Improved Locking and Releasing Appliance for Coin-freed Delivery Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr.. 1896--Accepted, 16th May,
1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Locking and Releasing Appliance for Coin-freed Delivery
Apparatus.
We, WILLIAM NORTHORPE, Engineer, of 57, Hornsey Park Road, in the County
of Middlesex, and THE AOME AUTOMATIC MACHINE SYNDICATE, LIMITED, of
16, Basinghall Street, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the locking and releasing mechanism of coin-freed
delivery apparatus of the kind wherein the goods are stored in columns above
drawers or slides normally locked but freed for operation after insertion of the
proper coin. In our improved arrangement the goods receiving drawer runs in
slides in the frame, and is rigidly connected to a spindle placed longitudinally
beneath it and working in suitable guides. The money receiving slot is arranged
in the casing in front of the drawer, and the coin falling therethrough is supported
on one side by the cam head of a rocking lever, and on the other by and in a
vertical groove in a spring return hinge piece. In this position the coin is held in
front of the end of the said drawer-spindle which is rounded or V-shaped more or
less; on one side the drawer-spindle has one or more flat blade-like projections
lineable with which in said hinged piece is a corresponding number of longitudinal
slots. The drawer-spindle is normally locked by a spring return cross slide, one end
of which is engaged by the inner end of the aforesaid rocking lever. Fixed to
the under side of the drawer is a plate which serves to close the money slot on
first movement of the drawer.
In operation the coin is supported below the slot as above indicated, and on
pulling the drawer out first it is forced by the spindle-end against the cam head
of the rocking lever which is thereby turned on its centre and withdraws the locking
slide from engagement with the spindle. Further movement of the drawer causes
radial motion of the coin and its hinged side support, and this continues until the
coin escapes from the cam head of the rock lever and falls to the receiver, meantime
the spindle blade or blades bas or have passed through the slot or slots in the hinged
support which action serves to remove any obstruction which may be therein (such
as paper or card) on each operation, and the drawer is then fully open and the
goods may be removed. Closing of drawer returns all parts to initial positions, and
the drawer receives the next following article to be delivered.
Dated this 10th day of July 1895.

page_text: Improved Locking and Releasing Appliance for Coin-freed Delivery
Apparatus.
We, WILLIAM NORTHORPE, Engineer, of 57, Hornsey Park Road, in the County
of Middlesex, and THE ACME AUTOMATIC MACHINE SYNDICATE, LIMITED, of
16, Basinghall Street, in the City of London, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the locking and releasing mechanism of coin-freed
delivery apparatus of the kind wherein the goods are stored in columns above
drawers or slides normally locked but freed for operation after insertion of the proper
coin.
We will fully describe our invention in reference to the accompanying drawing in
which
Fig. 1 is a plan of a slider and its mounting; Fig. 2 an inverted plan of same
showing mechanism ;
Fig. 3 a right side elevation of Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 4 a front elevation of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 a sectional plan on line 1-2 of Fig. 3; and
Figs. 6 and 7 details of locking slide hereinafter referred to.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures.
In our improved arrangement the goods-receiving drawer or slider D runs in
slides in the fixed frame F, and it is rigidly connected, preferably at the rear as
illustrated by a flange or plate such as d, to a spindle or bar S placed longitudinally
beneath it and working in suitable guides as at s¹ s'. This spindle is shown square
and provided with rack teeth for a purpose hereafter explained, but it may be round
in section and plain, and it has a slot s cut in proper position in one side, the use of
which will be presently explained. The money-receiving slot A is arranged in the
casing in front of the slider D, and the inserted coin falling therethrough is
supported on one side by the cam head c of a rocking lever C centred at e', and on
the other side by and in a vertical groove g in a spring return hinged gate piece G ;
g shows the hinging, and 92 the spring. In this position the coin is retained in front
of the forward end of the slider spindle S which is rounded or V-shaped more or
less; on one side of the slider spindle are fixed one or more horizontally arranged
flat blade-like projections B lineable with which in said hinged gate piece G is a
corresponding number of longitudinal slots. In the figures one blade B and one
slot g only are shown. The slider spindle S is normally locked by a cross-slide R
always pressed forwards by a spring r. It is shown separately in Figs. 6 and 7 and
has a central recess 71 one edge 2 of which engages the before mentioned slot s cut
in one side of the spindle S and thereby locks same until withdrawn from engagement.
One end of the slide R is engaged by the inner end of the aforesaid rocking lever C
by which it is pressed backwards against the force of spring r and operated at the
required times. Fixed to the under side of the forward end of the slider is a shutter
plate P which serves to close the money slot A on first movement of the slider D.
In operation the coin .r, which has been introduced at the slot A, is supported below
same as above indicated between the groove g of the gate piece G and the breast of
the cam head c of the rocking lever C which is held forward by the force of the
spring acting upon it through cross slide R; on pulling the slider out the coin is
first forced by the end of spindle S along the cam head c of the rocking lever C
which is thereby turned on its centre c', and this movement forces the locking slide R
away from its engagement with the slots in the spindle S which with the slider is
then free. The same movement of the slider simultaneously gives a radial motion to

page_text: the coin x and to its hinged side support G into positions such as are shown in Fig. 5.
In order to prevent tampering with the mechanism it is found advantageous to form
a check or notch c² in the cam head c by which the coin is prevented from returning
and becoming lost to the operator. Continued movement of the slider causes the coin
to escape from the cam head of the rocking lever and fall to the receiver (not shown
on the drawing, but arranged conveniently below the front of the mechanism), mean-
time the spindle blade or blades B has or have advanced and passed through the slot
or slots g in the hinged support G, which action serves to remove any obstruction
which may have been inserted therein (such as paper or card) on each operation, and
the slider is then fully open and the goods may be removed. Closing of the slider
returns all parts to initial positions, and the slider receives from the column above it
the next following article to be delivered.
The appliance shown at Q represents a stop pawl or tumbler riding freely on its
pivot 9 and held over in either direction required by the travel of the slider by a light
spring 9 centrally disposed between the two-armed head of the pawl. The nose of
the pawl rides over teeth t t in the spindle S during its travel, but will engage same
and prevent partial operation of the slider, often resorted to by operators from idleness
or with intent to defraud. This last described appliance is only for additional security
or precaution and forms no essential part of our present invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved locking and releasing appliance for coin-freed delivery apparatus
comprising the spindle S fixed longitudinally beneath the slider D and having a slot
cut in one side, a cross locking slide R normally engaging said slot and locking the
slider, the spring return hinged gate G and rocking lever C adapted to support
between them the received coin in front of the slider spindle, the parts being
arranged and adapted to operate substantially in the manner herein described.
2. The arrangement of locking and releasing gear for coin-freed delivery apparatus
substantially as herein described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 13th day of April 1896.