GB1140232A - Improvements relating to coin discriminating devices - Google Patents

Abstract

1,140,232. Testing coins. INTERNATIONAL NICKEL Ltd. 12 April, 1966 [21 May, 1965], No. 16070/66. Heading G4X. In a coin discriminator for distinguishing coins containing a certain amount of a ferromagnetic material from all other coins, the coin under investigation is inserted, through slot 21, Fig. 2, into a pocket 22A in a coil 11 forming part of an oscillator (13), Fig. 1 (not shown), the output of which is fed to a frequency selector (15), e.g. a filter or reed relay, Fig. 11 (not shown). For a particular oscillator frequency arranged to be less than 50 kc/s, obtained when a coin having the required magnetic characteristics is inserted in the coil, the selector (15) operates a relay (16) which causes the coil to be directed into an "accept" passage 25, all other coins being directed to "reject" passage 26. The coil is wound on a plastics rotor 22, weighted by a counter-balance 27 so that in the absence of a coin it remains in -the position of Fig. 2. When a coin is dropped into the slot, the rotor unbalances and rotates clockwise, until it is brought to rest against either stop 30, moved into position by the operation of relay 16, whereupon the coin falls out of the coil into the "accept" passage, or fixed stop 31 with the pocket 22A above the "reject" passage 26. If a coin of strongly ferromagnetic material e.g. a washer or slug, is inserted into the device, it is held by magnet 29, positioned just below the slot 21, above the pocket 22A. Operation of a coin reject plunger 32 then causes the rotor to rotate clockwise until a coin reject pocket 44 is positioned beneath the slot. Simultaneously the coin is knocked off the magnet by a pivotable arm 38 into the pocket. Release of the plunger allows the rotor to rotate back to its original position thereby depositing the coin in the "reject" passage. If a light weight coin is inserted into the device such that the rotor is not overbalanced, operation of the reject plunger causes rotation of the rotor as above so that the coin is deposited in the "reject" passage. The relay 16 may be connected to indicating or signalling devices, e.g. switches, lights, audible alarm, cameras &c. which signal and/or record the presence of a spurious coin. For example, in a highway toll-collecting device, the relay could be so connected that a light remains red upon deposit of a spurious coin but turns green upon deposit of an acceptable coin.