US1902210A - Paystation apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Maich ZII, 1933. G. B lNlEK ,902,210

PAYSTATION APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22', 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- -Im.ren Elf-r:-

March 21, 1933- G. BINIEK PAYSTATION APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -In1.rEnInr- Georg Biniek" Patented Mar. 21, 1933 warren STATES Parent GEOIR-G BTNIEK, OF BERLEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO TELEPHGN-APPAEA'T FABRIK E. ZWIETUSCH AND COMPANY, OF CHARLOTTENBURG, BERLIN, GERMANY PAYSTATION APPARATUS Application filed September 22, 1930, Serial No. 483,542, and in Germany November 25, 1929.

v The present invention relates to a coin-box for telephone instruments, especially for a telephone station connected to an automatic exchange. The present coin-box is to serve as an auxiliary apparatus for a telephone instrument of the usual construction; its main feature is its particularly simple construction.

The advantage of the simple construction is achieved according to the invention by using a coin-box that is accessible to the subscriber while paying-in and receiving-back the coins, that can be rotated into various positions by means of an operating handle and that in accordancewith its positioning actuates contacts that enforce the proper use of the coin-box.

Special coin ducts, which increase the cost of the coin box, are avoided by using a coin container, which can be rotated about an axis and can be so rotated into the coin receiving position that the subscriber can directly insert in and remove from the container the coins. A cheap construction of the coin-box is rendered possible mainly by not having a special giving-back device. Since no coin ducts are used in the present coin-box, it is necessary to use a method of testing that difiers from that hitherto used.

According to the invention the testing of the coins for their maximum diameter is done with the aid of a stop extending into the path of the coins. Testing the minimum diameter of the coins is efiected with the aid of a feeling lever, by means of which contacts are actuated. After setting up the connection, it must be possible for the subscr ber to remove from the apparatus the inserted C01IlS when he wrong subscriber answers the call, there-.

fore it is necessary to ensure that the estab lished connection is destroyed when the subscriber makes use of this possibility.

According to the invention this is ensured by a contact, that interrupts the exchange loop in the coin-receiving and giving-back positions of the coin-box. Only when the coin-box is rotated into the selecting position, is this contact closed. The time required to ensure the release of the connection when the money is to-be returned is not determined as hitherto by a clockwork, but by an involved manipulation due to the design of the apparatus. It is namely necessary ior'the subscriber to bring the coin container to the coin-returning position from the position in which he could set up the connection, and only then can he remove the coin from the con tainer. The time taken to do this is so great that the switches'in the exchange have had plenty of time to release.

One method of carrying out the invention will now be described.

Fig. 1 shows the circuit 01"" the coin box in conjunction with a telephone instrument. Fig.2 shows diagrammatically the mechanism of the coin box. Fig. 3 is a'longitudinal section through the coin box.

It can be seen from the 1 that there is no mechanical connection whatever between the coin box and the telephone instrument. There are merely a. few connecting leads between the coin box and the telephone instrument, they go to the contacts I, ll and-III of the coin box. The circuit of the telephone instrument is that of a standard subscribers instrument. Obviously the invention can also be applied to other types of substation circuits.

The designations shown in the circuit have the following meaning: use is the impulse contact located at the number dial. EU is a switchhook contact; M is the transmitter, F is the receiver, VVi 1 and Wi 2 are resistances. "W designates the calling bell. In the circuit the contacts I, II and III are shown in the position, in which the'coin box is in the coin receiving and giving back position. This position of the coin-container is designated by A in the Fig. 2. In theposition B (Fig. 2) of the coin-container the contacts I and III are closed, provided that thereis acoin in the coin-container, and contact 11 is open. In the coin-containers position C (speaking position) the contacts 1' and H are closed and the contact HT is open. y

When a call is made to the t lephone station, the coin container 2 must be rotated into the speaking position C by means ofthe handle 1 (Fi After taking down the receiver, the subscribers instrument is then ready for speaking.

To make a call in the outgoing direction, the coin container 2 must first be rotated into the receiving position A and the required fee inserted into the coin container. In this position the exchange loop is interrupted by the contact I, so the coin container 2 must then be rotated into the position B. The contacts II and III are switched-over by means of the coin feeling lever 3. With his number dial the subscriber can now position the switches, because the contact II has removed the short circuit from the impulse contact mi. But the transmitter is short circuited by the contact III. When the right subscriber answers, the coin container 2 must be rotated into the position C in order to remove the short circuit from the transmitter M. The coins 4 in the coin container 2 then drop into the cash box 5. If the connection be not established, the coin-container 2 must be rotated back from the position B to the position A and the subscriber can then remove the inserted coins. But in position A the contact I is opened, thus destroying the established connection.

.The construction of the coin-box will now be further described with reference to the Figs. 2 and 3. The coin container 2 is fixed to the shaft 6, which is supported at the points 8 and 9 in the casing 7. The shaft 6 is rigidly connected to the operating handle 1. The coin container 2 is subdivided into a number of coin chambers 10, so that several coins can be inserted into the container 2. The coin chambers 10 are formed by plates 11 that are held together by two rivets 12 and 13 and the gaps between them are determined by the distance pieces l4.f The maximum diameter of the coins is determined by the distance of the edge 15 from contact surface where the part 14 touches the coin 4:, hence the parts 14 are exactly calibrated. On the shaft 6 there is also rotatably mounted a part 16 carrying a cover plate 17 that covers the coin slot when the coin container is in the positions B and C. By means of a coupling spring 26 the part 16, which can rotate about the shaft'6, is moved in the direction of the arrow when the coin container 2 is 1'0- tated into the positions B and C. i The part 16 has an engaging piece 18, which is pressed against the coin container 2 by the action of the spring 26. The rotatable part 16 is not moved beyond the pin 19 when the coin container 2 is rotated into the position C. The end of the cover plate 17 is so bent that its end portion operates the contact I when the coin container 2 is in the positions B or C. The upper part of the casing 7 has a cast body 20 with a slot for the insertion and withdrawal of thecoins. Feeling levers 3 project into the path of the coins 4; these levers can rotate about the axis 21 and are under the action of the spring 22. When a coin of sufficient diameter is inserted into the coin-container 2 and the latter is in the position B, the contacts III and II are switchedover by the feeling lever 3. As already mentioned, the coin-container 2 has a plurality of coin chambers, into each of which projects a feeling pin 3. The construction can be such that the contacts II and III are operated only when every feeling pin 3 is moved by a corresponding coin. It is possible to provide as many contacts II as there are feeling pins and to contact these contacts in parallel. Thereby is achieved that the short circuit is removed from the impulse contact only when the required number of coins are in the instrument. The coins 4 fall into the cash box 5 when the coin container 2 is rotated from the-position B into the position C. To prevent fraud due to the coins being stuck or jammed tight in the coin container so that they cannot drop out in the position C, sliding-out pieces 23 are fitted that project into the coin chambers like fingers and press-out the coins when the coin container is rotated into the position C. In order to mark the positions A, B, and C for the coin-container, a spring 24: is fixed to the casing 7 and it lies on the square-shaped part of the shaft 6.

WVhat is claimed is:

1. In a telephone paystation. mechanism having a coin receiving unit, means for moving said unit into three different positions, means through which a coin is deposited in said unit or removed from said unit when the same is in one of its positions, a switch control circuit, means closed by said unit and a deposited coin when the unit is rotated to'another of its positions for completing said switch control circuit, a talking circuit, means closed by movement of the unit and a coin deposited therein when the unit is moved to a third of its positions for completing said talking circuit, and a coin box for receiving the deposited coin consequent to the movement ofthe unit to the latter position.

2. In a telephone paystation, a casing having an opening therein, a coin container within said casing and registering with the opening, a set of contact springs in said casing, means for rotating said coin container to bring a coin deposited therein in operative relation to said contact springs to enable a connection to be set up, and for then again rotatingsaid container into either of two positions depending on the response or nonresponse' of the called party to refund or collect the deposited coin, and a second set of contact springs actuated by the deposited coins when the container is rotated the re quired distance to collect the coin, to complete the talking circuit.

3. In combination with a telephone substation provided with the. usual transmitter, receiver and impulse transmitting conta'cts,a paystation mechanism comprising a its casing with an aperture therein for receiving coins, a coin container within the casing normally registering with the casing aperture, a set of contact springs comprising a normally-closed pair connected in multiple with the impulse transmitting contacts and a normally open pair connected in multiple with the transmitter, a second spring set comprising a normally-open pair of contacts in series with the impulse transmitting contacts, means for actuating said coin container after a coin has been deposited therein to operate .said spring sets to enable a connection to be extended and to prevent the completion of a talking connection, said means being subsequently operable to restore the first spring set to complete the talking connection and collect the deposited coin.

4. In a telephone paystation mechanism, a coin container, a casing for said container having an aperture through which coins may be inserted into said container in a first and then a second movement, means closed by said first movement, means for then moving said container to enable the operation of automatic switches to set up a telephone connection, and means closed by a second movement of said container to complete the talking circuit.

5. In a telephone paystation mechanism, means for moving said container with a coin deposited therein, a coin container, means operative consequent to a given movement of said container for enabling a connection to be established, means operative consequent to a further movement of said container to enable a calling party to converse with an answering party, and means for forcing the deposited coin from said container consequent to the movement of the container in the latter instance.

6. In a telephone paystation, a multi-slot coin container, a casing for said container having an aperture for receiving various sized coins to be inserted into said container, means for moving the container and coins to certain positions, means for preventing the extension and completion of a connection until the required number of proper size coins have been inserted in said container and until said container has been moved to said positions, means for enforcing the collection of the coins consequent to the completion of a two-way talking connection, and means enabling the calling subscriber to remove the coins via said aperture in case the desired called party is not obtained.

7. In a telephone paystation, a coin receptacle, a casing enclosing said receptacle having an aperture through which a coin may be inserted into said receptacle, means for moving said receptacle and coin to certain positions, means for preventing the extension and completion of a connection until a coin has been deposited in said container and until said container and coin has been moved to said positions, means for enforcing the collection of the deposited coin consequent to the completion of a two-way talking connection, and means enabling the calling subscriber to remove the coin via the aperture through which it was deposited in case the desired connection is not obtained.

8. Ina telephone paystation, a receptacle for a coin deposited to pay for a connection, means for moving said receptacle and coin to one position and for further moving said receptacle and coin to another position, means operated by said receptacle and coin I in said one position for enabling a connection to be set up, means operated by said receptacle and coin in said other position for completing a talking connection, and a collection box into which the coin drops consequent to the latter movement.

9. In a telephone paystation for use with a telephone system wherein subscriber-controlled switches are used in extending con-' nections with called lines, device for receiva coin, means for moving said device to certain positions, means operated by the movement of said device to one of said positions after the deposit of a'coin to enable a calling subscriber to operate the switches of the system and to render the talking circuit of the calling party inoperative, said device being then available for actuation back to the first or alternatively to a third position to refund or collect the deposited coin, and means operated consequent to the movement of said device to its third position, to render the talking circuit of the calling party again operative.

10. In combination with a telephone set having subscriber controlled impulse contacts for transmitting impulse to control automatic switches used in completing connections between calling and called subscribers, a paystation mechanism, springs in said mechanism normally rendering the impulses generated by the operation of said imenone BnnEK.

pulse contacts inefiective, means including a

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