US1702411A - Coin-controlled radio reception apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19, 1929.

W. N. OLSEM COIN CONTROLLED RADIO RECEPTION APPARATUS Filed Aug;.16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet gvvuanto'c (ill'forncqO.

I /LL/AM M ULSEM N 6 mg Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. OLSEM, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

COIN-CONTROLLED RADIO RECEPTION APPARATUS.

Application filed August 16, 1926. Serial No. 129,512.

My invention relates to apparatus for the reception of radio signals and communications and programs from radio-broadcasting stations, and it appertains particularly to such a radio-reception apparatus in which the reception can be accomplished only by the deposit of a coin of a predetermined denomination or the deposit of a specially constructed slug.

Principally, the object of my invention is to provide a radio-reception apparatus with means by which, after the deposit of a legitimate coin or slug, the radio-reception circuits are automatically closed a predeter mined length of time, and are automatically opened precisely at the moment when such time expires, so that the radio communication or program is audible to a listener only during the time paid for and therefore the apparatus is particularly adapted for public use.

Another important object of my invention is to provide such means for starting and stopping the time-measuring mechanism as to coact with the means for closing or opening the radio-reception circuits that the timemeasuring mechanism will be .started or stopped without liability to damage thereto and that the starting of the time-measuring mechanism is positively assured by the deposit of the required coin or slug.

A further object of the invention is to equip a radio-reception apparatus with a signal device whereby a listener is positively informed, before depositin the coin or slug, whether a selected radioroadcasting station or source of transmitting radio communications is operating, so that he is safeguarded from paying for radio entertainment when such a broadcasting station or source is out of service.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention may appear from the following detailed description referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, chiefly diagrammatic, of the apparatus and shows its coin-controlled starting means and timemeasuring mechanism and the means for starting and stopping the mechanism as well as the connection of the apparatus in circuit with a radio set, which is diagrammatically represented as including five audion tubes, the time-measuring mechanism being started and the radio-reception circuits closed;

Figure 2 is a fragmental and diagrammatic View showing the trip rod as having just dropped from its trip position on the trip cam and thereby causing the spring-actuated stop member associated with the solenoid rod to contact with the balance wheel, thus stopping the time-measuring mechanism;

Figure 3 is a fragmental and diagrammatic view showing the contact on the rocker arm of the trip relay in contact with the spring under the rocker arm. It also shows how the trip dog on the rocker arm has permitted the dog on the extension of the core-piece in the solenoid to be moved to a position in which the stop member associated with the corepiece extension is moved, to the position for stopping the time-measuring mechanism, as shown in Figure 2, and in addition how the contact springs, actuated by the solenoid, are in dtheir normal, non-contacting positions; an

Figure 4 is a chiefly diagrammatic representation of the signal device, and shows how the signal device is connected with the radio circuit, in which are included a five-tube radio set and a loud speaker, also diagrammatically represented.

By the numeral 1* is indicated in the drawings a diagrammatically represented radio set, which ma be of any approved type and fully equippe for tuning it to different wave lengths and may have an audio output jack in connection with a source of electric energy for the grid and plate circuits to the audion tubes A, and also have other appurtenances, not shown. The radio set, as shown in Figure 4, has connected in its circuits a radio reception instrument 2. which preferably is a loud speaker of an approved type.

In carrying out my invention, I mount upon a suitable support 3, a time-measuring mechanism 4. Most of the parts of. this mechanism may be contained between two plates 5 and 6. Although themechanism may be identical with the mechanism in any approved clock construction, and thus includes a train of gears 7, it is preferably of the type in which an escapement 8 in conjunction with a spiral spring 9 on the axis of a balance wheel 10 causes the balance wheel to swing back and forth and thereby produces such a regular step-by-step movement of the escapement as adapts the mechanism for the function of a chronometrical device.

A pinion 11 is fixed upon a shaft 12 and is adapted to mesh with one of the gears in the train 7 so as to cause the shaft, during the operation of the time-measuring mechanism 4, to revolve at a predetermined speed in the direction indicated by the curved arrow in Figure 1. For example, it may be assumed that the geared relation of the pinion to the 1 train is such thatit causes the shaft 12 to make three revolutions'an hour. The shaft thus makes one revolution in exactly twenty minutes. A cam 13 is adj ustably secured upon the shaft outside of the plate 5, and in this case the cam is shown as double-acting by be ing provided with two portions 14, which are exactly alike and arranged opposite to each with the cam.

The lower end of the rod is cut at a slightly acute angle to the axis of the rod, so that during the rotation of the cam the rod may trip quickly from the respective tripping edges a of the cam portions 14 to the respective cut-down sections 6 below, and the angle of the cut is such as to facilitate the riding of the rod upon the cam, as is clearly shown at 19 in Figures 1 and 2. A pin 20 is fixed to and extends through the rod, and the column 16 is slotted at the upper part on both sides ill of its bore, as shown at 21, so as to provide a guide-way for the pin, which fits in the slots and thereb ada ts the rod to slide up and down, whi e at t e same time it revents ,a. twistingmovement of the trip ro and thus holds the rod in the proper cam-engaging position. One end of the pin is bifurcated and has fitted therein and pivotally secured thereto a roller 22, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.

It is assumed that the parts that comprisethe apparatus of m invention are contained in or connected wit a case of an preferred size and design, and it is there ore merely suggested that such a case is provided wit a coin or slu -deposit opening, as is customary in cabinets containing pay-mechanisms for the use of the general public.

' Thus, from the coin or slug-deposit opening in one of the walls of the case leads a chute 23, the terminal opening of which is preferably arranged directly above one end of a balance lever 24, which has the end provided with a pocket member 25, and the lever is pivotally secured between standards 26',

which may be fixed to the same support 3 as the time-measuring mechanism 4. At its opposite end the balance lever has thereon a weight 26, which is so arranged that it norprovided with a contact 43 adapted to contact mally overbalances the lever and causes the .end with the pocket member to be raised to proximity to the discharge end of the chute 23. On the contrary, as is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, when a coin or slug 27 of correct size, weight and shape has been deposited in the apparatus and has descended from the chute into the pocket member, it causes the end with the pocket member to over-balance the other end and to swing downward, as is also indicated in dotted lines, so that a contact 28 on the lever contacts with a contact 29 on a spring member 30, which is suitably mounted on, but insulated from the standards 26'. This position of the lever, of course, can be maintained only for an instant, as the levers inclination is such as to cause the coin or slug to roll immediately from the pocket member into any suitable receptacle, not shown, so that the weight 26 again causes the lever to swing to its normal position.

One pole of a battery 31 is connected with the lever 24, preferably at the axis thereof, by a wire lead 32 and the other pole of'=the battery is connected with one of the terminals of a solenoid 33, as is indicated by a wire lead 34, while a wire 35 connects the other terminal of the solenoid with a contact spring 36, which is secured to but insulated from a bracket 37 fixed to a frame 38. The 'frame itself is suitably attached to the support 3 and has secured upon it, although insulated therefrom, a trip relay 39. This trip relay is provided with an armature 40, which is secured to a rocker arm 41, and the rocker'arm is pivotally secured at one end in a yoke 42, which in its turn is fastened to the frame 38.

The other end of the rocker arm extends above the free end of the contact spring 36 and is with the spring, when the armature is drawn towards the pole pieces of the relay. Normally, however, the rocker arm is held by a spring, not shown, in a position so that the contact 43 is raised sufiicieutly to be out of contact with the spring 36. A wire 44 is suitably attached at one end so as to establish an electric connection with the rocker arm and has its other end connected with the spring 30.

The solenoid is mounted on suitable standards 45, which are secured to the support 3, and is thereby held rigidly, so that its axis or core-piece 46 is preferably parallel with the supporting surface 3 and in the plane of the balance wheel 10, and the core-piece is longitudinally movable in a non-magnetic sleeve 47 which is fixed in the solenoid and extends therefrom at the end towards the balance wheel, while on the core-piece is integrally formed an axial extension 48, which is preferably also of a non-magnetic metal and is slidably held in a standard 49 mounted on the support 3. At the other end of the solenoid another sleeve 50 is fixed and has slidably mounted therein a nonmagetic rod 51 adapted to be with its inner end in contact with the end of the core-piece 46 and to be moved outward thereby and being at its outer end provided with an insulating plug 52. A coil spring 53 is placed upon the core-piece 46 between the sleeve 47 and a collar 54, which preferably is secured to the core-piece at the junction of the extension 48 therewith, so that the spring tends to slide the core piece outward a distance from the solenoid, and a dog 55, formed with a stop 56, is adj ustably secured on the extension and adapted to engage another dog 57 secured to the rocker arm 41, while a thrust spring 58 is placed on the extension between the dog and the standard 49. Any suitable means may be provided for preventing the extension 48 and the corepiece 46 from turning; for instance, the extension may be angular and fitting in an opening of the same angular shape in the standard 49, or a key fitting in a keyway may be provided, but as such means are well known in the art they are omitted from the drawings. At its end toward the time-measuring mechanism 4, the extension 48 is pref erably cut down so as to form a fiat portion to which is secured the inner end of a flat spring 59, and this spring has at its outer end secured thereto, a stop member 60, preferably a soft brush, which is adapted to stop the balance wheel when the bristles of the brush contact with the rim of the wheel.

A spring 61 is secured at one end to an insulation block 62, which is mounted upon a member 63, and the member 63 is fixed to the support 3. This spring 61 extends under and beyond the cam 13 and is directly below the cam provided with an insulation 64, while the free end of the spring is adapted to contact with the free end of a spring 65, which is at its other end secured to an insulation block 66, and the block 66 is mounted upon a member 67 which is secured to the support 3. The arrangement of the springs 61 and is such that they are normally out of contact with each other. Upon the bracket 15 is mounted an insulation block 68, and to this blodk is secured a spring element 69 so shaped 1 and placed that the spring is in the path of the roller 22 and will make contact therewith when the trip rod 17 drops from its position at a tripping edge a of the cam 13 to the respective cut-down portion 6, but is out of contact with the roller when the trip rod isin either of the positions at a or b. The spring 69 is connected with the spring 65 by a wire 70, and a wire 61 is connected with the spring 61 and leads therefrom to the same pole of the battery 31 as the wire 32 from the lever 24.

Four contact springs 71, 72, 73 and 7 4 are at their lower ends mounted upon a member 75, which is secured to the support 3, and the springs are insulated from the member and from one another by suitable insulations 7 6. Also, between the two intermediate springs 72 and 73, and fixed to either of them is an insulation 77. The springs 71 and 72 are spaced from each other sufliciently so as to be normally out of contact at their upper or contact ends, and the springs 73 and 7 4 are similarly spaced from each other, as shown in Figure 3, but, when the solenoid 33 is energized, the insulating plug 52 will bear against the sprin 74 and force it into contact with the spring 73, and this movement is communicated to the spring 72 and likewise forces it into contact with the spring 71, as shown in Figure 1. A wire 78 connects the spring 71 with the same pole of the battery 31 as the lead 34 from the solenoid 33, and a wire 79 connects the spring 72 with one of the terminal windings in the trip relay 39, while a wire 80 connects the spring 73 with one pole of a battery 81, which is of the type adapted to supply the current for the filaments in the audion tubes A, and a wire 82 connects the spring 74 with the radio set 1, which in its turn is connected with the other pole of the battery 81, so as to complete the filament circuit for the audion tubes, and the other terminal winding of the trip relay is connected by a wire 83 with the trip 17.

In a suitable place, for instance, on the inside of a wall 84, Figure 4, of the case that houses the radio set 1, a signal jack 85 is secured with the base plate 86 of its framewor 87 to the wall, and a jack-plug stem 88 extends slidably through the wall, the base plate and a cross bar 89 of the framework. For the manual operation of the jack a button 90 is provided on the outer end of the jack-plug. stem. Between the base plate and the cross bar the jack-plug'stem has thereon a flange 91, and a coil spring 92, placed around the stem between the fian 'e and the cross bar 89, is adapted to normally hold the stem with its flange against the base plate 86. The inner end of the stem is provided with a tapering insulation plug 93, adapted to fit between the free ends of two jack springs 94 and 95, which together with five other jack springs 96, 97, 98, 99 and 100 are secured at one end in the frame work 87 and insulated therefrom and from one another by insulations 101.

By a wire'102 the spring 94 is connected in the grid and plate circuits of the audion tubes, in which circuits is included the customary audio-output jack, as is indicated in Figure 4 by the words, To audio'output jack. Another wii e 103 connects the spring with an electro-magnet coil 104 at one pole of a permanent magnet 105, while a wire 106 connects an electro-magnet coil 107 at the other pole of the magnet 105 with a wire 106' leading to one terminal of the toud speaker 2 and connected in the grid and plate circuits of the audion tubes and with the audio-output jack. A vibratory spring wire 108 pivotally mounted at a point between its ends and connected with the armature of the magnet 105, and therefore actuated by the pulsations of the current that flows around the coils 104 and 107, is connected by a wire 109 with one pole of a battery 110, and the other pole of this battery is connected by a wire 111 with one terminal of a signal lamp 112, which in its turn has its other terminal connected with the spring 98 by a wire 113.

An insulating support 114 has mounted thereupon a spring 115, the free end of which is normally out of contact with the spring 108 but is adapted to make contact therewith when the latter vibrates, and the spring 115 is connected by a wire 116 with the spring 97, which is normally separated sufficiently from the spring 98 so as to be out of contact therewith and isalways kept out of contact with the adjacent spring 94 by an insulating stud 117 secured either to the sprin 94 or the spring 97. Normally, however, the. spring 94 contacts with the spring 96, which is connected with the loud speaker 2 by a wire 118 at the terminal opposite to that in connection with the wire 106'.

Between the spring 95 and the adjacent spring 99 is interposed an insulating stud 119, which may be secured to either of the springs and is adapted to keep them always out of contact with each other. The springs 99 and 100 are normally spread apart sufficiently so as to be out of contact with each other, and a wire 120 connects the spring 99 with the wire 82, which leads from the radio set and also is connected with the spring 74, as before described, while a wire 121 connects the sprin 100 with the wire 80, which also connects t e spring 73 with the battery 81.

The operation of the radio-reception apparatus thus described, is as follows: Before depositing a coin or slug 27 ifi the opening therefor, leading to the chute 23, the person who desires to llSllGff-fO a radio-broadcasting program, or receive communication from'a radio-transmitting source, after having inserted the audio-output plug'in its place and after having properly adj listed the timing devices in the radio set for reception, depresses the button 90 until the ack-plug' stem 88 contacts with the jack sprlngs 94 and 95. If the desired. station is broadcasting at that time,

1 the radio-frequency waves sent therefrom will be received by the radio set 1 in the apparatus, but will not be conveyed to the listener in sounds that will enable him to interpret or enjoy the program, because'the spring 94 is temporarily out of contact with the spring 96 so that the loud speaker 2 is thereby disconnected from .the grid and plate circuits o f.the radio set; -'In this instance, therefore, one electric current takes the direction from the negative pole of the battery 81 and through the wires 80 and -121, the springs 100 and 99,the wires 120 and 82 and the radio set 1 back to the battery 81 at the positive pole thereof, while a current at the same time flows from the negative pole of the battery for the grid and plate circuits of the audion tubes and through the wires 106 and 106 and energizes the coils 107 and 104, thereby causing oscillation of the armature for the magnet 105, and thence through the wire 103, the spring 95, the jack-plug stem 88, the spring 94 and the. wire 102 back to the positive pole of the battery for the grid and plate circuits. Meantime, the battery 110 causes an electric current to flow from its negative pole and through the wire 109, the vibratory spring 108, the spring 115, the wire 116, the springs 97 and 98. the wire 113, the signal lamp 112 and the wire 111 back to the battery 110 at the positive pole thereof, thus causing the lamp 112 to flicker on account of the intermittent contacts of the spring 108 with the spring 115 and thereby visibly indicating that the selected station is broadcasting. If'the station is not broadcasting, current will flow uninterruptedly through the windings of the coils 104 and 107, so that therefore the spring 108 will stay in its normal position in contact with the spring 115 and consequently the lamp 112 will re-- main lighted until the release of the button and thus indicate the absence of a radio program from that station. A person is in this manner notified whether the desired connection can be made or not, and he is thereby saved the exasperating experience of having dropped the required coin or slug into the apparatus without receiving the expected service in return. When the pressure on the button 90 is released, the jack-plug stem 88 is by the spring 92 returned to its normal position so that the loud speaker is again connected with the grid'and plate circuits of the audion tubes through the springs 94 and 96.

It being assumed that a person has found that the selected broadcasting station is operating, he deposits the required coin or slug 27 in the opening therefor.- Up. to the time of such a .deposit the time-measuring mechanism 4 is stopped, because the stop member 60 contacts with the rim of thebalance wheel 10, as shown in Figure 2, and the springs 71 and 73 are in their normal position out of contact with the respective springs 72 and 74, while the contact 43 on the rocker arm 41 isin contact with the spring 36, as shown in Figure 3, so that, when the lever 24 is momentarily overbalanced by the deposited coin or slug, an electric current is caused to flow from the negative pole of the battery 31 and through the wire'34, the solenoid 33, the wire 35. the spring 36, the contact 43 and the rocker arm 41, the wire 44, the spring 30, the

contacts 29 and 28. the ilever 24 and the wire 32 back to the battery 31 at the positive pole thereof. The solenoid is thus energized and causes the insulating plug 52 to press uponthe spring 74, so that the springs 74 and 72 will respectively contact with the s rings 73 and 71 and so that the dog 55 will e moved sufficiently to allow the dog 57 on the springactuated rocker arm 41 to spring upward to such an engaging position with the dog 55 as will retain the springs 74 and 72 in respective contact with the springs 7 3 and 71, while at the same time the contact between the rockor arm and the spring 36 is broken, thus opening the circuit to the solenoid and cansing the solenoid to be de-energized, and the stop member 60 is moved away from the balance wheel 10, as shown in Figure 1. The time-measuring mechanism 4 is thus started, and the cam 13 begins to rotate from the position shown in Figure 2. Simultaneously an electric current flows from the negative pole of the battery 81 and through the wire 80, the springs 73 and 74. the wire 82 and the radio set 1 back to the battery 81' at the positive pole thereof, and another current flows through the wire 106', the loud speaker, the wire 118, the springs 96 and 94 and the wire 102 from and to the battery or source of electric energy for the grid and plate circuits of the audion tubes. so that in this manner the program transmitted from the selected broadcasting station is audible to the listener.

When the time-measuring mechanism is thus started, the-spring 69 is out of contact with the roller 22 on the trip rod 17, so that, although the springs 61 and 65 at first contact with each other, the circuit from the battery 31 is open. As the cam 13 revolves, it begins to lift the trip rod, but, when the roller in this upward movement of the trip rod, contacts with the spring 69, the springs 61 and 65 are separated, as shown in Figure 1, so that the circuit from the battery 31 still remains open. During the cams continued revolution, while one of the cam portions 14 presses upon the spring 61 and causes it to contact with the spring 65,-the end of the trip rod'rides upon the other cam portion 14, so that the; trip rod; is raised still more and the roller comes above t .3 position for contact with the'spring 69 and therefore even in this position of the trip the circuit from the battery 31 remains open. However, as soon as the cams tripping edge a passes 'the end of the trip rod, the trip rod is actuated by gravity and drops immediately from the tripping edge to the cut-down cam sections bbelow and thus causes the roller in passing to contact with the spring 69. Consequently, the circult from the battery 31 is momentarily closed and the current flows from the negative pole of the battery and through the wire 78. the springs 71 and 72, the wire 7 9, the windings of the trip relay 39, the wire 83. the trip rod 17, the roller 22, the spring 69. the wire 7 0, the springs 65 and 61, and the wire 61' back to the battery 31 at the trip relay and causing the rocker arm 41 to drop and make contact with the spring 36. At the same time the dog 57 is moved downward and releases the dog 55 so that the solenoid core-piece 46, by the action of the coil spring 53, is moved toward the balance wheel 10 until the dog 55 strikes the thrust spring 58 and thereafter the stop 56 on the dog comes into engagement with the dog 57, while the stop member 60 contacts with the rim of the balance wheel and thereby stops the time-measuring mechanism, and the spring 7 4 pushes back the rod 51 so that the contacts between the springs 71 and 72 and the springs 73 and 7 4 are then broken and the radio program is thereby shut off from the listener. Should he desire to hear more of the program, it will again be audible to him upon the deposit of a coin or slug, as before, for

cured to the spring 59. By this arrangement the bristles of the brush yieldingly engage and follow the rim of the balance wheel both in the starting and the stopping thereof. Thebrush will therefore give a. swinging impulse to the balance wheel whenever it is withdrawn from contact therewith, so that the starting of the time-measuring mechanism is positively assured, no matter in what position the balance wheel may be at the time when it is stopped. It should be further noted that the resilient mounting of the brush co-operates with the softness and flexibility of the bristles in the brush to prevent the stop member from being forced to engage the balance wheel with such violence as would be the case, if the stop member were differently mounted and differently constructed, and Gould cause suflicient damage to the balance wheel or its pivots to be detrimental to the operation of the time-measuring mechanism.

Although in the foregoing I have referred to the sources of electric energy for the different circuits in the radio-reception apparatus of my invention as batteries, I have done so only for the purpose of description, and I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to batteries but may employ their equivalents whenever it is practical to do so. For instance, I may avail myself of such transforming devices as make it desirable and advantageous to utilize the ordinary lighting-current system in residences as the source of electric energy in connection with radio-reception apparatuses.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the type described, a

switch closing member, means for moving said member into operative position, a clock mechanism electrically connected to said member moving means, said member imparting a starting movement to said clock mechanism when said member is moved into operative position,

2. In a device of the type described, a switch closing member, means for moving said member into operative position, a clock mechanism electrically connected to said member moving means, said member imparting a starting movement to said clock mechanism when said member is moved into operative position, said member imparting a braking force .to said clock mechanism when said member is moved into inoperative position, whereby said clock mechanismis stopped.

3. In a device of the type described, a switch closing member, electrically controlled means for movin said member into operative position, means or holding said member in operative position and a time controlled means set into operation by the movement of said member into operative position, said means including a brush for yieldingly contacting with the balance of the time controlled mechanism.

4. In a device of the type described, a switch closing member, a solenoid for moving said member into operative position, and an electrically controlled stop for holding said member in operative position, a clock mechanism includin a balance, a brush carried by said member For contacting with the balance when said member is in inoperative position for stopping the movement of the clock, and for imparting a starting movement to the balance when said member is moved into operative position, a pair of switches in series with each other and in electrical connection with the stop, means for closing one of said switches for an instant, the other switch being closed by the clock mechanism, said switches when closed causing said stop to release said member.

WILLIAM N. OLSEM.

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