Improvements in Coin-Controlled Apparatus for Use in Connection with Telephones.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM GRAY, of 250, Lawrence Street, City of
Hartford, Machinist, and CHARLES Soxy, of 349, Main Street, City of Hartford,
Cigar Manufacturer, both in the County of Hartford, Connecticut, United States
of America.]
Improvements in Coin-Controlled Apparatus for Use in Connection
with Telephones.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, 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 particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus that may be used in connec-
tion with a telephone as a pay station, the said apparatus being provided with a coin-
trolled lock that prevents the sending of messages, while it will allow them to be
received.
To this end this invention consists in the combination of the magneto bell (meaning
by this the complete apparatus usually designated by that name) with the coin con-
trolled locking device; and it further consists in details of the several parts of the
apparatus and their combination, as more particularly hereinafter described and
pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings:
Figure 1 is a front view of a set of telephone instruments with a connected coin
controlled apparatus, with parts of the latter broken away to show construction.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same.
Figure 3 is a detail view of a modified form of the same, shown as connected with
the crank of the magneto bell.
Figure 4 is a detail side view of the latter construction.
with
In the accompanying drawings the letter A denotes the set of apparatus as a whole,
including the telephone transmitter, magneto bell and local battery that are usually
mounted on a single board, but in any event electrically connected in each station
where the telephone is used. The magneto bell B is operated for the purpose of
calling by pressing in upon the button c and turning at the same time the crank d in
one form of bell; in another form the service is so arranged that a single turn of the
crank is sufficient to call the central station. In the style of bell in which the
button c is used, there is secured to the side of the bell-box, as by means of
screws, a cover e having within it a sliding guard f connected by a rod
the lever that is pivoted within a closed box H. This box is secured upon one
side of the set of instruments, but near enough to them so that the arm support i
is in convenient position to serve as a rest for the arm, and this support i is
mounted on the end of a lever ¹ that is connected by a rod with the lever h,
so that when the tumbler j is tilted so that its inner end is lifted out of contact
with the arm h¹ on the lever h the latter'may be tilted by pushing down upon
the arm rest; and this downward movement of the arm rest and tilting movement
of the lever will slide the cover f out of the way so as to give access to the button c
and enable any one to push it in. The outer end of the tumbler j projects into a
coin channel k in such position that a coin dropped into the channel will tilt that
end of the tumbler downward and lift its other end out of the path of movement
of the arm h¹ on the lever h.
A spring is secured to this lever h in such position as to hold the cover f
normally over the button, but so long as the outer end of the lever ♬ is depressed,
as by means of the arm of the user of the telephone, the button will remain
uncovered and easy of access. In case the first call is not answered from the

page_text: central office the user of the telephone can, while keeping his arm upon the arm
rest and so hold the button uncovered, hang up the telephone m on the hook m
and again call the central office by turning the crank b and pushing in the button
in the usual manner. As soon as, however, pressure upon the lever is removed
the cover is pulled across the opening f¹ and closes it so as to prevent access
to the push button_c. In order to again use the call bell it will be necessary to
drop another coin into the coin channel.
In cases where it is desired to control the call bell by protecting the crank
against access the box D which constitutes the guard is pivoted to the side of
the box B in such manner that in its lower position it will cover and protect
the crank from access, but to the side of this box D is pivoted a lever n that is
connected on its inner end to a tilting lever h within the box H, that has within
it the tilting lever, dog and spring, and is provided with a slot channel, as in the
apparatus shown in Fig. 1. But in either apparatus, however, in case it is not
desired to use an arm rest, the end of the lever / may be connected by means of a
rod o with a treadle p, the user of the telephone, after having released the lever h by
means of a coin dropped into the box H', pressing with his foot upon the treadle p
can keep the crank of the call bell uncovered until he has finished using the
telephone.
It will be seen that this apparatus enables a person to use the telephone when the
station is called without the payment of any fee, but that it will prevent a person from
using the bell so as to call another station except after having paid the toll or fee by
dropping it into the coin box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In combination, a movable guard to prevent access to the crank or button of the
telephone, a tilting-lever having an arm, a rod connecting the lever and guard, a coin-
controlled lever arranged to engage the arin of the tilting lever and to project into
the coin-channel, an enclosing box baving a coin-channel, and a rod to operate the
tilting-lever, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination of the hinged cover D, the rod n, the coin-box H, having
fulcrumed therein the tilting-lever h having projection ¹, and the coin-controlled
lever j, and the rod o, having a treadle p, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of August 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.