US1874486A - Coin-control device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 30, 1932. -R M; FOX' 1,874,486

com CONTROL DEVICE Filed Aug. 27, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iwveni'or:

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Aug. 30, 1932. F X 1,874,486

COIN CONTROL DEVICE Filed Aug. 27, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAY M. FOX, 016 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESN E ASSIGN- MENTS, T EDWARD T. I'IONE'IT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COIN-CONTROL DEVICE Application filed August 27, 1926.

This invention relates broadly to coin con-' provide for telephone subscribers what is known as metered service. In other words,

the telephone company allows a certain number of outgoing calls each day for a certain monthly rental charge. Any calls in addition thereto are metered at a fixed rate, usually five cents. As a result, if the telephone is used extensively by outsiders who no not pay forsaid use, the rental to the subscriber, due to such metered service would be quite high. The present device is so constructed and arranged as to permit the use of the telephone providing the person desiring to use the same pays the amount required for such service. The device about to be described is directly applicable to automatic telephones wherein the subscriber or user of said telephone dials the call number.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a vertically movable bolt projecting from a housing, which housing is attached to the telephone and in such a position that the bolt enters one of the finger openings of the dial. A coin-receiving opening is placed in said housing, and upon moving a lever the coin will release the said bolt and permit operation of the dial. V hen the telephone receiver is returned to the telephone hook, the bolt immediately drops and again locks the dial against movement.

Objects of the present invention include a device of the character stated which is simple of construction, neat in appearance, positive in its operation, and not liable to get out of order.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in one embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described generally and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Serial No. 131,979.

Figure l is a front elevation of the tele phone incorporating the invention;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure l, and showing the receiver of said telephone re moved from itshook and the bolt for looking the dial of said telephone raised so that the dial may be operated;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an interior view of a control mechanism embodying the invention, and

showing the general arrangement of the parts upon receiving a coin, the coin being indicated in dotted lines;

Figure 5 shows a second position of the coin when a certain member has been moved within the device;

Figure 6 shows a third position of a coin with the lock bolt raised;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of the device taken on the line 77 Fig. 4 and show ing operative mechanism thereof;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 with the lock bolt raised;

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 99 of Fig. 7

Figure 10 is a partially sectional view on the line 10l0 of Fig. 9;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary and sectional view on the line l1-11 of Fig. 6; and

Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view of the lock bolt and on an enlarged scale from the remaining figures.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference-characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawings, the improved device is designated as an entirety and in one embodiment by A. The device in the embodiment shown includes a casing (6 provided on one side with a swing door 1 which may be locked by means 2, and which casing has a rear wall 3 and a front wall a. Spaced from the front wall at and likewise carried thereby is a second wall 5 known as a guard. This front wall with its guard may be conveniently held to the sides of the casing in any approved manner. The said casing has extending between its top and bottom walls 6 and 7 respectively, a division strip 8. Thus I provide two chambers within the container, as shown at 9 and 10. ProJecting from one of the side walls is a'braclret 11, which bracket is formed with a notch or cutaway portion 12, and the rear wall 3 of said container is provided with a substantially U-shaped member 13 which may carry a felt strip or the like 14, whereby through the medium of said U-shaped member the container as an entirety may be secured about a telephone standard 15, and in such position that when the receiver hook 16 is holding-the telephone receiver 17, said hook will lie adjacent the bottom wall 18 forming one boundary for the notch or slot 12, as illustrated in Fig. 7 It will be noted that this particular telephone is of the desk type and has mounted upon the base 19 thereof a rotatable dial member 20 formed with finger openings '21 whereby the operator of said telephone upon removing the receiver 17 from the hook'16 may dial any number desired. The device A as an entirety is mounted above said'dial and to the member 15 as aforesaid. Vi ithin the casing and likewise extending through openings in the top 'and bottom walls ,7 and 8, of said casing is an elongated bolt 22 known as a lock bolt. This said bolt is adapted to assume two positions as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the position of Fig. 1 showing a lock bolt passed through one of the finger openings 21 of the dial to lock such dial as against movement, while the position of Fig. 2 shows the lock bolt raised so that the dial may be rotated. This partic ular lock bolt is detailed in Figure 12 wherein it will be seen" that the bolt is substantially tubular and slotted longitudinally for a portion thereof as indicated at 23. Within this tubular member is a plunger 24 carrying a pin 25 which extends transversely outwardly through said slot 23. Mounted above the plunger and within the lock bolt is a coil spring 26 and the top of said lock bolt is plugged by means 27. Likewise said lock bolt is either flattened along one side or provided with a substantially flat face member 28 extending a slight distance outwardly from the periphery of said lock bolt. This member is termed a catch. Adapted to be pivotally mounted on the partition strip 8 is a trigger 29, said trigger comprising a member having an elongated portion 30 formed with a base 31 at substantially right angles to such portion 30, and a. second portion 32 at substantially right angles to the part 30, and in the same planet-herewith and with a downwardly extended portion or nose 33 joined with the 7 part '32. A small wire spring or the like 34 is secured at 35 to the partition, and likewise to the base 31and normally urges said base portion against the periphery of the bolt 22, as illustrated in Figure 7. Thus, if an attempt were made to lift the bolt 22 from the position shown in Figure 5, the saidtrigger base 31 would contact with the upper end of the member 28 which constitutes a catch and prevent further outward movement of said bolt.

Assuming that the front wall 4 with its guard is secured to the casing, it will be noted that the nose 33 of the trigger is directly above the said guard and in communication with the space between said guard and the front wall 4, as best illustrated in Figs 7 and 8, the guard to this end being provided with a cut-away portion 36. Adapted for movement between the said guard and the front wall 4, isa segment 37, and this segment may be termed a control means, in that it performs severalimportant functions about to be detailed. Said segment is shown in fulllines in Fig. 9, and in dotted lines in Figs. 4 to 6, and the segment is mounted upon a short stud or shaft 38 passed through the guard and front wall and which stud or shaft has secured thereto a lever 39 formed with a fingerpiece 40. Thus movement of the lever 39 in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 1 will raise the said segment from the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 6. This segment is provided With a coin-receiving pocket 41, the pocket being of such size as to best receive some selected denomination of coin.

Referring specifically to Fig. 9 the top Wall 6 is formed with a coin-receivin'g'opem ing 42, and a coin entering through said opening is directed to the coin-receiving pocket 41 when the coin-receiving pocket of the segment is Within the chamber 9. The bottom wall 43 of said segment carries a transverse piece 44, and this piece is adapted tobe received beneath the pin 25 secured to the plunger 24 of the bolt 22. In this particular it will be seen that it is necessary that the guard 8 be slotted as at 45 to allow passage of the transverse piece 44 therethrough. Now, assuming that a coin is dropped through the coin-receiving opening 42 and is received in the coin pocket 41, upon movement of the lever 39 upwardly in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 1, the coin will assume successive positions, as shown in Figs. 4 to 6, and said coin will be brought into contact with the nose 33 of the trigger 29 which will move said nose directly upwardly and revolve the trigger in such a direction as to release the base 31 from engagement with the top edge or shoulder of the catch 28. As this segment moves upwardly the pin 25 secured to the plunger will move the plunger upwardly, due to the fact that the member 44 will lift said pin. However, the trigger is not released from the catch 28 until the coin engages the trigger, which would be substantially the position illustrated in Fig. 5. It is thus evident that the coil spring 26 is compressed as between the plug 27 and the plunger 24, so that when the trigger is released from the catch 28 the lock, bolt will immediately move upwardly under urgency and expansion of the spring 26. It will further be shown upon reference to Figure 9 that the said guard is formed with a curved cut-away portion which is in substantial alignment with the coin and the pocket of the segment when the lever 39 has reached the excursion of its movement, which would be the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6. N hen this position is reached the coin will drop from said pocket and be received within the chamber 10. The front wall 4: is formed with an indented portion best shown in Figure 10 at 51 which acts as a knock-out for the coin, as said portion projects directly into the path of the coin and displaces it from the coin pocket. To prevent any unauthorized person from moving the trigger, and thus avoid an illegitimate payment for use of the telephone, a lip 52 is provided on the guard so that contact with said trigger is difiicult of accomplishment other than by the way intended (see also Fig. 10). After the lever 39 has reached its limit of upward excursion the lever will drop back to the position shown in Fig. 1 under its own weight, which will restore the segment to the position shown in Fig. 9. However, it is essential that some means be provided to hold the lock bolt 22 in an upward position when the receiver hook 16 is disengaged, and like wise to release the said lock bolt for engage ment with the dial 20 when the receiver 17 is replaced upon its hook 16. This means will now be described.

Pivoted to the pin 25 is a link and in turn pivoted to said link 60 is a further link 61 which has its outermost extremity pivoted to the bracket 11, as shown at 62. This link 61 is formed with a bent end extremity 63 which is secured to the link 60. Likewise secured to the wall 64 and on the inner surface thereof is a link spring 65 which is bowed at 66 intermediate its ends, one end as 67 of said spring being secured to said side 64 and the opposite end bearing against said side, but not fastened thereto. Means 68 is provided for adjusting the bearing pressure of the free end of said spring against the side 64. When the telephone receiver 17 has been removed from its hook 16, and a coin inserted within the coin-receiving slot 42, which is received in the coinreceiving pocket 41 of the segment and the lever 39 moved upwardly, the trigger 29 will be actuated to release the bolt which will allow the bolt to move from the position shown in Fig. 4 where its engagement with the dial 20 to substantially the position shown in 6 where it is out of engagement with the dial. This upward movement of the bolt will move the link 61 about its pivot point 62 with the bracket 11, or from the position of Fig. 7 to the position of Fig. 8, and it will be noted that this link will be engaged between the inner wall surface of the wall 64: and the extremity of the spring 65. Thus the link will be held in this position by friction, and

lock bolt is in engagement with the dial the receiver hook is out of engagement or substantially out of engagement with the link 61, and that when the lock bolt is in its raised position the link 61 obstructs the cutaway portion 12. Thus, when the receiver hook moves downwardly by replacing the receiver 17, said hook will contact with the link 61 and release it from its frictional engagement with the wall 6& and the spring 65, with the result that the lock bolt will drop into one of the finger openings 21. When the lock bolt is in its downward position the link 61 is received between the bowed portion of the spring and the wall 64.

The individual subscribers who have this device attached to the telephone may be provided with keys whereby theside door 1 may be opened and the coins recovered foruse of the telephone.

The invention is simple of construction, and prevents in a feasible manner unauthorized use of the telephone without payment.

It is obvious that various changes, modifications and variations may be made in practicing the invention, in departure from the particular showing of the drawings, without departing from the true spirit of the inven-- tion.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination with a dial-actuated telephone instrument, a lock bolt for engaging and locking the dial of said instrument when the line circuit is open, a trigger for engaging said bolttomaintain the bolt in dial locking position, a coin-receiving member, means for manually actuating said coin receiving member, means connected to said coin-receiving member to actuate said lock bolt to release the same from the dial when said coin-receiving member is manually actuated.

'2. In combination with a dial-actuated telephone instrument, a locking element for locking the dial of said instrument when the receiver hook of the instrument is in position opening the line circuit, a coin-receiving member, means for manually actuating said coin-receiving member, means associated with said locking element to release the same from the dial when said coin-receiving member is actuated, a link connected to said looking element and extending under the receiver hook of said instrument, a friction member for engaging said link when the lockin element is released'from the dial to hold said locking element so released until the receiver is placed on the receiver hook and the weight of the receiver causes said hook 5 to swing said link downwardly out of frictional engagement with said friction member to enable said locking element to engage and lock said dial, and locking means for said lock bolt released by the coin in the carrier. a

3. In combination with a telephone having a standard, a dialto be actuated to call a number, and a receiver hook for opening and closing a line circuit, of a lock bolt adapted to engage the dial to prevent movement thereof, a casing, adapted to be secured to said standard, for said lock bolt, a coin-receiving member, means for manually actuating said coin-receiving member, means carried by said coin-receiving member to actuate said lock bolt to release the same from said dial, when said coin-receiving member is manually actuated, locking means for said lock bolt released by the coin in the carrier, and means maintaining said lock bolt so released when the receiver hook is in position closing the line circuit.

4. In combination with a telephone having a standard, a dial to be actuated to call a number, and a receiver hook for opening and 7 closing a line circuit, 01": a lock bolt adapted to engage the dial to prevent movement thereof, a casing secured to said standard, for said lock bolt, a coin-receiving member, means for manually actuating said coin-receiving member, means carried by said coin-receiving member to actuate said lock bolt to release the same from said dial, when said coinreceiving member is. manually actuated,

' 40 means maintaining said lock bolt so released when the receiver hook is in position closing the line circuit, said means being rendered inoperative by the receiver hook when returned to position for opening the line circuit, thereby permitting the lock bolt to engage the dial again, and locking means for said lock boltreleased by'the coin in the carrier.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

I RAY M. FOX.

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