US2701044A - Coin gauge cover - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 1, 1955 T. F. CASSIDY, JR 2 ,701*,044

com GAUGE COVER Filed Dec. 16, 1949 INVENTOR. ,225.3; i THOMAS E CASSIDY JR. 7 By 2a U Z 2) ATTORNEY United States Patent() COIN GAUGE COVER Thomas F. Cassidy, Jr., Evanston, Ill., assignor to Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application December 16, 1949, Serial No. 133,328

3 Claims. (Cl. 1941) This invention relates in general to a cover for coin slots and more particularly to a dust excluding cover carrying indicia posted thereon.

The cover to be described hereinafter finds ready adaptation to use with a coin gauge of a coin operated telephone and the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings illustrates the device as applied to a pay-telephone.

An object of the invention is to provide a suitable transparent cover for excluding dust from entering coin slots on coin operated devices as well as providing a coin obstructing surface at the point of coin application for carrying indicia.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for the easy and convenient opening or lifting of the cover.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cover in keeping with the above objects which is easily mounted on existing coin operated equipment as well as being durable and of comparatively low cost to manufacture.

A feature of the invention lies in the plurality of recesses and tabs which permit any person, regardless of his dexterity, to easily operate the cover.

Another feature of the invention resides in the employment of a bowed pintle upon which the cover is rotated, and which permits milling out of its carriage rather than a more expensive boring operation thereof.

A further feature of the invention resides in the positioning of a fiat coin obstructing surface at the exact point at which a person wishing to actuate the device to which it is attached must first have his attention directed to indicia or a message thereon.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the clear plastic cover material which permits one to see the location and denomination of the coin gauge notwithstanding that it is covered.

These and other objects and features will be more particularly pointed out in the ensuing specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of the invention as adapted to a well-known telephone pay-station which is shown in art. p Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the device as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the unmounted cover and pintle.

Figure 5 is an enlarged top view of the cover and pintle as shown in Figure 4.

A detailed description of the invention follows.

The cover 1 comprises two angularly disposed and transparent walls having plane surfaces 2 and 3 which are rigidly connected and angularly disposed to one another. Any suitable solid transparent material may be employed. The preferred embodiment illustrated is made from two pieces of clear plastic that are joined together as hereinafter described. Use of this particular material is not arbitrary and its purpose will be set out hereinafter.

The planes of surfaces 2 and 3 are preferably at right angles. As most coin gauges or slots for coin operated devices are atop or near the tops of these devices, surface 2 is more or less vertically disposed while surface 3 is more or less horizontally disposed, the purposes for which will be made apparent hereinafter. Beneath surface 3 and rigidly aflixed thereto, preferably by a plastic 2,701,044 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 cement, is a pintle carriage or sleeve 4. In the preferred form this carriage is cross-sectionally U-shaped due to the pintle carrying groove 5 therein. It is to be understood, however, that an annular bore could be substituted therefor at a somewhat higher production cost. Carriage 4 is positioned parallel to surface 2 and between said surface and the rear edge 3:: of surface 3.

Within slot 5 is placed a bowed pintle 6 projecting slightly beyond the ends of carriage 4. These projecting ends of pintle 6 may be suitably journalled into ears 7a of a mounting 7. The degree of bowing is such that it is slightly greater than the depth of the carriage groove 5. In this manner pintle 6 may be forced into carriage 4 and be held immovable therein. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, pintle 6 is journalled to ears 7a of mounting 7 thereby rotatably mounting cover 1. A base 7b of the mounting is bored with four holes so that it can be afiixed to the coin operated device by bolts or rivets. In the drawings base 7b is placed beneath a name plate 8 and affixed to the pay telephone case 9 by the same bolts 8a which formerly affixed the name plate.

The placement of the pintle 6 is arranged so that surface 2 of the cover rests flush against the face of coin gauge 10. In this manner, surface 3 shields the gauge from dust settling out of the air while surface 2 prevents entrance of foreign matter carried in the air from entering the coin slots directly.

The lower corners of surface 2 have inwardly indented, smoothly curved recesses 2a and the-reabove partially defining them are extensions 2b. The other surface 3 rearward of pintle 6 tapers into a tab 3b.

Across surface 2 is placed printed indicia or a message to prospective users of the coin operated device. Particularly in coin telephones, customers will insert coins before reading instructions. The indicia proposed in the preferred embodiment states that such directions should be read before inserting a coin along with an arrow pointing to Where such directions are to be found. The placing of this indicia at this particular point is very important because before a pay telephone of any type can be effectively used, coins must be inserted. Therefore, bold indicia at this very point of coin insertion cannot well be ignored and the import of such indicia is not lost. This indicia may be placed on surface 2 in any suitable manner. In the preferred embodiment of clear plastic as illustrated, the indicia may be hot stamped and then a bright pigment applied into the indentations of the stamping sharply setting out the indicia.

Assuming that a customer desiring to actuate the coin operated device prepares to insert a coin, an ordinary cover would obscure both the position of the coin gauge as well as the denomination of coins which the gauge will accept. The transparent plastic cover not only protects the coin chutes from accumulating dust, or other foreign matter which may cause mechanical failure or even circuit failures in the actuating or coin disposal circuits within the substation itself due to its settling into the mechanism or onto circuit controlling contacts, but also enables the user to quickly locate the gauge and determine which denominations are acceptable notwithstanding that the gauge is covered. The coin gauge or entrance slot visible thru cover 1 is blocked by surface 2 and of necessity his attention is directed thereto. At this point, the indicia across the front surface 2 is inescapable. Having read the indicia, the cover is operated by placing a finger into either of the recesses 20, depending upon whether the person is right or left handed, and exerting a slight upward pressure thereby rotating it. If the person is not so inclined to operate the device thusly, he may place a finger or fingers on the tab portion 311 of surface 3 and press downward. In either instance, the cover 1 is rotated on pintle 6 journalled to ears 7a of the mounting member 7. A coin or coins may now be inserted into a dust free mechanism, thereby insuring that there will occur no false operation from accumulation of dust therewith. After the coins have been inserted, cover 1 gravitationally returns to normal.

An advantage incident in having a bowed pintle 6 is that the carriage 4 may then be milled for groove 5 instead of bored. Another advantage is realized in mounting the cover 1. The bowed pintle 6 is merely pressed thru an ear 7a, thence thru slot 5 and finally thru the other ear 7a-. In this manner, the highest portion of the bow is tightly held against the underside of surface 3 so that no crimping or peening of the ends of the pintle is necessary. The bowed pintle further cooperates with slot 5 to eliminate any play between pintle and carriage 4.

The cover 1 as described is susceptible also of being molded in one piece and the inventor desires it to be known that he contemplates such a molded device as well as the preferred embodiment illustrated and described herein.

Having described my invention and its operation in detail, what I claim is:

1. In a telephone paystation the combination of a coin gauge having a plurality of coin apertures in a downwardly and rearwardly sloping flat face thereof and a transparent cover for said apertures comprising a unit of transparent material having two sections disposed at right angles to each other, one of said sections comprising a flat portion larger than the face of said coin gauge, the other of said sections comprising a rearwardly extending portion having a pintle carriage extending longitudinally thereof at the middle of said section, a bowed pintle extending through said carriage and having its ends journalled in bearings adjacent said gauge, said cover thereby rotatable about said pintle, said weight of said flat portion of said one section and of that portion of said rearwardly extending section in front of said carriage causing said one section to always engage said coin gauge in such a manner that said flat portion rests flush against said downwardly and rearwardly sloping fiat face of said coin gauge thereby individually covering each of said apertures when said cover is in its natural position, a back part on said other section rearward of said pintle carriage acting as a flap whereby a coin depositor may lift said one section from the coin gauge by depressing said flap, and ends on said one section extending out from the sides of said gauge to enable a coin depositor to also engage either of said ends to lift said one section from engagement with said coin gauge face.

2. In a telephone paystation the combination of a coin gauge having a plurality of coin apertures in a clownwardly and rearwardly sloping fiat face thereof and a transparent cover for said apertures comprising a unit of transparent material having two sections disposed at right angles to each other, one of said sections comprising a fiat portion of the approximate area of said sloping face, the other of said sections comprising a rearwardly extending portion having a pintle carriage extending longitudinally thereof at the middle of said section, a bowed pintle extending through said carriage and having its ends journalled in bearings adjacent said gauge, said cover rotatable about said pintle, said weight of said fiat portion of'said one section and of that portion of said rearwardly extending section in front of said carriage causing said one section to always engage said coin gauge in such a manner that said fiat portion rests flush against said downwardly and rearwardly sloping flat face of said coin gauge thereby individually covering each of said apertures when said cover is in its natural position, a back part on said other section rearward of said pintle carriage acting as a flap whereby a coin depositor may lift said one section from the coin gauge by depressing said flap.

3. In a telephone paystation the combination of a coin gauge with a plurality of coin apertures in a downwardly and rearwardly sloping flat face thereof and a transparent cover for said apertures comprising a unit of transparent material having two sections disposed at right angles to each other, one of said sections comprising a flat portion larger than the face of said coin gauge, the other of said sections comprising a rearwardly extending portion having a pintle carriage extending longitudinally thereof at the middle of said section, a bowed pintle extending through said carriage and having its ends journalled in bearings adjacent said gauge, said cover rotatable about said pintle, the weight of said fiat portion of said one section and of that portion of said rearwardly extending section in front of said carriage causing said one section to always engage said coin gauge in such a manner that said flat portion rests flush against said downwardly and rearwardly sloping flat face of said coin gauge thereby individually covering each of said apertures when said cover is in its natural position, and ends on said one section extending out from the sides of said gauge to enable a coin depositor to engage either of said ends to lift said one section from engagement with said coin gauge ace.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 396,674 Vaughn Jan. 22, 1889 915,308 Rebischung Mar. 16, 1909 1,133,014 Faessler Mar. 23, 1915 1,303,215 Anthony May 6, 1919 1,444,863 Baird Feb. 13, 1923 1,479,608 Jackson Jan. 1, 1924 1,573,579 Ross Feb. 16, 1926 1,748,280 De Veto Feb. 25, 1930 1,870,715 Delaney Aug. 9, 1932 1,896,352 Fiveash Feb. 7, 1933 2,019,916 Leasley Nov. 5, 1935 2,161,046 Hitzemann June 6, 1939 2,301,824 Simson Nov. 10, 1942 2,516,592 Richter et a1 July 25, 1950

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