Improvements in Coin-freed Telescopes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Telescopes.
I, FRITZ PERL, of 19, Derfflinger Strasse, Rathenow, in the Province of
Brandenburg, German Empire, Manager, 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 a device for telescopes, said device being arranged upon
the insertion of a coin to free the telescope for use. The object of my improved
construction, is to enable any person to use the telescope for a certain and fixed
time or period, and to prevent such view through said telescope being unduly or
optionally prolonged, by any incorrect or attempted wrong use of the automatic
mechanism.
In order to make my invention clear, I refer to the accompanying drawings, in
which a telescope is shown provided with my improvements.
Figure 1 shows an elevation of a telescope, fitted with my improved automatic
mechanism, said mechanism being in a position of rest.
Figure 2 is a rear view of the actuating mechanism.
Figure 3 is a side-view of the complete telescope.
Proceeding to describe the drawings;
F is the telescope, which turns by means of the joint A upon a pillar B. The
said pillar is arranged upon a stand and permits further a horizontal or vertical
adjustment of the telescope. Within the telescope is the clock-work L located
within or surrounded by the casing G.
In the telescope is a darkening disc a the opening of which, by the action of a
spring e, is covered by the disc arranged to swing upon the pin 7. The
wing-fly of the clock-work (and thus the clock-work itself) is held in its
position of rest by a pin 2 (Figure 3) of the crank-lever e e, said crank levere e
being movably arranged upon the pin 3, the action of the spring f causing the
said lever ee to bear against the pin 4 (Figure 2).
The clock-work L is actuated by a spring, one end of which engages with
the driving shaft g. Each time the lever descends, it carries with it the
driving shaft g, the spring being brought into tension by means of the ring n,
whereby the clock-work is set in motion.
To the shaft g is attached at one end, an arm and at the other end a carrier i,
whilst the lever with projection 1, is "loosely" arranged upon the said shaft,
in such manner, that upon the descent of the said lever, the shaft g and hereby
also the arm h by means of the carrier is caused to rotate in the direction of
the arrow (Figure 2) until the same reaches the position shown in that figure.
The "
ascent" of the said lever, & has, however, no influence upon the shaft d
and the parts h and i.
The spring m holds the lever in a horizontal position, although it is possible
however, to draw the said lever k, by means of a pawl and ring n in a downward
direction.
From the drawing (Figure 1) it will be clear that the projection 7 will press

page_text: the disc o outwards, so. that the lens-opening a is only closed when the lever
is pressed downwards. A spring 2 constantly tends to draw the disc o which
pivots round 5 to the centre of the tube.
It will be furthermore seen from Figure 1, that when the apparatus or auto-
matic mechanism is in a position of rest, that the pawl 7 (Figure 1) will prevent
the disc o from coming in front of the opening a, in consequence of said disc
bearing against the projections r r.
Rigidly attached to this pawl q, is a counterpoise s, arranged so as to swing
upon the lever k, one arm of which part s receives the coin, whilst the other arm
serves as weight, the latter arm being only slightly lighter than the first arm,
even inclusive of the coin.
It will also be seen from Figure 2, that the clock-work actuates a slotted
disc having one or more grooves w, the purpose of which is hereinafter described.
The operation of the various parts of my improved automatic actuating
mechanism is as follows:
In a position of rest the disc 6 will prevent the view through the telescope, in
consequence of the projection having entered the slot or groove te, which as
apparent, would cause the disc b to cover the observation opening. If now a coin
be inserted in the coin-slot of the outer casing, the same will pass through the
coin channel to the counter-poise s.
The lever k can now be drawn downwards by means of the ring as by the weight
of the coin, the counterpoise s has revolved, so that the pawl q is no longer in
engagement with the projections rr, whereby, as is apparent, the lever or arm k
can by means of a ring and the cord thereto attached be drawn in a downward
direction.
The drawing down of the lever or arm k owing to the rotation of the shaft g,
thereby effected will cause the winding up of the clock-work L and the pro-
jection can now no longer push away the disc o from the Tense opening a. As
now the said projection does not stop the disc o any more, the spring t
(Figure 1) will come into action and draw the disc over the lense-opening a
which now will be covered.
Simultaneously with the rotation of the shaft g the arm h which, as stated,
is rigidly attached to the shaft g, will also be turned in the direction of the arrow
(Figure 2) and will press the second disc b away from the opening a, whereby
also at the same time, the projection will, as is apparent, be released from the
groove w. The disc will now bear against the crank lever e e and will hereby
release the arresting mechanism of the clock-work, or in other words, the
wing-fly at the point 2, thus the crank-leyer e will no longer arrest the move-
ment of the wing-fly d.
During the actuation of the clock-work, which can now take place, the pro-
jection will bear against and travel upon the circumference of the disc t whereby
the opening a will remain uncovered by the said disc b.
As soon however, as the lever is drawn down to the required degree,
the coin will fall into the slot of the channel y, which channel had hitherto
prevented a premature rolling out of the same. Through the channel y z the said
coin reaches now the coin-receptacle K. As soon as the operator releases the
ring, the lever k by the action of the spring m will return to its former
horizontal position, whereby the disc o will be pressed away from the opening a
by the projection 7.
The telescope is now ready for use.
The action of the released clock-work is now as follows:
The disc can now rotate until the projection v again comes opposite the
groove w, whereupon the said projection will again fall into or come into
ment with the groove w, whereby, as is apparent, the view through the telescope
engage-
is again closed, as the engagement of the projection with the groove w will
bring the disc b again in front of the lens-opening a whereupon the pin 2, stops
the fly of the clock-work and consequently the clock-work itself.

page_text: Only when a suitable coin is again inserted, the above mentioned movements
can be repeated.
In conclusion I remark that the money-channel is provided with opposite
hollow rails or guides, so that a smaller coin than the correct one would fall
through the said channel, and would therefore not set the counterpoise s in
motion, or influence the actuating mechanism of the telescope.
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:-
An automatic coin-freed telescope, in which by means of clock-work arranged
only to be wound by a hand-lever after the insertion of a coin, the length of
time for use, or the period of observation through the telescope is regulated by
a movable disc b arranged to be brought in front of the opening a, characterised
by the co-operation of the said disc b, with a second disc o also covering the said
opening a, in such manner, that the disc o when the telescope is not in use, is
not over the opening a, but upon the insertion of a coin, and during the period of
the movement of the lever k, the said disc o is caused to cover the said opening a,
whereby the view through the telescope is only possible upon the falling of the
said coin into the cash, receptacle or, after the return of the lever to its
position of rest, and in accordance with the fixed period or length of time, during
which the disc b is pressed away from the opening a, by the before mentioned
clock-work, substantially as described.
101
T
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.