Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Delivery of Cigarettes, Cigars, Boxes of Matches, and other Goods, on the Insertion of a Coin of the Proper Denomination in the said Apparatus.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 25th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 26th Apr., 1887.
DESERV
Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Delivery of Cigarettes,
Cigars, Boxes of Matches, and other Goods, on the Insertion of a
Coin of the Proper Denomination in the said Apparatus.
I HENRY AUGUST SCHLUND, of the Kynoch Gun Factory, Aston Cross, Birmingham,
in the county of Warwick, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the automatic delivery of
cigarettes, cigars, boxes of matches and other goods on the insertion in the apparatus
of a coin of the value of the article to be delivered.
The apparatuses hitherto constructed for this purpose have not really effected an
automatic delivery of the goods but have generally required a drawer or slide to be
pulled out or pushed in to obtain the article paid for, and in some cases the purchaser
has been required to close the drawer after taking therefrom the article paid for; the
construction of the apparatus. has also been such that they can be tampered with by
the use of a wire, flat pieces of metal or wood, or by coins at the end of string, or by
waxed pence whereby the apparatuses have been easily put out of order or goods have
been obtained therefrom without being paid for. Other, difficulties have also been
met with, for example, the coin was not heavy enough to work boxes automatically
except for a light weight, say a column of fifty cigarettes. There has been uncertainty
owing to the penny having to descend and the slot being open. Then besides, two
half pennies would not be found to work, because if in the pusher. boxes a halfpenny
was employed a certain impetus is given so that it weighs as much as a light penny.
By my improvements these defects are obviated and I provide an apparatus which
is practically automatic in its delivery of the goods paid for and if the apparatus does
get injured or out of order such fact is indicated so that purchasers would not make
use of it.
In carrying out my improvements I provide a box or case with an opening through
which the coin is placed on a weighted bell-shaped balance just about the size of the
coin, say a penny, and this balance receives the said penny or two halfpennies; to
the balance is adapted an escapement arrangement. When the required coin is

page_text: inserted in the opening the balance moves and closes the opening and the pallets allow
the escapement wheel to make one forward movement. A spring such as a watch or
clock spring is provided of the required strength and number of turns such that when
wound up by any suitable device it will exert its power in unwinding until the box is
empty. The spring in unwinding acts on a great wheel gearing with an intermediate
wheel in gear with a wheel on the escapement wheel, so that when the intermediate
wheel is released by the escapement wheel it is moved by the action of the spring.
The coin on dropping from the balance passes down a shoot and collects at the bottom
_ of the apparatus-The intermediate wheel by any suitable arrangement communicates
motion to an endless band provided with troughs and as the band moves these troughs
are brought opposite the divisions containing the cigarettes (or other articles) and
the width of the troughs being greater than that of the divisions the articles will drop
by grayity into the troughs as the band revolves and he passed onto an incline and
will roll out of the delivery opening.
By my improved arrangement it will be obvious that the prepaid articles being
delivered automatically the great defect of having to pull out and close a drawer or
slide or to push in a slide is obviated; also that, my arrangement the coin is placed
direct on a balance instead of into a shoot as hitherto, and further that as in my
arrangement the tilting of the balance closes the opening frand is to a very great extent
rendered impossible.
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.
-Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Delivery of Cigarettes,
Cigars, Boxes of Matches, and other Goods, on the Insertion of a
Coin of the Proper Denomination in the said Apparatus.
I. HENRY AUGUST SCHLUND, of the. Kynoch Gun Factory, Aston Cross,
Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, Civil Engineer, 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 improvements in apparatus for the automatic delivery of
cigarettes, cigars, boxes of matches, and other goods, on the insertion in the apparatus
of a coin of the value of the article to be delivered.
The apparatuses hitherto constructed for this purpose have not really effected an
automatic delivery of the goods but have generally required a drawer or slide to be
pulled out or pushed in to obtain the article paid for, and in some cases the purchaser
has been required to close the drawer after taking therefrom the article paid for; the
construction of the apparatuses has also been such that they can be tampered with by
the use of a wire, flat pieces of metal or wood, or by coins at the end of string or by

page_text: waxed pence whereby the apparatuses have been easily put out of order and goods
have been obtained therefrom without being paid for. Other difficulties have also been
inet with, for example, the coin was not heavy enough to work boxes automatically
except for a light weight say a column of fifty cigarettes. There has been uncertainty
owing to the penny having to descend and the slot being open. Then besides two half
pennies would not be found to work, because if in the pusher boxes a halfpenny were
employed a certain impetus would be given so that it would practically weigh as much
as a light penny.
By my improvements these defects are obviated and I provide an apparatus which
is practically automatic in its delivery of the goods paid for and if the apparatus does
get injured or out of order such fact is indicated so that purchasers would not mako
use of it.
In carrying out my improvements I provide a box or case with an opening through
which the coin is placed on a weighted sector-shaped balance just about the size of
the coin, say a penny, and this balance receives the said penny or two half pennies ;
to the balance is adapted an escapement arrangement. When the required coin is
inserted in the opening the balance moves and closes the opening and the pallets allow
the escapement wheel to make one forward movement. A spring such as a watch or
clock spring is provided of the required strength and number of turns such that when
wound up by any suitable device it will exert its power in unwinding until the box
is empty. The spring in unwinding acts on a wheel gearing with a pinion on the
arbor of a wheel which is in gear with a pinion on the escapement wheel, so that when
the said gear wheels are released by the escapement wheel they are moved, by the
action of the spring. The coin on dropping from the balance passes down a shoot
and the coins are collected at the bottom of the apparatus. The said gearing by any
suitable arrangement communicates motion to an endless band or chain provided with
troughs and as the band or chain moves these troughs are brought opposite the
divisions containing the cigarettes (or other articles) and the width of the troughs
being greater than that of the divisions the articles will drop by gravity into the
troughs as the band or chain revolves and be passed onto an incline or curve and will
roll out of the delivery opening.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
how it can be carried into practical effect by reference to the accompanying drawing
in which figure is a side elevation of an apparatus constituted according to my
invention and adapted for the automatic delivery of cigarettes on the insertion of a
coin of the proper denomination, the side of the casing being removed; figure 2 is a
front view of the mechanism of the apparatus the whole of the casing being removed.
Similar letters in both the figures represent similar parts.
A represents the box or case of the apparatus and a, is the opening therein through
which the coin is inserted into the apparatus; b, is the weighted sector-shaped balance
pivotted at c, and provided at its front end formed with a plate d, just about the size
of the coin (say a penny) required to operate the apparatus, and with a curved plate
or shutter e above the plate d, serving to close the opening a, when the balance is
operated by the insertion of a coin; a space is left between the front edge of the
plate d, and the opening a, so that if dirt, shot or the like be passed through the
opening a it will drop down into the shoot p, without operating the apparatus; f, is
the counterweight at the opposite end of the balance b; 7, 9, are the pallets, and h, is
the escapement wheel, the said pallets being operated by the balance b, on the insertion
of a coin so as to allow the escapement wheel to make one forward movement;
i, (figure 2) is the barrel containing the clock spring and j, is the wheel directly
operated by the same; k, is the pinion into which the wheel j gears, and 7, is the
wheel on the arbor m, of the pinion k; n, is the pinion on the arbor o, of the escape-
ment wheel h, into which pinion the wheel 1, gears; p, is the shoot down which and
into the bottom of the apparatus the coin passes on dropping from the balance b; on
the arbor 0, of the escapement wheel is a wheel q, gearing with a wheel r, on the
shafts, of a drum t, round which and round another drum u, (figure 1) at the bottom
of the apparatus passes the endless chain e, provided with troughs w; a, a, a, are the

page_text: divisions containing the cigarettes y, y, y, from which divisions the cigarettes drop
into the troughs we, as the chain r, is moved round the drums by the hereinbefore
described gearing;, figure 1 is the inclined or curved surface onto which each
cigarette passes when it has reached the top of the drum t, and whence it passes down
the inclined plane a', out through an opening 1, in the front of the casing A.
To prepare the hereinbefore described apparatus so as to be ready for use the
required quantity of cigarettes y, is placed therein through any suitable opening
provided with a door (not represented upon the accompanying drawings) and the
spring of the clockwork mechanism is wound up in the ordinary manner.
When it is desired to obtain a cigarette from the hereinbefore described apparatus,
a penny is passed through the opening a, or to the plate d. The weight of the coin
thus added to the outer end of the balance b, causes it to operate and release one of
the pallets g, from the escapement wheel h, which thereby, under the influence of the
before mentioned clock-spring, moves forward to the extent of one tooth. When so
moving, the wheels 9: and , are similarly caused to operate and the chain or band e,
is moved so that the cigarettes supported in the troughs w, thereon, are carried
upwards, the uppermost or most forward cigarette being raised, by moving over the
inclined or curved surface, out from its trough e, whence it rolls down the inclined
plane a, and out through the opening 61, into the purchaser's hand or into a tray or
the equivalent thereof arranged to receive it. The penny after having caused the
balance b, to be deflected as hereinbefore described, slides by its own gravity off from
the plate d, and falls down the shoot p, to the bottom of the case A from which part
all such pennies may be collected from time to time as desired, admission to the
interior of the case A at this part being had through an opening provided with a
suitable door. So soon as the penny has fallen from the balance b, the weight,
causes the said balance to move back to its normal position so as to be ready for
delivering a further cigarette.
By my improved arrangement herein-before described it will be obvious that the
prepaid articles being delivered automatically the great defect of having to pull out
and close a drawer or slide or to push in slide as has generally been necessary in
apparatus hitherto constructed, is obviated; and that, as in my arrangement, the coin
is placed direct on a balance instead of into a shoot as hitherto, and the tilting of the
balance closes the opening, fraud is to a very great extent rendered impossible.
I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to the use of clockwork actuating
mechanism and escapement arrangement.in apparatus for the automatic delivery of
prepaid goods as such have been before employed.
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 apparatus of the kind herein before described and operated by clockwork
mechanism for the automatic delivery of goods on the insertion of a coin of the proper
denomination in the said apparatus the use of an inclined plane or curve such as z,
of a balance, with plate d, of a shutter e, and of divisions æ, for the goods,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of parts forming the improved apparatus for the automatic
delivery of goods on a proper coin or coins being inserted in the apparatus as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
1
551
CAL 1007