Improved Mechanism for Controlling the Motion and Use of Seats, Doors, Lids, and the like.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1838
Specification Accepted, 30th Nov., 1888
Improved Mechanism for Controlling the Motion and Use of Seats,
Doors, Lids, and the like.
I, BERTIE HALLETT, of No. 61, Charlotte Street, Portland Place, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, 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:-
My invention relates to improved mechanism for controlling the public use of seats,
doors, lids, and the like, by way of locking them against their being used; the locking
mechanism being adapted for release by pressure brought to bear upon a member of
it through the coin previously introduced into the said mechanism by the intending
user.
In order that my invention, and the means by which the same is to be carried into
practical effect, may be thoroughly understood, I will now proceed to describe them
in detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as
part of this specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of my invention to a public
seat, e.g., a park chair.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the improved locking and releasing mechanism which
is the subject of my invention.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation corresponding with Fig. 2.
Fig. is a sectional elevation illustrating a modified construction of lever and
curtain.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modified construction of my improved mechanism.
A is the chair seat pivotted or hinged to the frame; a, a pivot continued into the
interior of, B, the case which contains the locking and releasing mechanism.
returning spring b, is provided under the chair-seat.
A
C is the money-slit.; d, the intending user's coin; e, a coin-guide; and F, a cranked
locking lever, having its fulerum at f. The short end of this lever furnishes a seat
for the coin, and has a projection, g, formed upon it immediately in front of the said
His a ratchet wheel fast upon the pivot, a. The levers I, has a tooth, i, which
seat.
'

page_text: is kept in contact with the wheel by the spring, j; and also a stud, k, on its side.
L is a rocking lever having its fulcrum at l. Its opposite end engages with a
curtain, m, attached to the coin-guide, e. N is an eccentric fast upon the pivot, a,
in a position proper for engaging with the surfaces of a cavity in the lever, L, for the
purpose of moving it to and fro about its fulcrum.
O is a steadying pin projecting from the lever L, adapted to the purpose of
steadying the coin on its seat; and p, a stud upon the said lever so positioned that
the stud, k, shall ride over it for a certain distance for the purpose of keeping tho
tooth, i, out of the ratchet.
The operation of my invention constructed as above described is as follows.
The seat, A, being closed against the user by the returning spring as illustrated in
Fig. 2, a coin must be dropped into the coin-slit, C. The coin will drop down the
guide, e, on to its seat, upon which it will rest between the steadying pin, O, and the
projection, its top being embraced by the top of the guide. The seat, A, is now
pulled forward, and the eccentric on the same pivot throws the lever, L, to the front,
causing the latter to move the curtain, m, and the coin-guide, e, forwards, by which
motion pressure is brought to bear through the coin, d, upon the projection, g, with
the result that the lever, F, is moved on its axis against the pull of the spring,, and
the tooth,, lifted away from the ratchet. The seat can now be pulled down into a
horizontal position. The dotted lines in Fig. 2 show the relative positions of the
several parts of the mechanism when the seat is horizontal.
When the curtain is moved forward as above described, it closes the coin-slit, and
so prevents the insertion of a second coin while the seat is down.
The bottom of the case, B, serves as a till, the size of which may be determined by
experience. Access to the till is provided for by a suitable locking door.
In Fig. 4, the connection between the lever, L, and the curtain, m, is illustrated as
a rigid one. This necessitates both curtain and case-top being arc-shaped, the arcs
being struck of course from the axis of the lever.
I do not confine myself to the combination of curtain, coin-guide, coin-seat, and
projection, exactly as the same is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and described therewith,
inasmuch as it may be modified to the extent of dispensing with the coin-guide and
using the steadying-pin, O, (or a similar projection) for the purpose of transferring the
motion of the rocking lever through the coin to the projection on the coin-seat by
pushing the coin against the said projection.
at s.
Q is a
R is a
In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5, the seat, A, is pivotted at a.
prolongation forming with the seat, A, a lever, having its fulcrum in a.
toothed quadrant fixed to the side of the seat. S is a locking lever having its fulcrum
The upper end of it furnishes a seat for, the coin, d. T is a projection
corresponding with the projection, i, of Fig. 2. The lower end, st, of the lever is
adapted to engage with the teeth of the quadrant, R, under the action of the spring, j.
U is a link connecting the prolongation, Q, to a lever, v, having its fulcruin at v.
This lever, v, carries the coin-guide, e, and a curtain, e'.
The operation of the above described modification is as follows.
A coin having been dropped in at the coin-slit, C, it slides down the coin-guide, e,
and rests upon the coin-seat on the top end of the lever, S; about half of it, more or
less, remaining within the coin-guide. If the seat, A, is now pulled forward, the
lever, v, will push the coin against the projection, T, and move the nose, s, away from
the quadrant against the pull of the spring,. The coin, d, will drop from its seat as
the lever, S, is being moved. The dotted lines in the figure illustrate the relative
position of the various parts of the mechanism when the seat is in a horizontal
position.
The accompanying figures illustrate the application of my invention to a flap, the
axis of which is horizontal. In applying it to a door, the axis of which is vertical,
the necessary modifications will be confined to the position of the coin-shoot and guide,.
and the shape of the lever to enable it to connect with the slide, or instead of modifying
the arrangement of the mechanism as indicated the axis of the door may be connected
with that of the pivot, a, by a pair of mitre wheels.

page_text: 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 1
claim is :-
3
1. The combination of chair-seat, door, or lid moving about an axis outside itself,
and horizontal or vertical as the case may be curved ratchet fast upon the said axis,
locking lever adapted to engage with the said ratchet and to be released therefrom;
rocking lever adapted to be rocked by an eccentric fast upon the axis above mentioned;
coin-guide coin seat and projection thereupon; as the same is illustrated in Figs. 2, 3,
and 4 and described therewith.
2. The combination of chair-seat, flap, or door moving about an axis outside itself,
and horizontal or vertical as the case may be ; toothed wheel or quadrant; locking
lever having coin-seat and projection; rocking lever adapted to be thrown by the
motion of the flap; coin-guide projecting from said lever adapted to bear against tho
coin on the coin-seat, and by forcing it against the said projection to disengage
the locking lever from the toothed wheel or quadrant, as the same is illustrated in the
accompanying Fig. 5 and described therewith.
3. The combination of chair-seat, flap, or door moving about an axis outside itself,
and horizontal or vertical as the case may be; toothed quadrant; locking lever; coin-
seat movable coin-guide; and a link-and-lever device adapted to move the coin-guide
and coin projecting therefrom towards and against the locking lever, for the purpose
of disengaging the same from the toothed quadrant; as the same is illustrated in the
accompanying Fig. 5, and described therewith.
Dated this fth day of July 1888.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Patent Agents,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.