Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 12th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 24th June, 1887.
I ERNST GUSTAV HOFFMANN of 27 Malvor Road Wandsworth in the County of
Surrey Mechanician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus which by the insertion of a coin will deliver to
the person inserting same the required article. Hitherto these apparatus have not been
purely automatic but have required a drawer to be opened or a handle to be pushed
before the article can be obtained. Now my invention is designed to be really
automatic and to only require the Coin to be inserted in the proper orifice provided for
that purpose; also that articles largely varying in size may be delivered without
alteration of the machine and that the article is delivered on to the same platform
which contains the orifice where the coin is inserted.
I construct my invention as follows: In a suitably shaped casing I fix near the
bottom a coiled spring of suitable size and power connected to a train of wheels which
actuate the delivery mechanism hereinafter more fully described but which are kept at
rest by means of an escapement working in connection with one of the wheels.
The method of working is as follows :-
:-
The coin is inserted in an opening upon a platform about a foot from the bottom of
the apparatus and which descending through the orifice falls into or on a small tray or
box pivotted at one end. This tray or box is connected by suitable means with the
escapement before mentioned. When this tray is depressed or caused to assume an
oblique position one tooth of the escapement is set free to escape and so soon as the
coin has fallen off the tray which returns to its former position another tooth escapes
thus allowing the clockwork to actuate the delivery mechanism which is as follows:-
Fixed above the level of the centre of the apparatus is the delivery mechanism. The
articles to be sold or delivered are kept in compartments each of which are constructed
to contain eight or any other suitable number and which turn round a cylinder. In
one side of this cylinder is a slot of a size just sufficient to allow the article to escape
TD 077

page_text: from the compartment when it comes opposite to it and the size of which slot can be
adjusted at will. This cylinder is actuated by the spring and mechanism before
described. As each compartment comes opposite the slot only one article is allowed
to escape at a time and when the compartment is emptied it is passed to one side and
a full compartment pushed into its place. This is effected by a nut sliding on a vertical
bar and which nut passes through a slot in each compartment. On the nut is fixed a
projection placed at an angle across its face from the top right hand corner to the
bottom left hand corner so that as it falls down on the bar it must push the compart-
ment to one side and one end of the projection entering the slot of the compartment
beneath, as it falls will also push that aside and so on. When the articles escape
through the slot they fall down a tube the end of which opens just above the platform
or orifice where the coin is inserted and upon which platform also the article falls.
In this apparatus there are no projections exposed to wear and tear and this insures
the best possible protection against any intended fraud.
If desired arrangements may be made whereby two different articles may be for sale
in which case I join two apparatus together.
'I may also connect with the apparatus a musical box so arranged by any suitable
mechanical or electrical means that when a coin is dropped in the musical box is set in
action and continues to play for a limited period.
Dated this Twelfth day of July 1886.
CASTLE SMITH,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Automatic Delivery Boxes or similar Apparatus.
I, ERNST GUSTAV HOFFMANN of 27 Malvor Road Wandsworth in the County of
Surrey, Mechanician, 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus which by the insertion of a coin of a pre-deter-
mined amount will automatically deliver to the person inserting the same the required
article. As usually constructed these automatic delivery boxes as they are termed (at
least such as deliver the heavy class of article such as chocolate, match boxes &c.)
have not been purely automatic but have required a drawer to be opened or a handle
to be operated before the article can be obtained.
The apparatus which I am about to describe will be found to be absolutely automatic
in delivering the article without any further action being required from the person
than the insertion of the coin while from its construction articles largely varying in
size may be delivered from one machine while two or more of the machines may be
combined in one casing.
To clearly explain the nature of my invention reference is made to the accompanying
drawings in which :-
:-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the mechanism on the left hand side of a double
machine, the casing and a portion of the trays being shown in section, it being
understood that the right hand side is the same in all its parts.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of same on the line xx.
Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1 the casing being in section.
Fig. 4 is a plan of same on the line z z.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the operating mechanism in the base of the apparatus
showing the coin in the act of entering.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of portions of the same.
Fig. 7 is a portion of a similar view to Fig. 5 showing the coin about to drop into
the receiving box.
Fig. 7 is a top view of the coin shoot.
Fig. 8 is an explanatory view of one of the movements, and―
Fig. 9 is a view of the arrangement for operating a closing plate when all the
articles contained in the apparatus have been delivered.
The casing A which I prefer to employ is of cylindrical form as shown, the enlarged
base B of which is adapted to contain the actuating mechanism of the apparatus the
upper part C forming the cover. To examine the interior of the apparatus and for
the purpose of refilling, the portion A¹ of the casing in front is held in place by lugs
on the upper part (not shown) which fit under the cover, while the lower part is held
in place by some suitable locking device as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. The box A²
for containing the coins is of drawer shape and is formed in the base, its position

page_text: being shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The same locking arrangement which keeps the
front A¹ of the casing in place may also serve to lock the box A².
Before proceeding to describe in detail the construction of my apparatus I will
first describe its general operation-A coin having been dropped into the opening F
passes on to the coin shoot G and down into a species of bottomless box or tray G¹
which being pivoted on a bar H is depressed, the coin being then allowed to fall out.
The slight turn given to this bar H permits the escape of an arm through a slot in
the same and setting free a coiled spring in the barrel D allows of a gear wheel E
being operated, one pin of a number on which carries forward an arm I to which are
attached two parallel upright rods a weighted spring arm on which catching on one
of the nicks on the edges of the trays K gives the same a partial revolution bringing
one of its divisions containing the article to be sold opposite to the long slot of a
central cylinder L down which said article drops and falling on to a slope M is
delivered outside on to the projection or tray in which is the orifice F, the arm I
which effected the operation having returned at once to its original position.
The above will explain the general operation of the parts, I will now proceed to
describe in detail how the above movements are effected by the action of the coiled
spring, and subsequently the operation of the coin-shoot which controls the escape-
ment mechanism. The coiled spring (which is not shown) is attached to the spindle D'
passing through the barrel D and is wound up from the outside of the casing (as
shown in Fig. 4) by a key which fits a squared or slotted head passing through the
casing, the turning of which operates a bevel wheel a gearing with the bevelled
rim a on the barrel, a ratchet wheel 6 and pawl b¹ shown in Fig. 6 preventing any
back movement of the same.
The spindle D¹ when the escapement is operated by a coin drives through the gear
wheels a worm wheel d which has at opposite points upon its rim two short vertical
pins d', d', the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. This worm wheel d
engages and drives a worm e on a rod e¹ which passes through a hole in the central
fixed spindle carrying the slotted cylinder and trays holding the articles to be sold or
delivered. The rod e¹ has its bearings at each end upon the points of screws
carried
in short standards as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6. At one end is a fly wing the pur-
pose of which is to control its speed when revolving. This fly is not fixed upon the
shaft but is pressed against a boss f¹ upon its end by means of a coiled spring as
shown the object of this arrangement being to reduce the shock to the fly for though
it is carried round with the rod e', it is permitted by this means to travel slightly
onward when the revolution of the rod is stopped.
The gear wheel E is driven from the small gear wheel h above, and made in one
piece with it, by means of the gear wheel, which is fixed upon the spindle D¹ to
which the coiled spring in the barrel is attached, while the wheel E in turn drives the
smaller gear wheel which being made in one piece with the worm wheel & drives
that also.
Upon the wheel E are arranged as shown seven short vertical half round pins j,
the cut away portions of these are the outer halves and as will be seen in Fig. 6 the
flat faces are cut at an angle to the radius of the wheel E. Loosely mounted upon
the central fixed spindle is an arm I on the underside of which is a rod k, the end of
which is cut away to correspond with the pins j. This rod k is capable of turning
slightly and from it projects at right angles a rod k² against which presses a spring
coiled around the rod k. The end of this rod k² bears against a small stop plate ³
(Figs. 6 and 9) on the side of a plate through one end of which the fixed central
spindle projects, the other being secured to a standard, its centre portion serving as
a bearing plate for the spindle D¹ of the barrel D. The rounded end of this plate
around the central fixed spindle is cut away as shown to allow of the rod A² having a
good bearing against the plate 3. The action of the spring through the gear wheels
as before described will give the wheel E one seventh of a revolution so that when
the pink is in the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6 it will be engaged by one of the
pins upon the wheel E which will carry the arm 1 forward until it comes into the
position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 when the arm 2 (on account of the shifting

page_text: of its end to the edge of the plate k³ as shown) will have turned the rod k partially round
causing at this point its cut away portion to correspond with the cut away part of the
pinj when it will pass the latter and allow of the coiled spring pulling the arm back
to its original position. On account of the shifting of the end of the rod k² and the
manner in which the coiled spring is wound as shown, upon the rod k, the forward
movement of the arm I is not effected against an increasing pressure therefrom
through the rod 2 but against a lessening pressure so that when the arm I is in the
position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 although the coiled spring has sufficient power
to bring it back, it has even less power than at its backward point, thus, the return of the
arm is not accompanied by any great shock. The outer end of this arm I carries two
parallel vertical rods 7 extending to the top of the apparatus where they are held by a
similar arm I loosely mounted on the spindle of the cylinder L as shown in Figs. 1
and 2. Confined between these two rods is a somewhat heavy sliding arm
having on its lower end a part 12, the purpose of which will be herein-
after explained. The arm is free to slide up and down between the rods
but is retained between them by pieces of bent wire 13 of U shape which pass
through holes therein and may be easily withdrawn. When the apparatus is first
started all the pans or trays K around the central cylinder L are filled with the articles
to be sold, and the arm is resting on the edge of the top tray by means of the pin 14
which engages therewith, a projecting spring plate 1 pressing against one of the
several notches around the edge of the pan as shown in Fig. 2. The movement of
the arm I will therefore give a turn to this pan bringing one of the articles in one
of the divisions of the same opposite the slot in the cylinder L down which it will fall,
the arm I then moving backward and allowing the spring to engage with the next
notch. The arms I and I are prevented from going further back than is necessary
by the stops I which carry on their ends pieces of leather or rubber to receive the
blows. This action is repeated upon the insertion of each coin until all the divisions
on the top pan have been emptied, when the pin on arm in its last backward
movement will strike the projection m raised upon the edge of the pan allowing the
pin to drop through the opening beneath the same, and consequently the arm
drop, the pin arresting it on the edge of the pan beneath. The same backward and
forward movement of the arm I is repeated until each pan is emptied, the arm l
falling down as each is emptied to the next. Upon the last pan being emptied the
pin escapes through the slot in the same manner and the arm / falls down into the
position shown in Fig. 5 when the lower part 2 strikes the pin n on the arm n¹
pressing it from the position shown in dotted lines to that shown by the full lines,
drawing back the arm n² out of a slot cut in the rod n³ which permits a spiral spring n
to shoot forward the plate n' shown in Fig. 9 which then covers the coin opening F.
A sinall spring n pressing against a pin on bar n' keeps the arm n² against the rod
until said arm is forced into the nick n' in the end of the rod which prevents the
empty plate being pushed backward from the outside.
to
The cylinder L and with it the pans K may be revolved by hand for convenience of
filling, as in this way the attendant can fill one division of each pan from top to bottom,
and after giving the cylinder a turn the next set of divisions from top to bottom and
so on, thus obviating the necessity of turning each pan around on the cylinder to fill
each division. The pans are made of thin metal the lower portion of each being
slightly cut or slit as shown in Fig. 5, so that it may be forced on to the cylinder L
and held by pressure only in grooves o formed around the cylinder, the one for the
top pan being shown in Fig. 1. This allows of the pan turning round on the cylinder
and also permits of their being readily removed therefrom so that if desired any
number may be omitted to allow of larger articles being placed in the others for sale.
Each pan is shown as having divisions for seven articles and also a large blank space
which remains opposite to the slot in the cylinder until the pan is started. The ends
of the cylinder L are terminated by two short spindles the upper turning in a bearing p
in the cover while the lower fits over the turned down head p' of the central fixed
spindle. This as will be seen allows of the cylinder turning for the purpose before
described but to prevent this happening while the pans are being turned round by the

page_text: "
action of the arm I I place a collar r upon the lower spindle. This has a short forked
arm shown in Fig. 3, the end of which engages with a pin on the "empty"
plate n so that when the latter is held back (as it is when the apparatus has any
articles left in it) the cylinder is unable to turn, but when this plate is shot forward
by the spiral spring, the pin is carried out of the forked arm and the cylinder may
be turned when the attendant opens the casing.
The operation of the coin shoots which controls the escapement is as follows:-
The coin falls from the orifice F down the shoot G into the bottomless tray G¹
(pivoted on the bar H) where it is caught by the projection s on the lever which
is pivoted on the bottom of the tray G as shown. The fall of the coin then presses
aside this projections on lever s' against the action of a springs shown in Figs. 6
and 7 and brings a slot 3 in the other end of the lever opposite the pointed end st
of a pivoted bent metal plate G2, that is to say from the position shown in Fig. 6 to
that shown in Figs. 7 and 7ª, (the position of the point being that shown in dotted
lines) which figures show the coin after having tilted the tray G' in the act of
opening the arms before falling into the coin box or receptacle. This tilting
movement allows the forked end 3 of the lever to pass the pointed ends of the
arm G2, the forked end of the lever occupying the position shown in the full lines
in Figure, 7. The plate G2 at the point where it is pivoted as shown in Fig. 6 is
acted upon by a small spiral spring the end of which being turned over the same
draws the outer end of the arm smartly down, thus raising the pointed ends into
the position shown in full lines thus following the upward movement of the lever st
passing through the slotted end s³ of said lever. This allows of the forked end of
this lever s¹ taking a slight further movement sufficient for the diameter of the coin
which then falls into the coin receptacle. The end st of the arm G2 has already struck
a spring plate the lower end of which is secured to the underside of the tray G¹
as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 7ª. From this plate projects a stop pin v¹ which limits
the movement of the forked end of lever s¹ as shown in Fig. 7.
The ends of the arm G2 pressing against this spring plate causes the tray G¹ to
be kept depressed and the depressing of this tray causes the turning of the spindle H
(and at the same time blocks the opening from shoot G as shown which prevents a
further coin being inserted till the first has completed its action), allowing the notched
end w of an arm P on the worm shaft e¹ to escape through a slot w¹ on same, thereby
setting the mechanism free and allowing the worm e, arm P and fly f to revolve the
number of times which it is set to do. The upward movement of the ends of the
arm G2 is effected by the forward movement of the worm e which turns the worm
wheel d and moves forward the pins d' on said wheel thereby allowing the end of
the arm G2 (which as shown is bent at right angles and again twisted) to fall from the
position shown in dotted lines (Fig. 7) to that shown in full, when it presses on
the rim of the worn wheel d which meanwhile is turning round until the second
pin d' strikes against and lifts it thus causing the pointed end s to be withdrawn
from the plate pressing down the end of the forked lever s¹ which has taken its
original position beneath it and causing the tray G¹ to resume its normal position
shown in Fig. 5, thus turning the shaft H and causing the end w of the revolving
arm P to be arrested thereby. As before explained this escapement of the arm P
has set in motion the spindle D₁ causing through the gear wheels one of the pins.
on wheel E to carry forward the arm I, the pin on which at the moment the arm
is arrested escapes from the pin j and allows the arm to resume its original position
after having performed its duty of operating one of the pans K as previously described.
The movement of the tray G¹ back to its original position is assisted by the adjustable
counterweight R secured on an arm projecting from the shaft H as shown. When
the tray G has resumed its original position the end of the arm G2 is above the
solid portion of the forked end of the lever as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 so that the
tray is prevented from being tilted or depressed by the passage down it of any smaller
coin or article than that determined upon, as the lever s¹ must be pressed aside before
the tray can be depressed and the escapement operated. It will be evident therefore
that the position of the projection s on said lever will determine the size of the coin

page_text: which will operate the apparatus and this can be so nicely adjusted that a coin less than
one thirty second of an inch smaller than that determined upon will pass by without
operating the same. Such a coin may be received into a separate channel and passed
out of the apparatus. This may be conveniently done by placing the open mouth of
a channel communicating through the casing in front of the tray G' when it is in its
position at rest, but any coin operating the same will of course depress it and drop
underneath the channel into the coin receptacle.
An obvious modification of my apparatus would be to make the cylinder L turn, in
place of turning the pans thereon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In automatic delivery boxes the combination with actuating mechanism of one
or more trays revolved thereby and a slotted cylinder all arranged to operate
substantially for the purposes set forth.
2. In automatic delivery boxes the combination with one or more notched and
slotted edged trays of the actuating rods 1, 1, and arm or slide l' adapted to engage
with and turn said trays substantially as set forth.
3. In automatic delivery boxes the combination of the tray actuating rods 1, 1, and
the arm I with means for giving said arm a reciprocating motion substantially as set
forth.
4. In automatic delivery boxes the combination with the coin shoot of a pivoted
tray G¹ so arranged that on the passage over it of a coin of predetermined size said
tray will be tilted and the actuating mechanism temporarily released substantially as
described.
5. In automatic delivery boxes the improved arrangement of parts whereby on the
deposit of a predetermined coin an automatic delivery of the determined article will
be made on the coin counter substantially as set forth.
6. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming the improved
automatic delivery box substantially as described.
D
11
10
1
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.