1,223,360. Coin handling and sorting. J. P. HOPKINS. 1 Dec., 1969 [13 Dec., 1968], No. 59409/68. Heading G4X. A coin handling apparatus comprises a wheel rotatable on a base-plate, the wheel having radially elongate pockets for the reception of the coins and grooves, serrations, knurling or the like friction increasing means on the leading edges of webs of the wheel between adjacent pockets, and there being a guide means for controlling the flow of coins into a well of the guide means, which well is disposed above the path of the pockets in the wheel so that the coins pass one at a time into said well with the wall of the well restricting the area of a pocket in the well to the size of the largest coin. A preferred embodiment sorts coinage in which the diameter of the smallest coin is more than a half of the diameter of the largest coin and the thickness of the thinnest coin is more than a half of the thickness of the thickest coin. A manually, electrically, or mechanically rotatable wheel 1 mounted on a base-plate 2 has a rim thinner than the thinnest coin, in which are cut radially elongate pockets 3 for the reception of coins. The sides of the pockets may be straight or they may sweep spirally outwards (Fig. 6, not shown). A peripheral wall 5 attached to the stationary base-plate 2 is spaced from the wheel by a distance S which is less than the diameter of the smallest coin. A large aperture 6 in baseplate 2 may be used to collect all coins passing thereover or may be closed by slide 7. The number of coins collected may be counted by a coin sensor (not shown) or by counting the revolutions of the wheel. The coins may alternatively be shorted by means of apertures 8 of progressively increasing size and distance D between the inner edge 9 and the peripheral wall 5. Leaf springs 10 or other resilient devices such as spring-loaded ball bearings engage the coins and push them into the apertures if their diameters are less than D. The coins are led by ducts 11 to delivery apertures 12 and thence to a paper or plastics band (52, Fig. 5, not shown) which is continuously moving or stepped on by the arrival of each coin, a paper or plastics band with self-adhesive edges then being laid over the first band to produce a coin package. Alternatively, coin packaging apparatus may be provided. The base-plate 2 carries abutments forming a well 13 from which the coins are delivered singly into the pockets. The wall 14 of the well is of the diameter only just sufficient for the largest coin so that no two coins can lie flat alongside each other, and the coins are carried by means of the pockets out from the well through a narrow slit whose upper edge 15 prevents two coins being carried one above the other. A resilient stationary cover 16 prevents the coins being shaken from their pockets by vibration. Both the size of the well 13 and the height of the upper edge 15 may be variable for different ranges of coins. Slotting or roughening the leading edge 17 of the webs 18 between the wheel pockets is said to prevent coins falling partially on the leading edge and partially into a pocket and thus contacting upper edge 15 and thereby jamming the wheel. A hopper (22, Fig. 2, not shown) with a resilient or panelled skirt (23) for removing bent coins &c. is mounted centrally above wheel 1 leaving a gap slightly more than the thickness of the thickest coin so that coins can leave the hopper only one deep and in a flat condition. Spirally descending baffles (27) are provided to prevent coins clogging the hopper. The coins leaving the hopper are hurled by centrifugal force against a stationary circumferential wall 24 and carried around on the wheel to an outlet gate 25 whose width corresponds to the diameter of the largest coin so that the coins pass one at a time and one deep through gate 25 to well 13. The central portion 26 of the wheel is raised in order to provide an incline into well 13. If the range of coins includes coins whose thickness is at least twice that of the thinnest coin, suitably dimensioned gaps must be provided either to allow the thinnest coins to escape or to retain the thickest coins. The simple gate 25 may be replaced by a spiral passage (Figs. 3, 4, not shown), the interior of which includes a raised portion 26 of wheel 1 so that the coins are tilted and rolled along the passage. A cover (31) for the passage ensures that the coins travel singly and carries a groove (20a) just prior to the well and in line with a groove (20) in the base-plate 2 to enhance the tilt of the coin before it enters the well. An alternative hopper device (Fig. 7, not shown) comprises three wheels (71) disposed on a common vertical shaft (72) above wheel 1. An annular gate (73) ensures that coins can only be spun off the top wheel whilst horizontal. An open bottomed cupped member 74 ensures that coins spun off each wheel 71 ride up the surface of the member and slide down on to a lower wheel, the clearance between a wheel and its associated member (74) being just sufficient to pass the thickest coin in a range, and the orientation being such that a coin cannot land on an already occupied space on the wheel.