Improvements in Coin-freed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Musical Instruments.
I, MAGNUS VOLK, of 10 St. Mary's Place, Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in musical instruments such as mechanical
pianos, reed or pipe organs and metal tongue musical boxes, the object of this
invention being to enable a coin to release locking mechanism attached to a crank
to allow a person to turn the latter and cause the instrument to play one tune when
the locking mechanism will again come into action and prevents further use of the
instrument until another coin is introduced.
In carrying out my invention I employ a lever, the long end of which is provided
with a money bucket, the other or short end carries a wedge which in its normal
position comes between a fixed stop on the frame of the apparatus and a projection
on a disc fixed to the axis of the crank, thus preventing the latter from being
turned in a forward direction; to prevent the crank being turned backwards, the
disc is provided with several notches to receive a pawl attached to the frame of the
apparatus.
Upon a coin being inserted in the apparatus it falls into the money bucket on
the lever before mentioned, the long end is depressed until the coin rolls out of the
money bucket into a box placed to receive it, the lever being retained in position
by a locking mechanism attached partly to the axis of the lever and partly to the
frame of the apparatus. The downward movement of the end of the lever carrying
the money bucket removes the wedge of the short end of the lever out of
engagement with the projection on the disc and allows the crank to be freely
turned.
On the completion of the tune a small hammer falls on the locking mechanism
which retains the lever thus releasing it and causing the wedge to again engage
with the projection on the disc, whereby further use of the instrument is prevented
until another coin is introduced into the apparatus.
Dated the 15th day of May 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Musical Instruments.
I, MAGNUS VOLK, of 10, St. Mary's Place, Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
Electrical 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 improvements in musical instruments such as mechanical
pianos, reed or pipe organs and metal-tongue musical boxes, the object of this
invention being to enable a coin to release locking mechanism attached to a crank
to allow a person to turn the latter and cause the instrument to play one or more
Price 8d.1

page_text: tunes when the locking mechanism will again come into action and prevent further
use of the instrument until another coin is introduced.
In carrying out my invention I employ a lever, at one end of which is a money-
bucket whilst the other end carries a stop against which a projection on a disc
engages to prevent the latter from being turned in a forward direction; to prevent
the disc being turned backwards, it is provided with several notches to receive a
pawl attached to the frame of the apparatus.
Upon a coin being inserted in the apparatus it falls into the money-bucket on the
lever before mentioned, whereby the latter is depressed until the coin rolls out of
the money-bucket into a box placed to receive it, the lever being retained in this
depressed position by catch-mechanism attached partly to the axis of the lever and
partly to the frame of the apparatus. The downward movement of the end of the
lever carrying the money-bucket removes the stop out of engagement with the
projection on the disc and allows the crank to be freely turned.
On the completion of the tune a small hammer falls on the locking mechanism
which retains the lever, thus releasing it and causing the stop to again engage with
the projection on the disc, whereby further use of the instrument is prevented until
another coin is introduced into the apparatus.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation shewing my improved mechanism and so much
of a musical instrument and its casing as is necessary to illustrate the application
of my invention thereto :
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of my mechanism, the section being taken on
the line 2-2, Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a detail hereinafter described; and,
Figures 4 and 5 are a plan and longitudinal section respectively of the money-
bucket:
Figures 6 and 7 are views shewing two positions of part of the mechanism
hereinafter described.
a is the casing of the musical instrument, and b is the barrel shaft the rotation
of which causes the playing of a tune, the said barrel shaft being driven from the
exterior of the apparatus by means of the crank-handle c, the shaft d, the worm e
and the worm-wheelf fixed on the shaft b.
g is the disc which is provided with a projection h, and i is the stop which serves
to prevent the rotation of the said disc. is the lever, in connection with one end
of which the stop i is arranged and k is the money-bucket at the other end of the
said lever. In practice I find it advantageous to attach the lever j to an axis or
shaft pivotted on centres between suitable arms m, m upon the base-plate or
framing n of the coin-freed mechanism, the said shaft having secured to it a
balance weight o upon which the stop i is formed. The weight o rests normally
upon a lug o upon the framing n.
p is the chute through which the coins are passed from the exterior of the
apparatus to the money-bucket k; this chute has one of its sides hinged and
normally retained closed by a balance weight pl. With this arrangement should
damaged coins or rubbish choke the chute or box the accumulated weight forces
the hinged side of the box outwards as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1,
whereby such rubbish is discharged and thereupon the pivotted side again assumes
its normal position.
During the time that the apparatus is locked the stop is in the position shewn
in Figure 1 and in Figure 6, that is to say, in the position in which the projection /
upon the disc g would strike upon the solid portion of the said stop: when, however,
upon the introduction of a coin the lever j is moved down to the position indicated
by the dotted lines in Figure 1, the stop is moved to the position indicated in
Figure 7 so that the projection h is free to pass through the notch or slot h¹
forined in the said stop and so permit the working of the apparatus.
1

page_text: The locking mechanism, by means of which after a coin has been introduced
into the money-bucket the lever j is retained in the position indicated by the...
dotted lines in Figure 1 until the tune is completed, comprises the arm
fixed to
the shaft and the catch pivotted at r¹ between suitable arms on the base-plate n.
This catch is heavier. at the end nearest to the base-plate n than at the other end so
that when the lever j is in the position shewn in full lines in Figure 1 one end of
the said catch normally bears against the under side of the arm q while the other
end is supported on a lug 2; when, however, the lever is depressed to the
position shewn in the dotted lines] whereby the arm 7 is also moved back
to the position indicated by the dotted lines, the said catch r is depressed by
the said arm until the latter is free of it when the catch under the action of its
weighted end rises in front of the arm q to its normal position and thus prevents
the lever again rising until disengaged from the said catch r. The disengagement
of the said catch is effected just before the playing of a tune is completed by the
hammers attached to a lever t pivotted at u. This levert has upon it an inclined
tooth or projection and upon a disc w upon the barrel shaft is formed a notch w¹
of the shape shewn. During the playing of the tune the projection simply bears
upon the periphery of the disc: when, however, the notch w comes beneath the
projecton v just before the playing of the tune is completed the said levert drops
so that its hammer s strikes the catch r and knocks it out of engagement with the
arm whereby the money-bucket k is free to rise to the position indicated by
the full lines in Figure 1 and the stop i is placed in the position relatively with the
projection indicated in Figures 1 and 6.
In order that when my apparatus is locked the handle shall not be fixed and
thereby liable to be damaged in case any undue strain is put upon it, I communicate
the motion of the said crank c to the shaft d by means of friction, and for this
purpose I fix to the spindle of the crank e a cross ¹, and upon this spindle.
I also loosely mount the disc g hereinbefore referred to, the said disc being held in
frictional contact with the arms of the cross by means of a spring y upon the
spindle a. The disc has formed upon the back of it two arms z, z adapted to
engage with a driver upon the shaft d. With this arrangement it will be under-
stood that when the stop iis in engagement with the projection , as shewn in
Figure 6, any rotation of the crank-handle c will only cause the cross to slide around
upon the face of the disc. When, however, the stop is moved to the position
shewn in Figure 7 so that the disc g is free to rotate, the friction between the said
disc and the cross a¹ serves to impart the required power to the instrument.
22 is the pawl for preventing the rotation of the disc in the wrong direction,
the said pawl engaging with notches in the periphery of the said disc.
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. In a coin-freed musical instrument, the combination with the operating crank
of a disc provided with a projection, and a stop operated by a lever carrying the
money-bucket, the said stop being so arranged that when a coin is introduced into
the bucket the stop will be moved to allow the free rotation of the said disc,
substantially as described.
2. In a coin-freed musical instrument, the combination with the operating crank,
the disc having the projection rotated thereby, and the stop operated by the lever
carrying the money-bucket, of locking mechanism comprising an arm (such as q)
and a pivotted catch (such as r) and of releasing mechanism comprising a hammer
adapted to be lowered on to the said catch to disengage it from the said arm when
the playing of the said tune is completed, substantially as described.
3. In a coin-freed musical instrument in which a disc such as d is employed, the
combination with the said disc of means for imparting the motion of the crank to
the disc through the medium of friction, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The improvements in coin-freed musical instruments hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of February 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.