US929911A - Prepayment-machine. - Google Patents

Description

W MP BRADSHAW.

PBEPAYMENT MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED MAR.9,1908.

Patented Aug, 3, 1909.

WITNESSES: Y I W mvgugoa BY v ATTORNEY STATES IA'IENTI OFFiiQE.

WILLIAM M. BRADSHAW, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, 'IO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF EAST PITTS- BURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CQRPORATION OI PENNSYLVANIA.

PREPAYE'IENT VLACI'IINE No. eaaeii.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Application filed March 9, 1908. Serial No. 420,078.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Yfirtnin M. linnn SHTAV, citr'en of the United States, and a resident of l'l ilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and otate of l ennsylvania, have invented. a new and useil Improvement in Prep aymcnt Mechanism, of which the follow ing is a specification.

-v invention relates to prepayment mechanisms, and particularly to such prepayment mechanisms are adapted to be employed in connection with electrical measuring and similar instruments.

The object of my invention is to provide exceptionally simple means of the character indicated that shall be susceptible of normal operation only as intended and siall prevent fradulent operation thereof by any me ns whatsoever, such, for instance, as by means of coins of lower denomination than those for which the instrument is particularly adapted or by means of a coin having a cord or wire attached to it.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a coin chute and the devices located therein and Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

The part 2, which may be a portion of an instrument casing, contains a chamber in the form of two adjoining cylindrical recesses, a coin slot 8 opening into the top of the said chamber and a coin chute i extending from the bottom of the chamber to a coin receptacle (not shown). liotat-ably mounted within the cylindrical recesses are two cylinders 6 and 7 that are operatively connected together by means of gears 8 and 9 near their outer ends. The said cylinders 6 and 7 are respectively provided with coin pockets 10 and 11, the :tormer being of suflicient depth to receive the entire coin for which the mechanism is adapted, and the latter pocket being of less depth than the diameter of the said coin. In the present instance, a quarter dollar is the coin which the instrument is adapted to receive.

The cylinder 6 is provided, at its inner end, with a bearing in the casing, and the outer ends of both the cylinders 6 and 7 are pro- Vidcu with bearings in a plate 12 that also serves a cover for the chamber in which the said cylinders are located. A handle or knob 18 i provided upon the outside of the casing for operating the cylinder 6, the movement of which is limited to an arc of 180 by a pin 14 that extends into a semi-annular recess in the end of the cylinder.

The cylinder 7 is surrounded by, and is provided at its inner end with a bearing in, a cylindrical shell or barrel 15 having diametcally opposite slots 16 and 17 and an inwardly extending supporting spindle 18 the inner end of which may be provided with means for setting the mechanism of the instrument of which these devices constitute parts.

in order to permit of insertion of a coin into the instrument, the cylinder 6 must be turned until the coin slot 3 communicates direct y with the opening to the coin pocket 10. A coin may be then inserted and the cylinder 6 rotated through 180, with the coin in the pocket, the cylinder 7 being at the same time rotated in order that, upon completion of the movement ol the cylinder 6, the openings to the coin pockets 10 and 11 will lie adjacent each other. The coin will thus be permitted to drop from the pocket 10 into the pocket 11 and, since one of the slots in the barrel or shell 15 is also in alinement with the said pockets, the coin will project out of the pocket 11 and into the slot in the shell or barrel, as indicated in Fig. 1. In order to prepare the mechanism for the reception of another coin, and also in order to cause the instrument to measure energy or to perform any other function to which it is adapted, the cylinders 6 and 7 must finally be returned to their original positions, thereby bringing the slot in the shell or barrel 15 and the opening to the pocket 11 opposite the opening to the coin chute l so as to permit the coin to fall into the coin chute.

It will be readily seen that the mechanism is so constructed and arranged that but a single coin may be inserted at a time, and that the instrument in connection with which it is employed will not perform its function unless the mechanism has been correctly operated.

The dimensions of the coin slot 3 are such as to prevent the insertion of coins of larger dimensions than those for which the instrument is adapted, While coins of smaller dimensions will not project out of the pocket 11 su'fliciently to affect operation of the cylindrical shell or barrel 15 but will simply pass through the mechanism without causing the device in connection with which the pre payment mechanism is employed to perform its functions. It will also be seen that it is impossible to withdraw a coin by means of a cord or wire attached thereto after having effected successful operation of the mechanism.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a prepayment mechanism, the combination with a member having a coin slot and a coin chute, of two operatively connected cylindrical members interposed between the coin slot and coin chute and provided with pockets of different depths, and a slotted cylindrical shell surrounding the member having the shallower pocket.

2. In a prepayment mechanism, the combination with a member having a coin slot and a coin chute, 01" two operatively con nected cylindrical members interposed between the coin slot and coin chute and pro vided respectively with coin pockets one of which is of less depth than the diameter of the coin that the mechanism is adapted to receive, and a slotted cylindrical shell surrounding the member having the shallower pocket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th day of February, 1908.

WILLIAM M. BRADSHAW-f.

Witnesses BIRNEY HINES, R. B. INGRAM.

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