Untitled record

Application filed October 11, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, John W. Meaker, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful 5 Improvements in Pocket-Books for Coin; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, io which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in porte - monnaies or pocket-books, and is intended to better adapt the same for coin.

It consists, primarily,in providing a recepta15 cle within the body of the book, in which the coins may be exposed in a horizontal position and in a rigid inclined wall leading from the bottom of the coin-space to its margin, by means of which the coin may be easily with20 drawn.

It also consists in other features of construction hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates, in perspective, a pocket-book embracing some of my 25 improvements. Fig. 2 is a central transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 shows, in plan view, a rigid coin-holding slide divided to receive coins of different denominations. Figs. 4 and 5 show devices intended to prevent the open30 ing of the coin-receptacle when wrong side up; and Fig. 6 shows a guard or hood applied to three sides of the coin-dish, to assist in retaining the contents therein.

It is the more especial object of my inven35 tion to provide a coin-receptacle in a pocketbook, in which the coins may be conveniently inspected, and for this purpose moved about among themselves by the finger, and from which a selected coin may be readily with40 drawn, particular reference being had to the difficulties attending these operations in the use of the ordinary pocket-books and purses when the hands are gloved. For this purpose I employ a shallow receptacle, preferably made 45 wholly of hard substance, so that the coins will move easily upon its inner surfaces, and arranged in the book to lie horizontal when its contents are exposed. It may be arranged to draw out of the book-body any required 50 distance or to be uncovered by means of a hinged lid.

In the drawings, R is such areceptacle, made, say, of hard rubber or papier-mache, and of suitable depth to hold a few dollars in current coins. 55

The cover 0, hinged to the back of the dish R, is provided with the lifting-spring e, and being secured by a spring-catch,/, is released by pressure of the thumb on the button δ. The book may therefore be opened and held 60 conveniently by the left hand in the position shown in Fig. 1, presenting the entire contents of the receptacle lying horizontally and loosely therein. The front side, I, or a portion thereof, is made inclined, as more clearly seen in 65 Fig. 2. The remaining sides, V, are preferably vertical or overhanging, to better retain the coins. Thus exposed, the contents of the dish maybe readily inspected, and for this purpose moved about among themselves in the selec- 70 tion of a particular coin. When selected such coin may, by a simple movement of the forefinger pressing thereon, be easily slid forward up the inclined face I and out of the dish into position to be grasped. 75

The rigid dish R is shown as being secured to the frame F by front and back screws; but it mav itself form a portion of the frame.

is another form of receptacle arranged to slide out a distance from the body of the book, 80 and therefore necessarily wholly rigid. It is provided with three oblong depressions, a, in its upper face, intended to hold as many different denominations of small coins likely to be specially called for in minor transactions, as 85 in payment of car-fare, &c. The depressions a are of such depth and size as to allow a number of coins to lie side by side in a row only, and to slide freely throughout their length. They may, if desired, be numbered 90 to indicate the coins for which they are severally intended and adapted, as shown in Fig. 3. A stop, s, permits the slide S to be drawn out only far enough to expose the outermost coins therein. A hole, H, of less diameter 95 than the coin, is made through the thin bottom of the slide at the outer end of each coinspace, as also seen in Fig. 3. A spring-catch or other.suitable device, L, serves to hold the slide retracted. ¹⁰

Coins are dropped into the spaces a one at a time, and, the book being held properly inclined, they slide inward toward the rear end of the space. To remove a coin the book is in2

225,993 dined to slide the same to the outer end of the space, where it will lie over the hole H. The end of the forefinger is then pressed upward through the hole, and the coin is thus 5 lifted above the rim of the slide and is slipped off into the hand by the thumb.

In the employment of a coin-pocket arranged to hold the coins loosely in a horizontal position, whether the same is uncovered by withio drawal, as shown, of the sliding pocket S, or is provided with a lid, as shown, of the receptacle R, it is necessary to provide that said pocket may not be opened in an inverted position, so as to let the coins fall out. For this 15 purpose I have devised a gravity-stop, (illustrated in Figs. 2, 4, and 5,) which operates to lock the slide or lid wheu wrong side up. In the case of the slide or drawer S a recess, r, is made in the drawer, in which the short pin 20 p loosely fits. When the slide is right side up the pin drops wholly within the recess r and offers no obstruction to the free movement of the slide; but when the slide is inverted the pin p drops downward into the 25 shallower hole τ' cut in the fixed part R, as shown in Fig. 4, and, being partly in both holes, prevents the slide from moving.

In the case of the lidded receptacle R the stop is applied to the spring-catch by which 30 the lid is held. In Fig. 2 an inclined hole, r, is shown, in which the shot t is loosely inclosed.

The spring /, which engages the hook h of the lid, is provided with a rear projection, n, 35 which laterally enters the hole r when the button b is pushed inward to disengage the catch. If the receptacle R is in the position shown in Fig. 2, the shot lies at the bottom of the hole r, and the spring / meets no ob40 stacle when the button b is depressed. But if the book be inverted, or, indeed, if it be held much inclined, the shot falls to the other end of the hole and lies in the way of the projection n, preventing the disengagement of the 45 catch.

In Fig. 5 another form of gravity-stop is shown, consisting of the piece V, loosely pivoted at one end, which, when the book is inverted, drops at its free end behind the spring 5° / ^and prevents the lid from being opened in this position. When the book is right side up the free end of the part t' falls out of the way of the spring, as shown, and presents no obstacle to its depression.

It is obvious that the receptacle R may be made to slide out from the body of the book any desired distance, as shown, of the slide or drawer 8; but I prefer that it be stationary and opened by a lid, as illustrated in 60 Fig. 1.

To more perfectly guard against spilling the coin from a receptacle thus wholly uncovered, I provide on three sides of the' coinspace a narrow hood, m. (Shown more con65 spicuously in Fig. 6.) This may be of elastic rubber, leather, or cloth, and is so applied as j to overhang the coin-space a short distance on all but the inclined side I. If flexible, it should be so applied as to naturally rise somewhat when not held down by the lid, and 70 thus permit the coins to be freely inspected and moved by the finger, and with little care prevent their escape.

Except when the receptacle R is a slide or drawer, it is not strictly necessary that it be 75 wholly rigid, as herein shown. It is sufficient that it is adapted to support the contained coins iu a practically-horizontal position, and that the inclined side I, extending from the bottom of the receptacle to its margin, be so 80 rigid or so supported as to guide the coin out of the receptacle under pressure and movement of the finger, as described. Nor is it indispensable that the inner surface of the receptacle immediately in contact with the coin 85 be hard like rubber or metal. These surfaces may be covered with cloth, if desired, to lessen the noise from the coin in shaking the book. When thus covered, however, the side I will need to be somewhat more inclined than 90 wheu of hard and smooth surface like hard rubber.

P represents a division of the purse having pockets and a flap of the ordinary description for the accommodation of bills. It may 95 be applied to the body, as shown, or to the lid 0, or to both.