US1309294A - Assighob - Google Patents

Description

J. C. McLAUGHLIN.

COIN OPERATED TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. I916.

9 294, Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES- J. C. McLAUGHLIN.

com OPERATED TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.29, I916.

Pniented July 2 SHEEIS" SHEET 2 FIG. 7.

3/ I If IIIIIIIIIl/I.

FIGEI.

FIGJZ FIGJQ.

INVENTDR:

JGHNJC. MGLAUGHLIN, 0?? EAST QRANGE,

new .essrenor. so nntosnwoon TYPEYVRITER 00:35PM, 0.? NEH YORK, YET. "L, ACGEPQMTIQN 53F incense.

Application filed November 29, 3915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN Q. McLAUoH- LIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-6perated Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

ihis invention relates to a coin-operated machine, and more particularly to means for preventing spurious coins from operating the machine, and for preventing the fraudulent representation, by the user of the machine, that a good coin was used and that the machine tailed to operate.

A feature of this invention is the provision of improved means for preventing the use of spurious coins in a time-controlled machine in which the machine is unlocked. so as to be usable when the coin is placed in the machine and is held unlocked for a predetermined length of time, at the expiration of which the machine is automatically locked again.

t has been found that in some instances a person, wishing to use the machine without paying therefor, would pretend to insert a coin and then notify the attendant in charge of the machine that a coin had been inserted, but that the machine had failed to operate.

I provide means whereby, after a good coin has been placed in the machine, it will remain in view until the expiration of a predetermined time, when the machine will be locked against further use. 'ILhus, the attendant can always determine for himself whether or not a good coin has been placed in the machine.

The mechanism for accomplishing this may comprise a chute-like holder for receiving the coin, open at the bottom and pro vided with a spring to enga e and hold a coin of proper dimension. he coin acts as an interponent between a part actuated by the operator, which may be in the form of an elongated nose adapted to engage the coin, and a part adapted to unlock the ma chine. If a washer is used, the nose, entering the opening in said washer, fails to effect the proper movement of the coin-holder nec essary to unlock the machine. Should a fibrous disk be placed in the holder, said fiber being engaged only by a small margin Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Judy d, 131%.

Serial No. 3.18%,983.

- by the coin'holder, would be forced out of the coin-holder.

in order to cause the coin to remain VlS- ible whiie the machine is usable, the coin may be freed from the coin-holder by the movement of the holding spring. When freed from the coin-holder, the coin may drop upon a tray arranged directly behind or beneath windows, through which the coin may be viewed. After the lapse ofa predetermined time, when the machine is again locked against use, the coin may be 1 the parts are shown as having been just unlocked, the knob for unlocking the machine not having been released by the operator.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the parts in, the same position as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the parts in normal position, a coin being shown in dotted lines, about to enter the machine.

Fig. 5 is front elevation showing the parts shown in Fig. 3 with the actuating knob and parts returning to normal position, the coin being shown in the act of assuming a visible position.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the parts as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation showing the actuating knob returned to normal position, the coin being shown as resting on the coin-chute in visible position, the opening being shown in dot-and-dash lines.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation showing the way the parts operate when a washer is used in an effort to operate the machine.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation showing a disk which was too thick to operate the machine and therefore remained in the actuating parts, the disk being shown as being removed by the insertion of a coin.

. chine such as illustrated in the patent to Gorcoran 990,112, in which the keys 20 of the machine, having hooks 21, are normally held against depression by a bail 22 underlying said hooks. The bail 22 comprises arms 23 and a shaft 24, and is locked beneath the hooks of the keys by means of an arm 25, bearing against one of the arms 23 and rising from the shaft 26. Fixed to the shaft 26 is an arm 27, having a pin 30 to engage a flat portion 29 on a locking bar 28, so asto hold said arm 27 and connected parts against motion, as seen in Fig. 1. The arm 27 and the locking bar 28 being inside the casing 31 of the coin-operated, time-controlled mechanism, can not be moved or operated to unlock the machine except by the insertion of a coin.

' In order to unlock the machine, the operator first inserts a coin through a slot 32- in the casing. The inserted coin has the effect of acting as an interponent between two parts of the mechanism, one part being connected to an operating knob 33 at the outside of the casing, and the other part being connected to the locking bar 28, so as to cause the knob 33, when turned by the operator, to operate the bar 28 moving the flat portion 29 thereon, away from the pin 30, thereby permitting the arms 25, 27 to be moved to inoperative position by a spring 34, this in turn permits the bail 22 to be moved to ineffective position by a spring 35, thereby unlocking the keys of the machine.

After the keys of the machine are unlocked, the bar 28 is latched in inoperative position, and remains so until the lapse of a period of time determined by the timecontrolling mechanism.

As the bar 28 descends to unlock the keys, a pin 36, on sald bar, and a pin 37, on an arm 38, pivoted at 39 and geared to the bar 28 by gearing 40, each release a pawl 41, which-is mounted at 42 on a timing plate 43, and which is moved by its spring 44 into engagement with a ratchet Wheel 45 fixed to an arbor 46 of a clock-work 47. After having released the pawls 41, the arm 38 and the bar 28 are held in releasing position by an arm 48, pivoted at 49 to the arm 38 and having a stud 50, which, as the bar descends, falls into a notch 51 on the arm 52 on said bar. The arm 48 is then detained in this position by a latch 53, pivoted at ecaeea 39, and having a notch 54, which falls over a pin 55 on the arm 48 and locks said arm with its stud 50 in the notch 51 on the arm 28.

At the expiration of the time during which the machine may be used, a pin 56 on the timing plate 43, which is being rotated by the clock-work, cams a trip-lever 57 pivotally mounted on the arm 48, causing said trip-lever 57, through a pin 58 thereon, to lift up a hooked arm 59 on the latch 53, therebyreleasing the arm 48. As the pin 56 continues its camming action, the pin 58 strikes against 2. lug 60 on the arm 48, and further camming action acts upon the triplever 57 and forces the stud 50 out of the notch 51, thereby allowing a spring 61, connected to the arm 38 and the bar 28, to return said arm and bar to their normal positions. The arm 38 and the bar 28, returning to normal position, cause the pins 36 and 37 to engage the ends of the pawls 41, thereby releasing the timing plate from the clockwork; and the bar 28, having a cam portion 62, cams out the pin 30, locking the keys against'action. A lug 62 co-acts with the lug 60 in limiting the movement of the trip lever 57.

In order to inform the operator at the beginning and end of the period of time during which the machine may be used, a bell 63, mounted on the casing by a screw 64, is struck by means of a hammer 64 loosely mounted on the arbor 46 of the clock-Work, and operated by means of a pin 65 on the bar 28, which engages a tappet 66 pivoted to the downwardlyextending arm 66 of the hammer. The connections between the bell-hammer 64 and the bar 28 are such that as the bar descends to unlock the keys, the hammer is moved against the tension of the spring 67, and is then released, thus causing the spring to throw the hammer against the bell. The same action takes place at the ascending or looking movement of the bar 28.

The coin, in being placed in the machine, is dropped through the slot 32 in the casing 31 and falls into the chute-like slot 69 in a holder 68, in which the coin is temporarily held by a leaf spring 70, fastened to the holder 68 at 70*. The holder, pivotally mounted on a shaft 71, bearing in the casing 31, is provided with an arm 72, connectedv by a link 73 to the locking bar 28, so that. as the knob 33 (which is fixed to the shaft 71) is turned, an operating arm 74, also fixed to the shaft 71, strikes against the coin in said holder and rocks said holder, thereby operating the locking bar 28. Thus, it will be seen that the coin, when in the holder, acts as an interponent between the operating knob 33 and the locking bar 28, to cause said arm to operate the locking bar 28 and therebyunlock the keys of the machine for use. If, however, no coin is placed in the machine, the operating arm 74 will move idly past the holder 68, without operating same; the holder being provided with an opening 7 5 through which the arm is may freely pass. After the knob 33 is turned and is released, a spring 76, connected at one end to the operating arm 74 and at the other end to the casing, causes the lrnolo and arm to return to normal position.

In order to prevent the use of a spurious metal disk for operating the machine, the

holding spring '70 is provided with a V- shaped notch 77 (Fig. 10), whose sides will not detain a disk thinner than the proper coin, but will only engage and hold a coin or" the proper thickness. it the disk used is of less diameter than the proper coin, the spring again will not he eilective in detaining the disk in the holder, for it such a disk is used it would pass idly between the wall of the chute-like sloth?) and the spring '20, and out or the holder.

When a good coin of the proper denomination.is placed in the holder, and the knob 33 is turned, the said holder 68 will he moved with the operating arm 7% until the coin strikes against an arm 7 8 secured the casing by screws '29 As the coin and the holder approach this position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the spring 70 is cammed out, so as to release the coin from the holding spring 70 by an arm 80 mounted on the screw 79 and provided with a cam portion 81 which engages the spring T0 as shown in Fig. 6. The

coin, however, is held in the holder by frictional engagement with the actuating arm is until the lrnob 33 is released and the spring 76 returns the actuating arm. The coin, when thus released, drops upon a. tray 82 which assists in guiding thecoiu to the receptacle 83.

I provide mechanism whereby the coin or disk, which has been used to unlock the machine, may be viewed during the entire period in which the typewriting or other connected machine may he used, so that the person in charge or the machine may, from time to time, inspect the last coin placed in the machines in use.

For accomplishing this, I provide an abutment in the path followed by the coin from the holder 68 to the receptacle 8-3. This abutment may comprise an upturned portion 8% of a chute 35, which co-acts with the tray 82 in guiding the coin.- This ahutuientBa arrests the coin on the tray directly in front of and heneath openings or windows 86 provided in the casing 31, through which the coin may he viewed. The coin is held in this position during the entire period in which the typewriting or other connected machine may he used, and is released at the close of.

said period. This may he done by securing the tray to the holder 68, which, hy reason of the connection between its arm '?'2 and the locking bar 28, is held in operated position until the machine is again locked. As the holder returns to normal position, the tray 82 will be lifted above the ahutrnent 84, thus permitting free passage of the coin from the tray 82 to the chute $5, and thence out of sight into the receptacle 83.

Should a person try to unlock the machine by the use of spurious coins, or fail to place any coin in the machine, and make representations to the person in charge of the machine, that a good coin was used but the machine failed to operate, the attendant may easily detect the fraud, for, if a good coin had been used, it would he visible through the windows 86. If there is really a case of fraud, the very absence of the coin from the tray proves it; for it a coin placed in the machine is in any way uniitted to act as an interponent' between the actuating arm 7e and the holder 68, (which cooperation is necessary to cause the machine to become usahie), said unlit coin, hy reason of the fact that the holder has not moved from normal position in which the tray is raised above the abutment 84, would pass over said ahutment and out of sight. The tray 82 may be secured to a huh 87 to which the holder 58 is connected, i

in order to prevent the use or" a washer in an effort to unlock the machine for operation, the part of the actuating arm is which strikes the coin is made in the form of a long nose 88, adapted to enter into the hole in the washer; so that when the lrnoh 33 is rotated, the nose 88 of the actuating arm will enter the hole in said washer, and thus fail to move the holder to the position at which it would cause the machine to become usable.

As illustrated in Fig. 8, the actuating arm 'Z i is provided at the base or" the nose 88 with a lug or projection 89, adapted to strike the washer after the nose has fully entered the hole in the washer. This is done so as to pre- 1 vent the washer and nose from becoming caught upon each other. This striking against the washer, although it may cause the holder to he moved, does not cause it to he moved suu iciently to permit the locking bar to move to inefiective position.

ghould a piece oi? paper or other fibrous material he inserted in the holder in an efiort to operate the machine, the paper heing only held by its side edges, would he forced out of the holder by the nose striking in the center thereof, thus preventing the holder from being me ved to unlocking position.

Variations may he resorted to within the scope or the invention, and portions of the improvements may he used without others.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

It. In a coin-operated time-controlled machine, the combination with a temporary coin-holder, of a device for causing said coin to remain in said holder, said device being effective only on coins of a certain thickness, means for releasing said coin from said holder concomitantly causing the machine to be usable, means upon which the coin is adapted. to rest after being released from said ter porary holder, means whereby coin may viewed, and means operated concomitantly with the mechanism for rendering the machine unusable "for causing the coin to pass out of sight.

2, in a coin-operated time-controlled machine, the coinhination with a casing having a slot through which the coin may he passed, of releasing mechanism, time-controlling mechanism, holder for receiving the coin, said holder being connected to the releasing mechanism, whereby the machine may he used, and whereby "he time-centre ling mechanism is put into oneration, means associated with said holder for retaining only coins of prop-er thickness, actuating means controlled by the operator for operating the holder through the coin held therein, and means for releasing the coin from said holder, after the machine has been made usable, and after the time-controlling mechanism has been set in operation,

3, a coin-operated time-controlled machine, the combination with a casing, of a coin holder within said casing, actuator for operating said coin holder, means to release the coin from the holder when said holder is actuated, a coin chute within said casing to receive the coin from said holder, said chute corny sing two relatively inc-vahle parts, one or said relatively movable parts of the coin chute losing secured to the holder, an ahutrnent to arrest the coin on the coin chute, means for retaining the holder in actuated position, and means for returning said holder normal position, said returning action Loving movable part of the coin chute, so to allow the coin to pass the abutment thereon,

l. "in a coin operated time controlled mechanism, the combination with a swingcoin-chute, a spring-detent adapted to retain a coin of proper thickness in the chute, hut adapted to permita disk of less thickness to pass, a handle, an operating arm adapted to be swung said handle against a coin detained by said detent to swing said chute, and a cam to he struck by said detent when the chute is so swung to cause the detent to release the coin.

5. ln a coin-operated tin1e-controlled mechanism the core ination a swing ing coin-holder, er a starting means f r detaic said in its s oos such at holder A together, a spring proper d to teen mit a dish: of less thickness to pass, handle, an operating arm adapted to be swung by said handle against a coin detained by said detent to swing said holder to carry said starting arm to starting position, so that it will be detained there and hold th holder where it has been moved, a cam, adapte to be struck by said detent when the holder is so swung cause the detent to release the coin, thus permitting it to drop when the handle is released.

6. in a coin-operated time-controlled mechanism, the combination with swinging coin-chute, of a spring-detect adapted to retain a coin of proper thickness in the chute, said detent comprising V-arins adapted to engage the coin to determine whether it is of proper thickness, a handle, an operating arm adapted to he svvung joy said handle against a coin detained by said detent to swing said chute, operating mechanism, a release for said operating mechanism actuated by said coin when so held, and means for releasing said coin upon release of said operating mechanism.

7. In a coin-operated time-controlled mechanism, the combination with a swing ing coin-chute, of a spring-detent adapted to detain a coin oi proper thiclniess in the chute, said detent comprising i -arms adapted to engage the coin to determine whether it is of proper thickness, a handle, a finger connected to said handle and adapted to be moved thereby to strike about the center of a detained coin, so that a perforated Washer would permit the linger to pass beyond the proper actuating point, and means adapted to release said detent when the chute is swung by said finger and effective on a coin to move the chute,

8. ln coin-operated time-controlled mechanism, the combination with swing ing coin-chute, 013 a spring-detent adapted to retain a coin of prop-er thicknessthe chute, said detent coninrising -arrns adapted to engage the coin todetermine whether it is of proper thickness, handle, an operating arm adapted to he swung by said handle against a coin detained by said detent to swin said chute rating inechanism, a release for said operating mechanism actuated by said coin when so held, means for releasing said coin upon release of said operating mechanism, said chute comprising a need ineniher relatively to which the swinging chute swings, and an abutment on said fixed member adapted to arrest any coin on the swinging chute which properly has been eiiective release the operating mechanism.

9, In a coin-operated time-controlled mechanism, the combination with a swinging coin-chute including a tahle, oi a fixed chute adapted to receive a coin from the;

swinging chute-table, a sgiring-detent adapt mosses ed to retain a coin of proper thickness in the swinging chute, but adapted to permit a disk of less thickness to pass the swin ing chute normally in position to allow a disk thereon to slide on to the. fixed chute, a handle, an operating arm adapted to be swung by saicl handle against a coin detained by said cletent to swing the swinging chute, a releasing mechanism connected to move with said swinging chute, and adapted to be held in swung posieion during a predetermined time, a lug on said fixed chute adapted to detain :1 released coin oil-said ehereon while the releasing mechanism is 2G eiiective.

JOHN C. MQLAUGHLEN.

/Vitnewes:

EDITH LIBBE'E, ARTHUR A. QiOHNsON.

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