a lift is hereinbefore referred
to, then in order to provide for winding down the lift when it has reached its highest
position I provide the eccentric stop S (Fig. 2) by means of which the rod F may be
raised to the required position to make the channels T in the escapement latch D
concentric with the escapement wheel or disc A so that the escapement latch D cannot
obstruct the passage of the pins C and the lift can be wound down to its lowest
position by revolving the escapement wheel or disc A by means of a key or winch
handle applied to the axle of the escapement wheel or disc A.
When the escapement and releasing mechanism herein before described is employed
with or without a train of wheels to provide for the release and detention of any
rotary delivery apparatus as hereinbefore referred to, winding up the motive
power weight or spring may be effected by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl
without disturbing the escapement and releasing mechanism and in such arrange-
ments the channels T and the eccentric stop S will not be required.
In order to make the retention of the lever L by the catch M. positive and not
depend entirely upon the balance weight of the catch M for the purpose I prolong
the upper part of the catch as shown in the accompanying drawing Fig. 3 at the
part marked X against which the lever L strikes compelling the catch to pass
under the lever L before the latter can return.
* 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 what I
claim is:
1. The escapement wheel or disc A with pins C and the latch D having cam
paths E whereby the motive power weight employed to actuate the mechanism of
automatic delivery apparatus may also serve to store the necessary power for sub-
sequently raising the latch D and to engage the lever L with the catch M so as to
prevent the latch D from being raised until the catch M is again released substan-
tially as described and illustrated.
2. The combination of the lever N the lever L the catch M and the compressed
spring J whereby the weight or impact of a stipulated coin upon the lever N will
release the catch M and allow the compressed spring J to extend raising the latch D
substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 14th day of September 1888.