Improvements in and relating to Coin-operated Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application. 29th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Coin-operated Machines.
I; FRANK ELLSWORTH HOUSH, a Citizen of the United States of America,
residing at Brattleborough in the County of Windham and State of Vermont, one
of the United States of America, Publisher, do hereby declare the nature of this.
nvention, 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 coin operating machines, in which, by
dropping a coin into a prepared receiver, the operating mechanism is unlocked
thereby causing the delivery of a specified article to the customer.
The objects of my invention are to provide an automatic delivery of a specified
quantity of toilet paper for each coin deposited in the machine, to record the
number of coins deposited and the number of pieces of paper delivered, and to give
notice when the paper is out, and to prevent the introduction of any coin when
there is no paper to deliver.
These objects I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
in which-
Figure 1 is a front view of the interior of a machine embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a detail view of the reciprocating screw and guide, separated.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of a modification of the same.
Figure 4 is an interior end view, showing the operating mechanism.
Figure 5 is an elevation of a portion of the outside front of the machine.
Figure 6 is an end view of the bobbin upon which the paper roll is carried.
Figure 7 is an interior view of the bobbin, showing roll holder.
: A, designates the box or casing, which may be constructed of iron or wood, as
preferred, and of rectangular form, and provided with three openings, a b c, on its
front side, and suitable doors on any of its sides.
B, is a roll of paper mounted on a tubular piece of paste-board of such diameter
as to be capable of sliding snugly over a central core or bobbin, C.
Bobbin, C, is made in length equal to the width of the paper roll and of about
two inches diameter, and is divided longitudinally into two unequal parts de, the
former of which is perforated from end to end as seen at f, in Figures 1 and 6, to fit
upon the shaft, D.
The part, e, of bobbin, C, is recessed in its central portion, shown at 1, Figure 7,
to receive a wedge-shaped sliding piece, 2, which is provided at its smaller end with
held in place centrally in a
a projecting, pin, 3, and a spiral spring, 4; said pin
hole or socket, 4', and spring, 4, pushes against the small end of wedge, 2.
larger end of wedge, 2, a set-screw, 5, abuts; by means of screw, 5, and opposing
spring, 4, wedge, 2, may be moved longitudinally in its recess, 1.
At the
51, 51, are pointed pins passing through lateral holes, 6, 6, in portion, e, of
bobbin, C. Pins, 5', are secured on their inner ends to flat springs, 7, which are
fastened in the recess so as to let their free ends retract pins, 5', when wedge, 2, is
moved away from said spring, 7.
Shaft, D, is of peculiar construction; on its outer end it carries a small pinion, g;
at about three quarters of an inch from the pinion is a right and left hand continuous
helical groove, E, which in the present illustration is adapted to move the shaft and
paper roll to the left during one and a half revolutions of said shaft, and then, by a
continuous motion of the shaft in the same direction, one and a half revolutions, the
shaft and paper roll are carried towards the right, thus allowing three revolutions
of the vibrator shaft to take place at each operation of the mechanism; to produce
said vibratory or to and fro or left and right hand motion of shaft, D, a long
bearing or box, F, is provided at the right hand end of said shaft (shown in

page_text: Figures 1, 2, 3) supported by a bracket, G, or in any suitable way. Box, F, is
enlarged laterally in its interior part, as shown at h, to receive a crescent-shaped
guide, H, adapted to run in grooves, E, of shaft, D, as shown in Figure 2.
In Figure 3 is shown a modification of parts shown in Figure 2. A yoke, H', is
provided with two oppositely placed guiding pins, i, in the manner of shaft
couplings; said guide pins engage with groove, E. The upper part of yoke, H, is
provided with a pivot or pin, 1, which is secured in working position by a perforated
screw, K, as shown in Figure 2..
L, is a circular plate, secured to shaft, D, so as to be close up to one end of box, F,
when the device is locked, as shown in Figure 1. On its outer face, plate, L, is
provided with a projecting pin, j, which is a part of the locking mechanism.
Mounted on suitable standards, near the lower part of the machine, is a tipping
shaft, M; secured to the inner end of said shaft is an arm, k, its outward end bent
downwards so as to engage with pin, j, of plate, L,.as shown in Figure 3.
At any convenient part of shaft, M, is secured an arm, l, its outer end large
enough to cover the bottom of coin conduit, N. Said coin conduit, N, is preferably
a flattened tube, as herein shown, and is perforated, at N; so that wires or other
instruments will not follow its course to the coin in the drawer.
O, is the coin receiving drawer, partly broken away in Figure 3 to show the
operation of the unlocking device above described.
P, is a drum secured to a large gear wheel, Q; on the inner side of gear wheel, Q,
and secured thereto is a cylindrical dial plate, R, divided so as to indicate from one
division to another that one coin has been dropped into the conduit, and one
measure of paper freed from the roll. .
S, is a flat spiral spring of sufficient length and power to run the machine for a
given length of time; said spring, S, is confined in drum, P, in the usual well known
manner.
Q, m, n, o, and g, designate a train of gearing arranged as shown in the drawings,
and so proportioned as to give shaft, D, three revolutions (or more or less, as desired)
and at the same time to move the indicator dial, R, one division for each coin
dropped into the coin conduit.
U, is a slot in the bottom of the machine for the delivery of the strip of paper, p.
V, is a knife secured near to and in front of the delivery slot, so that the slip of
paper may be cut off by pulling it against said knife.
A modification of the delivery apparatus is shown in broken lines in the several
figures, which can be substituted for that shown in solid lines. It consists in the
roller (2) underneath the paper roller which is properly connected to the gear
on the paper roller, by which the paper is fed out as the machine is put in
operation.
c, are roller weights, suspended above the paper roll to keep the paper close to
the roll.
In place of two roller weights, t, on top of the paper roll as shown in solid
lines, one roller, (5), as shown in broken lines, can be supported on spring
wire, 6.
W, is a sliding shutter, operated by a push-pin, q, secured to the outer edge of
the recording dial, R, in such relation to said shutter that, when the paper roll is
exhausted, shutter, W, will be pushed upwards, closing the coin inlet, and exposing
to view the word "Out."
r, is a ratchet wheel secured to. shaft, r, of gear, o; and s, is a pawl secured to
box, F; said pawl and ratchet prevent any backward motion of the machine.
Y, is a chamber in which to store an extra paper roll, or any desired dis-
infectant.
The operation of my machine is as follows:
The bobbin, C, is prepared to receive the paper roll by turning set screw, 5, s
as to permit spiral spring, 4, to push wedge, 2, upwards and cause the retraction of
pointed pins, 51, 5', within the holes, 6, 6; now the bobbin is smooth on its outer
surface and the roll of paper can be slid on. When the paper is on the bobbin,

page_text: screw, 5, is turned so as to force wedge, 2, against the inner ends of pins, 51, 5',
which pushes said pins outwardly into the paste-board core of the paper roll,.
securely holding bobbin and paper roll together.
The machine having been provided with a roll of paper on shaft, D, dial, R, turned
to zero, and the main spring wound, it is ready for use. We then drop a suitable
coin in the conduit, which falls upon arm, l, causing shaft, M, to tip downwards, and
locking arm, k, is thrown upwards out of engagement with detent, j, on plate, I,
thus releasing the mechanism.
By means of the train of gears above described, the paper roll is made to describe
three revolutions; while doing this the helical groove. E, in combination with .
yoke, H, causes plate, L, with its detent, j, to get out of contact with the locking
lever during the three revolutions of the bobbin shaft, and at the end of three
revolutions the mechanism is again locked by arm, k, and pin, i, coming into locking
position.
Arms, k, and I, are returned to their normal position by a spring, t.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine for automatically furnishing toilet paper, the combination of a
paper roll working upon a vibrator, a dial with a projecting pin on the outside
thereof, a coin lever in the form of a crank, a spring operating to move the lever
back to its normal position when displaced by the weight of a coin, a tube for
directing the coin onto the lever, said tube having in its first bend perforations to
prevent a wire or other instrument being forced down to the coin lever, a check or
locking device to check the backward movement of the machine, drop rolls to hold
the paper close to the roll as it leaves the machine, and a knife edge upon which to.
tear off the paper, substantially as described.
2. In a machine for automatically furnishing toilet paper, the combination of a
coin-operated device, a stop on the paper roll adapted to engage a locking arm on
said coin-operated device whereby said paper roll is released when said device is
moved by a coin, a spring-actuated train of gearing, a vibrator operated thereby
and carrying the paper roll to impart to the latter the desired number of revolutions
and carry it back to its starting point to bring the stop thereon into engagement
with the locking arm on the coin-operated device, a registering dial for indicating
the number of coins deposited and the number of pieces torn from the roll, said dial
being provided with a stud or lug, a sliding shutter operated by said stud on the
dial to close the coin tube at its mouth when the paper exhausted or when the
dial has made one revolution.
3. In a machine for automatically furnishing toilet paper, the combination of a
paper roll, a spring or weight-actuated gearing to revolve said roll after being
unlocked by the dropping of a coin, a registering dial or wheel to tell how much of
the paper is used, a coin tube for directing the coin to a lever having an arm.
adapted to engage a stop on the paper roll and release the same, said coin tube
being so perforated that wires or other instruments cannot be made to follow it, a
returning screw or vibrator, a half-circular yoke operated by the vibrator to give
the desired number of revolutions to the paper roll, a check or locking device to
check the backward movement of the machine, and an adjustable core or bobbin
holder to secure the paper firmly on the spindle of the machine, substantially as
described.
Dated this 50th day of Mb 1800
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.