US592763A - Coin-operated game and discount apparatus - Google Patents

Description

L. CANDA. COIN OPERATED GAME AND DISCOUNT APPARATUS.

(No Model.)

1 A .5? AA Patented Nov. 2, 1897.

A. A A A A A A fi A" A AAA NITED STATES- 1 ATENT Fries.

LEO OANDA, or CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,763, dated November 2, 1897.

Application filed January 20, 1897- Serial No. 619,926. (No model.) A

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEO OANDA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Operated Game and Discount Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othe'rsskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, attention being called to the accompanying drawings, with the referencenumerals marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements and additions to a coin-operated game and discount apparatus, which when improved and completed according to my invention is used as follows:

The intended customer drops a coin of adesignated particular denomination into a slot,which act renders a certain visible handle operative in this manner, that when pushed, pressed, or pulled the apparatus discharges automatically a check,which drops out, while at the same time in an opening behind a glass one or more cardsarranged in a row and with numbers or other devices on them change their position with reference to each other and to said opening. The check, which is taken by the customer, is used by him as a mediumwith which he purchases a certain article and is evidence that he has paid for the same, while the newly-appeared numbers or characters on the particular card or cards which changed simultaneously with the discharge of the same check entitle him to certain extra benefits, either in the shape of a discount upon the originally-paid price or in the way of an added bonus in any shape, as by additional articles or otherwise.

The leading feature of my invention is the addition to an apparatus of the kind shown and described and rendered operative by the insertion of a coin of the necessary means to discharge the above-mentioned checks for the purpose and at the time specified, and.

comprises a number of checks added to such a machine, means to store them in a manner to permit their dischargeone at a time only, and certain mechanism rendered operative when other parts of the mechanism are rendered operative by the insertion of a coin and operating then in the manner described for the purpose of discharging a check.

Other features relate to the mechanism which by the interposit of'the coin renders the apparatus operative, adjustment of the coin-chute to permit use of different sizes of coin, a temporary receiver which exhibits the latter-after deposit, and other minor parts which will be more particularly mentioned hereinafter.

In the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims is found a full description of the invention, its'operation, parts, and construction, which latter is also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through the apparatus. Fig. 2 is rear view of the same with the back of the case removed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device complete. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of the coinchute and accessory parts; and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view, the coin-chute being sectioned on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. v 7 is the slot through which the coin is inserted, and from whence it drops to the lower end of the coin-chute 8, where its progress is arrested by a lateral contraction of the walls of the latter, which engage the edges of the coin and hold the same suspended.

The flat side of the coin-chute toward the front is perforated, as shown at 9, to permit the lower end of the operating-lever 10 to enter. Enough of the flat side of the coinchute toward the rear and opposite opening 9 is also removed, so that in case a coin should occupy this lower contracted end of the coinchute it may be pushed rearwardly out of the same by the'lower end of said lever 10 in case the latter should be-operated accordingly. Normally, however, this opening in the rear part of the coin-chute is held sufficiently closed to retain the coin by the bifurcated lower end of a lever 11, pivoted at'12 and provided at its other end with a segmental rack 13. these parts operate in this way, that if the outer and accessible part of lever 10, forming a handle 14, is manipulated-that is, pushed downthen its lower end enters opening 9 in the front wall of the coin-chute, then trav- WVithout the insertion of a coin IOO erses this latter and passes through between the bifurcation of the end of lever 11 without affecting any of the other parts of the interiormechanism. If a coin has, however, been previously inserted, its interposition between the opposite ends of levers 10 and 11 at the lower end of the coin-chute causes the action of lever 10 to be transferred onto lever 11, practically connecting the levers for the time being, which then act as if in one piece. Lever 11 swings the rack 13, and thereby rotates a pinion 15 in mesh with it. This rotation is shared by a shaft 16, upon which the pinion is mounted, and which shaft is supported in bearings in the sides of the case inclosing the apparatus.

Loosely mounted upon shaft 16 is one or more circular frames 1'7,each having a ratchetwheel 18 on its hub, which are in engagement each with a pawl 19, pivoted to arms 21, which latter are fixedly secured to shaft 16. To the faces of these frames, either directly or by means of paper, cards are secured having numbers or other suitable characters indicating either singly 'or by combination certain values in money or merchandise.

\Vhen shaft 16 is rotated in the aforementioned manner by reason of a coin-mediated operation of handle 11 and the latter is released, the parts will return to their normal positions by means of a spring 22 applied to lever 10. In order to obtain the action of this spring also for lever 11, a lug 20 on lever 10 projects over lever 11 and engages the same for this purpose. This return will be more or less abrupt, according to the manner in which the hand having hold of handle 1t releases the same, and as to levers 10 and 11 and shaft 16 it will come to a sharp and positive stop, the latter being held by the interlocking rack and pinion. As to the loosely mounted frames 17 on shaft 16, this stop, 110W- ever, is not a positive one, and they will continue to rotate independently by reason of the impetus received from the previous rotation with shaft 16. The duration of this independent rotation is dependent more or less 011 the manner and degree of impetuousness with which handle 11 has been operated and released, so that these frames do not always stop in the same position. They do, however, always stop in such a position that one of the numbers or characters which they bear on their faces appears fully within a glass-covered opening 23 in the front of the case, behind which they then become visible. This effect is obtained by means of arm 21 with pawls 10, which are affixed to shaft 16 in a proper relative position with reference to the ratchet-wheels 18 on the hubs of frames 17. The return of the parts releases also the coin as soon as the hand lets go of handle 14, since only the pressure of the hand against the latter held the same by causing it to be clamped between the opposing ends of levers 10 and 11. It drops into a chute 24, which guides it into a cup 25, in which it becomes visible behind another glasscovered opening 26, the object being to retain the same there temporarily to show what has been deposited in case it becomes necessary or desirable. This cup is pivotallysupported and may be dumped by means of a lever 30, projecting under one of the laterally-extended bearings of the cup.

As will be seen, the coin-mediated action of handle 14.- causes a change in the numbers or characters which are visible behind opening 23, and these numbers or characters after such change indicate, either each in itself 01' by combination with adjoining ones, certain values or articles of merchandise according to the adopted system in vogue.

Checks have been provided the possession of which enables the customer to show that he has deposited and paid his money properly in case he does not desire to avail himself at once of all the privileges connected with said payment or in case the article he desires is at a counter remote from the position of the apparatus. They are automatically discharged from an opening 27 every time a coin-mediated actuation of the apparatus takes place and appear in a cup 23, from which they may be appropriated at once. They are preferably stamped out of sheet metal and may bear the name of the firm and characters indicat ing their value. Previous to their discharge they are stored in stack form within a tubular receptacle 20, open, preferably, at both ends to permit their introduction at the upper end and their discharge at the lower one. The upper end preferably extends through the top of the case for easy access and is guarded by bars 31. The lower end of this tube is normally closed by a slide 32, supported in a frame 33, into which itis snugly fitted. The thickness of the slide as well as the height of the space it occupies correspond with the thickness of the checks supported above it, and its forward portion, which projeets beyond the lower end of the tube, is perforated, as shown at 3st, to a size which will permit easy passage of one of the checks flatwise. Part of the frame 33 immediately below this perforation 3% is also cut out to a similar size, as shown at 35. The operation is in this manner, that when the slide is retracted sufficiently to bring its opening 3:1: beneath the lower open end of tube 29 the lowermost of the checks drops into said opening. On its forward movement the solid part of the slide closes the open end of the tube again, but shoves at the same time the check within its opening 34 out from under the stack and advances the same until it arrives above opening 35, where it loses the support thus far furnished by the solid part of frame 33 and is precipitated upon a chute 36, from whence it passes out through opening 27 and into cup 28, as before described.

For reciprocating the slide a lever 37, pivoted at 38, is provided and returned to and held with the slide in its normally-closed condition bya spring 39. To operate this lever for opening slide 82 to discharge a check, I have found it most expedient to use a pliable connection in shape of a suitable cord 41 and connected to a drum 45, mounted on shaft 16. This drum is of such a diameter that when it rotates with shaft 16 sufficient of cord 41 will be wound up on it to cause lever 39 to open slide 32. It will thus be seen that if handle 14 is operated after the coin has been inserted a change will occur in certain numbers or characters visible behind opening 23 and a check will be discharged from the case of the apparatus for use by a customer in the manner and for the purpose described.

For convenience of manipulation the outer end of lever-handle 14 is curved upward, as

of a screw 43, projecting into the clear space.

of the chute. When not required, it may be screwed home, so as to be flush with the wall which carries it.

A hook 44 may be provided on the inside centrally above glass-covered opening 26 for the support of an article in the nature of a prize to be dispensedfor instance, when a certain combination of numbers appears and which article is then rendered visible for exhibition until disposed of.

Having described my invention, I claim as new 1. A case for coin-operated mechanism,having in its front side a coin-receiving slot and a check-receiving and a check-discharging opening, a suitable receiver projecting below the latter opening from the case, a check-receptacle within the latter and a number of circular frames supported side by side therein, with their edges or faces toward the front of the case and having numbers or characters on said faces, an opening in the front of the case behind which these characters appear and which openingis of a size to expose only one character on a frame at a time, a cut-off device which controls the discharge of checks from the check-receptacle one by one, mechanism which acts in a manner to operate simultaneously the aforesaid cut-off device and the circular frames, and accessible means projecting from the case whereby this mechanism in conjunction with an inserted coin may be actuated in the manner stated, so that a check is discharged from the case and the circular frames change the position of their 7. faces with reference to each other and with reference to the opening in the case behind which they appear.

2. In a coin-operated apparatus the combination of a coin-chute, two levers one supported at each side thereof, part of one of the fiat sides of the coin-chute being removed to provide an opening large enough to permit exit of a coin fiatwise, such opening being held normally closed by the end of one of the above-mentioned levers, while the end of the other lever is adapted to enter and traverse the coin-chute through another opening opposite the opening first mentioned and opposite to the end of the other lever closing the same, such end being shaped however by bein g out out, bifurcated, or otherwise in a manner to permit the end of the entering lever to pass by it, the interior of the coin-chute being shaped to arrest the progress of the deposited coin at a point opposite the lateral exit-opening in it and between the opposing ends of the levers so that the action of one of them is, by reason of the intervening coin, transferred to the other one.

.3. In a coin-operated apparatus,the combination of a coin-chute, mechanism adapted for operation in conjunction with a deposited coin and when the same has arrived at a certain point within the coin-chute, the latter being contracted lengthwise to arrest a coin of a certain size, which, becoming engaged edgewise, is held in proper position to be accessible to the mechanism above mentioned and by which it is pushed out of the coinchute, and a screw mounted in one of the long sides of the coin-chute and adapted to be moved to project with its head into the latter to form a contraction to stop smaller or thinner coins in case such are used, the screw being so located within the coin-chute as to hold a coin therein in proper position to be accessible to the mechanism first mentioned, the same as if it had been arrested by the contracted portion of the coin-chute.

4. In a coin-operated apparatus, the combination of a shaft 16, circular-frames 17 supported thereon and bearing numbers or other characters designating values on their faces, mechanism, which, when rendered operative by the insertion of a coin, causes a change in the position of such frames and their numbers or characters with reference'to an openin g in the case of the apparatus behind which they appear, a cheek-receptacle 29, a cut-off

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