US1049915A - Prepayment attachment for instruments. - Google Patents

Description

J. L. POST. PREPAYMENT ATTAGHMENT FOR INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 26, 1912.

Patented J an. 7, 1913.

JOHN L. Postr, 0E CANON CITY, coLonADo.

PREPAYMENTT ATTACHMENT FOR INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7 1913.

v Application led April 26, 1912. Serial No. 693,498.'

To all whom'z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN. L. PosT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canon City, in the county of Fremont and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Prepayment Attachments .for Instruments, of which the following is a specification. K

This invention relates to improvements in prepayment attachments for instruments and has particular application to an attachment of the type set forth for telephones.

In carrying out this invention it is my purpose to provide a prepayment attachment, especially adapted to telephones although not necessarily limited to such use, wherein the coin receptacle will be locked Within the attachment and inclosed by the walls thereof in such manner as to present, in effect, an integral structure.

It is also my purpose to provide an attachment of the character set forth which shall comprise, among other features, a coin receptacle and a box, the latter receiving the coin receptacle and having a hinged closure capable of being locked in box formation to render the coin receptacle inaccessible.

In another aspect, my invention embraces an alarm designed to operate automatically in the initial movement of the lock to release the cover of the receptacle.

The invention also involves the provision of a lock adapted to lock the cover ofthe attachment in box forniation and designed to be wholly removed from the attachment in order to unlock the same, such movement of the lock facilitating the closing of a circuit to send an alarm.

IVith-the above recited objects in view and others o f a like nature, the invention consists in the construction, combination and varrangement. of parts hereinafter set forth lin and falling withinthe scope of the claim.

Similar reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the present instance, my invention isi designed especially for use with telephones. It is to be understood, however, that the invention in its useful application is not limited to this particular purpose, as the same may be applied to .various instruments which require a prepayment attachment, such as automatic pianos, graphophones and -the like.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, A. indicates my improved prepayment attachment as an entirety which may be bolted or otherwise secured to a'suitable support in proximity to the instrument to which the attachment is applied. The attachment embraces a box-like structure including a base 1 forming the relatively large rear wall, a front wall. 2 spaced from the rear wall and in parallelism therewith and of a height less than that of the said rear wall, sidewalls 3 3 connected to the lower portion of the rear wall in any suitable manner and interconnecting the front and rear walls and a bottom wall 4 connected to all of the first mentioned walls in a well known or preferred manner and forming with such walls a pocket 5.

The forward ends of the walls 3--3 above the front wall 2 are formed to provide ears 6 6 and between the latter is p ivotally mounted, upon a pivot rod 7 a cover 8 designed to swing up against the base 1 and form a box-like structure and composed of a front plate 9 normally disposed in a plane parallel with that of the base 1 and having connected thereto in any suitable manner by any preferred means the spaced parallel side plates 10-10 and the end plate 11, the free edges of the said plates 10 and 11 abutting the proximate surfaces of the base l so that when the parts are assembled an integral structure will be presented, to all intents and purposes. The end plate 11 of the cover adjacent the front plate 9, is formed with a plurality of coin receiving openings 12 of relatively different dimensions to accommodate coins of various sizes, as is usual in prepayment attachments.

Mounted within the pocket 5 formed by the walls, 2, 3 and 4 and the adjacent inner surface of the base 1, is a coin receptacle 13 constructed of any suitable or preferred material and of substantially rectangular contour, embracing, in the present instance, the side and end walls 14-14 and 1.5-15 respectively and the respective bottom and top walls 16 and 17, the latter being provided with coin-receiving slots 18 alining with the coin openings 12 in the box and designed to permit the passage of the coins to the coin receptacle in the use of the prepayment attachment. rIhe top wall 17- of the coin receptacle is preferably provided with a centrally `arranged knob 19 and a lock 2O adapted to be manipulated by a key and having its bolt disposed in alinement with the recess 21 formed in. the adjacent surface of the base 1 of the box, thus permitting or enabling the receptacle to be locked within the pocket 5. In this construction it will be seen that the walls 2, 3 and 4 and the coperating surface of the base `1, which form the pocket 5, substantially inclose the coin receptacle 13 so that when the cover 8 is swung about its pivot rodl to open the re, ceptacle, the walls of the pocket and of the coin receptacle will present to all appearances and in effect, an integral structure, thus minimizing the danger'of removal of the coin receptacle from the attachment, should the cover of the prepayment box be opened by unauthorized persons.

As before stated, my invention also embraces an alarm device designed to he rendered operative in the initial movement of the lock of the cover 8 of the box, to warn those in charge of the box that someone is opening the same with malicious intent. The signal of the alarm device may be either visual or audible and located at any suitable or convenient place either remote from or in proximity to the prepayment attachment. The lock, indicated at 22, maybe of any suitable or preferred type and is disposed within an opening 23 formed in the end plate 11 of the cover 8. Bolted or otherwise fastened to the base 1 upon the inner surface thereof and immediately below the opening 23 in the cover is a lug 24 equipped with an attaching flange 25 through the medium of which the lug is fastened to the respective portion of the base and provided with athreaded aperture 26 coaxial with the opening 23 in the end plate 11 of the cover 8. Threadedly engaging the aperture 26 and the lug 24 is ank elongated shank 27, which shank is carried by the lock 22 in the opening 23 so that the cover 8 may be locked in its closed position irrespective of the condition of the lock 22 and unt-il such shank is removed from the lugs. Thus, when the lock 22 is unlocked, the shank may be rotated within the lug and withdrawn from engage lment with such lug to enable opening of the ox.

Fixed to the inner surface ofthe base l at an appropriate distance below the lug 24, the distance being slightly less than the length of the shank 27, are contacts 28 and 29, and from .these contacts leads a 'circuit 30 composed of the conductorsl 31 including in series a source of energy such as a bat -tery 32 and a suitable signal, such as a bolt 33 adapted, when the circuit to the contacts is closed, to sound. The contact 28, in4 the present instance, is stationary relatively to the contact 29 and consists of a section of wire 34 having4 a run or reach spaced from the adjacent side of the base 1 as at 35 and receiving the terminal of one of the conductors 31 of the circuit. The contact 29, being the movable contact, is constructed of suitable resilient material and, in the present instance, is contiguous with the free terminal of the remaining conductor of the circuit and has its free end projected beyond the reach or run 35 of the wire 34 and disposed coaxially of the shank 27, as at 36, so that when such shank is in its applied position the free end thereof will engage the proximate end of the movable cont-actv to disengage the same from the fixed contact and consequently break the circuit 30, If, however, the lock is unlocked and rotated to remove the shank from the lug, the initial movement of such shank will release the movable contact whereby such contact will engage the fixed contact and consequently close the circuit and sound the alarm.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction, mode of operation and manner of employing my invention may be readily apparent and while I have herein shown and described the preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction and arrangement of the parts herein described and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claim and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim r1`he combination with a prepayment attachment including a box-like 'structure having a hinged cover provided with an aperture in one wall thereof and a lug arranged within the box-like structure and secured thereto and provided with an aperture coaxial with the opening in the wall of said cover when the latter is closed, of a lock adapted to be disposed within the opening in said cover and unlocked and removed to facilitate the opening of the box, an. elongated shank carried by thelock and passed through the aperture in said lug, anv cuit respectively, according as the shank is ala-rm mechanism comprising a signal, a Withdrawn or inserted.

circuit and a source of energy therein, and In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature fixed and movable contacts forming the in presence of two Witnesses.

terminals of said circuit, said movable con- JOHN L. POST. tact being disposed in the path of the shank and adapted to be rendered operative and inoperative for closing and opening the cir- Witnesses:

R. G. PETRIE, F. E. CRAWFORD.

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