US2157617A - Telephone pay station - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1939. I LONG AL 2,157,617

TELEPHONE PAY STATIQN Filed Sept. 17, 1936, 2 Sheets-Sheet l G. A. LONG El AL May 9, 1939.

TELEPHONE PAY STATION Filed Sept. 17, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 9, 1939 v I. H

UNITED sr'res TENT UFFHCE TELEPHONE PAY STATION George A. Long and William W. Long, Hartford, Conn, assignors, by mesne assignments, to The Gray Manufacturing Company Application September 17, 1936, Serial No. 101,258

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to the class of telephones which are provided with means for receiving payment for services rendered, and an object of our invention, among others, is the production of simple and effective means for disposing of the coins or tokens which are required to be deposited for use of the instriunent and to prevent fraudulent disposition of such coins.

One form of a telephone pay station embodying our invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a View in front elevation of the coils and other electrical apparatus employed in a telephone pay station for the disposition of coins, the support therefor being shown in section.

Figure 2 is an end view of the same.

Figure 3 is a rear View, the coin chute and case for the coin directing mechanism being removed.

Figure is a View looking in the opposite direction from that shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a rear view illustrating the device with the coin tube and coin trap case in place.

Figure 6 is a top plan View with marginal parts broken away.

Figure 7 is a detail view on enlarged scale and in rear elevation illustrating the construction and operation of the device, only the parts immediately concerned with the invention being shown in full lines, other parts being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 8 is an end view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 7.

Figure 9 is a rear View similar to Fig. '7 but showing the parts in a different position.

Figure 10 is a detail sectional view on enlarged scale of a portion of the mechanism.

Only such part of a telephone pay station as is immediately related to and connected with that part constituting this invention is illustrated and described herein, the invention in general being of a character such as is shown and described in United States Letters Patent to George A. Long No. 1,383,472, dated July 15, 1921, and which embodies a system of coin chutes and signals as set forth and described in United States Letters Patent to George A. Long No. 917,742, dated April 6, 1909, and reference is hereby made to said patents for such further information relating to apparatus of this class as may be desired.

As will be readily understood the deposit of the coins or tokens for service rendered will be denoted by signals, preferably audible, as the sounds from a bell or gong which are in resonant connection with the transmitter of the telephone instrument, whereby such signals are conveyed for audible recognition by the operator at the central office.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral I0 denotes a dish shaped base which is secured inside of the case or cabinet of the telephone apparatus in a manner which will be readily understood, the mechanism forming the subject matter of this application being attached to said base in any suitable manner and which mechanism comprises a case ii in which is contained the coin directing mechanism hereinbefore referred to and which does not therefore require further explanation herein. A coin tube 12 is mounted on and rises from the case H and supports a hopper it at its upper end which is positioned to receive coins or tokens from the coin chute, not herein shown, but in a manner that will be readily understood. A coil supporting bar i is mounted on the base it with a magnetic bar i5 common to structures of this type secured thereto and extending upwardly between the coils 53-4? in a manner that will be readily understood. A supporting plate comprising two members it connected by arches 59 at the front and rear edges is secured atop the coils iii-El. A supporting post 32 projects upwardly from one of said arches for a purpose to be hereinafter described. A spring retaining bracket 2! is secured to the front arch and projects downwardly in front of the coiis iii-51 as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. An armature 22 is pivotally mounted between the arches 59, as upon bearing screws 23 and by means of an armature plate 24 secured to the armature and having downturned ears to receive the screws 23, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Armature pressure frames 25 are pivotally mounted on the screws 23 and have lugs 28 which are pressed into contact with the opposite ends of the armature as by means of springs 21 secured at one end to fingers 28 projecting from said frames and at their opposite ends to projections 29 extending from the bracket 2!, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. A trigger 30 extends from a switch controlling frame 3i pivotally mounted on a frame support extending upwardly from the arch 19 at the back of the plate supporting member, said trigger projecting into a slot in the wall of the hopper IS in position to receive coins falling through the throat of said hopper. All of the parts thus far described are of old and well known construction and a further and detailed description is therefore omitted herein, as they are fully disclosed in the patents hereinbefore referred to and will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

A contact support 32 rises from that arch I 9 nearest the hopper 13, said support having a contact supporting lip 33 for spring contacts 3-l-35 which are secured at one end and project across the device as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. These contacts are insulated one from the other on their support and they are also insulated from said support. A small hub 36 seemed to the contact 35 projects through an opening in the contact 35 and rests upon a finger 31 projecting upwardly from the frame 3|, this hub maintaining a separated condition of the outer ends of said contacts. A Wire 38 extends from a terminal on the contact as to the coil ll, the coils l8 and I! being connected in a usual manner. A wire 39 extends from the contact 35 to a ground, as shown in Fig. '7 of the drawings, and a wire 40 extends from the coil it to a connection with the central oiiice for operation in a manner that will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. In this operation of the device a coin dropping into the hopper I3 of the coin tube passes downwardly and striking the trigger 30 moves it downwardly in the tube, tipping the frame 3! upwardly on its pivot, thereby releasing the finger 31 from the hub 3'6. contact 34- to drop into electrical contact with the spring contact 35. This completes a circuit from ground by the wire 39, spring contact 35, spring contact 34, wire 38, the coils, and Wire 48 to the central ofiice, thereby operating a signal to apprise the central operator of the deposit of the coin and the desire for service. Service having been supplied, or the depositor of the coin having been notified that the connection cannot be made, the central operator over this same circuit sends a high voltage current, thereby energizing the magnets and operating the mechanism within the box H to dispose of the coin, either by releasing it for delivery to the coin box in the event service is had, or by returning the coin to the user, in the event of no connection in a manner that will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, as shown in a prior patent to George A. Long, No. 2,003,946, dated June 4, 1935. Briefly mentioned, in the event ofthe completion of the connection for the call, the central operator by depression of a key will send a high voltage current of one polarity over the line to the coils Iii-ll, thereby tipping the armature 22 and swinging a trap actuating lever ll in one direction to operate the trap upon which the coin rests (see Fig. and tilt it to cause the coin to pass into the coin box. In the event of an incompleted call, by pressure of another key, the central operator causes a high voltage current of opposite polarity to be impressed on the line and the coils are thereby oppositely polarized to tip the coin trap in the opposite direction and cause the coin to pass into the delivery chute to be obtained by the subscriber.

In an automatic telephone, the deposit of the coin in a similar manner operates a relay at the central ofiice to automatically establish a connection for talking and signaling purposes. The coils are energized by the operation of the telephone receivers by the subscribers to deposit or return the coin in a similar manner and as will be readily understood from the foregoing description and by those skilled in the art.

Upon the energizing of the magnets, as above described, a rocker 42 at the end of a rocker arm '83 secured to and projecting upwardly from the trap actuating lever ll raises the contact 35 and the contact 34 until the hub 36 is clear of the finger 31, whereupon the frame 31 under the action of gravity returns to its normal position of rest and the contacts 3435 are separated, thereby opening the circuit and placing the This permits the springinstrument in condition for another operation.

It will be noted that when the rocker arm 43 raises the spring contacts to release the frame 3| the contacts remain closed for a period and until the rocker assumes its normal position of rest, thereby ensuring maintenance of the circuit lon enough to permit full discharge of coins from the trap in the hopper hereinbefore referred to and therefore full functioning of all of the parts before the circuit is opened.

When the hub 36 settles behind the finger 31 a positive mechanical stop is provided for the frame 3| to hold it in its circuit closing position which will prevent any release of the frame for fraudulent purposes as by vibrations caused by blows delivered upon the side of the box in which the instrument is contained, and the frame is therefore securely and positively held in such circuit closing position until intentionally released by the operator at the central ofiice.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes we have described the principles of operation of our invention, together with the device which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but we desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

We claim:

1. In a telephone pay station including electrically connected coils with a pivotally mounted armature therefor, the combination with said elements of a pair of contacts biased to touch one another electrically connected with said coils to control flow of electric current therethrough, and a coin operated actuating member positioned to engage one of said contacts to hold said contacts electrically disconnected and movable to permit said contacts to electrically engage one another.

2. In a telephone pay station including electrically connected coils with a pivotally mounted armature therefor, the combination with said elements of a pair of contacts electrically connected with said coils to control fiow of electric current therethrough, said contacts being spring pressed toward each other and one of said contacts having an opening therethrough, a hub on one of said contacts projecting through said opening, and a coin operated actuating member positioned to engage said hub to hold said contacts electrically disengaged and movable to permit said contacts to electrically engage one another.

3. In a telephone pay station including electrically connected coils with a pivotally mounted armature therefor and means operatively connected with said coils for operation thereby to control the disposition of a coin, the combination with said elements of a pair of contacts spring pressed toward each other and electrically connected with said coils to control flow of electric current therethrough, a hub on one of said contacts, a coin operated actuating member positioned to engage said hub to hold said contacts electrically disconnected and movable to permit said contacts to electrically engage one another, and a rocker arm secured to said coin disposing means and movable in opposite directions to engage one of said contacts in each of said movements to raise both of said contacts for reengagement by said coin operated actuating member.

GEORGE A. LONG. WILLIAM W. LONG.

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