Improvements in Coin Freed or Actuated Machines for Providing Amusements.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Freed or Actuated Machines for Providing
Amusements.
We, EDWIN CHAMBERS JOHN DEVIS, Engineer, of Laurel Cottage, School
Road, Moseley, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, and ARTHUR
RICHARD BROWNx, Engineer, of The Park, Harrow, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to coin freed or actuated machines which provide amuse-
ments by the exhibition, on moving parts of the machines, of series of mottoes,
figures, sketches, or other subjects supposed to be applicable to the operators or
amusing in themselves, and its objects are to increase the interest or amusement
afforded by the machines and to render the latter less liable to derangement,
actuation, and damage by the insertion of pieces of paper and other things essentially
different in shape, weight, size, or texture from the coin by means of which the
machine is intended to be actuated.
The former object we obtain by providing two or more sets of subjects, each set
capable of motion more or less independent of that of the others, or at least differing
from it in amount, so that any one subject of one series may be exhibited in
combination with any one of another series, by which means, with a moderate
number of subjects in each series, a very large variety of effects and meanings can
be obtained by their combinations, and by judicious arrangement of the subjects an
amount of grotesqueness or other amusing quality may be given to each combina-
tion which it is impracticable to give to a single motto, sketch, or other subject.
Thus we may provide, in juxta position to each other, two discs or drums and place
on one the first halves of a series of proverbs and on the other the second halves, so
that the combination exhibited is a proverb in form but generally ridiculous in
meaning Or we may arrange on one exhibiting member a series of sketches of
men, and on another a corresponding series of sketches of women, with mottoes,
quotations, or remarks supposed to be applied by the one series to the other, or by
the operator or the oracle to one or both series."
In one application of this invention we provide two or more concentric discs of
different diameters and, by means of suitable mechanism cause them to revolve
immediately behind the front of a case on which we represent, by painting or
otherwise, a figure or part of a figure of a person holding an outspread fan through
which is an opening disclosing one or more of the subjects carried by each of the
discs. The rest of the fan may be left continuous, or may be partially cut away,
or may be formed of lace or other open work, so as to partially but not clearly
disclose some of the subjects other than those supposed to apply to the operator.
In some cases we impart motion direct from the mechanism to each of the
exhibiting members, though not equal in amount and direction for each of them; in
others we give motion direct only to one or some of them and drive the other or
others from the former either by intermediate gear or merely by friction.
We prefer to provide a stop or stops for the purpose of ensuring that each of the
exhibiting members shall come to rest at some exact though indeterminate position
in relation to each of the others, and also, in some cases, in relation to the opening
through which the subjects are seen. This stop may be either a piere similar in
action to a slip pawl, or it may be a weight resting in the drum or dise, the latter
being so constructed that the former can only rest at certain specific points, or it
may be a combination of the two.
The second object we obtain by providing means whereby the proper coin is,
after insertion, shot forward over a clear space in the interior of the machine and

page_text: then caught and delivered into position for performing its proper function, while
smaller coins, pieces of paper, and other things differing essentially from the proper
coin drop down into the clear space.
We provide a short piece of shoot lending from the coin slot to the interior of the
machine in a horizontal or slightly inclined position, and near its outer end we
partially obstruct it by one or more projections kept in place by springs or weights.
The coin being pushed into the slot displaces the projection or projections as it
passes them and the recoil of the latter shoots the coin forward into its proper
receptacle, while anything essentially different from the proper coin in shape, size,
texture, or weight, is so little affected by the recoil of the projections that it falls
short of the receptacle provided for the coin and cannot therefore actuate or derange
the machine, there being provision for keeping such things clear of the mechanisin
after they have fallen down.
Sometimes we provide a brush so proportioned and arranged that the coin strikes
it edgewise and euters or passes through it, while anything much lighter, softer,
rougher, or thicker is caught up by it and passed off to one side. This brush many
b made with metallic bristles and in two parts forming the two poles of the circuit..
so that the coin, when passing through, completes the circuit through the electro-”
motor.
11.1900
EDWIN C. J. DEVIS.
ARTHUR R. BROWN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Coin Freed or Actuated Machines for Providing
Amusements.
We, ARTHUR RICHARD BROWN, Engineer, of The Park. Harrow, in the
County of Middlesex, and Enwis CHAMBERS JOHN DEVIS, Engineer, of Laurel
Cottage. School Road, Moseley, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, 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 coin freed or actuated machines, which provide amuse-
ments by the exhibition, on moving parts of the machines, of series of mottoes,
figures, sketches, or other subjects, supposed to be applicable to the operators or
ausing in themselves, and its objects are to increase the interest or amusement
afforded by the machines and to render the latter less liable to derangement,
nctuation, and damage by the insertion of pieces of paper, and other things
essentially different in shape. weight, size or texture from the coin by means of
which the machine is intended to be actuated.
The former object we obtain by providing two or more sets of subjects, each set
capable of motion more or less independent of that of the others, or at least differing
from it in amount, so that any one subject of one series may be exhibited in com-
bination with any one of another series, by which means, with a moderate number
of subjects in each series, a very large variety of effects and meanings can be
obtained by their combinations, and by judicious arrangement of the subjects an
amount of grotesqueness or other amusing quality may be given to each combination
which it is impracticable to give to a single motto, sketch, or other subject. Thus,
we may provide in juxtaposition to each other, two discs or drums and place on one
the first halves of a series of proverbs and on the other the second halves, so that
the combination exhibited is a proverb in form but generally ridiculous in meaning.
Or we may arrange on one exhibiting member a series of sketches of women, with
mottoes, quotations, or remarks supposed to be applied by one series to the other,
or by the operator, or the oracle to one or both series.
In one application of this invention, we provide two or more concentric discs of

page_text: different diameters and, by means of suitable mechanism, cause them to revolve
immediately behind the front of a case on which we represent by painting or other-
wise a figure or part of a figure of a person holding an outspread fan through
which is an opening disclosing one or more of the subjects carried by each of the
discs; as shown by Fig. 10 of the accompanying drawings. The rest of the fan
may be left continuous, or may be partially cut away, or may be formed of lace or
other open work, so as to partially but not clearly disclose some of the subjects
other than those supposed to apply to the operator.
In some cases we impart motion direct from the mechanism to each of the
exhibiting members, though not equal in amount and direction for each of them; in
others we give motion direct only to one or some of them and drive the other or
others from the former, either by intermediate gear or merely by friction.
We prefer to provide a stop or stops for the purpose of ensuring that each of the
exhibiting members shall come to rest at some exact though indeterminate position
in relation to each of the others, and also in some cases, in relation to the opening
through which the subjects are seen. This stop may be either a piece similar in
action to a slip pawl, or it may be a weight resting in the drum or disc the latter
being so constructed that the former can only rest at certain specific points, or it
may be a combination of the two.
The second object we obtain by providing means whereby the proper coin is,
after insertion, shot forward over a clear space in the interior of the machine and
then caught and delivered into position for performing its proper function, while
smaller coins, pices of paper and other things differing essentially from the proper
coin drop down into the clear space.
We provide a short piece of shoot leading from the coin slot to the interior of
the machine in a horizontal or slightly inclined position, and near its outer end we
partially obstruct it by one or more projections kept in place by springs or weights.
The coin being pushed into the slot displaces the projection or projections as it
passes them and the recoil of the latter shoots the coin forward into its proper
receptacle, while anything essentially different from the proper coin in shape, size,
texture, or weight, is so little affected by the recoil of the projections that it falls
short of the receptacle provided for the coin, and cannot therefore actuate or
derange the machine, there being provision for keeping such things clear of the
mechanism after they have fallen down.
We will now further describe our invention by the help of the accompanying
drawings.
Figs. 1, 2, & 3 show a combination of two discs A and B of which A carries a
series of sketches of men a, a, a, on its annular rim and B a series of sketches of
women b, b, b, and a series of mottoes c, c, c, which may pretend to describe the
fortune or character of the operator.
The disc A is carried by the hollow spindle C and the disc B by the inner
spindle D and to each of these spindles is fixed a circular brush E, E, such as
described in our Patent Specification No. 4874 of 1890. These two brushes being
fixed close to each other may be actuated by a single wide hammer head H carried
by a vibrating armature as described in the said Specification. They may be set
with their bristles inclining in the same direction or in opposite directions.
In the former case the difference between the friction in the bearings of the two
discs can be arranged to ensure that they revolve at different speeds, but in the
latter case they obviously revolve in opposite directions.
A portion of the two discs with some of the subjects carried by them is shown in
an enlarged scale in Fig. 4, by which it can be seen that besides the interest or
amusement afforded by each individual subject on each disc there is a considerable
amount of additional interest or amusement involved in the relation between the
subject on the one disc and that subject which happens to come opposite to it on
the other disc, that is to say in the combination of subjects, and it is obvious that if
there are twenty subjects on each disc there will be four hundred different com-
binations with as many different. meanings or suggestions.

page_text: To ensure that the subjects on the various dises come exactly opposite each other
when the discs come to rest, we may use a stopping arrangement such as shown in
Fig. 5 in which d, d, are pins carried by the dise B3 preferably one pin to each
subject and is a spring or weighted arm carried by the other dise and of which the
hooked end rests on one of the pins d when the dists are at rest.
In this case we
give motion direct to one of the dises only preferably that one which is most
retarded by friction, and we allow it to drive the other by means of the spring arm
or arms 7. Thus when the dises have attained a certain speed the arm
outward by centrifugal force, unlocking the dises from each other, when the greater
retardation on the one dise causes it io lay behind the other, and when the dissare
coming to rest the arm returns and eatches on one of the pins d and locks the dises
together again in their new position.
flies
We prefer in some cases to shew through an opening in the case of the machine
only one set of subjects to the operator at once and with this object we also provide
a stopping arrangement to ensure that some one set of subjects shall stop exactly
opposite the opening. This may be a spring or weight catch somewhat similar to
that already described or it may be such as is shown in Figs. 6 & 7 where is a
ball or roller weight resting on a polygonal rim in one of the dises, the polygon
having as many sides as there are subjects carried by the disc. The weight tends
to rest in one of the angles of the polygon and to bring that angle to the bottom
when the dises come to rest and thus to determine the exact positions of the subjects.
Instead of the ball or roller we may use a small quantity of mercury for the same
purpose taking care to enclose it completely that it cannot escape. We may
apply this weight stop to both or all of the dises in order to stop them all in relation
to the opening in the case and therefore in relation to each other also as shown in
Figs. 1&2. but we consider that more necuracy is required in the positions of the
dises relatively to each other than relatively to the opening as the latter can be
made somewhat larger than a single set of subjects. We therefore prefer, when the
dizes are arranged to revolve in the same direction, to use such a weight stop to
determine the position of the dises relatively to the opening, but a catch or lever
stop such as before described, to determine their positions relatively to each other.
Figs. 8, & 9, show a modification of the weight stop contrivance with which the
two dises can be driven in opposite directions by a motor of small power and quick
speed and be made to stop more accurately in relation to each other and to the
opening is a counter spindle driven by the brush wheel E & vibrating
hammer or other light motive power and carrying the spur pinions, i, gearing
with the spur wheel, on the disc spindles, one of them directly and the other
through the idle pinion . thus rotating the disc in opposite directions. Fixed to
the spindle are three small tubes 1, 1, each containing a small quantity of mercury
capable of passing freely along the tube between the hub of the wheel and the end
of the tube. Thus the spindle h, has six positions in which it tends to stop as it
comes to them, and if the dises each carry 24 subjects and the ratio of the pinions i
to the wheels is 1 to 4 it follows that the dises have one stopping place to each
subject.
:
h
Instead of mercury any other convenient liquid may be used, or solid balls or
rollers; and different numbers of arms and ratios of the spur gearing can be used
according to the number of subjects on the discs. The spindle may carry one
spur pinion only, gearing with a wheel connected to one of the discs and the other
disc or disc may be driven from it as before described or in any other convenient
way.
Fig. 10, shows the front view of a machine carrying a representation of a person
holding an outspread fan through an opening at one side of which is displayed one
of the subjects on each disc, the subjects having come to rest opposite each other
and opposite the opening.
Instead of the discs we may use druns endless bands or other movable members
for exhibiting the subjects and we may give motion to such members in any suitable
way.

page_text: The second part of our invention is illustrated by Figs. 11 & 12, in which F is a
short piece of shoot leading from the outside of the machine ; m, m are the ends
of a spring G projecting into the shoot so as to partially obstruct it. The coin
being pressed into the shoot forces the projections apart, and as it passes them they
spring back on it and it shoots forwards, guided by the shoot F and is caught by
the hood I which leads it wherever may be desired.
If on the other hand, a piece of cardboard rough iron, or other thing which differs
essentially from the predetermined coin is inserted the rebound, if any, of the
projections m, m, does not shoot it far enough and it falls down into the space
between the hood and the shoot F and is guided clear of the mechanism. The
projections m, m, should be rounded and smooth on the surface and clean, and, in
order to avoid rusting the spring may be made of phosphor bronze or hard brass.
The spring or springs which actuate the projections m, m, may be of any convenient
form or weights may be used when preferred; and the projections m, m, may of
course be separate from the springs or weights. They may also be fitted with
antifriction rollers for the coin to bear against.
When a single projection is used on one side of the shoot, it is advisable to fit the
other side of the shoot with an antifriction roller and in this case, according to the
exact relative positions and shapes of the projection and roller, the coin may shoot
more or less sideways instead of straight forwards and the hood I or its equivalent
must be carefully placed where it will catch the coin. The coin shoots straight
forwards if two projections exactly opposite each other and exactly equal in pressure,
frictions &c., are used. We are aware that coin freed machines are already in
existence in which two or more exhibiting members have more or less independent
motion imparted to them, but the object of such machines is generally in the motion
itself and not in any resultant combination exhibited by the movable parts, as it is
in our invention.
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 :-
1st. In coin freed or actuated machines for providing amusements by the exhibi-
tion of subjects amusing in themselves or supposed to be applicable to the operator,
the use of two or more movable exhibiting members each carrying a series of such
subjects or of parts of such subjects; such exhibiting members being adapted to
have different speeds or directions of motions imparted to them and to come to rest
in such relative positions as to exhibit as one compound subject a chance combination
of subjects or parts of subjects from the different members, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
2. In such machines the incans, substantially as described with reference to the
several accompanying drawings, for ensuring that the exhibiting members shall come
to rest in suitable positions relatively to each other and to the case of the machine
respectively.
3. In such machines the use of spring or weight actuated projections in the
entrance shoots substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 5th day of February 1891.
ARTHUR R. BROWN.
EDWIN C. J. DEVIS.