Improvements in and relating to Boxes, Chiefly Designed for the Reception of Charitable Contributions.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Boxes, Chiefly Designed for the
Reception of Charitable Contributions.
We, JOHN LOWE FEATHERSTONE of 5 Buxton Road, Chingford, in the County of
Essex, and ROBERT JOHN MILBOURNE of 71 Amhurst Road, Hackney Downs, in the
County of Middlesex Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
Our invention relates to boxes for the reception of coin which are arranged in con-
nection with working models or figures designed to be operated or set in motion upon
the introduction of a coin.
In boxes of this class as heretofore constructed it has been usual to impart motion
the
to the models or figures by means of clock mechanism or other motive power,
introduction of the coin simply serving to release a catch or the like which norinally
holds such mechanism inoperative.
The object of our invention is to provide a box in which the weight of the coins
serves to set the model or figures in motion and thereby to render the reinforcing of
the motive power from time to time unnecessary.
According to our invention we provide a wheel or its equivalent having two
or more money buckets or their equivalents. One of these money buckets is
normally beneath a slit in the box, through which the coins are introduced, the
said bucket being on one side of the vertical axis of the wheel so that the latter has a
tendency to rotate.
Catches normally hold the wheel steady, but the said catches are preferably arranged
in connection with the bucket so that when a coin is dropped into the latter it will
release the wheel.
The wheel is stopped before the bucket containing the coin reaches such a position
as to discharge the said coin so that when a coin is intoduced into another bucket
there will be the weight of two coins to impart the initial movement to the wheel.

page_text: The motion of the wheel may be cominunicated to the model or figures in any
suitable manner or the figures may he attached to arms secured to the shaft on which
the wheel is mounted or to the wheel itself.
We preferably also arrange in connection with the box a movable slide adapted
to be moved each time the wheel is rotated so as to disclose for instance the words
"thank you."
Daind the lo SN 1007
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in and relating to Boxes, Chiefly Designed for the
Reception of Charitable Contributions.
We, JOHN LOWE FEATHERSTONE, of 5, Buxton Road, Chingford, in the county of
Essex, and ROBERT JOHN MILBOURNE, of 71 Amhurst Road, Hackney Downs, in
the county of Middlesex, Engineers, 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 boxes for the reception of coin, which are arranged in
connection with working models or figures designed to be operated or set in motion
upon the introduction of a coin.
In boxes of this class as heretofore constructed it has been usual to impart motion
to the models or figures by means of clock mechanism or other motive power, the
introduction of the coin simply serving to release a catch or the like which normally
holds such mechanism inoperative.
The object of our invention is to provide a box in which the weight of the coins
serves to set the model or figures in motion, and thereby to render the reinforcing of
the motive power from time to time unnecessary.
According to our invention we provide a wheel or its equivalent having two
or more money buckets or their equivalents. One of these money buckets is
normally beneath a slit in the box through which the coins are introduced, the
said bucket being on one side of the vertical axis of the wheel so that the latter has a
tendency to rotate.
Catelies normally hold the wheel steady, but the said catches are, preferably,
arranged in connection with the bucket, so that when a coin is dropped into the latter
it will release the wheel.

page_text: The wheel is stopped before the bucket containing the coin reaches such a
position as to discharge the said coin, so that when a coin is introduced into another
bucket there will be the weight of two coins to impart the initial movement to the
wheel.
The motion of the wheel may be communicated to the model or figures in any
suitable manner; or the figures may be attached to arms secured to the shaft on which
the wheel is mounted, or to the wheel itself.
We preferably also arrange in connection with the box a movable slide adapted
to be moved each time the wheel is rotated, so as to disclose, for instance, the words,
thank you."
To enable our invention to be clearly understood we will describe how it may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice by reference to the accompanying
drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of apparatus constructed according to our invention.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation, the door of the case being removed; and
Figure 3 is a section on the line c, d, Figure 2.
a is the box or case of the apparatus, and 6 is a door for affording access to the
interior of the same.
c is the slit through which the coins are inserted into the apparatus, and d, d², d²
are the buckets for receiving the said coins. e is a guide or channel for conducting
the coins from the slit e to the buckets.
The buckets d, d', d² are carried upon arms, secured to a wheel g, the axis of
which is mounted in suitable bearings in the plates h, h.
i, are catches which are pivotted at 2, to the lower end of the channel e, the
said catches being provided with extensions j, j which project into the said channel,
and with other extensions k, k against which the uppermost bucket rests.
When
a coin of proper size is introduced into the slit e it passes through the channel e and,
in its passage, strikes the projections j,j, thereby moving the catches i, i laterally and
drawing the extensions k,k out of engagement with the bucket resting against them,
so that the wheel is free to rotate under the weight of the coin.
I is a pendulum carrying a pallet working in conjunction with an escapement
wheel and a train of wheels, one of which is secured on the axis of the wheel g.
This pendulum commences to oscillate automatically under the weight of the coins,
and serves to prevent the wheely from rotating too rapidly.
As shown in the drawing the motion of the wheel is utilized to move the
figures m, m relative to the opening n in the picture o, so as to produce the representa-
tion of a youth pushing a wheel barrow containing a coin from one building to
another across a bridge. The figures m, m are arranged to alternate with the money
buckets, so that one figure will pass the opening each time a coin is introduced
into the apparatus.
p is a board or blind placed behind the plane in which the figures m, m move, as
shown in Figures 2 and 3, in order to prevent the interior of the apparatus from being
seen through the opening a.
is a guard which is bent to the are of a circle concentric with the circular path of
the money buckets. This guard prevents the coin last introduced into the apparatus
from falling out until the insertion of a second coin; so that the weight of two coins
is uitlized for the initial movement.
r is an inclined surface down which the coins slide as they are discharged from the
money buckets.
s is the slide for returning thanks for contributions received. As shown this slide
has on its upper portion, which is normally visible through an opening s¹ in the
picture o the word "cashier" and on its lower portion the word "thanks." The
slides is attached to a cord on the pulley t, which pulley is adapted to be rotated by
the impingement of one of the money-buckets upon a lever u, connected by a cord or
wire u to an arm on the said pulley and in such a manner that the slide is raised so
that the word "thanks" is visible through the opening s¹.

page_text: The operation of our apparatus is as follows, that is to say-Suppose the parts
to be in the position shown in Figure 2, if now a coin is inserted into the slit c
it will, in dropping into the bucket d, move the catches i, so that the wheel
is free to rotate in the direction of the arrow under the action of the coin, which
rotation continues until the bucket 2 is stopped by impinging against the extensions k, k
of the catches i, . During this rotation one of the figures m is caused to pass in
front of the opening a, and the slides is raised as hereinbefore described. When a
coin is next introduced into the bucket the movement before described is repeated,
except that in this movement the coin which had been previously deposited in the
bucket and retained therein by the guard q is discharged as soon as the said bucket
reaches the extremity of the guard.
We wish it understood that we do not limit the application of our invention to a
picture or representation of the kind hereinbefore described, as it is obvious that
the weight of the coin may be utilized for producing motion for operating any other
representation.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The combination with a box for the receipt of charitable or other contributions,
of mechanism, such as herein described, whereby the weight of the coins introduced is
utilized for imparting motion to objects or figures, substantially as, and for the purpose,
set forth.
1
2. In a box containing mechanism adapted to be operated by the weight of
coin, the employment of a pendulum for controlling the motion of the apparatus, sub-
stantially as described.
3. In a box containing mechanism adapted to be operated by the weight of coin,
the arrangement of two or more money buckets upon a common axis, substantially
as described.
4. In a box containing mechanism adapted to be operated by the weight of coin,
means whereby the coin last inserted into one of the buckets of the apparatus is not
discharged until a coin is introduced into another bucket, substantially as, and for the
purpose, described.
5. The manufacture and use of the improved apparatus hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 21st day of July 1888