US440698A - dowst - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

s. M. & 0. 0. DOWST. COIN CONTROLLED STAMP DELIVERY MACHINE.

No. 440,698. Patent-ed Nov. 18, 1890.

P Q 1 r v 1 I l (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. M. & G. 0.1)0WST. 00m CONTROLLED STAMP DELIVERY MAGHINE.

No; 440,698. Patented Nov. 18 1890.

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J' oI/g ys No Model 3 SheetsShee-t s.

S. M. & O. 0. DOWST. 00m CONTROLLED STAMP DELIVERY MACHINE.

No. 440,698. Patented. Nov. 18,1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

sAMUEL M. oows'r AND CHARLES 0. power, F HICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO THE AUTOMATIC MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COIN-CONTROLLED STAMP-DELIVERY MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4:40.698, dated November 18, 1890.

Application filed July 3, 1890. Serial No. 357.696. (No model.)

To ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SAMUEL M. DOWST and CHARLES O. Dowsr, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Coin- Controlled Stamp-Delivering Machine, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompany- Io ing drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide reliable and convenient means for delivering stamps and other like articles of inapprecia- 1 ble or slight weight and thickness upon the deposit of a suitable coin to pay for the same.

Figure 1 is a perspective of our machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation with the front plate removed. Fig. 3 is a section at the line 3 3 on Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section at the line 4 4:

On Fig. 3, showing, however, in dotted lines certain part-sin front of the plane of the section, the position of the parts shown in this view being that occupied when the device is closed and locked. 5 is a detail side elevation of the parts with which the coin 00- operates in unlocking, the same being shown with the coin in position to perform that function, the other parts being in the position shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. Al, but showing the parts in the position occupied when the sliding door is open. Fig. 7 is a detail front elevation of the locking mechanism only in the position occupied after the first deposit of the coin and the partial lifting of the door to bring into operation the locking mechanism to unlock the door by the assistance of the coin.

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan of the same parts shown in Fig. 7, section being made at the line 8 8 on Fig. 0. Fig. 9 is a detail side elevation of the same parts in the position shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a section at the line 10 10 on Fig. 3. Fig. 11 is aperspective of a stamp-case used with my machine.

A is the exterior case. It has at the forward side the opening A, through which access is obtained when the door which closes itis withdrawn into the delivering-receptacle, hereinafter described. It has at the upper right-hand corner the slot A which leads into the coin-chute. It has in the upper end the door A by which access is obtained to charge or fill the magazine with the stamps or other articles to be delivered. It has at the lower end of the right-hand side the door A, by which access is obtained to the coin-drawer. Each of the doors A and A is fastened by a suitable secure lock operated by a key, as in dicated by the key-holes o and a, respect ively. 6o

13 is the magazine, adapted to contain the stamps or articles to be delivered. This magazine is journaled on the stud-bolt B, which is inserted through the center of the cylinder and screwed into the standard B which is made fast to the back A of the case A. The cylinder has the radial partitions B said partitions dividing the exterior portion of the cylinder into receptacles or pockets 12 each pocket being adapted to receive the number of stamps which it is designed to deliver at each action of the mechanism that is, upon each deposit of the selected coin. These partitions need not extend, and as illustrated do not extend, entirely across from disk to disk of the cylinder, each partition being, as illustrated, made up of two pieces secured, respectively, to the two disks and to the hub 13 of the cylinder, thus leaving the space B for convenience of handling the stamps in inserting or removing them, a small pair of pinchers being the most convenient tool with which to handle them, such tool being inserted in the space E to seize the contents of any one pocket without the inconvenience which would be experienced it it were necessary to reach down into the pocket between the two partition-walls in order to 'grasp the stamp. Upon the back of the cylinder Bis fixed a ratchet-plate B having as many teeth as 0 there are pockets 19 by means of which the cylinder is actuated, as hereinafter described. A similar ratchet-plate 13 but with its teeth pointing in an opposite direction, is secured on the front side of the cylinder, though it is not material that the two plates should be at opposite sides, but only that they should be adapted to operate or be operated by a pawl in opposite directions.

0 is the magazine-case, which is a cylin- I00 drical band which incloses the magazine B, fitting it snugly, but not so as to prevent the magazine from turning readily within such case. the back A of the outer case A in any convenient manner. As illustrated, it has four feet 0 O C 0 extending to the back of the case and made fast thereto. At the upper side the case O is open for a distance of sixty degrees, exposing the open ends of the magazine-pockets for that distance, said opening being directly below the door A so that when that door is open access to the magazine is obtained through said opening 0 in the magazine-case to charge the magazine.

The case 0 has at the lower side an opening 0 equal in extent to the end opening of each of the pockets 12 so that the contents of any pocket that may coincide with'that opening may be delivered by gravity out of said pocket and through said opening into the delivery receptacle, which is located immediately below the magazine.

D is the delivery-receptacle. It is open at the topand at the forward side. It opens immediately underneath the magazine, whose case 0 closes it at the top, except as to the access, which is obtained from the magazine into the delivery-receptacle at the opening C insa'idmagazine-case. At the forward side the opening in said delivery-receptacle faces the opening A in the outer face A, so that access into the delivery-receptacle may be obtained from outside of the entire case through said opening A. The delivery-receptacle is supported by being provided with a foot D, whichfextends back from its lower end to the 'back'of the case A and is made fast thereto, leaving a space between the back of the delivery-receptacle and the back of the case, in which certain of the mechanism is located, as hereinafter explained. To the delivery-receptacle at the lower end of the forward side there is secured the angle-bar D whose ver tical lip has a'width corresponding to the vertical movementn'ecessary in'certain of the operating mechanism, hereinafter described, and whose horizontal lip affords support and lodgment for the sliding door which closes the opening A in the case A, the forward edge of said horizontal lip being in contact with the front plate of the case A below the lower margin of said opening.

E is a sliding door adapted to close the opening A and-obstruct entrance intothe delivery-receptacle D. It-is largerin vertical and horizontal dimensions than the opening A, so that placed in position within the caseit obtains bearing on all four sides beyond the margin of said opening. It is provided with an opening which is filled with a transparent pane E, and it has a handle E, which pro- 1 jects through the opening A and by which This magazine-case is supported uponextending around and embracing within it the delivery-receptacle D, the rear bar of said yoke afiording means for connecting the same and thereby the door to the locking mechanism, which is located behind the delivery-1e ceptacle.

It will be observed from the description already given that if the magazine is charged with stainpsone in each of its pocketsand if it be alternately rotated and halted to bring one pocket at a time in line with the dischargeaperture 0 of the magazine-case, the contents of said pockets will be delivered one by one from the magazine into the delivery-receptacle, and that it the door which closes said receptacle in front be opened, permitting access through the outer case into the receptacle, the stamps thus delivered into the delivery-receptaclemay be removed from the case.

We will now describe the mechanism by which the'door is locked and unlocked and by which the magazine is rotated by sliding the door up and down. To thebackplatethere is secured the coin-chute F, which extends for-. ward and terminates at the slot A in the front plate. At the'lower end said coin-chute terminates just above the arm'G of the lever G, which rocks horizontally on a vertical pivot G on the back of the case and has the upper side of the end of the arm G,which isat the delivery end of the coin-chute, beveled to adapt it to be actuated by the curved edge of the coin delivered upon it, so that when such coin is pushed downward that arm of the lever will be crowded backward, carrying forward the other arm, which operates as a latch to lock the sliding door closed, as shortly hereinafter explained.

H is a lever rocking vertically on a horizontal pivot on the back plate and having its shorter arm protruding across the path of the coin through the coin-chute, which is slotted to admit said arm, said lever, however, at its lowest position having its said shorter arm entirely out of the path of thecoin, but adapted, when the lever is rocked, to pass into said path, as stated, so that if in the meanwhile a coin had been dropped into the chute and lodged upon the lever-arm G the shorter arm of the lever H, upon said lever being rocked, will descend upon the upper edge of the coin and push the coin downycausing it to crowd the lever-arm G back and withdraw the opposite arm out of the path of the catch, which it'is adapted to engage to lock the door shut. This catch consists of a nose I at the lower end of the slide 1, which moves in vertical slide-bearings upon the back of the case and has its shoulder facing upward to engage under the lever Gand its tapering face adapted to crowd said lever back as the nose descends from above it, so that the nose can pass the lever and be stopped below it. The slide I, which carries said nose, carries also the studpin 1 which engages in the slot H of the lever H, and as the slide is vertically operated in lts bearings said stud, by means of its encants, Samuel M. Dowst and Frank H. Hos

mer.

The slide 1' has the block I secured to it in front to aflford means for connecting it to the cross-bar of the yoke E and thereby caused to move with the door E. It will be observed that, as in said former patent, the nose I at the lowest position of the slide to which it is attached stands some distance below the latch or lever G, which prevents the door from being fully openedthat is, that the door can be lifted some distance before the obstruction ofiered by said latch is encounteredthe construction being in this respect similar to that set forth in that patent, some portion of the play thus obtained being necessary to give opportunity to the lever H to cause it to actuate the latch or lever Gbefore the nose reaches that lever. In the present structure the distance which the slide and nose and door can move before the latch is encountered by the nose is somewhat greater than is necessary for the purpose last stated, and this play in this construction serves an additional purpose, which will be apparent from the further description.

K is a pawl adapted to engage the ratchetdisk B of the magazine B, said pawl being pivoted upon the sliding arm K, which is supported in horizontal slide-bearings on the back of the case A, the pawl being provided with the spring 7t, adapted to hold it against the rim of the ratchet-disk, and the slide being provided with the spring 7t, adapted to hold it at the outer limit of its sliding, movement and to move it in a direction to retract the pawl over the ratchet-disk.

K is a lever pivoted on a horizontal pivot in the back of the case and engaging at its upper end the slide-bar K. The block I has a projection 1 which extends laterally far enough to contact with the lateral edge of the lever K below the pivot of the latter, said lever being held against the said projection by the action of the spring '70 Said lever-arm on the side which contacts the projection I is cut back from the line of the path of the contacting end of said projection 1 so that as said projection travels vertically with the slide 1 said lever-arm, being held against the projection by the spring 7c, is caused to swing back and forth and so to move or permit the motion of the slide K back and forth at proper time, according to the form of the edge of the lever K for the purpose of causing the pawl K to actuate the ratchet-wheel and thereby the magazine at the proper time in the vertical 7 movement of the slide and of the door, which moves with the slide. It will be observed that the trailing or returning of the pawl occurs during the upward movement of the door, and that the actuating movement of the pawl will occur during the downward movement of the door, and it should be further noted that the said lever K is cut away at such point that the extent of the returning or trailing movement of the pawl occasioned while the slide is moving upward as far as it can move before the noseI engages thelatch or lever Gis not sufficient to withdraw the pawl past the point of a ratchet-tooth, so that such action is inoperative to actuate the magazine or prepare the pawl to actuate it upon the return or downward movement of the door through the same distance. It will be observed, also, that the door E at its lowestposition extends down in front of the vertical lip D of the angle-bar D so that the upward movement of the door does not uncover the opening into the receptacle D until such movement has equaled the entire distance that the door laps in front of said lip D. This distance is as great as the distance from the shoulder of the nose I to the latch G It will be'seen, therefore, that such movement of the door as can be given without the deposit of a coin to cause the latch to be released will be ineffectual either to gain access into the delivery-receptacle or to actuate the magazine to cause the delivery of the stamps into said receptacle. If, however, after the deposit of a coin the door be lifted, the movement at first communicated to the parts will cause the coin to withdraw the latch out of the path of the nose I and prevent it from stopping the upward movement, and the door can be fully opened, giving access to the receptacle D and retracting the pawl K past the point of a ratchet-tooth on the disk B and the door descending after being thus raised and carrying the projection 1 downward causes it to actuate the lever K forcing it outward and drawing the slide-bar K inward, causing the pawl to engage a ratchet-tooth and actuate the magazine, rotating it a distance equal to the space occupied by one pocket. The edge of the lever K is cut away in such form toward the projection I that very little motion is communicated to the lever and to the pawl by the downward movement of thedoor during the portion of that movement which occurs before the nose I is engaged under the latch G, the intention being that such movement as may be given the magazine during this portion of the descent of the door shall not be suificient to remove the pocket of the magazine which has been in line with the aperture and bring the next one into such position that its contents can be discharged through the aperture, the entire effective actuation of the magazine occurring during the portion of the downward movement of the door which occurs after the nose has passed below the latch and become engaged thereby, so that the return upward is impossible. This is not inconsistent with the ICC fact that the upward movement of the door through the same distance-that is, through the distance which it can move before the nose collides with the latchis ineffectual to actuate or bring the pawl in position to actuate the magazine, for in said upward movement the pawl may be retracted almost to the point of a ratchet-tooth and yet not far enough to become engaged with it, and in the downward movement it may be advanced almost to the base of a ratchet-tooth, and yet not far enough to actuate it, the very slightintervalbetween the end of the ineifectual upward movement and the ineffectual downward movement being simply enough to permit the pawl when actually engaged with the tooth to rotate the magazine a distance equal to the thickness of the partition-wall between consecutive pockets without, therefore, uncoveriug'the next pocket,even to the very slight extent necessary to permit the discharge of a stamp; but in order to even more effectually prevent the delivery of the stamp from the magazine into the receptacle D by the rotary movement of the magazine caused during the downward movement of the door to an extent not sufficient to latch it, as well as for other purposes which may be hereinafter stated, we prefer to provide the stampcase N, made of sheet metal folded together in a simple form, leaving sufficient space between the folded leaves of metal to receive loosely the number of stamps which it is designed to deliver at each actuation of the magazine, such stamp-case N being of sufficient thickness, including the thickness of its two walls of sheet metal and the space between them for the stamps, to require considerable space for their delivery out of thepockets of the magazine and through the aperture C and when the magazine is charged, not with loose stamps, but with these stampcases containing stamps, itbecom es necessary that the magazine should revolve far enough to expose at the aperture C enough of the width of the mouth of the pocket to allow the escape of the case N before delivery will be effected. This enables us to give plenty of range of movement to thedog to avoid the ne-' cessity of too accurate fitting of the parts without danger of causing too early delivery of stamps into the receptacle. In order to prevent accidental overfeeding of the receptacle by the pawl K,'whieh might result from the momentum imparted to thereceptacle by avery sudden downward movement of the door, we provide the second ratchet-disk B having its teeth facing in the opposite direction from the teeth of the ratchet-disk B and on the case 0 we pivot the dog K adapted to engage said ratchet-disk, and having the arm K extending through the slide K, so that the-dog is actuated by the slide and carried into engagement with the ratchet-disk B by the'same movement of the slide which caused the pawl K, engaging the ratchet-disk B to rotate the magazine. The said dog K is advanced far enough so that it will engage the tooth of'the disk 13 to arrest the movement of said disk and of the magazine by the least movement of the slide, which is sufficient to cause the pawl K to carry the magazine far enough to take the tooth of the disk B last engaged by the dog K out of range of the dogthat is, a movement of the pawl K which will not throw the magazine farther than one tooth brings the dog K in position to arrest the movement of the magazine.

0 is a slide attached to the forward edge of the magazine-case C at the upper side, having a range of movement horizontally on its supporting-screws c sufficient to permit its finger G which in one position closes the slot A in the front plate, to be removed aside from said slot, so as to uncover it. This slide has a tooth C projecting back toward the face of the magazine, and the magazine has 011 said forward side a tooth B in position to engage the tooth 0 when the rotation of the magazine has brought the said tooth B into proper position, and when said teeth are thus engaged the rotation of the magazine a distance corresponding to one pocket operates the slide 0", actuatingit horizontally and moving the finger G into positionrsuch that it-closes the slot A The tooth B is located on the magazine at such position that it will be engaged and actuate the slide to close the slot when a certain pocket, being one approximately opposite the tooth, at the lower side of the magazine is coincident with the aperture 0 In filling the magazine it is designed to place in this pocket, (marked for distinction 13 instead of a case containing a stamp a special case marked with the word Empty or with a word indicating that ICC the magazine is emptied, and when the 'device has been operated as many times as there are pockets in the magazine,-so that the latter has been rotated once and the pocket B has been brought to the aperture 0 and has delivered the case marked Empty, the same movement which caused that delivery will operate the slide 0 and close the slot, thus providing double means for preventing the deposit of coin in the slot at a time when the magazine is not charged so as to deliver stamps, the intending user being warned by the presence of the empty card in the receptacle from attempting to operate the device, and being further prevented from depositing a coin by the closing of the slot.

0' is a slide having bearings provided for it on the case 0, adapted to close the aperture 0 (3 is a lever pivoted on the case, engaging the protruding end of the slide (3 toactuate it at will. This lever extends down past the deliveryreceptacle D and has its handle within reach of the operator through the door A*, which gives access to the coin-drawer. The purpose of this aperture is to close the aperture 0 while the magazine is being charged, it being necessary to rotate it by hand for that purpose, the absence of such a IIO prevention causing danger of delivering the contents of half the magazine while the other half is being filled.

1. In combination with the exteriorcase, the magazine adapted to discharge its contents when rotated, a receptacle within the exterior case into which the magazine discharges, a door which closes such receptacle, mechanism for rotating the magazine, connected to and operated by the door, and coin-controlled mechanism which locks the door and thereby locks the rotating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the exterior case, the magazine having peripheral pockets, the magazlne-case inclosing the magazine and having an opening through which the pockets may discharge successively as the magazine revolves, the receptacle located in position to receive the contents discharged through said opening, the door which closes such receptacle, mechanism for rotating the magazine, connected to and operated by the door, and coin-controlled mechanism which looks the door and thereby locks the rotating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the exterior case, a magazine, the delivery-receptacle within the case adapted to receive articles from the magazine, mechanism for delivering the articles successively from the magazine into the delivery-receptacle, a door which when opened affords access into the deliveiyreceptaele from outside the case, mechanism by which the door actuates the delivery mechanism, and coin-controlled mechanism forsuch door, substantially as set forth.

4:. In combination with the exterior case, a magazine therein, the deliveryreceptacle within the case adapted to receive articles from the magazine, mechanism for delivering the articles successively from the magazine into the delivery receptacle, a door which when opened affords access into the deliveryreceptacle from outside the case, mechanism by which the door act uates the delivery mechanism during the closing movement of the door, and coin-controlled locking mechanism for the door, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the exterior case, a magazine, the delivery-receptacle Within the case adapted to-receive articles from the magazine, mechanism for delivering the articles successively from the magazine into the dc livery-receptacle, a door which when opened affords access into the delivery-receptacle from outside the ease, coin-controlled lockin g mechanism for such door, and connections from the door by which it actuates the delivering mechanism during the closing movement of the door and after the latter is locked, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination, substantially as set forth, the rotary magazine having peripheral pockets, the case which closes the discharge-mouth of said pockets, having an opening at one point to permit the discharge of the pockets as they successively revolve past said opening, the delivery-receptacle into which said opening leads, the sliding door which closes said receptacle, and mechanism actuated by the door as the latter slides to rotate the magazine, and coin-controlled mechanism for looking such door, whereby upon the deposit of proper coin the door may be opened and caused to actuate the magazine to cause the delivery from it into the receptacle of the contents of one pocket, substantially as set forth. 4

7. In combination with the magazine having pockets for packages and the receptacle having an aperture at the top in position to coincide successively with the discharge-mouths of the pockets as the magazine revolves, the door which closes said receptacle and mechanism connected to and actuated by the door in the latter part of its closing movement to rotate the magazine, said door having a range of movement after it reaches aposition wherein it fully obstructs access to the receptacle sufficient to so actuate said mechanism, substantially as set forth.

8. In combination with the case and the delivery-receptacle having its delivery-opening coinciding withan opening through the ease, the magazine having pockets for packages, revolving above the deliveryreceptacle to bring the discharge-mouths of said pockets successively into position to discharge into the receptacle, a sliding door for said receptacle, which when closed obstructs access into it from outside the case, pawl-and-ratehet mechanism connected to the door and actuated by the sliding movement thereof to rotate the magazine, the pawl of said mechanism being retracted overthe ratchet-wheel during the opening movement of the door and engaging its ratchet and actuating said magazine during the latter part of the closing movement only, said actuation being sufficient to cause the delivery of the contents of a pocket into the receptacle only after the door has closed far enough to obstruct access into the receptacle, whereby access from outside the case into the magazine through the receptacle is prevented, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination with the magazine having pockets, a delivery-receptacle with which said pockets successively communicate as the magazine revolves, a door which closes said receptacle,mechanism operated by the door to rotate the magazine during the closing movement of the door, and coin-controlled mechanism which looks the door shut, adapted to engage and so look the door during the closing of the latter before said movement has actuated the magazine, substantially as set forth.

10. In combination with the magazine having peripheral pockets, the ease inclosing said magazine, and an aperture through which said pockets can discharge successively as they reach the same in the rotation of the maga- IIO zine, mechanism adapted to be operated from outside the case to rotate the same, coin-controlled locking mechanism for said magazineoperating mechanism, an exterior case which incloses said magazine and magazine-case, having a slot through which a coin may be introduced to operate said coin -controlled mechanism, and a slide adapted to close said slot, the magazine having a projection which engages said slide at one point in the rotation of the magazine to operate the same to close the slide, substantially as set forth.

11. In combination with the magazine having the ratchet-disk B the pawl K, and the slide-bar which supports it, the lever K which operates said slide-bar, the sliding door having the projection 1 which contacts the side of the lever K to operate said lever and the pawl K as the door reciprocates, the edge of said lever being shaped at the edge which said projection contacts, substantially as described, to cause the projection to move the lever to drive the pawl into operative engagement with the ratchet B during the latter part only of the descending movement of the door, substantially as set for h.

12. In combination with the magazine having the ratchet-disks B and B having their teeth facing in opposite directions, the actuating-pawl K, and the mechanism which operates it, the detent-dog K connected to and actuated by the mechanism which actuates the pawlK, substantially as set forth, whereby said detont-dog is protruded into the path of the teeth of the ratchet B by the first feeding movement of the pawl K to prevent overfeeding of the magazine, substantially as set forth. 7

In testimony whereof We have set our hands,

in the presence of two witnesses, at Chicago,

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