Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 28th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
I FREDERICK FOSTER of Niagara Works Eagle Wharf Road Hoxton in the County
of Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically delivering goods upon the
deposit. in a money receptacle of the stipulated coin, required to operate the
mechanism.
For this purpose I construct a frame carrying shelves and I fit the said frame in
vertical guides so as to be capable of sliding vertically by means of a weight with a
cord carried over a pulley such cord. being connected at one extremity with the weight
and at the other extremity with the frame carrying the shelves.
The frame with the shelves being enclosed in an outer casing the shelves form com-
partments in which the articles to be automatically delivered are placed.
Such shelves are inclined in such a manner that the articles contained are urged to
one side of the compartments in which they are placed and are retained by a guide
against which they bear as the frame slides vertically.
At a convenient height an opening (corresponding in size with the compartments
referred to) is made, and a shelf to receive the articles delivered projects below the
said opening.
For charging the apparatus with the articles to be sold a hinged door or sliding
shutter capable of being locked is provided preferably at the side of the casing opposite
the opening from which the articles are delivered. When the apparatus is charged,
the frame with its shelves is so placed that the uppermost compartment is one space
below the opening at which the articles are delivered and as the apparatus is operated
the frame rises step by step discharging the articles contained in each succeeding
compartment. The empty compartments pass above the said opening.
In order to allow of the rise and arrest of the frame carrying the shelves I provide
a peculiarly constructed money inlet hereinafter described, connected with a bolt
operated by the passage of the stipulated coin, so as to release a pawl from a ratchet;
the said ratchet extending the whole length of the frame carrying the shelves. The
5 Price S

page_text: said money inlet consists of an opening to admit the coin into a curved channel in
which the coin fits loosely but is constrained to pass into an opening in the said bolt
through which it cannot fall until the required pressure is brought to bear upon the
coin to operate the bolt as required to release the pawl from the ratchet.
For this purpose, at the side of the opening by which the coin is admitted another
similar opening is made and is partly covered by two projections or lugs which, from
the underside, are partly cut through so as to prevent the withdrawal of the coin at
this aperture but to allow the coin to protrude between the two projections or lugs in
such a manner that while the said coin cannot be withdrawn it can be depressed by
the finger to operate the bolt as required. When the bolt is, by this means, operated
the frame is free to slide vertically and in its passage moves the bolt a short distance
further in the same direction to insure the release of the coin which then passes
through a channel, exposed to view through a narrow strip of glass and falls into a
money receptacle, and the bolt becoming free is returned to its normal position by
means of a spring and causes the sliding frame with shelves to be arrested by the
tooth of the rack following the one from which the pawl was last released.
When the last compartment arrives at the delivery opening the frame carrying the
shelves releases a catch and allows a slide to close the money inlet from underneath by
means of a spring, the action of which is witheld until the said catch is released as
above described.
DL1 1
1007

page_text: I FREDERICK FOSTER of Niagara Works, Eagle Wharf Road Hoxton in the County
of Middlesex 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 a machine for automatically delivering goods upon the
deposit in a money receptacle of the stipulated coin required to operate the mechanism.
I make use of one or more lifts consisting each of a frame carrying shelves and I fit
the said frame in vertical guides so as to be capable of sliding vertically by means of
a counterbalance weight with a cord carried over a pulley such cord being connected
at one extremity with the counterbalance weight and at the other extremity with the
lift or frame carrying the shelves.
The lifts or frames with their shelves are enclosed in an outer casing, the shelves
forming compartments in which the articles to be automatically delivered are placed.
Such shelves are inclined in such a manner that the articles resting upon them are
urged to one side of the compartments in which they are placed and are retained by a
guide against which they bear as the lift or frame slides vertically.
At a convenient height an opening (corresponding in size with the compartments
referred to) is made in the outer casing and a shelf to receive the articles delivered,
projects below the said opening.
When the machine is filled with articles to be automatically delivered cach lift or
frame with its shelves is so placed that the uppermost compartment is ono space below
the opening at which the articles issue and as the apparatus is operated the lift or
frame rises step by step discharging the articles contained in each succeeding compart-
ment. The emptied compartments pass above the said opening.
In order to provide for the rise and arrest of the lift or frame, I construct each lift
or frame with a rack extending throughout its length and placed on one side of the
lift. A pinion engages with the said rack and upon the spindle which carries the
said pinion I fix a ratchet wheel-proportioned according to the required size of the
compartments in the lift so that upon releasing a pawl allowing the passage of one of
the teeth of the ratchet wheel the pinion will turn to the extent required to allow the
rack and with it the lift or frame to rise to a sufficient height to discharge the
contents of one compartment through the before mentioned opening in the outer
casing.
In order that the pawl may be released from the ratchet wheel only by means of a
stipulated coin or article of like size I provide a money inlet which communicates with
a channel curved both in the horizontal and vertical planes and arranged to deliver the
required coin into an opening in a bolt through which the said coin (owing to a stop
capable of regulation as to its position within certain limits) cannot pass of its own
weight, but requires the application of a certain pressure in order to actuate the said
bolt during the passage of the coin through the opening in the bolt. For this
purpose I either make an aperture which will expose part of the coin arrested in
position to be forced through the opening in the bolt and leave the operator to exert,
by means of the finger placed in the said aperture, the necessary pressure to force
the coin through the said opening in the bolt and thus actuate the bolt which by
means of a lever and connecting rods releases the pawl from the ratchet wheel, or a
latch resembling a bell-pull" may protrude at the exterior of the machine and carry
within, a push-piece to operate in like manner upon the coin when the latch or "beli
«

page_text: pull" is depressed. At the front of the machine I insert a glass plate which exposes
to view two or three of the compartments next to be emptied and thus by writing the
word "empty" at the base of each lift this word will be exposed to view and give
notice when the store of articles in each lift has been exhausted.
A projection at the lower extremity of each lift coming in contact with one extremity
of a lever fulcrumed near its centre causes the money inlet in connection with the said
lift to be covered so as to prevent the deposit therein of any more coins when the last
article has been delivered from the lift.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood I will proceed to describe
a machine made in accordance with the foregoing description reference being had to
the accompanying drawings in which Fig. is an exterior side elevation and Fig. 2
an exterior front elevation of the complete machine Fig. 3 is part of a front elevation
partly in section showing the details of the pawl releasing mechanism and its connection
with the lift or frame. Fig. 4 is a cross section of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is an end view
of Fig. 3 partly in section.
In all the figures the same reference letter or numeral indicates the same part. The
lift is shown at A in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 and is partly seen through the glass lights B B
in Fig. 2 exposing two of the compartments of each of the lifts below the
apertures C. Cat which the articles to be automatically delivered issue to be received
upon the shelf D. E are the inclined shelves of the lift A upon which the articles to
be delivered rest in readiness to be raised successively to the aperture C. In order to
operate the mechanism the required coin is to be inserted at the money inlet F and
passing by the curved channel it comes into position as shown at G where it is arrested
in the opening through the bolt H through which it cannot pass owing to the position
of the stop I capable of regulation by means of the screw with hand wheel K. In
this position pressure may be brought to bear upon the coin G by inserting the finger
at the aperture L or the front plate enclosing mechanism may have a sliding rod
connected with a "bell-pull" at the exterior and by pulling down the "bell-pull" the
rod may impinge upon the coin G and communicate the required pressure to force the
coin through the opening in the bolt H causing the stop I with the bolt H to recede
and to communicate its motion by the lever M and connecting rod N to the pawl P
and thereby release one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel Q. Then the balance
weight 17 which tends always to raise the lift A will set the lift in motion and the
rack R attached to the lift A will turn-the pinion S and with it the ratchet wheel Q
until the next succeeding tooth of the ratchet wheel Q is arrested by the pawl P. In
the mean time the spring T will have brought the bolt H back to its norinal position
as required for the action of the pawl P upon the ratchet wheel Q. The coin passing
through the bolt H is conducted by a shoot U into a money till W locked at the
interior of the apparatus so as to be isolated from the compartment in which the stock
of articles from which to re fill the lifts is to be stored.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The lift A with inclined shelves E forming compartments from which articles
may be successively delivered when by the movement of the lift A the compartments
come successively before an opening through which such articles are delivered
substantially as described.
2. The money inlet mechanism consisting of the curved channel by which the coin
is led into position, the bolt H with adjustable projection I through which the coin is
pressed operating the escapement during its passage through the bolt H substantially
as described.