US514664A

US514664A - Coin-controlled apparatus

Info

Publication number: US514664A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1911-02-13

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. P. W. SOHULTZE. 00m CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

No. 514,664. Patented Feb. 13, 1894.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. F. W. SGHULTZE. 00m CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

No. 514,664. Patented Feb. 13, 1894.

- UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GUSTAV F. V. SOHULTZE, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

COIN-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

ECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,664, dated February 13, 1894.

Application filed November 14:. 1893. Serial No. 490,925. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GUSTAV F. W. ScHULTzE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Coin- Controlled Apparatus; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of coincontrolled apparatus illustrated by my previous Patent No. 502,891, issued to me August 8, 1893, for a coin-controlled apparatus; and my invention consists in certain improvements in that machine which I shall hereinafter fully describe and specifically claim, said improvements having for their objects a better control of the coin discharge, greater accuracy in defeating attempts to tamper with the machine, and finally the provision of means for delivering a prize, or a token equivalent thereof, under comparatively rare conditions, said prize or token being in addition to the coin delivery, upon reaching an ordinarily successful result.

In my previous machine, and in. this, the main object is to return the coin deposited in the machine or an equivalent thereof, in case a predetermined result be not arrived at,otherwise to retain said coin. This result may be of any suitable character, as, for example, the telling of afortune, which may be effected by means of a prepared list of statements corresponding to the various posit-ions of the indicating disk.

In describing my present improvements, it will be necessary to describe with some particularity the parts of the previous machine which are retained in the present one, and for a better understanding, if such be necessary, reference is hereby especially made to my previous patent.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention,Figure l is a perspective exterior view of my apparatus. .Fig. 2 is an elevation of the mechanism lying just behind the face plate of frame A. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the mechanism on the back. Fig/l is ahorizontal section of wheel 0, its connections being in plan. Fig. 5 is an end view of the barrel K and connections.

A is a frame upon the' face of which is a rotatable disk B of suitable design. This disk is secured to the face of a wheel 0 which is adapted in the present case, as in the former one, to control the discharge of the coin. My first improvement lies in the construction of this wheel, and of its connections, which constructions need not at this point he specifically set forth, it being suflicient, at prescut, to say that according to the position in which the rotatable wheel 0 comes to a state of rest, the coin will be retained, or it will be discharged or in addition to the coin discharged, a prize or token will also be delivered. The wheel 0 is upon a shaft D which carries upon its inner end a plated having a spring-controlled pawl d. Upon the shaft is also a loose sleeve E which has a ratchet e engaging the pawl 61' in one direction and slipping it in the other. Secured to and wound upon this sleeve is a cord F, the lower end of which extends downwardly and is secured to a spring f below, which spring represents any suitable initial power. The upperend of the cord is secured to a lever G which is pivoted at g, and the other end of said lever is connected by a chain or cord g with the extremity of an arm hot a pivoted lever H. The upper end of this lever H has ratchet teeth It with which a spring-controlled pawl 71 engages.

I is a chute for the initial reception of the coin. This chute at its lower end is provided with light spring arms 2' which serve to hold temporarily the deposited coin and this end of the chute with its temporarily held coin is exposed to view through a suitable aperture 1" in the face of the machine. Herein lies an improvement in my present machine, in that by exposing the coin chute, and providing means for temporarily holding the coin therein, it may be exhibited,and its spurious character determined, if such be the case. The next coin deposited will drive the previous coin from between the spring arms, and said previous coin will pass on down into a passage l, the lower end of which terminates in a barrel or cylinder J having an openingj in its bottom, said opening being directly above a runway in, the lower end of which communicates with the vertically disposed barrel K which is supported above and separated from a small platform by the thickness of one or more coins, said platform communicating with the discharge chute L which opens to the exterior of the machine. The upper end of the barrel K is open to and communicates with a directing chute is into the interior of the machine. In the barrel J is mounted and adapted to slide a hollow rod M, theinner end of which is open, and the outer end is connected at m with the lever H.

N is the operating lever projecting to the outside. It is pivoted at 'n and its inner extremity n has a pin n which bears downwardly upon the pawl h which controls the lever H. A spring n holds the outer end of the lever N up with its inner extremity normally bearing upon and holding the pawl it out of its engagement with the ratchet lever This lever N has a downwardly extending crank arm 0, the lower end of which is connected with the plunger which moves into and out of the hollow rod M within the barrel J. Y

The parts thus far described, with the exception heretofore noted of the exposure and exhibition of the temporarily held coin in the receiving chute I, and with the further exception of the arrangement of the vertically disposed coin-holding barrel K to which, and the parts operating in connection therewith, I shall again refer, are substantially similar to the corresponding parts of the machine of my previous patent, and their operation may be briefly described as followsz-A coin being dropped into the receiving chute I displaces a previously deposited coin held within the spring arms 1' and said displaced coin finds its way down into the barrel J wherein it serves as an obstacle between the end of the plunger 0 and the open end of the rod M within the barrel. Now, upon pulling down the lever N, the parts within the barrel are operated through the intervention of the coin, and the upper end of the lever H is forced over, and the pawl 72. being relieved of the inner end of the lever N successively engages the ratchet teeth of the lever H and acts as a retainer therefor. As the lever H moves over its arm h is carried downwardly, and through its connection with the lever G, the latter is operated whereby, through the cord F, the sleeve E is turned, the ratchet and pawl connection slipping, and thereby the cord is wound up on the sleeve E, and said cord pulls the spring f upwardly under tension. When the lever N is released and returns to its normal position, the plunger 0 is withdrawn wherebythe coin drops down into the runway is, and thence into the barrel K where it rests upon the underlying platform .10 At the same time the inner end of the lever N releases the pawl b from the lever H, and thereupon the spring f, acting through the cord F, turns the sleeve E,

, and the ratchet and pawl now engaging turn levers H back, which thus returns the rod M to its initial position within the barrel, ready for the reception of a succeeding coin.

The retention of coins within the machine, and theirdischarge from the machine, were determined in my previous machine by theextent of the movement of a swinging lever Q, which movement was itself determined by means of depressions of difierent depths in the periphery of the wheel 0, into which the upper extremity of the lever Q was adapted to enter, when the wheel came to a state of rest. In my present machine I retain the lever Q withits upper extremity q, but I construct the wheel 0 as follows: It is a wheel provided around the entire extent of its periphery with sockets 0. Some of these sockets are entirely unobstructed and free, while others have within them spring-controlled sliding pins or contacts c',the heads of which lie in the path of movement of the extremity q of lever Q. Any of these pins or contacts, when struck by the extremity of lever Q, is adapted to come in contact with a slide rod 0 the other end of which is connected with theupper end of a pivoted lever 0 The lower end of .this lever is connected with the end of a swinging driver lever 0 controlled by a spring 0 and having its other extremity curved and adapted to enter under the barrel K, and by moving over the platform come in contact with the lowermost coin or coins of the column in said barrel K,

whereby the said lowermost coin or coins, as the case may be, are driven from the coin column in barrel K, and are discharged through the chute L to the outside of the machine. i

The lever Q is operated and controlled by means substantially similar to those in my previous patent, and which areas follows: It has a spring qf which holds it to its engagement with the wheel 0. R is a pivoted lever having its lower end in the path of a pin 1- projecting from the lever H. The lower end of the lever R is connected loosely by a link 7' with the lever Q below its pivotal point. The lever Q has an inwardly projecting pin g which engages the teeth of a spring-controlled pivoted ratchet bar g having at its outer end a contact pin q. Now, when the lever H is thrown forwardly, as heretofore described, the pin 0" at its lower end moves the lower end of leverRin the opposite direction, which movement of the le ver R through its link 1*, will withdraw the extremity q of lever Q from its engagement with wheel 0, and in this backward movement of lever Q, its pin g engages the ratchet bar 1 and said lever is thus held back out of its engagement, and the wheel 0 with its disk B has full opportunity to spin and to come to a state of rest.

To relieve the lever Q, I have the mechanism substantially as in my previous machine, to wit, a spring-actuated clock mechanism S controlled by a pendulum s and proper escapement. The winding or driving shaft of this clock-work has a crank arm 3 which is connected by a link 7* with the upper end of the lever B. Now, as the lever B moves, as heretofore described, it winds up the clock mechanism through the crank arm .9 and when the lever B is released by the lever H, the crank arm in returning under the power of its clock mechanism, will return the lever B, and at the end of its stroke, and after the wheel 0 has come to a position of rest, said crank arm coming in contact with the pin g" of the ratchet bar g will force said bar down, thereby relieving the pin (1 of the lever Q, which latter, under the influence of its spring will return to the wheel (Land its extremity will enter one of the sockets in the periphery of said wheel. If it should enter a socket in which there is no sliding pin or contact, nothing will result and the coin will be retained in the machine, but if it enters a socket in which there is a sliding pin or contact c it will, by driving said pin or contact, act through the mechanism described to discharge one or more coins from the barrel K,

as heretofore described. Therefore, according to the position in which the wheel 0 receives the lever Q, the coin will be retained or discharged.

The coins in the barrel K may be regarded as a working fund, for said barrel must first be filled and remain so before succeeding coins will pass permanently into the interior of the apparatus. When the barrel K is full, then upon the next operation of the machine, the on-coming coin will simply slip over the full barrel into the interior delivery, and will fall into the machine. This begins the permanent profit; but if the disk stops successively in position to deliver a coin exteriorly the column of coins in the barrel K will gradually lower, and this column must be raised again, by successive spinnings, reaching a result and retaining coins, before profits will again begin.

Now, in order to make the machine more attractive, I have provided for the delivery upon certain rare conditions of a prize or a token which is the equivalent of a prize. This I accomplish in the following manner: \Vithin the machine is a reservoir in the shape of a runway T which is accessible only to the owner of the machine, and this runway is to be filled with a supply or store of prizes or tokens for prizes such as I have here represented by t. The lower end of this runway is in communication with a guide passage U, the lower end of which communicates with the discharge chute L to the exterior of the machine. Across the lower end of the runway T is the extremity o of a pivoted elbow lever V, said extremity being normally held across and closing the discharge end of the runway T, by means of a spring Q). To the other arm of this elbow lever V is connected a slide rod 12 the inner end of which lies in the path of movement of the inner end of but one of the pins or contacts of the wheel 0, said one pin or contact being herein specially designated by 0 Now, if the wheelO should come to a state of rest in a position to have this one pin or contact 0 struck by the lever Q, said pin or contact will, through the slide rod c operate the lever V, and will withdraw the stop extremity b of said lever from the end of the runway T, whereupon a prize or token t will be allowed to pass into the passage way U and be delivered to the outside of the machine. To give notice of the delivery of a prize, I have a gong Y, adapted to be struck by a hammer y operated by the contact of a lug c on the slide rod 12 In order to restrain the succeeding prizes or tokens from following the one discharged, I have a pivoted retaining lever WV, the extremity w of which is adapted to enter the path of the prizes or tokens immediately in front of the one succeeding the one to be discharged. This lever \V is controlled by a spring to and it is operated, to remove its extremity from the runway, in order to allow a fresh prize to descend to the extremity thereof, by means of a cord 20 connected with the pin 1C3 extending from said lever, said cord being also connected with the arm h of the lever I-I. Now when said lever is moved, as heretofore described, it will, through the connections described, operate the retaining lever IV to effect the desired result.

Attempts may be made to tamper with the machine by pressing down the lever N gently and sufficiently to withdraw the lever Q from its engagement with the wheel 0 but very slightly, and then by a quick release of the lever or jarring of the machine, to effect the return of the lever Q into a succeeding socket containing an operating contact or pin. To

prevent this I provide for locking the clock mechanism S so that it will not operate to relieve the lever Q, of the ratchet bar g unless the full operation of the lever N be effected and the dial and wheel be allowed to spin fully and come to a state of rest. To do this I have extending from the escapement shaft of the clock mechanism an arm 8 over which projects a pin won the end of a pivoted springcontrolled lever X which is connected by a flexible cord 00 with the spring f which is the main power of the machine. The position of the pin 50, when spring f is drawn up, is directly over the arm 3 so that the escapement shaft or verge cannot operate and the clock mechanism is, therefore, held inactive, but when the spring fis allowed to return to its normal position upon a full operation, it will pull down the connected end of the lever X and will thereby raise the pin at and allow the operation of the clock mechanism; but while the clock mechanism does not operate, the lever Q, will be held by the ratchet bar and the machine will not operate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a coin controlled apparatus, a means for elfecting the exterior delivery of a deposited coin, consisting of a rotatable wheel having a movable contactor pin in its periphery, a lever adapted to strike or avoid said contact according to the position of the wheel, and mechanism operated by the movement of the contact or pin for releasing and delivering the coins.

2. In a coin-controlled apparatus, a means for retaining or returning a deposited coin, consisting of a rotatable wheel having a series of separated movable contacts or pins, a lever adapted to avoid or to strike said contacts or pins according to the position of the wheel, and mechanism operated by the movement of the contacts or pins when struck by the lever to return the coin and to remain at rest to retain the coin, when the contacts or pinsare avoided by the lever,substantially as herein described.

3. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of a rotatable disk having around its periphery a series of sockets, movable contacts or pins seated in some of said sockets, a lever adapted to enter said sockets, according to the position of the wheel whereby a contact or pin is avoided or struck, and mechanism operated by the movement of a contact or pin when struck by the lever to deliver a coin from the machine, and to remain at rest to retain the coin, when a contact or pin is avoided by the lever, substantially as herein described.

4. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of a rotatable disk having around its periphery a series of sockets, movable contacts or pins seated in some of said sockets, a lever adapted to en ter said sockets, according to the position of the wheel whereby a contact or pin is avoided or struck, and mechanism operated by the movement of a contact or pin when struck by the lever to deliver a coin from the machine, and to remain at rest to retain the coin, when a contact or pin is avoided by the lever, said mechanism consisting of a slide rod operated by the contact or pin and a driver lever operated by the slide rod, and adapted to come in contact with the coin and to throw it out, substantially as herein described.

5. In a coin-con trolled apparatus the combination of a rotatable disk having around its periphery a series of sockets, movable contacts or pins seated in some of said sockets, a lever adapted to enter said sockets, according to the position of the wheel whereby a contact or pin is avoided or struck, and mechanism operated by the movement of a contact or pin when struck by the lever to deliver a coin from the machine, and to remain at rest to retain the coin, when a contact or pin is avoided by the lever, said mechanism consisting of a slide rod operated by the contact or pin, the driver lever operated by theslide rod, the coin containing barrel and underlying platform between which the end of the driver lever plays to throw out the lowermost coin in the barrel and a discharge way from said barrel, substantially as herein described.

6. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of a rotatable wheel havinga series of sockets around its periphery and movable pins or contacts seated in some of said sockets, a power device, a connection between said power device and the wheel whereby the latter is rotated, connections controlled by the insertion of a coin for setting and tripping the power device, a lever adapted to enter the sockets of the wheel, and according to the position of said wheel to operate its movable pins or contacts or to avoid them as the case may be, and mechanism operated by the movementof said pins or contacts when struck by lever to deliver a coin, and to remain at rest to retain the coin when the contacts or pins are avoided by the lever, substantially as herein described.

7. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of a rotatable wheel having a series of sockets around its periphery and movable pins or contacts seated in some of said sockets, a power device, a connection between said device and the wheel whereby the latter is rotated, connections, controlled by the insertion of a coin, for setting and tripping the power device, a lever adapted to enter the sockets of the wheel, and according to the position of said wheel to operate its movable pins or contacts or to avoid them as the case may be, mechanism operated by the movement of said pins or contacts when struck by the lever to deliver a coin, and to remain at rest to retain the coin when the contacts or pins are avoided by the lever, said mechanism consisting of the slide rod and the swinging driver lever operated thereby, substantially as herein'described.

8. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of a rotatable wheel and mechanism controlled by the position of said wheel for retaining or delivering a deposited coin, of the vertically disposed barrellocated in the course of the coin runways into and from the machine, said barrel havinga discharge opening at its bottom, and a swinging driver lever adapted to enter said opening and to remove from the coin column the lowermost coin, substantially as herein described.

9. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of arotatable wheel and mechanism controlled by the position of said wheel for retaining or delivering a deposited coin, of the vertically disposed barrel located in the course of the coin runways into and from the machine, said barrel havinga discharge opening at its bottom, a swinging driver lever adapted to enter said opening and to remove from the coin column the lowermost coin, and a directing chute into the interior of the machine communicating with the top of the barrel, substantially as herein described.

10. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of a rotatable wheel, having means for actuating mechanism to deliver a coin, a lever for operating said means or allowing them to remain at rest, according to the position of the wheel, a supplementary store of prizes or tokens within the machine, and mechanism operated and controlled by said lever and wheel to retain or to deliver a prize or token, substantially as herein described.

11. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of the rotatable wheel, mechanism controlled by the position of the wheel for retaining or delivering a deposited coin, and a lever for actuating said mechanism or avoiding it, a supplementary runway containing a store of prizes or tokens, mechanism for controlling their discharge, and a movable contact pin carried by the wheel, and adapted to be avoided or operated by the lever to actuate said controlling mechanism whereby a prize or token is retained ,or delivered, substantially as herein described.

12. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of the rotatable wheel having the series of sockets, the sliding pins or contacts mounted in some of said sockets and the special pin or contact 0 in one of said sockets, the lever for entering the sockets of the wheel and avoiding or operating the pins or contacts, as the case may be, according to the position of the wheel, a supplementary runway for containing astore of prizes or tokens, mechanism operated by the special contact or pin for controlling the discharge of said prizes or tokens to the exterior of the machine, and mechanism operated by the other contacts or pins for controlling the discharge of a coin from the machine, substantially as herein described.

13. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of the rotatable wheel with its sliding contact or pin 0, the lever for avoiding or actuating said pin according to the position of the wheel, the runway within the machine containing a store of prizes or tokens, the pivoted elbow lever with its stop controlling the discharge of said prizes ortokens, and the slide rod connected with said lever and lying in the path of movement of the contact or pin a, substantially as herein described.

14. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of the rotatable wheel with its sliding contact or pin 0 the lever for avoiding or actuating said pin according to the position of the wheel, the runway within the machine containing a store of prizes or tokens, the pivoted elbow lever with its stop controlling the discharge of said prizes or tokens, the slide rod connected with said lever and lying in the path of movement of the contact or pin 0, and the gong and the pivoted hammer actuated by the slide rod, substantially as herein described.

15. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of the rotatable wheel with its sliding contact or pin 0, the lever for avoiding or actuating said pin according to the position of the wheel, the runway within the ma chine containing a store of prizes or tokens, the pivoted elbow lever with its stop controlling the discharge of said prizes or tokens, the slide rod connected with said lever and lying in the path of movement of the contact or pin 0, and the retaining lever in the path of movement of the prizes or tokens, substantially as herein described.

16. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the rotatable wheel with means for controlling the discharge of the coin and the lever Q for operating said means, the clock mechanism and' ratchet bar for controlling the lever, and the lever X having means for locking the clock mechanism, said lever having connections with the operating parts of the machine where by it relieves the clock mechanism only upon full operation of the machine, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GUSTAV F. IV. SOHULTZE.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, H. F. ASOHEOK.