Improved Apparatus for Delivering Astrological Predictions in Exchange for Coin.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 28th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Delivering Astrological Predictions in
Exchange for Coin.
JOHN ROBERT HUGHES Horological Mechanic and Phrenologist 10 Bartholomew
Close London E.C. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct an automatic astrologer, and is
intended to interest and amuse that credulous class of people who believe in that
long exploded science "astrology," according to the teachings of that science it is
predicted that a person born at a certain hour, or minute, upon a certain day in a
given month and year, is under the influences of certain ruling planets the whole of
their life, and by obtaining a horoscope, which an astrologer constructs by what is
termed casting their nativity, are enabled to get an insight into their future. Now
to carry my invention out strictly in accordance with this so-called science, would
necessitate a complicated and expensive arrangement of significant coin slots and
delivery arrangements to correspond with each hour, day, month and year since
1792 and would consequently not be practicable for general automatic purposes, I
therefore prefer to employ only the months, or the months and days of the week.
In constructing this automatic astrologer, I should use an automatic delivery
apparatus having twelve different deliveries, each corresponding to a month from
January to December, each delivery would be provided with a hopper and money
slot, within the hopper would be stored the little folded cards or tickets, each
having astrological delineations upon them according to the month of the year,
which may be obtained from the machine by inserting a coin in the money slot
which would actuate or release the delivery arrangement so that a person say,
born in January, by inserting the required coin in the money slot marked January,
would obtain a card with astrological predictions in accordance with the teachings
of that science.
Ninth day of Novembar 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Delivering Astrological Predictions in
Exchange for Coin.
I, JOHN ROBERT HUGHES of 10 Bartholomew Close in the County of London
Horological Mechanic and Phrenologist 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 construct apparatus by means of which,
astrological predictions of various kinds can be obtained in exchange for coins of
predetermined value.
According to astrologers a person is for the whole of his or her life under the
influence of the planet which was in the ascendant at the time of his or her birth.
Based on this, an astrologer, having ascertained the date of birth with the hour and
minute, can cast the nativity and obtain a horoscope of any person, said horoscope
being regarded as a prediction of the future events of the life of the person to
whom it applies. Now, to carry out my invention strictly in accordance with
astrological principles would necessitate the use of a coin freed delivery apparatus
with horoscopes for every minute, hour, day, month and year for the last eighty or a
DQ77

page_text: hundred years, obviously a very complicated and expensive arrangement, and quite
impracticable for ordinary coin freed purposes. I therefore prefer to employ only
the names of the months, or of the months and days of the week, and to construct
my apparatus to deliver astrological predictions for each of the months or for the
months and days of the week.
In carrying out my invention, I provide a number of cards, tickets or the like, on
which are printed, embossed, or otherwise marked or impressed astrological pre-
dictions of various kinds. These astrological predictions, cards, tickets or the like
I store in compartments in a coin freed apparatus of any construction suitable for
multiple delivery. Each compartment has a separate coin-shoot in communication
with a coin slot in the outer case on which latter and adjacent to the coin slot is
the name of the month or day, or months or days to which astrological prediction
cards, tickets or the like in the corresponding compartment are applicable.
The accompanying drawing shews a front elevation of a coin freed delivery
machine for obtaining in exchange for coins astrological predictions for the various
months of the year. A is a plate secured to the front B of the machine and having
six coin slots C therein, above which are the names of the months from January to
June inclusive, below being the signs of the zodiac corresponding with said months.
A is a similar plate having six other coin slots C¹ and the names and signs of the
months from July to December inclusive. I have arranged these twelve coin slots
in two sets of six one above the other for the sake of convenience but they may be
arranged in one straight line or otherwise according to the construction of the
interior mechanism or other requirements. D and D are the delivery drawers.
The coin freed mechanism which I prefer to use is that described in the
Specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanying my application for
Patent No. 12500 of 1892 but any multiple coin freed delivery mechanism may be
-employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) In combination with multiple coin freed delivery mechanism the names of
the months, days, or other time divisions painted or otherwise marked on the
outside of the case containing the delivery mechanism each time division being
adjacent to a coin slot communicating with a compartment in which are stored
astrological predictions corresponding with the time divisions aforesaid, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying
drawings.
(2) In combination (a) apparatus for delivering astrological predictions in
exchange for coin, (b) the names of the months, days, or other time divisions
painted or otherwise marked on the outside of the case and adjacent to a coin slot
communicating with a compartment in which are stored astrological predictions
corresponding with the time divisions aforesaid, and (c) cards tickets or the like on
which are printed embossed, or otherwise marked or impressed astrological pre-
dictions corresponding with the time divisions exposed on the outside of the case,
said cards tickets or the like being stored in compartments of the coin freed
mechanism from which they can be obtained in exchange for coins, substantially as
herein before described.
Dated this 11th day of Sentember 1803
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.