US1755371A - Coin-controlled clock - Google Patents

Description

April 22, 1930. J. A. SMITH com CONTROLLED CLOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27, 1925 u, .01 1/1 I 1111, W I.

INVENTOR. Jaaab A. fimi/fi ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 22, 1939 JACOB A. SMITH, OF RIVER FOREST, ILLINOISv corn-conrnorrnn CLOCK Application filed- April 27, '1925. Serial No. 26,013.-

This invention relates to coin controlled clocks and has for its object providing mechanism so that the clock can not be wound without inserting a coin in a slot, and so that 5 the clock will not run for any material length of time afterit has been wound without depositing the coin in a locked box. The coin can not then be returned and the clock can not be rewound without inserting another coin. 1 Various other objects of the invention will be apparent from consideration ofthe accompanying drawings and the following description thereof. 7

Of the drawings Fig. '1 is an elevation of the front of the clock with thecoin receiver elevated for recei-ving-thecoin'; Fig. 2. issa similar view of the rear of the clock; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the rear of the clock with the outer casing removed; Fig. 4 is a transverse-sectional view of the mechanism along the line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 isa sectional view similar to Fig. 4 with certain parts in different positions; Fig. 6' is an elevation of the rear of the clock with the casing removed. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view along the line 77 of Fig.6; Fig. 8 is a'detail sectional view of the stem winding and locking mechanism along the line 88 of Fig.- 6; and Fig. 9 is a sectional view along the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

In the application of my invention, any

ordinary form of clock may be used, the

controlling mechanism being connected to the clock in any suitable manner; and the ordinary stem for winding the clock is moditied for the reception of the various elements of the clock controlling mechanism. A clock suitable for the purpose is the ordinary clock .10 which is mounted in a supporting casing 11. The clock has a stem 12 by which it is ordinarily wound, and which is modified to receive the coin controlling mechanism as hereinafter described. Slidably mounted in the rear of the clock casing is a coin receiving slide 13 having a recess 14 in'which the coin is inserted when the mechanism is to be released for winding. serted the slide is slid downwardly tothe winding position.

7 It is desirable with coin controlling mech- After the coin is inand I also provide for the use of thin coins such as an ordinary ten cent piece. In order to properly operate the mechanism and obtain sufficient movement of the parts with a thin coin, I provide in the slide 13 a groove 15 into which projects the end 16 of a slidably mounted button 17 which is arranged to release the locking mechanism. The coin 9, when in the recess 14, is forced downwardly by the slide 18 until its edge strikes the bev- .eled surface 18 of the button, and the button isthen forced inwardly against the spring 19, a distance materially greater than the thickness of the coin, so that sufiicient move ment of the parts is obtained as is hereinafter explained. I

Furthermore, it is desirable with coin controlled clocks, to arrange the mechanism so that the clock can be wound without adjusting the mechanism very accurately. I have found that with persons-not particularly faa miliar with such clocks that when the mechanism has to be adjusted very accurately they will fail to make the adjustment, and the mechanism will not operate and will be blamed for this result. This is provided for by arranging the mechanism so that it is released for winding as soon as the button 17 arranged so long as the button is held inwardly. As a consequence the range within which the windingmay take place will have for its limits the position of the slide 13 when the coin first pushes the button inwardlyand the position when the coin passes downwardly beyond the button and allows it to be forced outwardly by the spring 19. So that with any coin the operative range of the position of the slide will be limited only by the diameter of the coin, and hence no trouble will be experienced in winding the clock because of improper adjustment. I

I provide the following mechanism for preventing the winding of the clock before inserting the coin. The key 20 is provided f r' nd ng e clock, and, f th P po has on its inner end teeth 21 which coact, when winding, with teeth 22 on the outer end of the winding stem 12. But, fixed to the key 20 are radial teeth 23 which, before the coin is inserted, coact with a pawl 24 and prevent the turning of the key in the proper direction to Wind the stem 12; However, the pawl 24 is fixed to the button 17 andwhen the button is forced inwardly by the coin the pawl 24 passes inwardly beyond the teeth 23 and hence the teeth no longer prevent rotation of the key for winding the clock. It will thus be seen that when the button 17 is forced inwardly by the coin the clock may be wound and without reference to the exact position of the coin. i

When the coin is forced downwardly by the slide 13 beyond the button 17 the spring 19 will force the button, together with the pawl 24, outwardly so'that the pawl will'again coact with the key 23 and thus prevent rotation of the teeth for winding the clock.

It sometimes occurs that parties will seek to avoid the coin control by allowing the clock to run without forcing the coin downwardly beyond the button. To prevent the clock running any material length of time in such a case I provide slot-s or teeth 25 on the winding stem 12 which coact with a pawl 26 to prevent unwinding of the stem by the main spring of the clock when the button is'forced inwardly. The pawl 26 normally rests on the portion 27 of the stem 12, outside of the slots 25. But it is also fixed to the button, and, when forced inwardly, the end of the pawl will pass into the path of motion of the slots 25 as the stem rotates and the pawl will thus coact with one of the slots 25 and will thus stop the operation of the clock. However, when the button 17 is restored to its normal position (Fig. 8), when the coin has been forced downwardly sufiicientlyfihe pawl 26 will move outwardly and willagain rest on the portion 27 of the stem which extends beyond the slots 25, and hence the stem will be free to rotate. The spring 8 resiliently holds the pawl 26 against the stem 12.

In order to prevent the return of the slide so as to remove the coin after the clock is wound, I provide teeth 30 in the edge of'the slide which coact withthe pawl 31 as soon as the slide is forced downward sufficiently to allow the clock to be woundr Hence the pawl 31 prevents the return of the slide until it has reached its lowest position. As the slide moves downwardly to this position a cam 32 on its edge force the pawl 31 away from the slide and releases a pin 33 which is operated by a spring 34, and the pin moves outwardly and prevents the pawl 31 from being forced againstthe edgeof the slide by the spring 35. As a consequence of this arrangement the slidethen'may be freely moved upwardly irrespective of the teeth 30. 'However, as the slide moves upwardly a pin 36, fixed thereto, operates on the spring 34 (Fig. 5) so as to force the pin 33 outwardly and release the pawl 31 and allow it to again coact with the teeth 30 when the slide 13 is forced downwardly again. It is to be understood that the pawl 31 is not released until the teeth 30 are elevated above the pawl 31.

In order to insure the rem-oval of the coin from the recess 14,1 provide a strip 41 which normally lies in the slot 15, but which is fixed tto the plate 37 upon which the slide 13 is slidably mounted. When the slide, carrying with it the coin,.is forced downwardly, the strip 41 passes along the bottom of the groove 15 between the coin and the bottom of the recess 14, and thus forces the coin out of the recess and through the window 38 when the slide approaches its lowest position. If the clock is upright the coin will then fall into the chamber at the bottom of the casing 11. A strip 40 is inserted to prevent the coins from passing into the upper portion of the casing when the casing is inverted.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a coin controlled clock, a casing, a clock mounted in said casing, a coin receiver slidably mounted in said casing, a coin re ceiving recess in said receiver, a button slidably mounted in said casing'in the path of a coin in said recess when the receiver is ac tuated, resilient means tending to hold said button in the path'of said coin, clock winding means fixed to said clock, means for looking said winding means, and means for unlocking said locking means operatively connected to said locking means and said button. 2. In a coin controlled clock, a casing, a clock mounted in said casing, a coin receiver slidably mounted in said casing, a coin receiving recess in said receiver, a button slidably mounted in said casing in thepath of a coin in said recess when the receiver is actuated, resilient means tending to hold said button in the path of said coin, clock winding means fixed to said clock, means for locking said' winding means, means for unlocking said .locklng means operatrvely connected to sa1d locking means and said button, a groove in the side of said recess, the end of saidbutton normally projecting into said groove.

3. In a coin controlled clock, a casing, a clock mounted'in said casing, a coin receiver slidably mounted in said casing, a coin receivingrecess in said receiver, a button slidably mounted in said casing in the path of a coin in said recess when the receiver is actuated, resilient means tending to hold said button in the path of said coin, clock winding means fixed to said clock, means for locking said winding means, means for unlocking said locking means operatively connected to said locking means and said button, a

groove in the side of said recess, and coin removing means positioned in sa1d groove.

4.'In a com controlled clock, a slidably mounted coin receiver, and means for preventing WlIldlIlg of a clock, said means being arranged to be operated by a 00111 1n said receiver while the receiver is slid through a distance equal to the diameter of the coin.

'5. In a coin controlled spring device, means for winding said spring, two movably mounted pawls, means arranged to be operated by a movable coin for movingsaid pawls, one of said pawls normally operatively coacting with said winding means to prevent winding of said spring, said last mentioned pawl being inoperative and the other pawl coacting operatively with winding means to prevent unwinding of said spring when the coin is in operative position, and means for moving said coin to its operative position.

6. In a coin controlled clock, a coin receiver having a limited slidable movement, means for preventing winding of said clock when said receiver with a coin therein is in either extreme position, and for rendering inoperative said preventing means when said receiver and coin are at certain intermediate positions including a range equal to the diameter of the coin.

7. In a coin controlled clock, a coin receiver having a limited slidable movement, means for preventing winding of said clock when said receiver with a coin therein is in either extreme position, and for rendering inoperative said preventing means when said receiver and coin are at certain intermediate positions including a range equal to the diameter of the coin, and means for preventing the return of said receiver from said intermediate positions to its receiving position.

8. In a coin controlled clock, a slidable coin receiver, means limiting the movement of said receiver at two extreme positions, means for preventing winding of said clock when said receiver with a coin therein is in either extreme position, and for rendering inoperative said preventing means when said receiver and coin are at certain intermediate positions including a range equal to the diameter of the coin, and means for preventing the return of said receiver from said intermediate positions to its receiving position, unless it is first slid beyond said intermediate positions.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

JACOB A. SMITH.

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