Improved Coinfreed Apparatus for the Sale of Postage Stamps and other similar Articles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1893--Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
CUMI LAMIN SIBULTIVATION,
Improved Coinfreed Apparatus for the Sale of Postage Stamps and
other similar Articles.
I, BERNHARD FREESE, of Delmenhorst, in the Empire of Germany, Watch
and Clock Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to he particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for the sale of postage-stamps,
in which a strip of stamps is advanced by means of an ordinary clock-work, and,
after a coin has been put into the apparatus the mechanism can be operated and a
stamp detached from the end of the strip. The characteristic feature of this
improved apparatus is, that the increased strength of the free self-supporting end
of the stamp-strip, caused by its curved or channelled form, is utilized for stopping
the clock-work by its contact with a lever whose arm is thereby thrown into
engagement with the wings of a revolving fly or other part, and the clock
mechanism locked; when in this locked position, the perforations of the first
stamp are exactly underneath the detaching arm.
I will now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing in
which-
Fig. 1 is a back view of the apparatus, with the back wall of the casing
removed.
Fig. 2 is a side view of same, both figures showing the position of the
mechanism before being operated, a coin for operating same however being shown
in the slit of the coin-slide.
Fig. 3 is also a back view, showing the coin-slide drawn out, and the coin
delivered to a receptacle, after having operated the apparatus to detach a stamp.
Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3, showing the position of the parts when the handle
is drawn out to its fullest extent.
An ordinary clock-work B, (which is not described in detail, as it does not form
a part of the invention,) is arranged inside the casing A; it can he wound up by a
key inserted on the spindle b, (Figs. 2 & 4) in front of the apparatus. The
roller r, and its counter-roller i above same, are driven by such clock-work, and
advance the strip of postage-stamps passing between them from the drum C.
2 and 3 are conducting rollers over which the stamp-strip passes. The periphery
of the roller r, is convex, whereas that of the other roller is concave, so that the
strip of stamps passing between such rollers, is correspondingly curved, and passes
through a correspondingly-shaped incision in the guiding-block d, still retaining its
channelled form. The free self-supporting end of the strip a, which has passed
through the said slit in the block d, corresponds with the length of a stamp, so that
a stamp can be easily detached, exactly. where it leaves the block, viz. -where the
perforations are. The front edge of the stamp-strip, which is comparatively rigid
on account of its channelled form, comes in contact with a lever e, Figs. 1 and 2.
This lever e pivotally secured at c, bends backwards with its arm e¹ to the clock-
work B, where it is destined to retain the rotating fly f, so as to arrest the
clock-work.
On account of the preponderance of the arm e¹, the lever e falls or tilts
backwards, when not supported or held by the contact of the last stamp of the
strip, with the lever e, or by a stop attached to the stamp detacher (as hereafter
described); the arm e¹ is then released from the wings of the fly f, and the
clock-work operates again, so as to feed the strip for another length of a stamp,

page_text: A small pin, (Fig..3). projecting from the lever e prevents the stamps from
running or slipping downwards on the plate-formed end e2 of said lever e.
The mechanism of this apparatus operated after insertion of a coin, consists of a
slides, which can be drawn ont by means of a knob or handle y, no matter whether
a coin (Figs. 1 & 2) is in the slot under the coin-conductor or not. In the
former case, if the coin a, is in the slot, and supported by a plate k, a projection of
the lever h, above the slide s, is caught and carried forward by the part of the coin
protruding or projecting from the slot, so that the lever h, takes the position shewn
in Fig. 4, when the slide is fully drawn out. The lever, pivotally connected to a
support at m, also forms an arm p, for detaching or severing the stamps; when the
lever is operated the curved arm p descends, gliding closely to the outer edge of
the correspondingly-curved guiding-slit, in the guiding-block d, passes over the
stamp, and severs it from the strip. Above the arm p, a stop q, is fixed, which
keeps the lever e pressed back during the afore-mentioned movement of the
detaching arm (Figs. 3 & 4) so that the clock-work cannot be released, until the
lever is returned to its original position (Figs. 1 and 2). This is effected auto-
matically on the release of the handle y, and the consequent return of the slides,
the projection u, of the slide s, at the same time pressing forward the front side of
the projecting part of the lever, which was retained by the coin. When the slide
is drawn out to its fullest extent, at which movement the stamp is also detached,
the coin falls over the edge of the plate k, and is conducted to the receptacle D,
by the guide .
When the stamp has been detached from the strip, by drawing out the knob
after inserting the coin a as described, it falls into a funnel t, of the stamp-
conductor w, and is led into the outer receptacle z, where it can be taken out by
"the person who inserted the coin. On releasing the slide s, the part q returns with
the lever, into such a position that the lever e or its plate e can fall or tilt
towards the end of the stamp-strip, when the parts again take the position, shewn
by dotted lines in Fig. 1. When this has taken place, the clock-work is released,
owing to the fly being set free, and the stamp-strip is advanced by the rotating
rollers, until it again comes in contact with the plate e³ and presses same backwards
in such manner that the clock-work is locked; in this position the device is ready
for further operation.
The guide y, on the conductor is an arrangement well known with coin freed
apparatus which may be made for diverting the course of inserted coins, which are
too small or thin; such coins would then pass through an outlet or opening,
without putting the apparatus into operation. This device is not considered part
of the invention.
- Any other arrangement employed with known automatic apparatus of this
description in which the movement of the detaching lever is dependent on the
insertion of a coin; may be used instead of the slide-arrangement.
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
claim is:
1. An improved coinfreed apparatus for the sale of postage-stamps, in which the
stamp-strip, from whose end a stamp is detached by means of the arm (p) of a
lever (), after a coin has been put into the apparatus, is advanced by clock-work,
and, in consequence of its contact with a lever (e, e',) locks the clock-work, at the
moment the perforations of the stamp are exactly underneath the detaching
arm (p), the rigidity of the free self-supporting end of the stamp-strip being
increased by its curved or channelled form received in passing through the
rollers (",) with convex and concave peripheries respectively, substantially as
described and shewn in the drawing.
2. An improved coinfreed apparatus for the sale of stamps, as described in
Claim 1, in which a lever (h) engaging with a slide (s) after a coin has been put
into the apparatus, retains the lever (e, e',) in the locking position by means of a
'

page_text: projecting part or stop (7) until the stamp is detached, so that the detaching
arm (p) must return to its original position (Figs. 1 and 2) before the clock-work
is released and the stamp-strip advanced, substantially as described and shewn in
the drawing.
Dated this 7th day of December 1893.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.