Improvements in and Apparatus for Producing Motive Power in Coin Operated Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th May, 1892-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Producing Motive Power in
Coin Operated Machines.
I FRANCIS WINDHAM, of District Pier Wharf, Fulham London, S.W. Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The apparatus consists of a double ended lever balanced in such a way that the
centre of gravity is above the centre of rotation. Each end of the lever carries a
receptacle for coin & preferably about the centre of the lever is fixed a segmental
rack, which gears into a pinion wheel during the whole or greater part of the arc
through which the lever moves.
An equivalent to a rack & pinion may be substituted by roughened or serrated or
frictional surface, such as a wheel with a brush of wire or wire points rotating
against an arc of buff leather or vice versa. By this means of balancing, the lever is
depressed at each end alternately, according to which end the coin is applied, &
falls through an arc equal to about 170 degrees & remains in this position clear of
the rotating pinion & shaft until a coin is applied at the opposite end. Motion is
thus given by the alternate strokes of this lever to the pinion & shaft as described
above. Or some part or attachment to the lever may strike against the objects to
be moved alternately.
Dand thin noth dow of A wenst 1001
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Producing Motive Power in
Coin Operated Machines.
I, FRANCIS WINDHAM, of District Pier Wharf, Fulham, S.W., 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 will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a back view showing the internal mechanism,
Fig. 2 is a side view partly in section, and
Fig. 3 a detail view of the coin receptacle.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
The invention relates to coin-operated machines where it is desired to produce a
movement especially a rotary movement by the weight of the coin, the machines to
which the invention is more particularly applicable being those known as fortune-
telling machines in which a disc or index is caused to revolve and allowed to stop
entirely or partly by chance, the position at which it comes to rest being supposed to
indicate the fortune which it is desired to tell. The case, design and ornamenta-
tion may be of any desired description, the invention relating to the operating
mechanism.
A is any suitable coin-shoot the size of the external orifice of which would be
adapted to the coin intended to operate the machine, the shoot being fixed in any
convenient manner in the case or apparatus. B is a centrally pivotted arm or
lever carrying at each end a coin-receptacle C rigidly secured upon it at such an
angle as to present to the coin falling into it a suitable incline so as to cause it to
As shown in the
run down the receptacle C until stopped by the band C.

page_text: drawings C consists merely of a strip of metal with its sides turned up so as to
present a narrow channel for the coin to travel down, the band C¹ being so placed
about the otherwise open end of C (the lower end when presented to receive the
coin) that the proper-sized coin cannot escape between C₁ and the end of the
channel C, while a smaller coin can so escape. The construction of these parts will
be clearly understood by reference more particularly to Figure 3 of the drawings.
The arm B is provided at each end with the receptacle C aud band C¹ and is
secured upon a spindle D which carries a toothed segment E which as the arm
turns upon its centre engages with the pinion or wheel F secured upon the
spindle G which, passing through the case, carries upon the outside the disc or
other indicating device. In Fig. 1 a portion of the arm B is shown broken away
for the purpose of disclosing the pinion F. Stops H are provided to prevent the
arm B from turning too far.
I is a balance-weight or equivalent, the whole arrangement of the arm B being
such that the centre of gravity is above the point of suspension so that the arm will
not remain in a horizontal position but naturally rests with one end up, the upper
end falling to its lowest point until stopped by one of the pins or stops H.
The operation is as follows,-
The arm B in Fig. 1, as shown by the fuil lines, rests with one of the coin
eceptacles marked C2 raised in a proper position to receive the coin, the balance-
weight retaining the arm in this position. Upon the insertion of the coin it
drops through the shoot A into the receptacle C2 and if of the proper size is
prevented from falling out by the band C; if too small it slips out between the
band and the receptacle without operating the apparatus. Supposing the proper
coin to have been employed, the arm B is now over-balanced the coin being heavier
than the balance-weight so that the arm turns in the direction of the arrows in
Fig. 1 until its position is reversed and the other end is lifted as shown in dotted
lines in the figure, the coin receptacle C² being now at the bottom as indicated by
the dotted lines. Before it reached this position the coin will have fallen out over
the band Cinto the bottom case or a special receptacle, the movement being
completed by the balance-weight I, the arm B being now overbalanced upon the
opposite side to that at which it rested at the commencement of the operation and
being ready to be returned to its former position upon the insertion of a fresh
coin which would enter the receptacle C³ and tilt the arm B back again in the
direction opposite to that of the arrows. As the arm B turns upon its centre
the segment E engages with the pinion F revolving its spindle and the disc outside
the case, the segment passing on beyond the pinion as shown in the dotted lines, so
as to allow the disc or indicator to continue revolving.
It will be seen that by connecting it with suitable mechanism the arm B
may be caused to impart other movements besides the rotary movement above
described.
The same result could be obtained with a single-ended vibrating lever B carrying
a pawl instead of the toothed segment to engage with the pinion or ratchet wheel
suitable means such as the balance-weight or a spring being provided to return
the lever to its normal position, after it had operated; prefer however the
two-ended lever as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. In a coin-operated machine the employment of a two-ended coin-operated arm
or lever such as B whose centre of gravity is so placed that it will not balance
horizontally but one end will naturally remain up and the other down substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a coin-operated machine a vibrating arm or lever such as B having a
coin-receptacle at each end substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. In a coin-operated machine the combination with a vibrating arm or lever
such as B of a toothed segment E and wheel or pinion F for the purpose of
imparting to the apparatus rotary movement which shall continue after the
disengagement of the rack and pinion by the direct operation of the weight of the
coin substantially as described.
4. The combination with a coin receptacle such as C of a band such as C¹
which retains the coin until by the turning of the arm to which the receptacle is
attached the coin is expelled over the band substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a coin-operated machine a vibrating lever such as B having a coin receptacle
at one end a pawl for imparting motion to the spindle which is to be rotated and
means such as a weight or spring for returning the lever to its normal position
substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of May 1892.
F. WINDHAM.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.
F. WINDHAM.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.