Convertible coin operated locking mechanism

Claim 1

A locking device capable of being readily converted by an operator from a coin controlled to a noncoin controlled condition, comprising: a facing support; coin entrance and coin channel, keylock; slidable lockable traveler; biased pivotal bolt carried by keylock; and biased pivotal shield; said coin channel including means for guiding the movement of a coin, under force of gravity, into a linkage position between said traveler and said shield; the keylock being carried by the support and having a rotatable cylinder into which a key is insertable; said bolt being carried by the cylinder and biased toward the traveler, and swingable away from the traveler by a partial turn of the cylinder; said traveler having portions which are external and internal respectively with respect to the facing support, and including means for slidably retaining said traveler in said locking device, and means for limiting the outward and inward movement of said traveler, the external portion of said traveler including encircling means for receiving an object when the traveler is at the limit of its outward movement, and for forming an object retaining encirclement when the traveler is moved inwardly, the internal portion of said traveler including boltengaging means, and first coin-engaging means, the bolt-engaging means being in line for engaging the bolt whenever the traveler is moved inwardly to receive the bolt as a lock against outward movement of the shaft; said pivotal shield being swingable through an arc having a first and second portion, the bolt being biased against the shield when the shield is in the first portion of the arc, the bolt being biased directly against the traveler when the shield is in the first portion of the arc; the bias means urging the shield into the first portion of the arc; means for retaining the pivotal shield in a second portion of the arc; said pivotal shield including second coin-engaging means positioned adjacent the first coin-engaging means, said linkage position being between said first and second coin-engaging means, said traveler and said shield being free to move independently of each other in the absence of a coin in the linkage position, said shield being backed from a first portion of the arc into a second portion of the arc when a coin is in the linkage position and the traveler is moved inwardly; said locking device being convertible from a coin operated condition to a noncoin-operating condition by an operator by moving the shield into the second portion of the arc and retaining the shield in the second portion of the arc.