Improvements in and connected with Coin-controlled Phonographs, and like Coin-controlled Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
Improvements in and connected with Coin-controlled Phonographs,
and like Coin-controlled Apparatus.
We, GEORGE VALENTINE GRESS, Capitalist, of Atlanta, in the County of Fulton,
and State of Georgia, and WALTER HENRY MILLER, Gentleman, of Orange, in the
County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, all in the United States of America, 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 certain improvements in coin-controlled phonographs
and the like but more particularly to operating means therefor, and in its complete
form comprises a motor operated by the weight of the user, a coin-controlled
locking device for said motor, a phonograph operated by said motor, and a return
device for the carriage which is provided with the speaker arm and feed-nuts
of the phonograph, said parts being so related, and constructed that when the
user steps upon the platform forming part of the motor and deposits a coin of
proper denomination in a place provided therefor, the motor will become operative
and the platform will descend under the influence of the weight of the user (but
will maintain its horizontal position while descending, instead of inclining forward
or backward) thus rotating the feed-shaft and feeding said carriage and causing
the phonograph to reproduce, and at the end of the period of reproduction the
platform will have reached its lowest position and the user steps off the same
and thereby permits certain mechanism to become operative to simultaneously
return the platform to its highest position gradually and without jar, to raise
the carriage and thereby release the feed nut and speaker arm from the feed shaft
and diaphragm respectively and to return said carriage to the starting place, and
to again lock the motor against operation until another coin of proper denomin-
ation has been inserted.
The mechanisms whereby these results are accomplished constitute the novel
features of this invention and these mechanisms are clearly shown in the accom-
panying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a casing containing these improvements.
Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the plate 21 removed.
Figs. 3 and 4 show certain details, and
Fig. 5 is a detail of the underside of a portion of a phonograph preferably
employed in this machine.
1 designates a suitable casing, within which is supported a phonograph 2. The
phonograph herein shown is of the "multiplex-cylinder" type invented by and
patented to G. V. Gress, and for this reason and because said particular form of
phonograph forms no essential part of the present invention, I do not deem it
necessary to show or describe it in detail: suffice it to say that 3 designates the
feed shaft having a grooved pulley 4; 5 the carriage having a feed-nut 6 and
diaphragm-arm 7 at its respective ends; and 8 the horn carried by the arm 7,
but ear tubes may be used instead of a horn. When the "multiplex cylinder"

page_text: phonograph is used, the cylinders are shifted to bring the desired one into
operative relation with the feed shaft, by turning the crank 10 which is connected
with the shifting mechanism in the phonograph by the rod 11 having a rack 12
pivoted to its lower end engaging a pinion 13 on the shaft 9 of said shifting
mechanism, and provided with a spring 14 for returning the rod and parts
attached to normal operative position when the cylinders have been shifted.
Said rack moves within a guide plate 12", and the pinion is loose on the shaft
and has a clutch 13 which makes it fast thereon only when the rack is moving
in the direction in which it moves to shift the cylinders.
15 designates the platform upon which the listener stands and which descends
under the weight of the user and operates the motor. This platform projects
outward from the casing through the open lower end of the latter.
One of the important advantages of our invention is that this platform main-
tains its level descending instead of pitching forward or rearward, thus providing
a most comfortable support for the listener by obviating the necessity of any
change in the position of his body to accommodate it to a change in the position
of the platform in order to maintain his balance thereon. To this end, the
platform is supported at the front by two levers 16 pivoted to opposite sides
thereof and projecting from a rock shaft 17 or other suitable pivoting device
and at the rear by a chain 18 which extends over an idler 19 mounted on the
shaft 19 and has its other end pivotally connected with the rear end of a
lever 20, the forward end of which is secured to said rock shaft between the rear
ends of said levers 16. The levers 16 and 20 are of equal length, or the points of
connection of the platform with the levers 16 and of the chain with the lever 20
are of similar distances from the fulcrumal point or rock shaft 17. Thus, the
platform maintains its horizontal position while descending, as above stated.
The device is provided with a means, such as the plate 21, for covering the
opening in which the platform works. The weight of the platform is counter-
balanced by a weight 22 which returns it automatically to its elevated position
when the user steps off. This weight is suitably connected with the lever 20,
as for instance, by the chain 23 which extends downward from said lever, around
a sprocket 24, and thence upward to a rope or cable 28", which extends over a
pulley 25 and downward to the weight. The weight is cushioned in its down-
ward movement by air, a cylinder 20 being provided to receive said weight and
having an air outlet 27 controlled by a screw-valve 28 to cause a slow outflow
of air. By this means the descent of the weight, when the user steps off the
platform, is retarded .and the platform thereby caused to ascend slowly thus
preventing noise and jar and obviating liability of the auditor being tripped as
he steps off..
The sprocket 24 is fixed on a shaft 29 carrying a loosely mounted gear wheel 30
which engages a pinion 31 mounted on a shaft 32 which also has a gear wheel 33
which latter engages a pinion 34 mounted on a shaft 35 carrying a ratchet wheel 36
and a fast gear wheel 37. Said gear wheel 37 meshes with a pinion 38 which is
mounted on a shaft 39 provided with a suitable governor 40 for controlling the
speed of the described train of gears. The shaft 35 also has a pulley 41 which
is connected by the belt 42 with the driving pulley 4 of the phonograph. The
loose wheel 30 has pawls 30, which engage a ratchet 30%, on the shaft 29 and
lock said gear to the shaft during the downward movement of the platform and
release it therefrom during the upward movement of said platform.
It will be seen that the downward movement of the platform operates the train
of gearing and thereby rotates the feed shaft 3 and, through the engagement of
the nuts with the latter, causes the carriage to be fed and the diaphragm-arm
to move along the line of the rotating phonogram, thus reproducing the piece
.en the latter.
Means are provided by which the platform and train of gearing are locked
against movement until a coin of proper denomination has been inserted in the
coin chute 43, which means are as follows: Beneath the lower end of the

page_text: coin chute is a cup 43 which is mounted on the end of an arm 44 which is
pivoted at 45 and is formed at the end remote from said cup to provide the
arms 46 and 47 which extend at or about right angles with each other. 48 desig-
nates a pawl which depends from an arm 49 that is pivoted at 50. A locking
bar 51 is loosely pivoted at one end 52 and bears upon the arm 49 so as to hold
the pawl 48 normally in engagement with said ratchet 36, and said locking bar
is held in its operative position by the depending arm 47 when the parts are.
in the position they occupy previous to the insertion of a coin. A spring 53
(Fig. 2) or other suitable mechanism holds the locking mechanism normally in
the position stated, and said spring is preferably connected with the arm 46 by
a screw 53, which is threaded through said arm, whereby the tension of the
spring may be adjusted. Thus it will be seen that a coin entering the cup 43
causes the arm 44 to turn so as to disengage arm 47 from the locking bar, thus
unlocking the pawl. To the end that said pawl shall be instantaneously dis-
engaged from the ratchet when freed from the locking bar and held out of
engagement therewith during the period of operation of the machine, a rod 54
is pivoted at one end to the free end of the pawl-arm 49 and normally rests upon
a lever 55 which is pivoted at 56 and is provided with an arm 57 which is pressed
upon by a flat spring 58 the tension of which is adjusted by a screw 59. An arm 60
pivoted at fil engages said spring and is also engaged with the lever 20. An
angle arm 62 is carried by said lever 20 and is provided with an opening 63 (see
Fig. 3) through which said rod 54 extends loosely, and a spring 64 is attached
to said angle arm and presses lightly upon said rod 54 to cause the latter to move.
normally with the lever 20 by friction.
In the normal position of the parts, the spring 58 is compressed, so that when
the pressure on the pawl 48 is released, said spring acts instantaneously upon the
lever 55 to cause the latter to kick the rod 54 and raise it, thus drawing the
pawl 48 out of engagement with the ratchet 36 and freeing the train of gearing
The platform is now free to descend under the weight of the user and in descend-
ing it operates the train of gearing and, in consequence, the phonograph as above
described and the platform continues to descend during the entire period of
reproduction and the rising lever 20 carries with it the rod 54 and thereby prevents
accidental re-engagement of said pawl with the ratchet. Said lever in rising
also lifts the counterweight, and when the user steps off the platform, said
counterweight acts to restore the parts to the normal position, that is to say it
lowers the lever 20 which carries with it the rod 54 and imposes pressure upon.
the arm 60 which acts upon the spring 58 to raise the hook end of the lever 55
off the stop pin 65 (into engagement with which it has dropped during the
upward movement of said lever 20) and causes it to meet the descending
rod 54 and again compresses the spring 58. Meanwhile, the coin has dropped
from the cup into a suitable drawer provided to receive coins, and the spring 53
has been permitted to restore the arms 44, 46, and 47 to their normal positions.
The free end of the locking bar 51 is located in a curved slot 66 formed in a
plate 67 and is caused to rise in said slot, away from the arm 47, by the action
of the rising rod 54 on the arm 49 and in the descent of said arm 49, said locking
bar falls by gravity into position beneath said arm 47 and is locked thereby and
locks the parts as described.
The loosely mounted gear wheel 30 is locked to the shaft 29 by clutch pawls
only during the descent of the platform and is free to turn on said shaft during
the ascent of said platform, whereby the gearing and the feed shaft remain
stationary during the return of the parts to the normal position.
It is necessary to lift the diaphragm and feed nuts so as to disengage the
recording point from the phonogram and the nuts from the feed shaft and to
hold them in said elevated position during the return of the carriage to the
starting place. This is accomplished by the following means: The diaphragm
arm 7 has its forward end provided with a pivoted angle-lever 69 one arm of
which engages the guide bar 70 of the phonograph and to the other arm of which

page_text: is attached a cord 71 or other suitable connecting piece which extends over the
idle pulleys 72 and 73 to a lever 74 which is pivoted at 75 to the lever 20.
Lever 74 has a lug 76 which normally is engaged by a catch 77 pivoted to the
lever 20 and said catch is normally engaged by the hook end of a spring arm 78.
When the lever 20 is at its lowest position the lever 74 is locked thereto and
tension is imposed on the cord 71 which causes it to hold the lever 69 in the
position shown in Fig. 2 with the feed nuts elevated above the feed shaft and
the reproducing point disengaged from the phonogram. As soon as the lever 20
commences to rise it causes the catch 77 to be disengaged from both the spring
arm 78 and the lug 76, thus freeing the lever 74 and releasing the tension on
the cord. The weight of the carriage will now enable it to fall, thus automatically
engaging the nuts with the feed shaft and the reproducing point with the
phonogram. As the lever 20 and the phonograph move in unison, the slack
in the cord 20 continues during the entire period of rising movement of said
lever. The carriage in falling lifts the lever 74, which turns on the pivot 75,
but the lever 20 in rising meets the elevated end of said lever 74 and the catch 77
automatically locks the two together, so that when said lever 20 begins to
descend it will pull downward upon the cord 71 and turn the lifting lever 69
which will elevate the diaphragm arm and feed nuts and cause the carriage to
be returned to the starting place automatically during the return of the platform
to its elevated position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :--
1. The combination of a normally-elevated platform, a lever or levers support-
ing the front of said platform, a second lever, a flexible connection between the
rear end of the platform and the free end of the second lever, said parts being
relatively such that the platform maintains its horizontal position while moving
and power-transmitting devices actuated by the movenient of the platform.
2. The combination of a normally-elevated platform, diverging levers each
connected at one end to a common fulcrum to move in unison, one of said levers
being pivoted to the front end of the platform, a flexible connection secured at
one end to the rear end of the platform and leading over an idler and connected
at its other end to the end of the other lever, a counterbalancing weight, a con-
necting device attached at one end to said weight and at its other end to one of
said levers, and power-transmitting devices operated by said connecting device.
3. The improved slot phonograph, comprising a case, a phonograph contained
therein, a motor, a platform in connection with said motor, means for holding
said platform at a normal elevation, and means controlled by the inserted coin
for releasing said holding means, the said platform being movable vertically
while maintaining a horizontal position, and supporting means maintaining
said platform in said horizontal position during its descent and transmitting
power from said platform to said motor, substantially as set forth.
4. A coin-operated phonograph comprising a casing, a phonograph therein, a
motor, a platform in connection with said motor, means for holding said platform at
a normal elevation, means controlled by an inserted coin for releasing said holding
means, à lever extending forward to the front end of the platform, a chain attached
to the rear end of said platform, an idler over which said chain passes, and a lever
extending rearward from the fulcrumal point of the first lever and attached to
said chain, said levers and chain heing so related as that the platform will main-
tain horizontal position while moving through a vertical path.
5. The combination with the platform, the phonograph and the power-trans-
mitting devices, of a counterbalance weight, a cylinder into which said weight
moves, and a controlled air vent at the lower end of said cylinder permitting a
slot outflow of air whereby the return of the platform is retarded.

page_text: 6. The combination with a multiplex-cylinder phonograph, a gear on the
cylinder-shifting shaft thereof, and a clutch for fixing said gear to the shaft in
one direction of rotation, of a crank, a rod secured to said crank, a rack secured
to said rod and engaging said gear, a grooved way for said rack, and power-trans-
mitting devices for said phonograph.
7. In a motor for phonographs and the like, a platform, power-transmitting
mechanism, a ratchet operatively connected with said mechanism, a pawl to.
engage said ratchet, a bar to engage said pawl, and an arm to lock said bar in
engagement with the pawl, said arm being operated by an inserted coin to
release it from the bar and thus unlock the pawl.
8. In a motor for phonographs and the like, a platform, power-transmitting
mechanism, a ratchet connected with said mechanism, a pawl to engage said
ratchet, a pivoted bar to engage said pawl, a pivoted arm having near one end a
depending projection engaging said bar and normally locking the pawl in the
ratchet, the other end of said arm being in the path of a descending coin and operated
thereby to release the projection from said bar, and means for lifting and holding
the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet when the free end of said arm is
depressed.
9. In a motor for phonographs and the like, a platform power-transmitting
mechanism operated by the movement of the platform, a ratchet operatively con-
nected with said mechanism, a pawl to engage said ratchet, and a device engaging
the pawl to positively lock it in engagement with the ratchet, combined with
coin-operated mechanism to release said locking device from the pawl and a
spring-pressed rod to throw the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet when
the locking device is released from it.
10. In a motor for phonographs and the like, a platform, power-transmitting
mechanism, a ratchet connected with said mechanism, a pawl to engage said
ratchet, means for normally locking said pawl in engagement with the ratchet,
a rod connected with said pawl, a lever engaging the lower end of said rod, a
spring engaging said lever and means for holding said spring under tension
when the gearing is locked.
11. In a motor for phonographs and the like, a platform power-transmitting
mechanism, a ratchet connected with said mechanism, a pawl to engage said
ratchet, means for normally locking said pawl in engagement with the ratchet,
a rod connected with said pawl, a lever 20 movable with the platform, means for
causing said rod to normally move with said lever, and mechanism for kicking
said rod upward relatively to said lever when the pawl is unlocked.
12. In a motor for phonographs and the like, a platform, power-transmitting
mechanism, a ratchet operatively connected with said mechanism, a pawl to
engage said ratchet, a bar to engage said pawl, an arm to lock said bar in engage-
ment with the pawl, said arm being operated by the insertion of a coin to release
the bar and unlock the pawl, a rod pivotally connected with the pawl, and a
kicking lever operated automatically to raise said rod and throw the pawl out of
engagement with the ratchet.
13. In a motor for phonographs and the like, the combination with the plat-
form and the platform-supporting mechanism, including a lever 20, of the power-
transmitting mechanism, a ratchet connected with said transmitting mechanism,
a pawl to engage said ratchet, means for locking said pawl normally in engage-
ment with the ratchet, a rod pivotally connected with the pawl, a spring clip
connecting said rod to said lever, and a spring tending to press said rod upward.
14. In a motor for phonographs and the like, a platform, power-transmitting
mechanism, a ratchet connected with said mechanism, a pawl to engage said
ratchet, means for normally locking the pawl in engagement with the ratchet, a
rod connected with said pawl, a lever 20 movable with the platform, means for
causing said rod to normally move with said lever, an angle-lever 55, spring 58
and lever 60 arranged and operating, as specified.
15. The combination with the platform, the levers extending divergently from

page_text: a common fulcrum and moving in unison, one attached at one end to the front of
the platform and the other (20) connected with the rear end of the platform by a
flexible connection extending over an idler, and gearing operated by the move-
ment of the platform, of a ratchet 36, pawl 48, rod 54, lever 55, spring 58, arm 60,
means for causing said rod 54 -to move normally with lever 20 but permitting it
to be forced relatively thereto and means for normally locking the pawl, all said
parts being arranged and operating substantially as described.
16. The combination with the phonograph having a lifting lever attached to its
carriage, and the platform, of a lever (20) movable with the platform, a lever 74
pivoted to lever 20, means for normally locking the free end of lever 74 to
lever 20, said means being operated automatically to release said free end of
lever 74, and a connection between the lifting lever and the free end of lever 74,
as and for the purpose set forth.
17. The combination with the phonograph, having a lifting lever attached to
its carriage, and the platform, of a lever 20, a lever (74) attached to lever 20 a
lug 76, latch 77, detent 78 and cord 71, said parts arranged and operating
substantially as described.
18. The combination of the phonograph having a lifting lever attached to its
carriage, platform 15, levers 16 and 20, flexible connection 18, lever 74 pivoted
to lever 20, cord 71 connecting the free end of lever 74 with the lifting lever, and
means for normally locking said free end of lever 74 to lever 20, said locking
means being released as described.
19. The combination of the phonograph, having a lifting lever attached to its
carriage, platform 15, levers 16 and 20, Hexible connection 18, power-transmitting
mechanism having a sprocket 24, a counterweight, chain 23, lever 74 pivoted to
lever 20, cord 71, connecting the free end of lever 74 with the lifting lever and
means for locking said free end of the lever 74 to said lever 20, said locking
means being released in the manner described.
20. The casing, a phonograph therein, a platform, diverging levers moving
in unison, one connected with the front of said platform and the other (20) with
the rear thereof by a flexible device, a counterweight, gearing transmitting
motion to the phonograph, a ratchet connected with said gearing, a pawl for said
ratchet, a bar to engage said pawl, a locking mechanism for said bar released
therefrom upon the insertion of a coin, a rod pivotally connected with said pawl
and carried by lever 20, a lever to engage said rod, a spring to engage said lever
and force the rod upward relatively to lever 20, and a compressing device for the
spring between the same and lever 20.
41
1000