EP0636263B1 - A device for sorting coins and the like - Google Patents

A device for sorting coins and the like Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0636263B1
EP0636263B1 EP93907886A EP93907886A EP0636263B1 EP 0636263 B1 EP0636263 B1 EP 0636263B1 EP 93907886 A EP93907886 A EP 93907886A EP 93907886 A EP93907886 A EP 93907886A EP 0636263 B1 EP0636263 B1 EP 0636263B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
coin
track
turning
angle
drive belt
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP93907886A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0636263A1 (en
Inventor
Terho Vihavainen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Datalab Oy
Original Assignee
Datalab Oy
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from FI921727A external-priority patent/FI90152C/fi
Priority claimed from FI921725A external-priority patent/FI94292C/fi
Application filed by Datalab Oy filed Critical Datalab Oy
Publication of EP0636263A1 publication Critical patent/EP0636263A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0636263B1 publication Critical patent/EP0636263B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
    • G07D3/00—Sorting a mixed bulk of coins into denominations
    • G07D3/14—Apparatus driven under control of coin-sensing elements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
    • G07D9/00—Counting coins; Handling of coins not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
    • G07D9/00—Counting coins; Handling of coins not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
    • G07D9/008—Feeding coins from bulk

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device for sorting coins and the like, comprising a body, a feeder drum, a coin track and ejecting means for coins, whereby the feeder drum is intended for feeding the coins onto the coin track and the ejecting means are intended for guiding the coins off the coin track to a collecting place desired.
  • One device of a known type comprises a feeder in the form of a drum, which drum comprises a rotary disc, from which coins are guided on the coin track.
  • the coins roll on their sides, i.e. in the vertical position, along the coin track and are allowed to go off the coin track under the influence of gravity through outlets arranged below the track in such a way that coins of different values go into separate outlets.
  • deflecting knives are arranged in the connection of the coin track at determined heights, which knives attend to that coins of different sizes go off the coin track at separate places so that coins of different values fall into separate receptacles.
  • the coin track is inclined in such a way that the end of the coin track pointing away from the feeder drum, i.e.
  • the free end is situated lower than the opposite end. Because the surface of the coin track supporting the coin from the side is in the vertical position, efforts have been made to arrange the feeder drum also into a position as upright as possible. However, a vertical rotary disc is not capable of lifting coins very effectively from below upwards to a place from where they are removed from the feeder drum, and therefore, the surface of the rotary disc is provided with radial grip projections, the purpose of which is to effect that a coin grips the rotary disc better. However, grip projections do not solve very well the problem of making the coins grip the rotary disc, and therefore, the feeder drum is inclined about 20° with respect to the vertical axis.
  • a device in which coins are removed from the coin track by "shooting" at a certain moment and by utilizing a solenoid.
  • the coin track comprises a chain, which moves the coins.
  • the coin track does not need to be inclined, due to which the device needs less room in the vertical direction than the previous one.
  • the feeder drum is vertical and not capable of feeding coins on the coin track at a very high speed.
  • the maximum operating speed of the device is about 400 to 500 coins per minute.
  • a device for sorting coins which comprises a horizontal path of coins provided with elongated apertures of different widths in the plane of the track, so that coins of different diameters can pass through the apertures.
  • the smallest coin is removed (falls) through the aperture closest to the feeder drum, which aperture is the smallest one of the apertures of the coin track, and the biggest coin is removed through the aperture situated farthest away from the feeder drum.
  • Coins are conveyed on the coin track by a belt.
  • the feeder drum is arranged in a horizontal plane, which solution is natural on account of the horizontal coin track.
  • An advantage of this device is the rather high speed: about 1300 to 1500 coins per minute.
  • a horizontal feeder drum is capable of moving the coins effectively to the periphery of the feeder drum, from where they move on the coin track at a certain place.
  • a drawback of this device is that it is not capable of separating coins with a small difference in diameter because of the structure of said apertures: for efficient separation, a difference in diameter of at least about 0,4 mm is required in practice.
  • the device must be stopped in order to take away the foreign coin from the standard or "correct” coins and to prevent it from being mixed with "correct” coins of approximately identical diameter.
  • the object of the present invention is to eliminate the most substantial drawbacks associated with the devices according to the prior art.
  • the device according to the invention is mainly characterized by the combination of the following features:
  • the present invention is based on the idea of providing a quick-operated coin track inclined with respect to the horizontal drum feed.
  • the most important advantages of the device according to the invention are that its speed is considerably higher than that of the known devices and that there is no need of stopping the device, even if there are foreign coins among the coins to be counted.
  • the sorting speed is typically 1500 to 2000 coins per minute.
  • the device can have a small size and it is capable of separating coins of only slightly differing diameters. Even coins of the same size, but of different materials, are separable when a sensing device suitable for this purpose is connected to the device.
  • the device of Figure 1 comprises a body 1, a feeder drum 2 supported on the body and slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, into which drum coins 3 to be sorted and counted are poured, and a coin track, which is generally indicated by the reference numeral 4.
  • a coin track which is generally indicated by the reference numeral 4.
  • the feeder drum 2 is rotated in a direction indicated by an arrow, the coins are removed to the coin track 4 at a place 5.
  • a gate with an adjustable height (for the sake of clarity not drawn), by means of which the height of the slot can be adjusted through which the coin passes. Thanks to the gate, it is possible to remove coins from the feeder drum 2 in thickness order, if desired, in such a way that the smallest coin in thickness is always removed at first. By lifting the gate to an upper position, coins of different sizes are removed simultaneously, as shown in the figure.
  • the device comprises turning means designated 6.
  • the coin 3 preferably forms an angle ⁇ of 10-30° with respect to the vertical plane, cf. Figure 2.
  • a sensing unit 8 At the first end of the track, there is also a sensing unit 8, by means of which the coin is sensed.
  • the sensing unit 8 is positioned after the turning means 6 in the moving direction of the coins.
  • the coin is conveyed on the coin track by means of a conveying belt 9.
  • solenoids 16 to 20 guided by the sensing unit 8 strike the ejecting means having the form of pins 21 to 24 towards the side of the coin, which makes the coin fly at full speed into the outlet desired. If the sensing unit 8 discovers a foreign coin, this is allowed to pass forward to the end of the track or conveying path, from where it is allowed to fall into a receptacle positioned below the conveying path. Alternatively, it is conceivable that one solenoidal ejecting unit is arranged to push all foreign coins into a separate outlet.
  • a rotary disc 25 of the feeder drum forms an angle ⁇ of about 5° with respect to the horizontal plane.
  • the angle ⁇ shall be small, about 30° at the most, because otherwise it is not possible to achieve a high feed speed for the feeder drum.
  • the operation of the solenoids 16 to 20 of the device can be controlled as follows. When it is not possible any longer to feed coins through an outlet for a certain type of coins, for instance outlet number 11, due to the fact that the receptacle under the outlet 11 is full and must be emptied, the coin type in question is guided into another receptacle by activating another solenoid, to which is connected an empty receptacle.
  • Figure 3 shows more accurately how the coin is turned in the turning means 6.
  • Figure 3 corresponds to a view from the turning means in the direction of arrows III-III in Figure 1.
  • a coin comes from the feeder drum to the turning means 6, it is in the horizontal plane.
  • moving in the turning means 6, it turns an angle of 65° to a position indicated by broken lines.
  • the coin leaves the turning means 6, it is thus at an angle ⁇ of 25° with respect to the vertical plane.
  • the coin has managed to turn 32,5° with respect to the horizontal plane.
  • Figure 3 shows that the turning means 6 consists of a trough-like body, in which the coin propagates supported by its peripheral surface on edges 27, 28 of the trough, mainly on the lower edge 27.
  • the coin 3 is supported with its side surface on a sliding surface 29 of the turning means, while a drive belt 30 having a round diameter is positioned against the opposite side surface of the coin.
  • the drive belt 30 is a flexible rubber belt, which presses by its elastic force the coin along a line situated in the middle of the side surface of the coin. Under the influence of a friction between the drive belt 30 and the coin 3, the coin moves at a speed defined by the drive belt. Thanks to its flexibility, the drive belt is capable of conveying coins in different thicknesses without being adjusted.
  • the coin moves with a dragging or rather sliding movement in substantially straight line supported on the turning base.
  • Said line i.e. the moving direction of the coin, is the same as the direction of the drive belt.
  • the turning base i.e. the sliding surface 29 and the edges 27, 28, have a small friction and are made of plastic.
  • the surfaces could be made for instance of hard steel, which also has a small friction against the coins and is very resistant to abrasion.
  • the coin 3 When moving within the turning means 6, the coin 3 turns continuously and steplessly along a spiral path. During the movement, the drive belt 30 presses continuously against the surface of the coin substantially at the same place, which can be seen from the position of the coin 3 with respect to the drive belt 30 drawn by broken lines. If there is no coin in the turning means 6, the drive belt takes a position in which its centre is at point 0. Thanks to the fact that the drive belt 30 has a round shape, said turning succeeds evenly. When the coin is moved, the position of the centre axis of the belt 30 changes so little that it can be said that the position does not change substantially.
  • the drive belt 30 can grip a small coin also at a place which is farther away from the middle of the side surface of the coin, i.e. closer to the edge of the side surface, which is caused by the fact that a small coin can come to the turning means in a somewhat "oblique" position.
  • FIG 4 the turning means 6 is shown from above.
  • An arrow A indicates a place at which the coin 3 comes in the horizontal plane to the turning means 6.
  • the coin 3 turns gradually in such a way that it forms an angle of 32,5° with respect to the feeder drum (and the horizontal plane) at a place indicated by an arrow B and that it has turned about an angle ⁇ of 65° with respect to the feeder drum at a place indicated by an arrow C, due to which the side surface of the coin forms an angle ⁇ of 25° with respect to the vertical axis.
  • FIGS 5 to 7 show cross-sections of the turning means at V-V, VI-VI and VII-VII of Figure 4.
  • the angle ⁇ is within the area of about 0 to 60°. Then the angle ⁇ , about which the coin turns in the turning means, is between 30 and 90°, if the feeder drum is entirely horizontal. If the feeder drum is inclined from the horizontal plane about an angle ⁇ of 20° (as in Figure 2), the angle ⁇ is within the area 10 to 70° (or 50 to 110°, if the inclination occurs in another direction).
  • the angle ⁇ is preferably within the area 10 to 30°.
  • the drive belt 30 does not necessarily need to be flexible: a flexible drive belt with high friction provided with means pressing the belt against coins could serve as an alternative solution, which would have a more complicated structure and be more expensive, however.
  • the cross-section of the drive belt does not necessarily need to be round.
  • the means 27, 28 for preventing the coin to be moved from being guided off the turning base during turning are not necessarily made in one piece with the turning base.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Testing Of Coins (AREA)
  • Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
  • Attitude Control For Articles On Conveyors (AREA)
  • Feeding Of Articles To Conveyors (AREA)
EP93907886A 1992-04-16 1993-04-06 A device for sorting coins and the like Expired - Lifetime EP0636263B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FI921727A FI90152C (fi) 1992-04-16 1992-04-16 Bana foer transport och vaendning av plana artiklar samt anordning foer sortering av mynt
FI921725A FI94292C (fi) 1992-04-16 1992-04-16 Laite kolikoiden ja sentapaisten lajittelemiseksi
FI921725 1992-04-16
FI921727 1992-04-16
PCT/FI1993/000145 WO1993021606A1 (en) 1992-04-16 1993-04-06 A device for sorting coins and the like

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0636263A1 EP0636263A1 (en) 1995-02-01
EP0636263B1 true EP0636263B1 (en) 1996-12-11

Family

ID=26159220

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93907886A Expired - Lifetime EP0636263B1 (en) 1992-04-16 1993-04-06 A device for sorting coins and the like

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0636263B1 (da)
AT (1) ATE146289T1 (da)
AU (1) AU3892293A (da)
DE (1) DE69306564T2 (da)
DK (1) DK0636263T3 (da)
ES (1) ES2096281T3 (da)
WO (1) WO1993021606A1 (da)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9523405D0 (en) * 1995-11-16 1996-01-17 Coin Controls Coin dispensing mechanism
JP2000107354A (ja) 1998-10-02 2000-04-18 Aruze Corp 遊技機用コイン払出装置

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1456458A (fr) * 1963-06-27 1966-07-08 Dispositif pour le tri des pièces de monnaie
FR2264333B1 (da) * 1974-03-13 1976-12-17 Vandeputte Fils & Cie
CH629018A5 (de) * 1977-12-22 1982-03-31 Prema Gmbh Muenzsortiervorrichtung.
JP2518724B2 (ja) * 1990-07-16 1996-07-31 ローレルバンクマシン株式会社 硬貨選別装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1993021606A1 (en) 1993-10-28
ES2096281T3 (es) 1997-03-01
ATE146289T1 (de) 1996-12-15
DK0636263T3 (da) 1997-06-16
EP0636263A1 (en) 1995-02-01
DE69306564T2 (de) 1997-04-30
AU3892293A (en) 1993-11-18
DE69306564D1 (de) 1997-01-23

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