US1270375A - Fare-box. - Google Patents

Description

F. A. BURKITT.

FARE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED Mmm. 1912.

1,270,375. imma Jun@ 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F'. A. BURKITT.

FARE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED AIIG.III 1917.

Patented June 25, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. A. BURKITT.

FARE Box.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.II. I9I7.

Patented J une 25, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- F. A. BURKITT.

FARE Box.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.II. 19I7.

Patented June 25, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLOYD A. BURKITT, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE RECORDING AND COMPUTING MACHINES COMPANY, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FARE-BOX.

Application filed August 11, 1917.

To all whom t may concern f Be it known that I, FLoYD A. BURKrr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fare-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to fare boxes and particularly to coin eliminating mechanism for fare boxes.

The particular object of my invention is to provide a coin eliminating mechanism which will adapt itself to the irregularities of operation and always keep the eliminating finger in yielding engagement with the member upon which the eliminated coin rides to always eliminate the coin.

It is an additional object to provide a finger which cannot raise or be interposed in the path of the projections on the coin carrying mechanism resulting in a bent finger and the coin to be eliminated riding under the bent finger.

It has been found to be an advantage to have the eliminating finger or mechanism resiiiently pressed against the abutment on which it rides so that in case an odd size coin or counterfeit passes through the fare box the finger will not be moved a portion of the distance it ought to be moved and thereby lie in the path of the coin moving mechanism and become bent. By having the mechanism of my invention it is forced by its normal position and pressed against the abutment so that. if an odd size coin does happen to pass into the machine the resiliont means will press the finger be ond its normal position in that location an against the abutment out of thc path of the means which moves the coin.

In the particular embodiment of my invention herein shown, if the helical spring and the remainder of the mechanism were not constructed and employed as I use them, or th ir equivalents were not so used, the finger, upon the passage through the machine of an odd size coin, might project in the path of the coin carrying lugs and become bent, thus allowing the coin to pass by into the unlocked'box. Mutilated or improper coins would also pass it and the object of the invention be defeated.

In the use of these machines it is not de- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1918.

Serial No. 185,788.

sired to return pennies to customers in making change and it is further found that slightly larger coins, such as live cent pieces, are so altered in size by persons operating these machines as to make them equivalent in size to a one cent piece. If a street car conductor, for example, returns such a five cent piece to a customer in change the natural inclination of the customer is to deposit that particular coin in the fare box. If that is done, of course, only one cent is registered on the adding device and therefore the conductor may pocket the other four cents.

To prevent the misoperation just referred to and also to prevent return of any pennies whatever to the customer is the object of this invention. Such coins whether pennies or larger value coins which have been mutilated are deposited in a locked receptacle and cannot be used a second time.

This invention is an improvement upon the copending application of F. B. Kennedy for fare box, filed Aug. 11, 1917, and bearing Serial Number 185,773. A

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation. of my fare box and other mechanism which is not the subject of this invention but used in conjunction with it;

Fig. '.2 is a front elevation of this assembly; Fig. 3 is a front view of the fare box proper with the hopper casing removed and also one of the guide plates removed showing a coin about to be diverted into the locked receptacle. Fig. 4 is a front view of the fare box with the hopper casing removed and the mechanism in its initial position before being operated; Fig. is a rear view of the fare box with the casing removed from a major portion of the mechanism to show the passageway from the eliminating mechanism to the locked receptacle; and Fig. 6 is I a detail view of the locked receptacle showing the actuating mechanism for moving the counter.

Figs. 1 and 2.-1 is a fare box casing, 2 the operating handle, 3 the locked receptacle, 4. the unlocked receptacle, 5 the counter attached to the locked receptacle, (3 the key hole for the key to unlock the locked receptacle, 7 indicates the supporting means between the fare box and the visual indicator, S the counter to indicate the amount of the coin registered, 9 the customary tower into which, the fares are deposited, 10 the handle to operate the inspection plaie, 11 the visible fare indicating means and 12 the operating` handles therefor. 13 are the lugs attached to the fare boi; casing to enable it to be mounted upon a standard in a street car or other location when being operated.

Figs. 3 cmd ,4f-14 is a coin plate upon which are lugs 15 to pick up the coins indiscriminately. The coin plate turns in the direction of the arrow and picks up a coin from the mass of coins of various denominations indiscriminately mixed at the bottom of the hopper and at the bottom of the coin plate, lifting it until such coin comes in Contact with the dierential registering arm 16 against its cam surface 17, thus lifting the differential arm apredetermined distance according to the diameter of the coin and therefore its denomination. rlFhe coin rides on the linger 13 projected into a groove 19 in the path of the coin having an inclined. surface 20 on which the coin travels upwardly against the diliierential arm and forwardly against its point of eXit. 21 indi cates openings through which the springpressed linger 22 (Fig. 5) projects at requisite intervals to unseat coins which may have stuck on the coin plate at an improper location between the lugs 15 and not in conjunction with the lugs 15.

The coins lift the diiierential arm varying distances until the star wheel 23 shown in dotted lines is lifted in a manner eX- plained in the patent of F. B. Kennedy, granted Nov. 13, 1917, No. 1,246,603, until the star wheel is brought into line with the proper rack of teeth on the drum 24 which is revolving, being driven from the saine source of power as the coin plate 14. rl`his rack of teeth revolves the star wheel 23 pinned to the shaft 26, and consequently revolves the bevel gear 25 which is driven by the same slidable shaft 26. A corresponding spur gear 27 then operates the counter 23 through the miter gear 25.

My invention, however, is directed more particularly to the following, namely, the mechanism for eliminating a certain denomination or denominations of coins. To accomplish this result the coins all actuate the differential arm 16 lifting` it a distance proportionate to the size of the coin. l/hen a penny passes through the machine the arm 16 is lifted a suiiicient distance to ino ve the cam arm 29 attached at its outer end to a height such that the pin 30 thereon traveling in the cam slot 31 reaches the position of Fig. 3. Here the pin 3() has been rocked by the cam slot 31 so as to actuate the jaws 32 around their pivotal point 33. The pin 30 iscarried on these jaws 32 and also carried on the pin 30 is a plate 31a having a projection 33 between which and the upper jaw 32 is a spring 34a. The plate 31a has fast thereto a spring member 34 and in the position of Fig. 3 this has been swung through an arc to its operative position which is at that point where the end of the spring rests on the linger 13 and thereby prevents the coin from passing downward to the main receptacle 4. Thus the coin must ride upon the spring 34 and travels across it upwardly behind the plate in Fig. 4 and in front of the coin plate 14.

Y1t finally reaches the tube 36 which leads to the locked receptacle 3.

To maintain the diiierential arm 16 in its raised positions a pawl 37 operates in a ratchet 38 on the end of the arm. A spring 39 tends to pull do-wn the differential arm 16 and this serves to seat the pawl 37 against the ratchet teeth 33. During this period of the operation the registration is effected and then the ratchet is released and the differential arm 16 returned to its normal position. lf the defiecting arm 34 has been moved to the position of F ig. 3 by the insertion of a penny in the machine the defleetingI arm may then be returned to its normal position by the return of the differential arm 16.

The ratchet releasing mechanism is shown in F ig. 5, an arm 41 being pivoted on a pin 40 which also carries the pawl 3T. A linger 42 is attached to the out-er end of arm 41 and rides on a cam surface 43 on the rack 24. The cam surface is positioned so that it releases the ratchet and thrusts the arm 42 outwardly between registrations by the teeth on the rack.

ln Fig. 5, 36 indicates the eliminator tube leading to the locked eliminator drawer 3, 4 is the main unlocked drawer, 5 is the counter attached to the locked drawer, 2 is the handle which operates the mechanism driving through the gears 46 and 47 both the coin plate and the rack 24. 43 is a spring operating a catch 49 which prevents the unlocked drawer 4 from being pulled out entirely and thus exposing the mecha- Aiism to any readjustment of it by the operator.

Fig, Figz 6 is an enlarged detail of the mechanism which actuates the counter attached to the locked dr wer. IConnected with the locked drawer is a shoulder 50 with a slot 5l in it, in which projects a linger 52. This linger 52 is a lever fixed to shaft 53 connected to the counter. llfhen the drawer is withdrawn this lever is moved a predeter mined distance and the counter is thereby actuated. 'lhe counter can be of any well known type.

ln particular reference to the cam arm 29 and the slot 31, it will be observed that the slot 31 starts with a relatively straight portion and then traces a semicircular path and again straightens out in substantially a straight line. rhe object of this is to permit the differentiall arm and the cam armto lift certain predetermined distances to register the coins which are to be registered without actuating the eliminating mechanism. When coins of greater size which are to be eliminated lift the differential arm higher then the pin 30 travels into the curved portion of the cam slot 31 and is actuated and deflected so that the finger 34 is placed in the path of the coins.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention it will be understood that the same has been chosen for purposes of illustration only, and that I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is :d

1. In a coin registering mechanism, a hopper comprising an inclined rotatable disk to lift the coins therefrom, a differential operating mechanism, a cam arm depending therefrom, a cam slot therein, a pair of jaws pivoted on the frame, a pin eccentrically located on said jaws and traveling in said slot, resilient means between said jaws, a coin eliminating finger connected at one end to said resilient means and adapted at its other end to be interposed in the path of a coin to defiect said coin, a ratchet on one end of said differential mechanism, a pawl coperating with said ratchet, means to lock and unlock said differential mechanism and accompanying mechanism, and resilient means to return said mechanism to inoperative position, whereby when said coin has actuated the differential mechanism, said differential mechanism will be locked together with the coin eliminating mechanism to eliminate a coin and after the coin has been eliminated said mechanism will be unlocked and returned to its normal position.

2. In a coin registering mechanism, a differential mechanism, a hopper, means for lifting coins to operate the differential mechanism, coperating means to interpose deflecting means in the path of coins of a predetermined denomination to deflect such coins into a special receptacle, said means including a plate having spaced jaws, and a spring finger having a projection yieldingly held between said spaced jaws, whereby coins of said predetermined denomination will be eliminated.

3. In a coin registering mechanism, a differential mechanism, a hopper, means for lifting coins to operate the diHerential mechanism, coperating means to interpose deflecting means in a path of a coin to deflect a coin of predetermined denomination into a predetermined receptacle, means to hold said deflecting means yieldingly in its deflecting position, whereby' coins of predetermined denomination will be eliminated, and means to lock said differential and eliminating mechanism in position while eliminating a coin and to unlock said mechanism after the coin has been eliminated.

4. In a coin registering mechanism, a differential mechanism, a hopper, means for lifting coins to operate the differential mechanism, coperating means to interpose defiecting means in a path of a coin to deflect a coin of predetermined denomination into a predetermined receptacle, means to hold said deflecting means yieldingly in its deflecting position, whereby coins of predetermined denomination will be eliminated, means to lock said differential and eliminating mechanism in position while eliminating a coin and to unlock said mechanism after the coin has been eliminated, and resilient means to return said mechanism to its normal position.

5. In a coin registering mechanism, a hoper comprising an inclined rotatable disk to lift coins therefrom, a differential arm pivoted at one end with a ratchet at the other, a depending cam arm fastened to the outer ratchet end of said differential arm, a cam slot at the outer end of said cam arm, a U- shaped member pivoted beneath said cam arm, a pin eccentrically placed on said U- shaped member and traveling in said slot, a helical spring between the arms of said U- shaped member, a finger attached to said spring at one end adapted to be interposed at the other in the path of a coin to eliminate a coin of predetermined denomination, a pawl coperating with said ratchet mounted on a shaft, an arm mounted on said shaft, a finger attached to the outer end of said arm and adapted to contact with a cani at its other end, a cam member intermittently brought into contact with the outer end of said linger, resilient means for returning said differential arm and its coperating mechanism to its normally .inoperative position, whereby when said differential arm and coperating mechanism are moved by a coin to their operative position they are locked in such position and when said coin has been eliminated they are unlocked and returned to their normal position.

5. In a coin registering mechanism, a hopper comprising an inclined rotatable disk to lift coins therefrom, a differential arm pivoted at one ene with a ratchet at the other, a depending' cam arm fastened to the outer ratchet end of said differential arm, a cam slet at the outer end of said cam arm, a U-shaped mcn'iber pivoted beneath said cam arm, a pin eccentrically placed on said ,U- shaped member and traveling in said slot, a finger beneath said U-shaped member pivoted on the same axis, a lug on said finger traveling in the space betwen said U-shaped arms, a helical spring interposed between one of said arms and said lug, a pawl cooperating with said ratchet mounted on a shaft, an arm mounted on said shaft, a finger attached to the outer end ot said arm and adapted to contact with a cam at its other end, a cam member intermittently brought into contact with the outer end of said finger, resilient means for returning said difierential arm and its cooperating mechanism to its normally inoperative position, whereby when said diiierential arm and cooperating mechanism are moved by a coin to 'their operative position they are locked in such position and when said coin has been eliminated they are unlocked and returned to their normal position.

7. In a coin registering mechanism, a hopper comprising an inclined rotatable disk to lift the coins therefrom, differential operating mechanism, a cam arm attached to said diilerential operating mechanism, a U- shaped member pivoted beneath said cam arm, a coin eliminating linger attached thereto, resilient means between the arms oil' saidV U -shaped member, one end et which abnts against one arm and the other end of which rests against an abutment on the coin eliminating finger pivoted on the same axis as said U-shaped member, a pin on said U-shaped member traveling in a slot in the cam arm, said slot being substantially on a straight line at its extremities and semicircular in its medium. portion, resilient means to hold said differential and coin eliminating mechanism in inoperative position normally, means to lock said mechanism in position for eliminating a coin, and means to unlock said mechanism, whereby when said pin on said U-shaped member travels through the straight portion of said slot the U-shaped member will not be operated, but will become operative when said pin engages the semicircular portion ot said slot resultingin the elimination of a coin.

8. ln a coin eliminating mechanism, a cam arm, means to operate said cam arm, a slot therein substantially on a straight line at either end and semicircular at its medium portion, a U-shaped member pivoted beneath said cam arm, a pin thereon traveling in said slot, a resilient ringer pivoted on the same aXis as said itl-shaped member, an abutment on said finger lying between the arms of said lll-shaped member, and a helical spring between one of said arms and said abutment.

9. ln a coin eliminating mechanism, a cam arm, means to operate said cam arm, a slot therein substantially on a straight line at either end and semicircular on its medium portion, a itl-shaped member pivoted beneath said cam. arm, a pin thereon traveling in said slot, a resilient finger pivoted on the same axis as said U-shaped member, an abutment on said linger lying between the arms oi' said U-shaped member, said finger being substantially tlat at its outer end, the rem ai nder of said finger being substantially fiat but at a difierent angle trom the outer end, and a helical spring between one of said arms and said abutment.

l0. ln a coin registering mechanism, a hopper comprising an inclined rotatable disk to lift coins therefrom, a differential operating mechanism, a cam arm, a slot therein, a U-shaped member pivoted thereunder, a pin on said lll-shaped member travcling in said slot, a finger pivoted on the same axis as said U-shaped member, an abutment on said pin, a helical spring between one ot said lil-shaped members and said abutment, resilient means to retain said ditferential operating mechanism and accompanying mechanism in its inoperative position normally, a ratchet on one end of said differential operating mechanism, a pawl cooperating with said ratchet, means to release said pawl from said ratchet to unlock said mechanism, a star wheel, means connected with said differential mechanism to lift said star wheel according to the denomination of a coin operating said differential mechanism to engage teeth of a proper series on a rack to rotate said star wheel and register the denomination ot the coin on a register, whereby, when a coin ot predetermined denomination operates said diiiierential mechanism it will operate said differential mechanism and said coin eliminating` mechanism, interposing said finger :in the path of said coin and diverting it to a receptacle while a coin ot another' denomination will register its value but not operate said coin eliminating mechanism, passing to another receptacle.

ll. ln a coin registering mechanism, a hopper comprising an inclined rotatable disk to lift coins therefrom, a differential operating mechanism, a cam, a slot therein, a U- shaped member pivoted on the trame, a pin on said U-shaped member' traveling in said slot, a finger pivoted on said trame, a lug on said finger, a helical spring between'one ot said U-shaped arms and said lug, a locked compartment for eliminated coins, another compartment for coins not eliminated, whereby coins ot predetermined denomination are eliminated and placed in another receptacle and coins of another denomination are not eliminated.

ln testimony whereof l aliix my signature.

FJUYD A. BURKTT.

'opies of this patent maf,V be obtained for tive cents each, by adressng the Commissioner of Yat/ents, Washington, D. C.

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