Improvements in Coin Freed Latches or Locks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1893-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1893
Improvements in Coin Freed Latches or Locks.
A communication from AUGUST KARL MARIA HERMANN EVLER, of Dresden, in
the Empire of Germany, Merchant.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to enable a door or the like to be unlocked after
the insertion of a coin token or equivalent. The latch or bolt is freed or released
by the insertion of a coin, and may then be withdrawn to open the door by means
of a handle operated from outside. In doing this, the coin which has been intro-
duced is set free, and the coin-lever adapted to arrest or lock in position the said
latch or bolt, is made to engage with the same again. To open the lock from
within, another handle is arranged to be operated from the interior. It is only
necessary to turn this, to lift the coin lever out of engagement, after which the bolt
or latch is withdrawn.
The characteristic feature of the improved lock is, that it comprises two handles,
one of which enables the latch to be withdrawn from the outside after the coin
lever has been freed by the insertion of the coin, while the other serves to open the
lock from within without the insertion of a coin, and, in moving, raises the lever
out of engagement.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the lock with the cover or lid removed, and the
mechanism in the "closed" or locked position.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the lock and door the position of the parts
being the same as in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a similar section of the lock when opened or unlocked from the
outside.
Figure 4 is an elevation similar to Figure 1 but showing the position of the parts
while the lock is being opened from the inner side.
Like letters indicate like parts in the drawings.
A is the latch or bolt. Bis the coin-lever adapted to lock A in position. C is
the lever arm whereby the latch or bolt from the outside of the door is drawn
into the lock casing, D being a similar lever arm for performing the saine function
from the inside of the door. E is a shoot for the insertion of the coin. The bolt
or latch A is acted upon by the spring a tending to retain it always in the "closed"
or locked position. The latch A has a projection or shoulder a' at its back or
upper part whereby it engages with the front end or nose of the coin lever B.
The nose drops into engagement either by the weight of the arm of B which
carries it or by the action of a spring 1. 2 is the pivot on which the coin lever B
turns. The coin inserted through E first drops into the dish or equivalent mounted
on the coin lever B, which dish or equivalent preferably has the shape of a circular
ring, conically contracting in the. downward direction so as to allow coins of smaller
than the standard size to fall through without effect, while coins of the pre-
determined size are retained in the cup B' and lift the nose out of engagement
with a' after which it is only necessary to depress the external handle c attached
to the tumbler C to withdraw the latch or bolt A; while this is being done, a
mechanism connected with the latch, releases the coin.
The coin-dish B¹ consists of two parts, one of which, 63 is rigidly connected to
or formed integral with B while the other is connected with 3 by a joint 65.

page_text: A spring 6 tends to keep together the two parts so that they jointly form one
complete and substantially unbroken ring. The latch or bolt A carries a rod, on
the back portion of which there is a wedge-shaped piece f. When the latch or
bolt is withdrawn this wedge enters between 63 and 6 and presses 6 outwards
which has the effect of expanding or widening the cup B¹ to an extent sufficient to
allow the coin to fall through (Figure 3)..
The coin dish B¹ is for this purpose as illustrated in Figure 4 acted upon in an
identical manner when the lock is opened from within or without; only in the
former case it of course throws out no coin.
To unlock the latch or bolt A from the inside, the incline a of the latch is made
to engage with a slide 9 provided with a corresponding incline, and resting upon the
lever arm d of the spindle barrel D. A spring g' is arranged to lower the slide
when the handle d' is released. D may be operated by means of a suitable handle d¹
or equivalent provided at the inside of the door.
Before the slide 9 can meet the incline a the projection 92 or top of the
slide g must raise b out of engagement with a¹. It will thus be seen that the
-lock may be opened at any time from within, without the insertion of a coin.
To enable the legitimate owner or occupier and other authorized persons to open
the lock from the outside also, without the use of a coin, a key-hole h (Figures 1
and 4) may be provided above the coin-lever B for the introduction of a suitable
key the bit or ward of which is adapted to move the coin-lever out of engagement
either directly or indirectly. It will be understood that the details of the lock-
mechanism may be varied without departure from the principle of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
-same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
:―
1. In a lock the combination with a spring controlled sliding latch or bolt of two
lever arms acting upon it one from the inside and the other from the outside of
the door a coin-freed operated lever for locking the said latch or bolt mechanism
for releasing the coin when the said latch or bolt is withdrawn and mechanism
for lifting the coin-lever out of engagement when the latch or bolt is drawn back
from inside the door substantially as described.
2. In a lock with a spring controlled latch or bolt the combination with the
latch or bolt of two lever arms acting thereon, one of which is adapted through
the medium of a slide provided with an incline to push back the latch or bolt
after having through the medium of a projection disengaged the coin lever from
the bolt and mechanism for the releasing the coin when the latch is drawn back
from outside substantially as described.
3. In a lock with a spring controlled latch or bolt the combination with two
lever arms acting thereon and arranged to be operated one from the outside and
the other from the inside of the door a coin-freed locking lever a coin dish or cup
mounted on the said locking or coin lever a wedge-shaped piece connected with
the latch or bolt for opening or expanding the coin-dish and ejecting the coin
therefrom when the latch is moved back from the outside and mechanism for lifting
the locking lever out of engagement when the latch is moved back from the inside
substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of March 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham,
Agents for the Applicant.