US3773158A - Coin locker - Google Patents

Abstract

An improved lock mechanism adapted for locking each of a number of locker compartments of a coin locker. The improvement resides in the provision of such means that by the introduction of a first coin, a lock-check means is positioned for bringing a latch for locking position, and by introducing a second coin an unlock-check means is brought into its ready-for-unlocking position.

Description

United States Patent 1 Wada COIN LOQEEB,

Inventor: Taizo Wada,Tokyo,Japan Japan [73] Assignee: Kokusan Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan Filed: Aug. 2, 1971 Appl. N0.: 168,124

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 31, 1970 Japan 45/66678 US. Cl 194/32, 194/51, 194/D1G. 2 int. Cl. G071 17/12 Field of Search 194/32, 40, 49, 64,

194/92, DIG. 2, 51, 59, 65, l G

- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1962 Stackhouse 194/92 X Primary ExaminerRobert B. Reeves Assistant ExaminerFrancis J. Bartuska Attorney-Holman 8L Stern [5 7] ABSTRACT An improved lock mechanism adapted for locking each of a number of locker compartments of a coin locker.

The improvement resides in the provision of such means that by the introduction of a first coin, a lock-check means is positioned for bringing a latch for locking position, and by introducing a second coin an unlock-check means is brought into its ready-forunlocking position.

3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDuuvP J I975 3 .773. 158

sum 10F a FIG! PMENIEU um 20 1915 SHEET 2 BF 3 con. LOCKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements coin lockers. More specifically, it relates an improved lock mechanism adapted for locking each of a number of locker compartments of a coin locker.

As is well known, a coin locker assembly consists of a number of locker compartments or cells arranged in parallel lines in horizontal as well as vertical lines and rows. These locker compartments are utilized by users for various different periods, the beginning and terminating times being naturally considerably different case by case, resulting in a highly troublesome, difficult and time-consuming control service to be executed by the supervising personnel. The difficulty resides among others in the determination of accurate time of initiation and termination of the service period for each of the locker compartments.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lock mechanism for each of the coin locker compartments, capable of reducing substantially the managing labor of the coin locker supervisor.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved lock mechanism of the above kind, ready for locking upon the introduction of a predetermined amount of coins destined for a basic service time unit, such as a complete day, and for unlocking before the lapse of the predetermined time unit, or upon the introduction of further coin(s) corresponding to excess service time unit(s), should the basic time unit have clasped.

A still further object is to provide an improved lock mechanism of the above kind, yet operable with different amounts of a rental fee corresponding to different service time units, for instance, one, two or three rental days.

A further object is to provide a mechanism of the above kind wherein a lock-check mechanism and an unlocked-check mechanism are provided, said both check mechanisms being functionally independent from each other, yet capable of being functionally linked with a cylinder lock of the coin locker and in a specific coin-operated manner.

A still further object is to provide a mechanism of the BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front view of the lock mechanism inthe form of the sole embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the lock mechanism shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with a side plate part of the casing thereof removed for showing the inner working parts of the mechanism more clearly.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded: perspective view of a part of said mechanism including a lock-check mechanism and a latch plate.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of several working parts of the mechanism.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged rear view of a date alteration mechanism contained in the lock mechanism according to this invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged rear view of several inner working parts.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of several working parts of the mechanism according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the following, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, a substantially box-shaped frame or casing of the locker mechanism is generally shown at 1, and comprises a front plate 11 which is formed with a coin inlet opening or slot 1a at the upper left corner thereof; a first display window 1b positioned at an intermediate level of the frame 1; a key-reception opening 1c positioned at a slightly lower level, which is, however, provided practically in a cylinder lockunit 2, as will be more fully described hereinafter, a second display window 1d positioned at a substantially lower level; and a coin return opening 1e positioned at the lower right corner of the frame or casing 1. Part of the opening la is defined by a correspondingly formed slot 1e in a return coin stop member If which is fixedly attached to the front plate 11 by conventional fixing means such as rivets, although not shown only for simplicity.

In FIGS. l-3, numeral 2 represents generally a con ventional cylinder lock unit which comprises a cylinder casing 2 and a concentrically arranged and rotatable cylinder member 2" formed axially with the keyreception opening 10. This casing 2' is fixedly attached to the front plate 11 so as to protrude somewhat therefrom, as most clearly seen from FIG. 3, although the conventional fixing means for the casing 2' have been omitted from the drawing only for simplicity. The inner mechanism of the unit 2 is similar to that commonly employed in the art. It should be stressed, however, that a rotatable cam 22 is fixed at the innermost end of said cylinder member 2", with the cam being fixedly attached with a pin 22a which is kept in engagement with a recess 31 formed on an elongated latch plate 3 laterally and horizontally movably mounted in the frame 1. Thus, it will be seen from the foregoing by manipulating conventionally a manual key, not shown, to turn in one or another direction, upon insertion thereof intosaid key hole 10, the latch plate 3 will be moved leftwards or rightwards in FIG. 1 wherein the plate 3 is shown in its protruded or leftmost position corresponding to the latched position of the coin locker. For this purpose, the plate 3 is slidably guided in a guide opening 200a formed through a side plate 200 of the frame 1; as shown only schematically in dotted lines in FIG. 1. In addition, the latch plate 3 is formed wth an axial slot 33 which slidably receives a guide pin 3a (FIG. 4) fixedly attached to the side plate 200, although the fixing means have been omitted from the drawing only for simplicity.

A collar 21a is fixedly attached through a forked spring strip 28 (FIG. 3) to cam 22 and formed with an axial bore 201 extending axially thereof through both said cam and said collar and coaxial with the keyreception opening 1c, with the spring strip 28 being attached at its root end 28a to said cam. The collar 21a is formed with a pair of recesses 2llb for engagement with the forked arms, not specifically shown, of said spring strip 28. In FIG. 4, only one of said recesses 21b is shown as representative thereof. In practice, therefore, cam 22 and collar 210 are separate members which are kept, however, in axial pressure engagement with each other under the resiliently urging force exerted upon the collar 210 by the forked spring 28.

An elongated slide bar 21 has its main part of square cross-section and a tip end part 21 kept in telescopic engagement with said axial bore 201. The squaresectioned main part 21 of slide bar 21 is slidably passes through guide openings 202 and 203 formed respectively through bent wings 23a and 23b of a support member 23 having substantially a channel-shaped configuration as seen from FIG. 4 and detachably fixed to the side plate 200 by means of set screw 24a of which only one is shown in FIG. 3 as a representative. For this purpose, the support member 23 is formed with at least a pair of screw-receiving holes 204. At an intermediate position on the main part 21 of slide bar 21, a small collar 24 is provided integrally therewith, and a coil spring 25 is kept in position under compression between the collar 24 and the wing 23b for resiliently urging the slide bar axially towards the front plate or panel 11.

A cam 26 having an inclined cam edge 27 (FIG. is fixedly mounted on the slide bar 21 and at a position selected in advance of the wing 230 with a cam follower 41 being provided for cooperation with said cam edge 27.

A plurality of pins 44a, 44b and 440 are studded on the side wall 200 and received slidably in respective guide slots 40a, 40b and 40c, respectively, formed through a lockrelease slide 40 capable of sliding in vertical directions when seen in FIG. 1-3 and 5. As seen, this slide 40 mounts said cam follower 4i and is fitted with a finger 42 at a relatively high level relative to the overall height of the slide. A bent lateral projection 43 is formed integral with the slide 40 at the top part thereof. These structures may be most clearly seen from FIG. 5.

At an intermediate height of the frame 1, an intermediate stationary plate 45 is provided within the interior space of frame l and fixedly mounted thereon, although the fixing means have been omitted from the drawing for avoiding excess complexity thereof. A pivot pin 46p is studded on the stationary plate 45 for pivotably mounting a coin feeler 46 which comprises a feeler finger 46a as one arm and a balancing arm 46b attached fixedly at its tip end with a weight mass 46w. The tip end of the finger 46a protrudes into a coin passage to be described more fully hereinafter. By the provision of said weight mass 46w, the coin feeler 46 occu pies normally the position shown in FIG. 2.

As seen most clearly from FIG. 4, said arm 46b is provided rigidly with a pin 47. The purpose and function of this pin 47 will become more apparent, as the de scription proceeds.

A further pivot pin 4lp is studded on the stationary plate 45 and at a higher level than the coin feeler 46, and a stop finger 48 of substantially L-shape is pivotably mounted on the pivot pin 4th). The stop finger 48 comprises a first arm 48a normally extending substantially horizontally and kept in engagement with said finger 42; and a second arm 48b which carries fixedly a pin 49 (FIG. 4).

Pins 51a, 51b and 510 are mounted fixedly on the side plate 200, as seen most clearly from FIG. 2, said pins being slidably received in respective slots'50a, 50b and 50c formed through a further slide 50 which will be referred to as lock checker slide hereinafter.

Lock checker slide 50 is formed integrally with a bent projection 53 engageable with a recess 32 formed on the upper edge of latch plate 3. In FIG. 4, this engaging relationship is shown schematically by a chain line at 54.

As most clearly seen from FIG. 4, lock checker slide 50 is formed integrally with several projections 5242-], 520-2, S2b-l, 5212-2 which are designed and arranged to engage with said pins 47 and 49.

The operation of the lock mechanism so far shown and described will be described in detail hereinbelow, with additional minor structural details.

In the position shown in FIG. 2, lock checker slide 50 is positioned at its lowermost position under the influence of gravity.

Now, it is assumed that a manual key is taken out from its position inserted in the key-reception opening 1c. In this position, the bent projection 53 is kept in engagement with the recess 32 on latch plate 3 which is positioned now in its receded position.

Under these conditions, when an operator should reinsert the manual key into the reception opening 1c and try to operate the latch plate 3 by turning the key, it is not possible to do so.

When, under these conditions of the mechanism, a coin is introduced into the inlet opening la then the coin will drop along the coin passage to be described, until it is brought into engagement with arm 46a of coin feeler 46, whereby the latter is pivoted in the counter clockwise direction in FIG. 2.

By this pivotal movement of coin feeler 46, the pin 47 carried by the other arm 46b will be moved correspondingly, until it is brought into engagement with the lowest pawl of those denoted by 52a-l, 52a-2 so as to elevate the slide 50 in its position by one step. At the same time, other pawls 52b-l, 52b-2 are also elevated in their position, and during this elevating movement, pin 49 may once be brought into engagement with these projections or pawls which act in each case, however, upon the pin to drive it off by being rotated in the counter clockwise direction, and due to the specifically designed configuration of these pawls. The thus displaced coin feeler 46 will restore its original position upon clockwise turning movement and then be brought into engagement with one of these pawls 52b-1 and the like, to hold the slide 50 at its elevated position against gravity action.

By introducing a plurality of coins into the inlet opening 1a in succession, the coin feeler 46 is swivelled in each case in way as mentioned above, and the slide 50 will be elevated step by step and finally held in its elevated position.

When the bent portion 53 on slide 50 is brought into its disengaged position from recess 32 of latch plate upon lapse of all the series of projections 52b-1, 52b-2 the number of these projections corresponding naturally to the design depth of recess 32, an insertion of manual key into reception opening 10 and an operational turning thereof will become effective to turn the cam 22 for bringing the latch plate 3 into its latching or protruding position shown in FIG. 1.

The manual key, not shown; the cylinder key member 2"collar 21a and cam 22 are so designed and dimensioned that when the key has been fully inserted through reception opening 1c, the tip end of the key is brought into pressure contact with the tip end of slide bar 21 which is thereby receded forcibly a small distance to the right-hand direction when seen in FIG. 3 and against the action exerted by the spring 25. Upon drawing the key out of the reception opening 1c, however, the once receded slide bar 21 is advanced again a small distance under the influence of spring force 25, and indeed, together with cam 26. During this advancing movement of slide bar 21, cam follower pin 41 cooperating with the inclined cam surface 27 will be elevated in its position, together with the slide 40. In this way, the finger 48 kept in contact with bent projection 42 is rotated in a counter clockwise direction in FIG. 4 and the engagement of pin 49 with one of the projections or pawls 5212-1 and the like will be released and thus, the slide 50 will drop downwards under the influence of gravity. Since in this case, the latch plate 3 has been positioned in its latching position, the bent projection 53 on slide 50 can not be brought into engagement with the notch or recess 32 on latch plate 3 and rests on an inclined surface 3b fonned at the left side of said recess 32 and formed on the same plate 3, when seen in FIG. 4.

On the lateral projection 43 formed on slide 40, a pin 63 rests which is fixedly attached to arm 62 of a L- shaped shutter member 60 pivotably mounted on a pivot pin 60p mounted in turn fixedly on front plate 1 ll.

Thus, when the key has been drawn out from its service position, whereby slide rod 21 is advanced and the slide 40 is elevated in its position, as was referred to hereinbefore the shutter member 60 is rotated in a clockwise direction in FIG. 2 until its arm 61 is brought into its service position directly behind the inner end of said coin inlet opening la for checking an introduction of coin therethrough into the coin passage.

Next, referring to FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, a lock-release control mechanism included in the coin locker according to this invention will be described. This mechanism is designed and arranged in such way that after lapse of a prescribed basic rental time period consisting, for instance, one or more full days, any movement of latch plate 3 from its locked position in its lock-releasing direction is positively prevented, yet allowing such release movement thereof only after introduction of a certain number of coins corresponding to additional or excess rent time units. The lock-release control mechanism comprises a date alteration operator 70 having an elongated L-shape, as most clearly be seen from FIG. 6. The mechanism further comprises a lock unit, generally shown at 100 in FIG. 1 and comprises a stationary hollow cylinder housing 111a rigid with frame 1 and a key-operated rigid and rotatable cylinder 100b, the inner end of the latter appearing in FIG. 2 a ratchet wheel 76, a coin feeler 80 for control of movement of the ratchet and a lock release checker plate 90.

Date alteration operator plate 70 is arranged vertically and formed with a plurality of slots 70a, 70b and 70c, receiving pins 51a, 51b and 510, respectively, which are studded on the front plate 11.

As seen most clearly from FIG. 6, operator plate is formed at its top end with a horizontally extending flat part 71 seving as a motion-receiver. In close proximity to the bottom end, operator plate 70 is formed with a laterally and horizontally extending recess or notch 72 which is most clearly seen from FIG. 6, yet being also shown in a semi-phantom way in FIG. 8 for more clearly demonstrating several related inner working parts. A pin 78 studded on a plate which is arranged in parallel to the operator plate 70, as will be most clearly seen from FIG. 8, is kept in slidable engagement with said recess 72.

A pin 77 is arranged to be engageable with teeth on ratchet wheel 76, said pin 77 being studded on said plate 75. One end of said plate 75 passes slidably through an opening 73h which is formed through a bent portion 73 of said operator plate 70 (FIG. 8).

The plate 75 formed at its other end with an edge flange 79, a spring 78 being tensioned between-said edge flange 79 and a pin 79' studded on the operator plate 70. Thus, the plate 75 is normally biased toward the ratchet wheel 76 under the action of said spring 78'.

Ratchet wheel 76 is rotatably mounted on a pin 76p which is studded on the front plate 1 1. The teeth of the ratchet are shown at 76a, 76b, 76c as most clearly seen from FIG. 6. On the rear surface of the ratchet 76 relative to the front surface thereof appearing in FIG. 6, a plurality of integers "0," "1," 2, 3 are represented, although not shown. These integers are also arranged radially and concentrically of the pivot or shaft pin 76p, and adapted for demonstrating already consumed rental time units, preferably in full days. These integers will appear successively through the second or lower display window M with rotational movement of said ratchet 76.

Ratchet wheel 76 is provided with an eccentric pin 79w which is kept in contact with horizontal arm 92 of the lock-release checker 90.

This checker is arranged substantially parallel to operator plate '70 and formed with elongated slots 90a and 30b receiving slidably respective pins 91a and 91b studded on front plate 11.

At an intermediate point of the vertical or main part of lock-release checker 90, a laterally turned part is directed towards the latch plate 3. with the latch plate 3 kept in its protruded position as shown in FIG. 1 in full lines and in FIG. 6 in chain-dotted lines and when the checker plate 961 is elevated in its position as will be described more fully hereinafter, said part 95 is brought to a position in horizontal alignment with the inner or lefthand end (FIG. 6) for checking any receding or inward motion of the latch plate, whereby a lockrelease operation is positively prevented.

Control coin feeler 80 is pivotably mounted on a pivot pin 80p studded on the front plate 11 and formed with a finger arm 81 which extends from a horizontally extending main part 82 downwards and leftwards in FIGS. 2 and 6. At the left-hand end of said main part 82, an eccentrically arranged weight mass 83 is fixedly attached thereto and a pair of pins 84a and 84b are fixedly mounted on the same main part 82. The outer tip end of finger arm 81 protrudes normally into the coin passage and said pin 84a is normally kept in engagement with one of the peripheral teeth on ratchet wheel 76, as seen from FIG. 7. The opposite pin 84b will be brought into engagement with one of the ratchet teeth when the coin feeler 80 has been pivotally moved from the position shown in FIG. 7, acting as a rotation limiter for the ratchet wheel, as may be easily understood from the drawing.

The operation of these constituent parts 70, 76, 80 and 90 is as follows:

Upon lapse of the prescribed basic rental time unit or units, such as one or more complete days, the superviser inserts a manual key, not shown, into engagement with the lock unit 100 and turns it in its operating position, preferably clockwise in FIG. I, so as to rotate the rotatable cylinder member 100b together with a cam 101 which is fixedly attached to the inner end thereof, as may be well understood from FIG. 2, in unison with the manual key operation. With the thus invited counter clockwise rotation of the cam 101 when seen in FIG. 2, a downward motion will be transmitted through the motion-receiving top end 71 of slide 70 thereto, by virtue of permanent contact of said cam with said top end 71 and against an upwardly directing urging force exerted upon the slide 70 by a spring 111 which is tensioned between a first pin 110 studded on the front plate 11 and a second pin 72 studded on operator plate 50. By this downward movement of slide 70, pin 77 mounted on the lower part of the latter will be brought into engagement with one of the ratchet teeth, as shown in FIG. 8 and rotate the ratchet wheel 75 by a tooth pitch in a counter clockwise direction in FIG. 6, while, at the same time, the plate 75 is moved slidingly leftwards therein under sliding engagement of pin 78 with the elongated lateral slot 72 and against the action of return spring 78'.

When the basic rental period is only one complete day, for instance, the viewer will see through the lower display window Id the second display numeral 1" instead of0." This represents that one complete day has been elapsed as the basic rental time unit. If the basic rental period extends for two or three complete days, as an example, the supervising personnel should oper ate manually the key unit 100 once after a lapse of each succeeding complete day.

By the clockwise rotation of ratchet wheel 76 in FIGS. 2 and 6, pin 79w fixedly mounted thereon will act upon the lock-release checker plate 90 from below, so as to elevate the latter by a predetermined vertical distance, until the stop projection 95 formed on plate 90 is brought into its service position behind the inner or left-hand end of the latch plate now occupying the chain-dotted line position 3' shown in FIG. 6. The level of the stop projection 95 depends naturally upon the degree of feed executed by the ratchet wheel 76. With an increase of the ratchet feed, the higher will be the occupying level of said stop 95. Under these operational conditions, the latch plate can not be moved from its chain-dotted line position 3' to its full line position 3 in FIG. 6.

Upon performing manually a return rotation of the key to its original position, it can be drawn out from lock unit 100. In this way, cam 10] is returned to its original position shown in FIG. 2 and then, the operator plate or slide 70 is returned automatically to its original position by virtue of the upwardly directing force ex erted thereupon by spring ll].

Upon lapse of a further rental time unit, for instance a complete calender day, and by actuation of the cam 110 in the similar way as before by a further key operation at lock unit I00, the ratchet wheel 76 will be rotated by a further tooth pitch. Thus, the numerical representation appearing through display window 1d will be changed from 1 to '2," an so on.

With feeding rotation of ratchet wheel 76, pin 84a mounted on coin feeler is brought into disengagement and reengaging positions from and with the ratchet wheel tooth, so as to hold in effect the wheel 76 in an advanced fed position as determined by the rotational feed movement of the ratchet in correspondance to the occasionally elapsed excess rental time unit or units.

In order to bring the latch plate 3 into its ready-forrelease position, one or more number of coins which correspond to the excess rental time units or complete days in the case of the specific embodiment shown and described, must be introduced into through coin inlet la, said number of coins corresponding to said excess time units, as clearly seen through the lower display. The introduced coins will pass each time through the coin passage which is shown only schematically by a broken center line A-B-C-D-E-F. Substantially along this center line, at least two parallel plates, are provided as shown representatively at F in FIG. 4 and at 200 in FIG. 2, although in the foregoing the side plate 200 has been demonstrated in singular form for simplicity of the description, as well as the drawing. It should be noted, however, that the provision of such coin passage is very popular in conventional coin lockers and does not constitute an inventive feature.

The introduced coin will pass through the coin passage A-F and strike against feeler finger 81 at the lower part of the final passage part F, so as to swivel the feeler 80 in clockwise direction in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, thus the pin 84a mounted thereon is brought into its disengaged position from the ratchet tooth and the ratchet wheel brought into its freely rotatable position. The thus pivotally biased position of feeler 80 and its linger 81 is shown in FIG. 7 by chain-dotted line. Since checker plate rests on pin 79w mounted on ratchet wheel 76, the latter is rotated by gravity action in clockwise direction in FIG. 7, until said pin 79w is transferred from its full line position to its chain-dotted line position shown at 79w therein. Upon performing this clockwise rota tional movement, the ratchet wheel 76 will be held in this rotated position for bringing the coin feeler 80 into its ready-for-service position shown by full line in FIG. 7. In this position, the ratchet wheel is held by engagement of pin 84b with a related ratchet tooth on the wheel 76. When the ratchet wheel 76 has been brought finally to the position shown in FIG. 6 after successively introducing a predetermined number, such as four, of coins through inlet opening la corresponding to a maximum allowable excess rental time units which are four calendar days in the present embodiment shown, the numerical display visible through the lower display window will return back to 0."

By performing the said successive rotational movement of the ratchet wheel 76, the checker plate 90 will be lowered successively and brought finally into its offservice position shown in FIG. 6, so as to bring the stop projection into its receded and non-checking posi tion shown therein. Thus, latch plate 3 is brought into its ready-for-Iock-release position shown in full lines in FIG. 6. Under these conditions, the superviser can insert a manual key into opening 1c and operate it to recede the latch plate 3 from its protruded position shown in FIG. I to the receded position shown in full 9 lines in FIG. 6 for bringing the locker mechanism into its lock-released position for willful opening of the locker 1 Along the part D-E ofthe coin passage, an unacceptable coin discharge opening 13] is provided. Within the area of this opening 13] and in the coin passage. a truncated cone member 132 is conventionally located, so as to contactingly select out occasionally introduced unacceptable coins of out-of-smaller-dimensions. The thus selected out coin or coins will be discharged from the opening 13! and through a discharge way only schematically shown by parallel lines I and I30 only in its outline position in FIG 3.

Finger 46a of coin feelcr 46 is seen normally projecting into the coin passage which is constituted substantially everywhere by and between a pair of parallel wall or the like members as at 120 shown in FIG. 4. This constructional feature will naturally be applied to the discharge passage [SO-I30 for unacceptable coins, although not specifically shown. The wall members I20 are slotted to form a common and vertically elongated opening 120a through which the tip end of finger arm 46;: of coin fceler 46 projects into the coin passage, for allowing the feeler to perform a kind ofcoincontrollcd operation as set forth hereinabovc A laterally and inwardly extending support member 205 is fixedly attached by its root portion to the side frame wall 200. said support member 205 supporting in turn the root or lower end of a snap spring 29 which is kept in pressure engagement by its tip or upper end with cam 22. Thus. a snap action is provided of the cam 22 for pivotal movement thereof between lock-closing and opening positions of the cylinder lock 2, to be performed by key manipulation thereof as hinted by ex' planatory legends "CLOSE" and ()Pl-IN" shown in FIG. I.

Latch plate 3 carries two separate and distinct legends such as ()(TUPIFD or "N()N-O((UPIED" either of which is visible through the first or upper display window lb, depending upon the protruded or the draw.) in odium of the latch plate 3. although not specifically shown.

Although not shown, cam lfll maybe sub ected to an automatic control by an electric timer instead of second lock uniL The embodiment of the invcntlon in which an exclusive property or proilcge is claimed are as follows.

I. A lock mechanism for use in a coin operated com- 10 partmented locker of the type including a box-like stationary frame, a coin inlet means provided on the frame, means defining a coin passageway within the frame communicating with the coin inlet means, a first key operated lock unit mounted on the frame, a latch member mounted in the frame for horizontal movement to locking and lock releasing positions, a lock check means mounted within the frame, a lock release check means mounted within the frame, said lock check means and lock release check means being independent of each other yet being operably linked with the lock unit, a slide means mounted in the frame for gtablishing a predetermined basic rental unit, said first key operated lock unit including a latch plate means operative upon a first introduction of a coin into the coin passageway via the coin inlet means to move the latch plate into its rcady-for-locking position, the lock release check means being released from its lockrclcase checking position upon a lapse of the basic rental time unit and an introduction of at least a second coin into the coin inlet means, a second key operated lock unit mounted on the frame. a cam operably related to the second key operated lock unit and said slide means for rcestablishing an additional rental time unti in a cumu ative manner to the basic t'cntal ime unit. the lock check means being provided with a first coin feeicr effecting the release of the lock check means by engagement of a coin during the passage thereof along the coin passage way. said lock release check means being provided with a second coin feelcr effecting release of the lock release check mean only aftera lapse oftbe basic rental time unit and b engagement of a coin during the passage thcrcof along the coin passagwway. the lock release check means tnclud ing a ratchet wheel. means uperahly coupling thc sci; ond coin fcclcr to the ratchet wheel to drive the ratchc: wheel to count additional rental time units mcr tbc basic time units. and a return means for the \Lkul' coin fceler.

2. A lock mechanism as claimed n claim t H of. said return means for the second coin lcclcr is a spri 1,

3. A lock mechanism as claimed in claim 2 in which said lock release check means includes a lock relea e plate having an arm extending perpendicularly lllclcln and said ratchet wheel having an eccentric pm main taincd in contact with said arm

Claims (3)

1. A lock mechanism for use in a coin operated compartmented locker of the type including a box-like stationary frame, a coin inlet means provided on the frame, means defining a coin passageway within the frame communicating with the coin inlet means, a first key operated lock unit mounted on the frame, a latch member mounted in the frame for horizontal movement to locking and lock releasing positions, a lock check means mounted within the frame, a lock release check means mounted within the frame, said lock check means and lock release check means being independent of each other yet being operably linked with the lock unit, a slide means mounted in the frame for establishing a predetermined basic rental unit, said first key operated lock unit including a latch plate, means operative upon a first introduction of a coin into the coin passageway via the coin inlet means to move the latch plate into its ready-for-locking position, the lock release check means being released from its lock-release checking position upon a lapse of the basic rental time unit and an introduction of at least a second coin into the coin inlet means, a second key operated lock unit mounted on the frame, a cam operably related to the second key operated lock unit and said slide means for reestablishing an additional rental time unti in a cumulative manner to the basic rental time unit, the lock check means being provided with a first coin feeler effecting the release of the lock check means by engagement of a coin during the passage thereof along the coin passage way, said lock release check means being provided with a second coin feeler effecting release of the lock release check means only after a lapse of the basic rental time unit and by engagement of a coin during the passage thereof along the coin passage-way, the lock release check means including a ratchet wheel, means operably coupling the second coin feeler to the ratchet wheel to drive the ratchet wheel to count additional rental time units over the basic time units, and a return means for the second coin feeler.

2. A lock mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which said return means for the second coin feeler is a spring.

3. A lock mechanism as claimed in claim 2 in which said lock release check means includes a lock release plate having an arm extending perpendicularly thereto and said ratchet wheel having an eccentric pin maintained in contact with said arm.

Images