Improvements in or relating to Coin-operated Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1889-Accepted; 24th Aug.,
1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Coin-operated Machines.
We, EDWARD HUNTLEY HARLING of 14 Ashburnham Villas, Sainsbury Road,
Gipsy Hill, Electrician, and CHARLES BENJAMIN AIRD of 17 Evelina Road, Nunhead,
both in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the shoot and detent mechanism of such machines as the
weighing, shocking, or delivery machines now so largely used in public places; there
is however this fundamental difference that while such machines are automatic in
action, the mechanism about to be described can only be operated by the act of the
person using the machine in addition to the placing in the coin.
A suitable opening in the case allows the coin to fall upon a spring or lever which
besides making the contact for ringing a bell or otherwise giving an alarm allows a
detent which normally holds the money shoot in place to move and thus free the
shoot which being jointed or hinged can now. be moved by a push pull or equivalent
outside the case. The bottom of this shoot being open this movement causes the
coin previously retained in the shoot by the spring or lever to be moved off the latter
and it then falls into the bottom of the case or into a receptacle provided for the
purpose. The movement of the shoot operates a spring or weight controlled lever
which moves a detent out of the way of the sliding core or attachment of the
shocking machine (or other moving part of the machine according to the particular.
machine to which this mechanism is applied) so that it can now be moved. The spring
controlled lever returns to its normal position immediately upon the release of the.
external push or pull but the detent remains where it is left by the moving of the
sliding core or other part.
When the sliding core or other part is released it passes back usually sharply under
the influence of a spring and after passing the catch of the detent comes into contact.
with and turns an angle lever which in turning replaces the detent which now prevents
a new movement of the sliding part until another coin has been placed in the
instrument and the detent thus again been released. The detent can if desired bet
replaced by a spring or weight instead of in the manner just described but as this.
would require continual operation of the push until the instrument was in operation
we usually prefer not to employ such means of replacing it.
The push may be arranged to be operated by the person using the instrument or.
by some attendant as for example the barmaid at a public house.
It will be noticed that the instrument as above described might possibly be operated
by a knife or wire and we therefore prefer to use in connection with the money shoot
above mentioned a protector which may be placed either inside or outside the case.
as desired; this protector may be constructed as follows.
This protector may either form part of a machine casing or coin shoot, or be formed.
separately and fastened on; its exterior form is immaterial and it may be made of
any suitable material, preferably metal.
A preferably horizontal slit receives the coin which enters into the interior of the
protector in an upward direction supported on its edges by ledges provided for the
purpose and so spaced as to allow any smaller coin than that for which the protector
is intended to fall between them down the hollow interior. In the case of automatic
delivery or similar machines a smaller coin whether it returned to the owner or not
would not operate the mechanism. The proper coin when inserted and pushed onto
the ledges would return by its own weight being directed by the projecting end of
an inner plate into a narrow shoot inside the protector and would thus be directed as

page_text: might be required. The inside of the top is slanted upwards and backwards and
preferably the outside also, so as to prevent as much as possible the inside from being
tampered with.
Dated this 20th day of September 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Coin-operated Machines.
We, EDWARD HUNTLEY HARLING, of 14 Ashburnham Villas, Sainsbury Road,
Gipsy Hill, Electrician and CHARLES BENJAMIN AIRD of 17 Evelina Road, Nunhead,
both in the County of Surrey, 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 the shoot and detent mechanism of such machines as the
weighing, shocking, or delivery machines now so largely used in public places; there
is however this fundamental difference that while such machines are automatic in
action, the mechanism about to be described can only be operated by the act of the
person using the machine in addition to the placing in the coin.
A suitable opening in the case allows the coin to fall upon a spring or lever which
besides making the contact for ringing a bell or otherwise giving an alarm allows a
détent which normally holds the money shoot in place to move and thus free the
shoot which being jointed or hinged can now be moved by a press button or equivalent
outside the case. The bottom of this shoot being open this movement causes the coin
previously retained in the shoot by the spring or lever to be moved off the latter and
it then falls into the bottom of the case or into a receptacle provided for the purpose.
The movement of the shoot operates a spring or weight controlled lever which moves
a détent out of the way of the sliding core or attachment of the shocking machine
(or other moving part of the machine according to the particular machine to which
this mechanism is applied) so that it can now be moved. The spring controlled lever
returns to its normal position immediately upon the release of the external push or
pull but the detent remains where it is left by the moving of the sliding core or other
part.
When the sliding core or other part is released passes back usually sharply under
the influence of a spring and after passing the catch of the detent comes into contact
with and turns an angle lever which in turning replaces the detent which now
prevents a new movement of the sliding part until another coin has been placed in
the instrument and the detent thus again been released. The detent can if desired be
replaced by a spring or weight instead of in the manner just described but as this
would require continual operation of the push until the instrument was in operation
we usually prefer not to employ such means of replacing it.
The push may be arranged to be operated by the person using the instrument or
by some attendant as for example the barmaid at a public house.
It will be noticed that the instrument as above described might possibly be operated
by a knife or wire and we therefore prefer to use in connection with the money shoot
above mentioned a protector which may be placed either inside or outside the case as
desired this protector may be constructed as follows:-
This protector may either form part of a machine casing or coin shoot, or be
formed separately and fastened on; its exterior form is immaterial and it may be
made of any suitable material preferably metal.
A preferably horizontal slit receives the coin which enters into the interior of the
protector in an upward direction supported on its edges by ledges provided for the
purpose and so spaced as to allow any smaller coin than that for which the protector
is intended to fall between them down the hollow interior. In the case of automatic
delivery or similar machines a smaller coin whether it returned to the owner or not

page_text: would not operate the mechanism. The proper coin when inserted and pushed onto
the ledges would return by its own weight being directed by the projecting end of an
inner plate into a narrow shoot inside the protector and would thus be directed as
might be required. The inside of the top is slanted upwards and backwards and
preferably the outside also, so as to prevent as much as possible the inside from being
tampered with.
In the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a plan of portion of a coin-operated or released electrical machine
showing our improvements applied thereto this application of our invention to an
electrical machine being merely given as an example as the improved features there
shown as applied may with but substantially little or no alterations be correspondingly
applied to other coin-operating machines.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line a-b of figure 1 looking towards the front
of the machine, fig. 3 being a similar section on the line c-d of figure 1.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views showing the operations of the money shoot.
Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a vertical and a horizontal section (the latter taken
on the line e-f of figure 7) of the protector for the money shoot which is shown in
section in figure 7.
Fig. 9 is a vertical section through a portion of the machine showing the press
button by which the coin shoot is operated.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A A¹ figure 7 is an opening in the machine case lid E and through which is to be
dropped the coin for releasing the mechanism the said coin for this purpose falling
into an open-ended tubular tilting shoot B and on to one end of a lever C. The
shoot B as shown clearly in figures 1 and 6 is provided with two lugs B₁ through
both of which is passed a pin B2 for pivotting the said shoot to the brackets D
which are carried upon a plate D rigidly secured to the partition E2 of the machine
case E. Encircling the pin B2 is a spring B³ the ends of which are respectively
secured to one of the brackets D₁ and shoot B in such manner. as to tend always to
move the said shoot in the direction indicated by the arrow in figure 5. B₁ is a
wire or it may be two projections secured to the lower part of the shoot at one sido
and B is a lever arm secured to the upper part of the shoot at the other side
and projecting forward over the spring B and through a recess in the partition E³
as shown clearly in figures 1, 4, 5 and 6. The plate D besides carrying the
brackets D also carries brackets D2, D3 and D and a stop D against which stop
the spring B³ presses the tilting shoot B when the said shoot is in its normal
position as shown most clearly in figures 4 and 6. To the bracket D2 is pivotted an
arm or detent F provided with a recess F1 and a curved or inclined end surface F
this detent being normally supported in the position in which it is shown in full
lines in figures 3 and 6 by the lighter end of the before mentioned lever C upon
which it rests and in this position when the machine is ready to receive a coin the
recess F¹ engages with one end of the wire B and thus prevents the said machine
from being used until after a coin has caused the free end of the arm to descend as
hereinafter described. To the bracket D³ is pivotted the bell-crank lever H H' in
the arm H of which is formed a preferably partly circular recess H² which as shown
in figure 5 is adapted to engage with the end of the wire B opposite to that with
which is adapted to engage the recess F¹ of the detent F. The arm H of the
lever H His provided with a recess H³ or it may be a slot for receiving one end J¹
of a lever J formed of a rod bent so that the two arms J and J2 of this lever
will practically be at right angles to each other the portion of the rod connecting
these two arms and constituting the fulcrum of the lever being pivoted in stationary
brackets J3 secured to the adjacent wall of the machine case E. De is a stop
which is secured in the bracket D³ and upon which the arm H of the lever H H
is supported when it occupies the position shown in figure 4 that is when the
machine is in its normal condition.
The before mentioned coin lever C is pivoted to the underside of the bracket D'
to which is also secured but electrically insulated therefrom one end of a contact

page_text: making spring K the opposite end of which is adapted to be pressed into electrical
contact with a screw K by means of the heavier end of the lever C. This screw K'
is carried in a bracket K³ secured to the partition E and is connected to one pole
of a battery by a suitable conductor the other pole of the battery being connected
with one terminal of the coils of an electric bell the other terminal of which is
directly connected to the fixed end of the spring K. By this construction it will
readily be understood that when the heavier end of the lever C is raised owing to the
depression of its lighter end by the additional weight. of a coin the said heavier end
raises the spring K into contact and thus completes the circuit through the battery
and bell which latter is thereby caused to ring and will continue to do until the
lighter end is again allowed to ascend.
LL' is a bell-crank lever pivotted to a plate L' which is secured to a platform E³
preferably of metal and extending from end to end of the case E¹, and L is another
lever pivoted to the same plate L. The arm L of the lever L L is adapted to
work in contact with the arin J* of the lever J as shown in figures 1 and 2 while the
other arm L of this lever is formed with a detent L³ or the like having a curved or
inclined face L'. The lever L² is formed with a projection L which extends
horizontally over the arm L and a vertical operative face I the right hand end of
which as at figure 1 is adapted to press against the front vertical side of the said
arm L and force the lever L L' back to the position in which it is represented in
figures 1 and 2 after it has been allowed to move from such position during the
operation as is hereinafter clearly explained.
M is a rod secured to one end of and adapted to move with the primary coil M²
of a shocking coil M the secondary coil of which for receiving such primary coil M
is marked M³ in figures 1 and 2. M is a pin secured in the rod M¹ and arranged
to bear against the projection L³ of the catch mechanism last described in the manner
shown in figures 1 and 2 (in the. former view in dotted lines) so as to move the
lever J back to its normal position, this pin also being engaged with by the detent L³
to prevent the apparatus (in the event of the hereinafter described latch P failing
to do so) from being used fraudulently. To the right hand end of the primary
coil M² as at figure 1 is secured a rod M³ which may be a continuation of the rod M¹
and the outer end of which is provided with an eye transversely in which is secured
another rod M. This rod M is supported in guides M² one of which is formed in
the front wall of the case and in which guides the said rod is free to be moved in a
horizontal direction, a screw and washer M at one end and the flange of a metal
knob or handle M serving to prevent any displacement of the rod M in the direc-
tion of its axis. N is another metal knob or handle rigidly secured to the case E by a
nut N or in other convenient manner and which knob and the knob M' constitute
the two terminals which are to be grasped by the persons desiring to use the machine
as hereinafter described the necessary conducting wires being connected to the said
knobs for this purpose. M10 is a spring one end of which is secured to the case E¹
or other stationary part and the other end of the rod M so as to tend always to
draw the said rod and the rods M5 and M¹ and primary coil M2 back to the
positions in which they are shown in figures 1 and 2.
00 is a lever constructed out of a rod bent to the form shown in figures 1 and 2
so that its central or fulcrum portion may be supported in bearings O² carried on a
bridge-piece 03 and so that the end of its arm O may be beneath the before men-
tioned lever arm B of the tilting shoot B and its other arm which is preferably
curved in the manner shown in figure 2 beneath a pin P¹ secured in the before
mentioned latch P. This latch as shown clearly in figures 1 and 2 is pivoted to the
case E' in such a manner that when in its lowermost or active position its notch end P*
see dotted lines in figure 2 receives the rod M which is thereby locked in its normal
. position.
Qis a press button projecting upwards above the upper surface of the lid E so
that it may be pressed downwards by the person desiring to use the machine Q
being a spring for returning it to its raised position which spring encircles the
button spindle Q' and is supported at its lower end by a collar Q³ secured to the

page_text: underside of the lid E. The lower end of the spindle is adapted to operate the
lever arm B through the slip mechanism now to be described and which mechanism
prevents the press button Q after it has been released and raised by the spring Q¹
to its normal position from again pressing down the arm B5 until after another coin
has been introduced.
This slip mechanism consists of a lever Q'Q' which is pivotted in the lower and
forked end of the spindle Q. The preferably pointed end Q of the arm Q bears
upon the arm B near one edge thereof as shown in figure 9 the other arm Q
being guided in a vertical slot Q formed in a bracket Q3 Q7 is a metal stop
for limiting the motion of the lever Q Q. This slip mechanism operates in the
following manner when the detent F by the introduction of a coin has been released
from the shoot B the said shoot may be tilted over by depressing the press button Q
the point Q then being upon the arm B so soon as the arm has been depressed to
near the position at which it is afterwards temporarily retained by the wire B
engaging with the recess H2, the arm Q comes into contact with the lower limit Q10
of the slot by which it is supported during the further downward movement of the
press button the point Q being thus drawn or moved over the edge of the arm B
so that the said arm cannot by the button Q be held down after one coin has been
discharged from the shoot B for the purpose of enabling the machine to be again used
without the introduction of another coin.
R figures 7 and 8 is the protector for preventing fraudulent releasing of the locking
device by means of a knife or other such instrument or by a coin of an improper size
or denomination. This protector is secured on the top of the lid E immediately over
the money opening A A which itself is immediately over the money shoot B. R' is
a horizontal slit formed in the front side of the protector through which slit all the
coins are to be passed before the machine can be used. R2 is a slanting roof closing
in the top of the protector and overhanging the slit R₁ so as to prevent the admission
of falling rain or dust or other matter which might injure or impede the working of
the machine. R³ is a guide plate preferably curved in the manner shown in figure 7
for conducting coins of a proper size to the channel A' to be dropped into the shoot B.
The upper part of the plate R³ is forked or recessed in such a manner that coins of a
size smaller than that by which the machine is designed to be released will pass
between the vertical edges R of such part and fall over the horizontal edge R
through the opening A but not into the shoot B the said coins being either conducted
to a suitable receptacle within the case E¹ wherein they are collected and withdrawn
from time to time or to a suitable outlet in the case for returning them to the persons
by whom they were introduced. A coin of a proper size when pushed in through
the slit R' is supported on the guides R as shown in full lines at Z in figure 7 on
which it slides upwards until the said coin is quite clear of the slit when it falls
forwards and downwards as indicated in dotted lines in figure 7 through the channel A¹
and into the shoot B.
If desired the guides R' instead of being connected together by a plate extending
to a height such as that indicated in figure 7 may be connected by a narrow strip
only.
The method of releasing the before described mechanism is as follows:-
Assuming the coin necessary for operating the machine to be a penny the person
desiring to use the machine introduces such a coin through the slit R' and pushes it
through until it is clear of the said slit when it will immediately fall through the
channel A into the shoot B and on to and depress the lighter end of the lever C;
the arm F always resting on such lighter end will by this means fall so that its
recess will be clear of the wire B' on the shoot. By the ascension of the heavier
end of the lever C the spring K is pressed into contact with the screw K' and thus
completes an electric circuit for ringing a bell or operating another signalling device
which may be contained within the case E or located outside the case at any desired
5 part. The intending user of the machine or instead it may be a regular attendant
then presses the button Q downwards which action by transferring the pressure to the
lever arm B¹ in the manner herein before described has the effect of tilting the shoot B

page_text: from the position in which it is shown in full to that in which it is shown in dotted
lines in figure 6 so that the penny is drawn across and falls over the edge of the lever C
into a drawer or other suitable receptacle from which it may afterwards be withdrawn.
The lever C now relieved of the weight of the penny immediately assumes its normal
position and allows the spring K to break contact with the screw K'and so causes the
ringing of the bell to cease. Besides effecting these operations the pressure upon the
button Q has also caused the leyers J J¹ and Ŏ O¹ to be operated, the former through
the wire B and bell crank lever H H and the latter through the lever arm B.
Through the end J' of the spring lever J J J' has been moved by the arm H of the
bell crank lever H H the extreme end of the arm J' has as yet not been moved that
being held back by the arm L of the bell-crank lever L L the movement thus
imparted serving merely to store
hook L³ from the path of the pin in the said lever force sufficient to move the
when the rod M¹ to which it is attached is after-
wards operated. The operation of the lever O O¹ has caused the latch P to be raised
from the position in which it is shown in full lines in figures 4 and 6 to that in which
it is shown in figure 5 and in dotted lines in figure 6 so that the notch P' is then
withdrawn from the path of the rod Me.
When the wire B of the shoot B engages with the semi-circular recess H2 in
the bell crank lever H H¹ the pressure then exercised by the arm J¹ upon the arm H
will cause the said wire to be retained in the recess H2 and will therefore retain
the said shoot and lever and consequently the parts operated by such shoot and
lever in the positions into which they have last been moved the machine then
being in its released condition and ready for use.
The intending user then with one hand grasps the fixed knob N in connection
with one pole of a battery and with the other hand the movable knob M' in
connection through the shocking coil M and a suitable contact breaker or interrupter
and switch with the other pole of the battery. He then moves the knob M° away
from the knob N and operates the switch so as to complete the circuit between
the said knobs, the person using the machine thus for the first time receiving the
shocking current in its mildest form. To intensify the current the user moves the
knob M farther away from the knob N and thus through the rod M³ causes
the primary coil M² to be moved in relation to the secondary coil M³ in the well known
manner the farther he moves the knob M' from the knob N the stronger will be the
current he receivės.
When by the moving of the knob M away from the knob N the pressure is
removed from the arm J and consequently that of the arm J' from the arm H the
spring B³ immediately returns the shoot B to its normal position ready for receiving.
another coin.
When the user releases the knob M° it is immediately drawn by the spring Mi
back to its normal position and the pin M slides over the curved face L of the
hook L³ and striking against the horizontal member Lº of the lever L³ causes its
before mentioned vertical edge L' to move the bell crank lever L L back to the
position in which it is shown in figure 1. When the shoot B is returned to its normal
position the raising of the lever arm B allows of the fall by its own weight of the
free end of the latch P as will be well understood the machine now again being in.a
locked condition and ready to be again used only after the introduction of another
coiu.
It is to be observed that in applying our invention to machines generally we may
arrange the latch P or some equivalent thereof so that it may be moved into and from
the path of some part of such machine as is necessary to be operated when working.
the said machine."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A tilting money shoot such as B constructed and operating substantially as
described and illustrated in the recomme in line

page_text: 2. In a mechanism such as described the combination with a pivotted money
shoot such as B of a lever arm such as B' by which it may be tilted and a wire
or projections such as B by which it may be locked in two positions sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a machine such as described the combination with a tilting money shoot
such as B of a lever such as C adapted to be operated by the coin and from
which the coin is removed by the tilting of the money shoot substantially as
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a mechanism such as described the combination with a tilting money shoot
such as B of a lever such as C adapted to make contact or operate a contact
making device for the purpose of giving a signal indicating the presence of a coin
in the shoot substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
5. Jn a mechanism such as described the combination with a tilting money shoot
such as B and a lever such as C of a detent such as F adapted to lock the shoot B
in its normal position substantially as herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
6. In a mechanism such as described the combination with a tilting money shoot
such as B of a bell crank lever such as H¹ H adapted to be turned by the said
tilting money shoot which it then locks substantially as and for the purpose
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
7. In a mechanism such as described the combination with a tilting money shoot
such as B of a lever such as 0 0₁ and latch such as P substantially as and for
the purpose herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. In a mechanism such as described the combination with a tilting money shoot
such as B and catch levers L L and L2 of a spring lever such as J J J2 the
whole constructed and operating substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
9. The catch mechanism consisting essentially of levers L L and L³ constructed
and operating substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
10. The slip mechanism consisting essentially of a press button spindle Q lever
such as QQ pivotted thereto and a slotted bracket such as Q constructed and
operating substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
11. The coin-slit-protector substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
12. A coin-slit-protector such as R in which the coin is introduced in an upward
direction and then by its own weight reverses the direction of its movement and
having curved or inclined coin guides such as R R* upon which the coin slides
if of proper dimensions or between which it drops if smaller than the proper
dimensions substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
13. As a whole the complete locking device or series of locking devices sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of June 1889.
EDWARD HUNTLEY HARLING.
CHARLES BENJAMIN AIRD.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.