US1751144A - Coin-controlled lock - Google Patents

Description

March 18, 1930. A. GABRIEL COIN CONTROLLED LOCK Filed June 11, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

a M 2m fig WW March IS, 1930. I A. GABRIEL 1,751,144

C'OIN CONTROLLED LOCK Filed June 11. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i; g wkbq A TTORNEY Patented Mar. 18, 1930 ALPHONSE GABRIEL, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA COIN-CONTROLLED LOCK Application filed June 11, 1926. Serial No. 115,223.

My invention relates to a door-lock which is arranged to be rendered operable by and upon the deposit of a coin, or the like, therein, and particularly to locks in which the coin itself is utilized in providing direct operative connection between the latch bolt and the latch operating means.

An object of the invention is to provide a lock of the class described having means arranged to prevent the insertion of a second coin while a first coin is operatively disposed in the lock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin-controlled lockwith means per- 1 mitting the operative insertion of a coin thereinonly when the various operative parts are in a particular position.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a lock of the class described in which the operative parts may assume their particular coin receiving relation without regard to the positioning of the latch boltwith respect thereto. v x v The invention possesses other objects and features ofadvantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the draw.- ings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side sectional view of a lock embodying my invention. I V

Figure 2 is a side view of the lock,portions thereof being broken away to disclose certain parts disposed in difierent operative re-' lation than in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 in Figure 1, the mounting of the lock on a door also being shown.

'Figure 4 is an edge view of the lock installed on a door.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 1.-

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66'in Figure 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, the lock 7 of my invention comprises a latch plate 8 I carrying a latch bolt 9, and means independently operable from different sides of the door for actuating the latch-plate to withdraw the bolt, one of said means being coincontrolled. The lock mechanism, it will be noted, is here shown mounted on a plate 116% arranged to be secured directly to a door 12, which plate conveniently serves as part of the lock housing. Movement of the latch-plate is here shown arranged to be accomplished from the outer side of the door upon the appropriate manipulation of a spindle 13 which carries a member 14 having an arm 16 ex tending radially therefrom, which latter is directly utilized in efiecting the movement of w t e the latch plate. The latch-plate 8, it will now be noted, is mounted for reciprocation above' the spindle 13 in suitable guideways provided in the plate 11 and a plate 17, which latter plate is arranged to be held in fixed opposed relationto the plate 11 by means of cooperating spacing posts 18 and screw bolts 19. Furthermore, the latch plate is vertically slotted at its inner end to provide a space 21 in which the arm 16 is arranged to benormally permitted 8 to freely oscillate without effecting any movement of the latch-plate. The latcheplate por tions 22 which provide the side walls of the space 21 are provided with opposed vertical: 1y disposed slots 23 of such depth that to-, gether they define a guideway for a coin of the denomination to be used in the lock. When, as here shown, a coin 24 is disposed in the slots 23, it will be obvious that the rotation of the arm '16 from a position forwardly of the coin will cause it to engage the latter, and that further rotation of the arm will cause the retractive movement of the latch-plate through the engagement of opposite portionsof the coin against the rear ward edges of slots 23. In this manner, the coin itself is actually utilized as an operative part of the lock, since without it the retrac tion of the latch-plate by means of arm 16 is impossible. Then arm 16,.it'Wi11 be noted,

0 coin in the lock mechanism will allow the reis arranged to be normally held positioned forwardly of the coin slots 23 by means of a suitablespring 27 operatively connecting the j member 14'to a point on the plate 11 forwardly of said member, the forward movement of the arm being limited by its contact Y with the forward wall 28zdefining the space 21, so that theiarm -16 will thus normallylie in fixed relation to the latch-plate.

Means are provided for holding the coin in proper operative position in the slots 23, during the oscillation of the arm, and, as here shown, such means comprise the provision of a shoulder or seat 29 at the base of the arm 16 so disposed that the lower edge of the coin will rest ,and be held thereon when the gcoin is properly positioned in the slots.- In the manner, movement -of the arm toward the coin will not dislodge the latter and operation of the latch in, the mannerspecified is assured. Y

Since 1n locks of the class described it is usually desirable that the use of .a, different a coin be required each .timethe door is opened, means are provided for releasing the coin fromits positioni-nthe slots to permit the de- "slopes rearwardly and downwardly, so that when the arm 32 retracts the latch-plate to take up the lost motion provided, the .coin will slide downwardly from its seat and out of theslots. In this manner, the placingof a traction of the bolt by the operation of the spindle13 from the outside of the door, while the operation of the spindle-31 to cause the retraction of the latch-plate will not only I open thedoor but will simultaneously release any coin which may be 'operativel-y disposed in the latch-plate. I V

Means are provided for guiding a coin to its proper position in the slots 23 when the latch-plate is in its forward position. As

her-e shown, such means comprises the provision of members34 formed integral vwlth the plate llan-d extending outwardly therefrom above the latch-plate, such members delining a guideway 36 between them which is aligned with the slots 23 when the latter are in normal position, the lower edge of such guideway being adjacent the latch plate. Pivotally mounted on the rear-most member 34' for free movement about a horizontal axis is a member 37 so shaped and mounted that the lower end 38 thereof normally projects into the plane of slots '23 and guideway 36, while the upper portion 39 lies outside of-said plane. \Vhen, however, a coin is positioned in the slots, the pivotal displacement of the lower end of member 37 by the coin is arranged to cause the upper end39 to move across an end of the guideway 36 and so prevent the insertion of a second coin therein. By providing onthe arm 16 a pin 42 which extends into the planeof movement of the member 37 the latter may be caused to move to close the guideway 36 to a coin upon displacement of the arm 16=upon rotation of the sp e-c Means are also provided for barring the insertion of a coin or other object through the guideway '36 and behindthe arm 16 when the latter is positioned .rearwardly .of the planeof the guide'way -as by the turning of thespindle with or without acoin operatively disposed in thelock. As here shown, such means comprises a projection 43 extending i tangentially forwardly. from the end of the the-lower end of the guideway 36 when "the arm is in-theposition stated. ,In this manner, in the event that the -spindle13 is rotated arm and arranged to extend across and under. i

prior to the insertion of acoinj in the guide way, the deliberate or accidental holding of the latch-plate in withdrawn positionby the insertion of such coin orother foreignobjeet through the guideway is positively prevented, t being noted that the projection 43 is preferably sopositioned and of such width as tocompletely coverthe arm 16.- In this manner, a coin or-other object inserted while I the arm 16 lies directly below or back of the gu1deway3'6 will merely .rideon'thei-top of the pro ection 43 and so will'be3kept outozfithe operat1ve mechanism. a r

A casing 44 for the structure hereinbefore describedis provided, said casing :being here I shownof one-piecestructure and havingedge and 'frontpplate portions46 and. 47 respec-' tlvely which cooperate with the, back plate 11 .to provide a complete closure for the lock mechanism. As here shown, the casing front 47 is provided with a door49 arranged to be locked shut, and is secured to the plate 11 by means of screw bolts 50 whose heads are preferably exposed only upon-removal of the door 49. In this'manner, a coin box is provlded below the lock mechanism and the mountin gand dismounting of the lock is possible onlywhen the door 49 is open. A slot 51 at the top of the casing is proyided to permit the dropping of a .coin in the guideway 36, while the latch bolt is arranged to be reciprocated through an edge perforation 52. It will be noted that this structure pe r red mits the unitary assembly of the lock mechanism on the plate 11 independently of the casing 44. e

The latch bolt 9, it will now be noted, is here shown mounted in a cavity 53 provided in the outer end ofthe latch plate and is slidably engaged in suchcavity, being urged to maintain an outward position therein by reason of a spring 54 engaged between it and the inner end of the cavity. In this manner, prying back of the latch bolt does not effect the movement of the latch plate, while preventing the complete outward movement of the bolt does not interfere with the normally aligned positioning of the gui'deway 36 and slots 23. To permit the use of the lock for either inward or outward swinging doors, the bolt is preferably reversible in its socket, and is adapted to be held therein by means of a stop pin 56 which is arranged to be reciprocated in a slot 57 and to be set in either side of the bolt, it being noted that reversal of the bolt is thus made possible without involving the dismounting of the lock.

As here shown the spindle .13 is operable by means of a knob 58 fixed thereto at thev front of the door, while the spindle 31 is arranged to be operated from the inside of the door by a knob 59, so that dropping of the coin is thus insured upon the opening of the door to efi'ect an exit. If desired, the opera tion of the spindle 31 may also be efiected from the outside of the door by the use of a suitable key, the casing being here shown provided with a suitable keyway 61 for the purpose.

To further insure the normally forward positioning of the latch plate, and to hold the coin and arm 16 in contact during operative oscillation of the arm, a compression spring 61 is preferably interposed between the inner end of the latch plate and the adjacent casing side 46, while undue backward movement of the arm 16 is here shown prevented by providing the member 14 with a second arm 62 which is arranged to engage a post 18 when the arm 16 lies at its desired backward position.

Further protection against tampering is here shown provided by forming the casing with a guard flange 63 which extends beyond the protruding portion of the latch bolt on three sides thereof. Furthermore, a reinforcing plate 64 is preferably secured to the plate 11 adjacent the opening 52, such plate being here shown arranged to define the rearward side of the cavity 53 and providing at its inner end the necessary stop by which the outward movement of the latch plate is limited.

It will be noted that, as herein particularly shown and described, positioning the axis of the spindle 13 in the plane of the coin slots 23, making the parts reversible, and providing for a suitable change of mounting, have provided a lock adapted for mounting either on right or left hand doors without involving any alteration of the parts of the operative mechanism thereof.

It will now be obvious that a lock has been provided which is particularly valuable for use in the doors of pay toilets or the like, and

that, with the coin used as part of the -op-' erating mechanism, provision has been made to insure its positive functioning at all times. And it will be further noted that particularly effective means are provided for preventing tampering with the lock by unauthorized persons or the insertion of a coin in the operative mechanism thereof, when such insertion will not render the lock operative.

I claim: 1. In a door look, a vertically perforated latch plate having spaced side walls pro vided with upstanding slots to receive acoin and to hold the same with its face at substantially a right angle to the direction of travel of the latch plate, resilient means to project the latch plate, an arm pivotally supported beneath the latch plate and having its free end projecting into the perforation and arranged between the side walls to engage the face of the coin, and a shoulder carried by the arm and arranged to engage the lower edge of the coin to support the same.

2. In a coin-controlled lock mechanism,

movable bolt, means operative to displace said bolt, bolt operating means independent of said first means and normally inoperative to displace said bolt, means utilizinga coin to operatively connect said second means with said bolt, means normally operative to retain a coin operatively disposed in the mechanism following a displacement of the bolt through the actuation of said second bolt operating means, means operable upon operative actuation of said first bolt displacing means to release the coin from the mechanism, and a pivoted guard member arranged to be engaged, moved and maintained in position to prevent the insertion of a coin into the mechanism, by a coin held by said retaining means, and means carried by the second 'bolt operating means for engaging and moving the guard member into'operative p0si-' tion when the said second means is operated without a coin in the mechanism.

3. In a door look a vertically perforated latch plate having slots on opposite sides of the perforation for the passage of. coin through said perforation, means resiliently urging the latch plate to maintain a normally projected position, a pivotally mounted arm arranged to be moved in said perforation into engagement with a coin held in said slots, a shoulder on said arm releasably supporting the coin in said slots, and a guard member arranged to be engaged by the coin held in said slots and to be held by such engagement in position to prevent the insertion of a coin into the mechanism.

4. In a door look a vertically perforated latch plate having slots on opposite sides of the perforation for the passage of coin arrangedto be moved in said perforation into engagement With a coin held in said slots, a shoulder on said arm releasably supporting the coin in said slots, a guard member ary rangedto be engaged by the coin held in said slots and to be held by such engagement in position to prevent the insertion of a coin into the mechanism, and a member on said arm arranged to engage and move the guard into operative position When the arm is moved in said perforation- While no coin is held in said slots, and being inoperative when a coin is present in said slots. 7

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of June, 1926.

ALPHONSE GABRIEL.

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