US1901323A - Coin exchanging mechanism - Google Patents

Description

March 14A 1933. w. F. NEWALL.

COIN EXCHANGING MECHANISM Filed Dec ll 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 14, 1933.

`w. F. NEwALL COIN EXCHANGING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed DeG. ll, 1931 Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM FRANCIS NEWALL, or wINsro-nn, ENGLAND G01N EXCHANGING MEcHANrsiit Application med recenter 11, 1931, serial No. 580,335, ma in Great /B-i1ta1n`necember17, 1930.

This invention refers to Vcoin-exchanging mechanism andin particular to such mechanism as applied toV prepayment meters, vending machines and the like.

5 The object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means whereby a single coin of known value, hereinafter referred to las a major coin, may be exchanged for a series of coins collectively equivalent to the single coin, and hereinafter referred to as the minor coins. One application of the invention will be in exchanging adollar piece for ten dimes or in exchanging a shilling for twelve pennies.

According to the invention the improved coin-exchanging mechanism' comprises j a drawer to receiveftheminor coins, a bolt normally holding the drawer closed and a manually operated bolt-retracting member adapted to be made o-perable by the inserted major coin. In the preferred example, the inserted major coin provides a fulcrum for said bolt-retracting member, and such inember may consist of a lever pivotally connected to the bolt and having a projection passing into a chute for the major coin so as to ride on the inserted maj or coin. j

The improved mechanism may be combined withmeans to obstruct the insertion of the major coin until one more than the required number of minor coins for release has been inserted. v

The invention may be characterized bythe particular constructional embodiment hereinafter described and illustrated, whetherk as a part of a coinbox of a meter, or not.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an example of the invention built into the coin box o-f a pre-payment gas meten Fig. l is a sectional elevation of the coin box and with the-mechanism in the normal or closed position.

Fig. 2 is a front view with a part of the front cover broken away for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is an exterior-side view showing the mechanism in the open or change-giving position, and

Fig. 4 is a plan of what is shown in Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, the improved lmechanism comprises a' verticalfcylinder aconstituting a,v receptacle `or chute, into.l which the minor coins (say dimes or pen? nies) are dropped one by one Vfrom the gas y controlling mechanism' of the meter-*(not' shown) and a drawer Z) immediately below such receptacle or chute,the drawer havingv a through opening b1 forming a continua-l tion of the cylinder wand into which the minor coins fall and in whichthey lie sup.- j

ported by the shelf Vc below 'the drawer; The depth of the drawer is equal to the height ofthe number Vofminorcoins to be exchanged i. e. l0 dimes or l2 pennies, etc. piled one upon another, and tlie drawer is constructed so as. to prevent movement of f the coins in .the receptacle a whilstin vthe open position. Thel vdrawer is provided with a knob ork handle b2 to allow of its' being pulled out from, or pushedinto posi- 76 tion lbelow the receptacleV a. A latching bolt d mounted in bearings e andimpelledl by afspring f normally engages a notch yin the drawer to preventits 'withdrawal from Y belowthe receptacle, and such'bolt d is only 75` released when a Vmaj or coin (say a dollar or Shilling) is-inserted into a further chute gA alongside thev recpetacle for holding the minor coins Vas hereinafter explained. A window may be provided toshow the 80' number of coins in the drawer,- but that is not strictly necessary;

Alongside thereceptacle for `the minor coins is a bolt retracting member',v comprising a lever k which .is pivotally 'connected l85 i to and controls the latching bolt d, of the drawerv i. e. on the llever-hbeingmoved in one direction and provided a majorcoin is in the chute '9* it raises the bolt dto release the drawer.y From such lever extends a v9&3v short pin or spindle k1, which projects a Vslot gl'in the wall of the chute fg for the major coin. v v

In the wall'l of the receptacle@ for the w minor coins and at the lower end visla slot z' 95 through which projects one end of a'further i lever 7' pivoted at 7c, which lever at its other end is cranked to'form a projection -y'l normally extending across the chutegi 9 In operation, after the drawer Infor the as a fulcrum for the lever and causes the drawer-releasing bolt d to be raised and the drawer to be released, which latter mayV then be drawn out by hand, or forced out by a spring, such as Z. By means of the hinged flap m yat the lower end of the chuteV g, and the Vlink nl the outward movement of the drawer releases thev major coin which is then free to fall intowthe lower part of the 203 apparatus. Prior to openingthe drawer, the major coin is supported by the flap m and link a so as to provide a stable fulcrum. After removing the coins from and closing the drawer, the "bolt Z by reason of the spring f relocks it, and the parts resume their original positions. Y

When'applied to a gas meter for the like, the minor coins will pass into the receptacle a only after 'they have effected the usual 3Q, operations for controlling the yworking of the meter. l

A spring h2 holds the lever z normally raised, so that the insertedV major coin falls beneath it. `V l 353 As shown themechanism is built into the coin box o of a meter, and to prevent the coins inserted after the receptacle an is lled, fouling the mechanism, a hood or shield p may be provided as shown in Fig. l.

What I claim is I A f l. Coin-exchanging mechanism .for prepayment meters, vending machines and like purposes comprising a drawer to receive the minor coins tobe eXchanged,va bolt normally holding the drawer closed, a manually operated bolt-retracting member adapted to be made operable by the inserted major coin acting as afulcrum therefor, and means to support the major coin whilst the drawer is closed but to release the major coin when the drawer is1opened,as set forth. Y i

'2. Coin-exchanging mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by a closed-ended chute for the major coin, a' spring-pressed bolt to hold the drawer closed, aV manually operated bolt-retracting lever pivotallyfconnected to the bolt and having a projection passing through asloti'n the wall of the chute so as to ride on and fulcrum about the inserted majorV coin, with a spring to hold the bolt-retracting lever in the yraised position, and means to release the` major coin when the ,drawer is opened as set forth.

3. Coin-'exchanging mechanism compris- W ing a `drawer to receive minor coins to the correct value for exchange, a bolt normally holding the drawer closed, a chute for the major coin, a manually operated bolt retracting member having a projection passing through a slot in the wall of the chute to ride on and fulcrum about the inserted major coin, a removable end to such chute to support the major coin below the bolt retracting member, and a link connecting the drawer to said removable end to release the major coin` upon opening of the drawer, as set forth.

' 4. Coin-exchanging mechanism comprising a cylindrical receptacle for the minor coins, a drawer with a through opening forming, when the drawer is closed, a continuation of such receptacle, a spring bolt engaging the drawer to hold it locked,"a coin chute for the major coin, a fingeroperated lever tok retract the bolt and having an extension passing into the chute to engage and fulcrum about'a major coin, 'a hinged flap normally closing the lower end of the chute to supportthemajorcoin, a link connecting' such flap to the drawer so that opening ofthe drawer opens thechute, and a pivoted lever having one endI nor'- mally obstructing the chute and its other end passing through an opening in the receptacle immediately abovethe drawer, as set forth. In Vtestimony'whereof I have signed my name to this specilication.

WILLIAM FRANCIS NEWALL.

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