GB2209421A

GB2209421A - Coin-freed lock mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2209421A
Application number: GB8720700A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Taylor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-09-03
Filing date: 1987-09-03
Publication date: 1989-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 2007-09-03
Also published as: GB2209421B; GB8720700D0

Abstract

A coin-freed lock mechanism comprises a key operated lock 11, a vertical coin chute 5 and a gate 28, 22, 23 located in the chute and adapted when closed to retain a coin in the chute. A lever arm 31 coupled to the lock 11 prevents operation of the lock in the absence of a coin in the chute but permits operation of the lock in the presence of a coin in the chute and opens the gate when the lock is operated. <IMAGE>

Description

COIN-FREED LOCK MECHANISM The invention relates to a coin-freed lock mechanism such as may be designed to fit into a rectangular opening in the door frame of a locker compartment, and after insertion of a coin by a patron either to return the coin to the patron used as a deposit for the key or to retain the coin as payment for use of the locker compartment.

According to the present invention there is provided a coin-freed lock mechanism comprising a key-operated lock, a bolt operated by the turning of a key in the lock, a substantially vertical coin chute having inlet and outlet openings at its respective ends and being dimensioned to allow coins to pass edgewise therethrough, a gate located in the chute and adapted when closed to retain a coin in the chute between the inlet and outlet openings, and security means to prevent turning of the key in the absence of a correctly dimensioned coin in the chute; the security means comprising an element which detects the presence of a coin in the chute, which is coupled to the lock to prevent operation of the lock in the absence of a coin in the chute and which, in the presence of a coin in the chute, allows the lock to operate and engages the gate to open it when the lock is operated to release the coin.

An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a front view of a lock mechanism; FIGURE 2 is a side view of a lock mechanism; FIGURE 3 is a rear view of a lock mechanism; FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of part of the lock mechanism in a position which is adopted in the absence of a coin in the chute; FIGURE 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4 but showing the position adopted in the presence of a coin in the chute; and FIGURE 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 5 but showing a position adopted by the mechanism on further rotation of the lock.

Referring to the Figures it can be seen that the lock mechanism comprises a face plate 1 which is provided with two coin slots 2 and 3; coin slot 2 being for the insertion of a coin, and coin slot 3 being for the return of a coin to the patron when required.

Attached to the back of the face plate 1 is a lock body 4, which provides a vertical chute 5 down which a coin will pass and drop edgewise into the mechanism after insertion into the coin slot 2. A locating tab 6 is located at the bottom of the face plate and set back therefrom so that it may engage in the opening of the doorframe of a locker; the face plate 1 being held captive in the doorframe by means of a key operated control lock 7 so that when the control lock is turned it rotates a control cam 8, which, by means of a pin 9 mounted on the bolt 10, moves the chute bolt 10 in a vertical plane to lock it behind the frame of the locker.The face plate is also provided with a second lock, being the patron lock 11 through which the mechanism of the lock can be operated, after insertion of a coin in slot 2, and in order to operate the lock with different sizes of coin, the slot 2 can be reduced in length in order to prevent oversized coins entering the mechanism and causing a malfunction; this is attained by means of a restricting plate which can be mounted on the mechanism to obscure a part of the slot 2. The patron lock 11 is connected to a patron cap 12 having fixed thereto a main chute bolt crank 13; this crank has a small indent 14 in its periphery which can engage in an interlock pin 15. The interlock pin 15 is located in a tag 16 attached to the lock body, whilst the other end of the interlock pin 15 protrudes through the face plate of the lock.The interlock pin carries a cylindrical enlargement 17 which can engage with the indent 14 of the main chute bolt crank when the patron lock 11 is in the unlocked position and the interlock pin is in the position shown in Figure 2. It will be seen that if the interlock pin is depressed against the action of a spring 18 to a position in which its end is flush with the face plate 1, the enlargement 17 will be pushed out of the indent 14 such that it no longer prevents operation of the patron lock 11. In practice a plate mounted on the locker door is provided to engage the end of the interlock pin and to push it to a position flush with the face plate 1 when the door is closed.

The object of this interlock pin is to prevent a patron having inserted a coin into the lock with the locker door still open and turning the key to the locked position allowing a coin to fall through the mechanism before the patron has fully closed the door.

A gate formed mainly from a plate 28 is pivotally mounted on the mechanism by means of gate pivot pin 19 retained on the lock body by tags 20. The gate plate 28 is biassed by spring 21 into the closed position shown in Figures 2-5. A cylindrical coin stop 22 is carried on a selector arm 23 and extends through a slot 24 in the gate plate into the chute to retain correctly dimensioned coins between the inlet and outlet slots. The position of the selector arm on the gate plate 28 can be varied by locating different ones of holes 25 formed in the selector arm on a pin 26 extending upwardly from the gate plate 28; the position of the coin stop 22 in the slot 24 thus being variable.

The coin stop 22 cooperates with a turned down flange 30 on the plate 28 to retain coins in the chute 5; the spacing between the stop 22 and flange 30 being adjusted by means of the selector arm 23 such that the coin of greatest diameter which can be fed into the slot 2 will only just be retained. Thus any undersized coins will pass the gate and will not permit operation of the mechanism as described below.

A lever arm 31 is pivotally mounted at one end on the cap 12 of the patron lock 11 - eccentrically in relation to the lock axis - and is biassed by a spring 32 such that the bifurcated free end of the lever arm is urged towards the chute 5. A slot 33 formed in the gate plate 18 permits the first limb 34 of the free end of the lever arm to pass therethrough into the chute 5. When there is no coin retained in the chute, rotation of the patron lock 11 causes the other limb 35 of the lever arm to come up against an abutment 36 formed by the edge of a ramp 37 bent out of the plate 38 which cooperates with another plate 39 to define the chute 5. It will be appreciated that openings are provided in the plate 38 to allow the entry of the coin stop 22 and the limb 34 into the chute. Engagement of abutment 36 by limb 35 - as shown in Figure 4 - prevents further rotation of the patron lock 11.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6 it can be seen that the presence of a coin retained in the chute between the coin stop 22 and flange 30 prevents the limb 34 from entering the chute. In this case rotation of the patron lock causes the limb 35 and subsequently limb 34 to slide up the ramp 36.

A yoke 40 formed on the gate plate 28 straddles the lever arm and is engaged thereby when the limb 34 slides up ramp 37. As shown in Figure 6, this causes the gate to pivot to an open position allowing the coin to pass down the chute.

Rotation of the patron lock 11 as described above also causes the crank 13 to move the main shoot bolt to the right as seen in Figure 3 by means of shoot bolt pin 42, thus completing operation of the patron lock into the locked position.

A 'c' spring 45 acts on the main shoot bolt 41 in an over-centre manner to urge the shoot bolt towards its extreme positions.

A catch 50 is pivoted about a pin 52 by means of a link rod 51 connected to the crank 13 such that rotation of the lock 11 causes the catch to enter into the chute to catch the coin released by the gate.

The coin is thus held in the chute until the lock 11 is unlocked when it is released by the catch 50 to fall into a cash box (not shown) beneath the chute or deflected by plate 53 to be returned to the patron through coin slot 3.

The catch 50 is provided with two holes for mounting it on the pin 52. When mounted via the first hole it operates as above but when mounted via the second hole the catch is ineffective. This mode can be employed when it is desired that the coin should drop into the cash box as soon as the patron lock 9 has been turned to lock the door of the cabinet.

Claims

1. A coin-freed lock mechanism comprising a key-operated lock, a bolt operated by the turning of a key in the lock, a substantially vertical coin chute having inlet and outlet openings at its respective ends and being dimensioned to allow coins to pass edgewise therethrough, a gate located in the chute and adapted when closed to retain a coin in the chute between the inlet and outlet openings, and security means to prevent turning of the key in the absence of a correctly dimensioned coin in the chute; the security means comprising an element which detects the presence of a coin in the chute, which is coupled to the lock to prevent operation of the lock in the absence of a coin in the chute and which, in the presence of a coin in the chute, allows the lock to operate and engages the gate to open it when the lock is operated to release the coin.

2. A coin-freed lock mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which the element comprises a lever arm coupled to the lock at one end by a pivotable mounting which is located eccentrically on the lock, and spring biassed such that the free end of the lever arm is urged into the chute adjacent the gate; the mechanism further providing abutment means which engages the free end of the lever arm to prevent rotation of the lock when, in the absence of a coin in the chute, the free end of the lever arm moves into the chute, and a ramp which is engaged by the free end of the lever arm for sliding movement therealong during rotation of the lock when the presence of a coin in the chute prevents the free end of the lever arm from entering the chute.

3. A coin-freed lock mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wherein the gate is pivotally mounted on the chute and is provided with a member which lies in the path of the lever arm as the lever arm slides on the ramp; the arrangement being such that engagement of the member by the lever arm causes the gate to pivot into an open position.

4. A coin-freed lock mechanism substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.