Improved Coin-freed Apparatus for Delivering Stamps and other Articles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1897--Accepted, 5th Feb., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
༈ “tr.
Improved Coin-freed Apparatus for Delivering Stamps and other
Articles.
I, EDWIN JOIN PAYNE GALLWEY, of 1, Clearmount, Rodwell, Weymouth, in the
County of Dorset, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
-
This invention relates to coin-freed apparatus for delivering stamps and other
articles, the said apparatus being, however, chiefly designed to be employed in
conjunction with a letter box for the delivery of stamps.
According to my invention I provide a suitable casing within which are mounted
two cylinders or rollers and in connection with the two rollers I employ a band or
ribbon of suitable material and designed to hold the stamps or other articles to be
delivered on the insertion of a coin into the apparatus. The band or ribbon is
wound upon one of the rollers and so arranged that it can be unwound from this
roller onto the other roller intermittently on the insertion into the apparatus of
coins proper to the same.
The cylinder or roller upon which the band or ribbon is gradually wound on the
insertion of coins into the apparatus is provided with a coiled spring which is
normally kept wound up so that the said roller constantly. tends to unwind the
ribbon or band from the first roller and wind it upon itself. The movement of the
spring roller is controlled by means of an escapement device consisting of a ratchet
upon the roller and a double pawl or let-off device pivoted in the apparatus and
provided with an outwardly extending arm operated by the coin as hereinafter
described. The number of teeth on the ratchet will correspond to the number of
pockets contained in a length of ribbon equal to the circumference of the spring
roller so that a to-and-fro movement of the arm or extension of the pawl allows the
spring roller to move through the distance of one tooth thereby causing a length
of band or ribbon equal to the width of the stamp or other article to be unwound
from the first roller. The band is guided so as to pass in front of an orifice or
window in the apparatus whereby the stamps or other articles held upon the face
of the said band are successively presented in front of the window or orifice on the
insertion of successive coins into the apparatus and can be easily removed from
the band or ribbon.
"
The coin chute consists of a passage of the exact width of the coins proper to the
machine and of the same height and breadth as the said coins and is so inclined
that it conducts the coins inserted into it to a suitable money till provided in the
apparatus. The herein before described extension or arm of the double pawl or let-
off device normally extends into the coin chute so as to block the passage of the
coin which, when inserted in the chute, drops on to the said extension or arm.
free the coin and operate the mechanism I provide a pusher having an external
knob or button and normally held in its uppermost position by a spring. The
pusher is so arranged that, on the knob or button being depressed by the purchaser
the pusher descends upon the upper end of the coin and pushes the extension or
+
To

page_text: arm of the pawl out of the way of the said coin thereby releasing the pawl from
the tooth of the roller ratchet with which it is in engagement so as to allow the
roller to rotate through half a tooth and the coin drops into the till. A spring in
connection with the pawl or let-off device immediately returns the arm of the same
to its normal position thereby releasing the ratchet another half tooth so that
during the operation the ribbon is unwound from the first roller on to the second
a length equal to the space of one tooth, that is to say, a length corresponding to
the width of the stamp or other article which is therefore brought in front of
the window or orifice in the front of the apparatus and can be removed by the
purchaser.
In practice I find it advantageous to employ the following means for securing
the stamps.or other articles to the band or ribbon it being essential that the said
stamps should be easily removable from the band or ribbon when exposed in the
window of the apparatus. The band or ribbon is folded over at its lower edge and
the two contiguous parts are stitched together at distances apart slightly exceeding
the width of the stamps or other articles which are then inserted in the divisions
so formed. To keep the two parts of the ribbon slightly apart, I provide bent
lengths of wire which I insert between the two thicknesses at the points where they
are stitched together.
To prevent further coins being inserted in the apparatus when the latter is
exhausted of stamps I provide a shutter which is moved in front of the money slot
when the band or ribbon is fully unwound preferably by means of a hook on the
said band which engages a wire in connection with the shutter.
Suitable means such as rubber pads are provided for preventing the roller and
band from moving too easily and the case of the apparatus is arranged so that it
can be quickly and easily refilled, for instance, the front may be hinged and
arranged to drop when the top is removed.
It will be obvious that my apparatus can be provided with more than one ribbon,
coin-chute and set of rollers. It can, for instance, be arranged to deliver penny
and half penny stamps.
Duted this 6th day of March 1897.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Coin-freed Apparatus for Delivering Stamps and other
Articles.
I, EDWIN JOHN PAYNE GALLWEY, formerly of 1, Clearmount, Rodwell, now of
Beacon Hill, Wyke Regis, Weymouth, in the County of Dorset, 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: —
This invention relates to coin-freed apparatus for delivering stamps, railway and
other tickets, checks and other articles, the said apparatus being, however, chiefly
designed to be employed for the delivery of postage stamps.
a
According to my invention I provide a suitable casing within which I arrange
band or ribbon of suitable material and designed to hold in pockets or the like the
stamps or other articles to be delivered on the insertion of a coin into the apparatus.
The band or ribbon is so arranged that it can be fed forward intermittently on the
insertion into the apparatus of coins proper to the same and present a stamp or

page_text: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a suitable arrangement of apparatus made accord-
ing to my invention and designed to deliver postage stamps:
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation thereof, the section being on the: line 2-2
Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a front sectional elevation of the apparatus; and,
Figure 4 is a sectional plan thereof:
Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 Figure 1 drawn to a larger scale:
Figure 6 is an elevation drawn to a larger scale of a portion of the band or
ribbon :
Figure 7 is a vertical transverse section thereof:
Figure 8 is a plan of an arrangement of the apparatus with modified band
operating mechanism:
Figure 9 is a detail thereof:
Figure 10 is a section drawn to a larger scale through an arrangement of band
and delivery openings which I sometimes employ:
Figure 11 is a plan thereof without the band:
Figure 12 is an elevation of a portion of this form of band.
Referring to Figures 1 to 7 a is the casing of the apparatus, the said casing
having a partition which divides the till from the portion containing the
mechanism. c is the band or ribbon the construction of which is hereinafter
described; is a let-off cylinder or roller upon which the band c is initially wound
and is a take-up cylinder or roller upon which the said band is intermittently
wound on the insertion of coins into the apparatus. Both these cylinders are
pivotally supported by a bracket or frame f screwed to the bottom of the casing a
as shewn in Figures 3 and 4.
9
The cylinder or roller e is provided with a coiled spring e¹ which is normally
kept wound up so that the said roller constantly tends to unwind the ribbon
or band c from the roller d and wind it upon itself. The movement of the
spring roller e is controlled by means of an escapement device consisting of a
ratchet g upon the roller and a double pawl or let-off device h pivoted at h¹ to the
frame and provided with an outwardly extending arm i operated by the coin as
hereinafter described. The number of teeth on the ratchet g will correspond to
the number of pockets contained in a length of ribbon c equal to the circumference
of the spring roller e so that a to-and-fro movement of the arm or extension & of
the pawl allows the spring roller e to move through the distance of one tooth,
thereby causing a length of band or ribbon c, equal to the width of a pocket con-
taining a stamp or other article, to be unwound from the roller d. The band c is
guided by a strip j so as to pass in front of an orifice or window k in the apparatus
whereby the stamps or other articles held upon the face of the said band are suc-
cessively presented in front of the window or orifice k on the insertion of successive
coins into the apparatus and can be easily removed from the band or ribbon, aš
hereinafter described.
The coin chute consists of a passage of the exact width of the coins proper to
the machine and of the same height and breadth as the said coins and so inclined
that it conducts the coins inserted into it to the money till provided in the
apparatus. The hereinbefore described extension or arm of the double pawl or
let-off device normally extends into the coin chute through a slot therein, as
shewn in Figures 2, 3 and 4, so as to block the passage of the coin m which, when
inserted into the chute 1, drops on to the said extension or arm i. To free the
coin m and operate the mechanism I provide a pusher n having an external knob
or button o, the said pusher working in a slot in the coin chute and being
normally held in its uppermost position by a spring p. The pusher n is so
arranged that, on the knob or button o being depressed by the purchaser, the said
pusher n descends upon the upper end of the coin m and thereby pushes the exten-

page_text: sion or arm i of the pawl h out of the way of the said coin thereby releasing the
pawl from the tooth of the roller ratchet y with which it is in engagement so as to
allow the roller e to rotate through half a tooth and the coin m to drop into the till b.
A spring in connection with the pawl or let-off device h immediately returns the
arm of the same to its normal position thereby releasing the ratchet I another
half tooth so that during the operation the ribbon c is unwound from the roller il
on to the roller e'a length of the band é equal to the space of one tooth, that is to
say, a length corresponding to the width of a pocket containing a stamp or other
article which is therefore brought in front of the window or orifice k in the front
of the apparatus and can be removed by the purchaser.
In practice I find it advantageous to employ the following means for securing
the stamps to the band or ribbon c, it being essential that the said stamps shall
be easily removable from the band or ribbon when exposed in the window of the
apparatus. The band or ribbon c is folded over at its lower'edge and the two con-
tiguous parts are stitched together at distances apart slightly exceeding the width
of the stamps which are then inserted in the divisions or pockets c² thus formed in
the lower half of the band.
The pockets are numbered in rotation, the first pocket on the band, that is
to say, the pocket last brought before the window or orifice k of the apparatus
having the word "empty" written upon it and the successive pockets being num-
bered 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., so that when a pocket has been brought in front of a window
and the stamp, removed therefrom the number on the pocket indicates the
number of stamps still remaining on the band c.
When the last stamp appears
before the window its pocket bears the word "empty" as above described so that
intending purchasers will be made aware that no more stamps can be obtained
from the apparatus until it is refilled. The lower half of the orifice is glazed
and the upper half thereof is covered by a spring tongue fixed to one side of the
orifice and pressing with its free end against the band so as to prevent the latter
from being tampered with.
To enable the stamps 2 to be easily removed from the pockets I provide the
spring tongue with a small inclined projection s so that as the band is moved
forward on the insertion of the coin in the apparatus as hereinbefore described the
spring tongue r gets behind the advancing stamp c¹ the upper part of which is then
tilted outwards as it slides on to the inclined projection s, as indicated in Figure 5,
so that the stamp can be easily removed from the pocket by the purchaser.
t is a spring fitted to the bracket or frame f and the arms of which bear upon
the cylinder or roller d for preventing the said roller and band from moving too
easily and the case of the apparatus is arranged so that it can be quickly and
easily refilled; for instance, the front may be hinged and arranged to drop when
the top is removed.
Although I have described the band as being wound intermittently on to a spring
roller, which is the arrangement I have found to answer well in practice, it will
be obvious that the intermittent movement of the roller can be effected positively
on the insertion of the coin.
In the arrangement of my apparatus-illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 the band c
instead of being wound on a let-off roller is folded upon itself and stored in a
receptacle u. This receptacle u is provided with an orifice u for the band c having
guide rollers u, u between which the said band passes. The receptacle contains a
sliding back 3 which is pressed against the rear part of the folded band c so as to
hold the said band taut.
The take-up cylinder or roller e is in this case shewn arranged to be operated
positively by the pusher and coin. To this end the hereinbefore mentioned
spring e is dispensed with and the ratchet g is actuated by a lever v pivoted at
and having a rearwardly extending arm 2 upon which the coin drops when inserted
into the apparatus. The front end of the lever is jointed at in such a manner
that when it is pushed by the action of the coin m in the manner herein before
described into the position shewn in dotted lines in Figure 8 it is held rigid so as

page_text: to move the roller.e in the direction indicated by the arrow and feed forward the
band c through a distance corresponding to one tooth of the ratchet g. The lever v
is, as soon as the coin m has passed the arm pulled back to its initial position
by the spring w, the joint enabling it to pass the ratchet g. To hold the cylinder
or roller in the positions into which it is intermittently moved on the insertion of
the coins I provide a spring catch y (Figure 9) which engages with recesses y in
the roller, the number of the said recesses y¹ corresponding to that of the teeth of
the ratchet g.
זי
The band c instead of being' folded as herein before described and as illustrated
in Figures 1 to 7 can be folded along the centre line as shewn in Figures 10 and 12
so that the stamps (or other articles) project above the band: In the construction
of the delivery orifice and guide j'illustrated in Figures 10 and 11 the upper part
of the guide is rebated and the band'e passes through the channel formed by the
glazed lower part of the orifice & and the front of the guide. j. The said channel
is of such a height that the band c is completely enclosed therein, the stamp e¹
projecting through the slit at the upper end thereof as clearly shewn in
Figure 10. By this means the spring' tongue r is rendered unnecessary as access
cannot be had to the band through the orifice k.
It is clear that my apparatus can be provided with more than one ribbon, coin-
chute and set of rollers. It can, for instance, be arranged to deliver stamps of
different values.
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. In coin-freed apparatus for delivering stamps and other articles, a band of the
kind described for holding the articles to be delivered in combination with two
rollers on one of which the band is initially wound, and upon the other of which it is
intermittently wound by operating a pusher or its equivalent after the insertion of
a coin, substantially as set forth."
2. In coin-freed apparatus for delivering stamps and other articles, the combina-
tion of a band for holding the stamps or other articles, of a cylinder or roller upon
which the band is initially wound, of a spring roller and means for holding the
spring roller against the action of its spring and of mechanism whereby on the
insertion of a coin the spring cylinder can be caused to rotate through a prede-
termined distance, substantially as described.
3. In coin-freed apparatus for delivering stamps and other articles, the com-
bination of a band for carrying the stamps or other articles, of a roller upon which
the said band is initially wound, of a spring roller held against rotation under the
action of its spring by a ratchet and a double pawl or let-off device and of
mechanism whereby on the insertion of a coin the let-off device can be operated
to allow the spring cylinder to turn through a predetermined distance, sub-
stantially as described.
4. In coin-freed apparatus for delivering stamps and other articles, the com-
bination of a band for carrying the stamps or other articles, of a roller upon which
the said band is initially wound, of a spring roller held against rotation under the
action of its spring, of a ratchet and double pawl or let-off device having an arni
or projection, of a coin chute into which the said arm or projection extends and
of a pusher by means of which, on the insertion of a coin into the chute, the let-off
device can be operated through the medium of the coin and of the pawl projection,
substantially as described.
5. In coin-freed apparatus for delivering stamps and other articles the com-
bination with a casing having a window or orifice, of a band for holding the stamps
or other articles, of two rollers upon one of which the band is initially wound and
upon the other of which the said band is intermittently wound upon the insertion
of coins into the apparatus so as to bring the stamps upon the band successively in
front of the window or orifice, and of a spring tongue for covering the exposed

page_text: portion of the band, and having an inclined projection for tilting forward the
stamps or other articles in the window or orifice, substantially as described.
6. In coin-freed delivery apparatus wherein the articles to be delivered are
carried by a band, the described mechanism for positively operating the take-up
roller such mechanism consisting of a coin operated articulated spring lever, and
of a ratchet on the roller in combination with means such as a spring pin adapted
to engage with the roller, substantially as set forth.
7. In coin-freed delivery apparatus, wherein the articles to be delivered are
carried by a band, the rebated guide ; forming with the lower part of the delivery
opening a channel for the band, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.
8. In coin-freed apparatus for delivering stamps and other articles a band the
lower half of which is turned up and stitched at intervals so as to form a series of
pockets for receiving the stamps or other articles, substantially as described.
Dated the 3rd day of December 1897.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.