Prepay Time-Controlled-Service Apparatus. Page: 6 of 8
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1,330,634
and the pinion 30, such rotation winding the
main spring that connects the arbor to the
going barrel 25 and its gear 27. The parts
are so proportioned that a predetermined
5 period of operation of the clock train will
result from the insertion of a coin of proper
denomination in the mechanism 18. When
that period has elapsed, the rotation of the
hour wheel 29 will, through the mechanism
io shown in Figs. 6 and 7, open the switch
which controls the supply of current to the
fan or other device controlled by the mecha-
nism. If, however, other coins of proper
denomination are inserted at the outset, one
15 after another, or subsequently, the repeated
turnings of the handle 19 and shaft 23
cause rewinding of the main spring and thus
any desired period of use of the electric
current may be prepaid.
20 The coins fall into the compartment 11
where they are retained until the lock 16 is
operated by any suitable removable key 34
which is shown inserted in Fig. 1.
The hour wheel 29 carries a fixed pin 35
25 and has a quill 36. An escapement gear 37
is staked to a quill 38 and carries an escape-
ment block 39 which is pivoted thereto on
a pin 40. The escapement block is pro-
vided with a pin 41 which extends loosely
30 through an enlarged opening 42 in the
escapement gear 37 in position to be engaged
by the pin ~35 for the purpose of swinging
the escapement block 39 in opposition to the
action of spring 43 whose free end 44 bears
35 against one end of the escapement block 39
and whose remaining end is fixed to the
gear 37 at 45. The normal position of the
escapement block 39 is that.shown in Figs. 8
and 10. The escapement block carries an
40 angular escapement pin 46 projecting from
the side opposite to the pin 41. The escape-
ment gear 37 is in mesh with the pinion 30
and, consequently, when the arbor 26 is
turned to wind the spring that drives the
45 clock train, the escapement gear 37 is turned
by said pinion.
Loosely mounted on the quill 38 of the
escapement gear 37 is the hub 47 which car-
ries a fine toothed ratchet wheel 48 engaged
50 by the pin 46 and consequently, the ratchet
wheel and its hub are held by the pin 46
and are rotated to a degree corresponding to
the turning of the escapement gear 37 by
the pinion 26. Consequently, the amount of
55 time service represented by the rotation of
the pinion 26, is transferred to the escape-
ment wheel 37 and hub 47. On the other
end of the hub 47 is fixed a trip arm 49.
A spring 50 having one end secured to the
60 trip arm at 51, although it could be secured
to the hub 47 or the ratchet wheel 48, has its
other end 52 suitably fixed or anchored to
the frame 53 of the clock train at 54. The
turning movement imparted to the ratchet
65 wheel 48 by the escapement gear 37 windsa
the spring 50 so that upon the release of the
ratchet wheel 48 by the disengagement of
the pin 46 therefrom, the ratchet wheel, the
hub 47, and the trip arm 49 are instantly
snapped back to the normal position shown 70
in Fig. 4, in which normal condition the trip
arm 49 bears upon and opens the balanced
switch 55, thus breaking the circuit and
cutting off the use of the current. The
release of the pin 46 from the ratchet wheel 75
48 occurs at the instant the pin 35 on the
hour wheel 29 engages the pin 41 carried
by the escapement block 39, the pressure
exerted by the unwinding of the spring, act-
ing through the pin 35, causing the escape- 80
ment block 39 to be shifted against the
action of its spring 43, withdrawing the
pin 46 from engagement with the ratchet
wheel 48. The extent of turning of the
escapement wheel 37 and the consequent dis- 85
tance the pin 41 is moved from the pin 35
is determined by the number of coins used.
The normal engagement of the pin 46 with
the ratchet wheel 48 causes the backward
turning of the trip arm 49 to correspond ex- 9o
actly in extent or degree of movement with
the backward turning of the escapement
wheel 37, as these parts then move as a unit.
Secured to the top of the shell 1 is a block
56 of insulating material which carries the 05
balanced switch 55 and the solenoid 57.
The switch 55 is pivoted at 58 to a hanger
59 carried by the block 56 and has a termi-
nal base plate 60 which is provided. with a
binding post 61. A light spring 62 con- 100
nects one end portion of the balanced switch
55 to the base plate and terminal 60. The
downward swing of the contact end of the
balanced switch is limited, subject to ad-
justment, by a screw 63 which depends from 105
the base 60 and passes through a slot 64 iin
the switch 55 and is provided with adjusting
and check nuts 65. One of the contacts 6S
rises from the switch 55, and the other con-
tact 67 depends from a terminal plate 68 11o
which is secured to the insulating block 5G
by a combined binding post and fastening
screw 69. The spring 62 tends to hold the
contacts 66 and 67 together, but they are
normally separated, as shown in Fig. 4, 115
due to the retraction of the trip arm 40 by
the spring 50 which causes the trip arm to
engage the piece of insulation 70 that is
carried by the end of the switch 55 nearest
the time mechanism. The engagement of 120
the switch 55 with the nuts 65 not only lim-
its the opening movement of the switch, but
prevents further retraction of the tripcrm
49 under the influence of the spring 50.
The solenoid 57 has a magnetizable core 125
71 which carries a disk 72. The escapement
lever 73 of the time movement is so related
to the disk 72 that when the latter is down,
as shown by full lines in Fig. 4, it bears
upon the escapement lever and brings the 130
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Thompson, William H. & Thompson, J. D. Prepay Time-Controlled-Service Apparatus., patent, May 11, 1920; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1257312/m1/6/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.