GB2122791A - Rotary coin holder mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A rotary coin holder mechanism such as is used in prepayment meters is adapted for use with a new <5>1 coin. The mechanism comprises a coin pocket (15) into which extends a pivoted coin-gauging pawl (17). The pawl presents a slot to a coin entering the pocket, the dimension of the slot being such that a <5>1 coin cannot enter the slot and engages its edges, thus pushing the pawl out of the path of the coin. The coin then engages shaft (24) and urges striker (36) to engage a quantity wheel whereby the meter mechanism is driven. A coin thinner than the <5>1 coin slips into the slot in the pawl and does not move it sufficiently to lift a stop (23) out of the path of shaft (24), whereby the striker cannot engage the quantity wheel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rotary coin holder mechanism This invention relates to rotary coin holder mechanism such as used in prepayment meters for providing pre-paid supplies of commodities such as gas, electricity and water or pre-paid timed use of apparatus such as television or radio receivers, washing or drying machines, billiard tables or the like.

Changes in U.K. coinage are providing coins of different face value which have somewhat similar diameters but very different thicknesses. For instance, the new 1 coin will have a diameter very similar to that of the the 1982 20p coin, but will be very much thicker. These new coins present difficulties in differentiation for coin-operated devices which previously detected only the diameter of the coins.

The invention provides a rotary coin holder mechanism including a pocket into which a coin of known thicknesses is to be inserted and, in the path of movement of such a coin into the pocket, a pawl presenting to the coin a slot narrower than said known thicknesses whereby said coin of known thickness engages the edges of said slot and lifts the pawl out of its path into a disengaged position while a thinner coin passes into said slot, said pawl also having stop means for interfering with the normal operation of the coin holder and which is disengaged from said interference when the pawi is in its disengaged position.

Preferably said pawl is pivoted to be turned about its pivot when lifted.

The coin holder mechanism may also have a pivoted lever which is arranged to be pushed by said coin causing a drive member to be engaged, said stop means may engage said lever. There may be a shaft passing through said pocket mounted on said pivoted lever, the shaft being located to be contacted by a coin after it has contacted the pawl.

Specific embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a rotary coin mechanism, Figure 2 is a side view of part of the mechanism of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a top view of part of the mechanism of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a side view of a coin gauging pawl of the mechanism of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of the pawl of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a side view of a different coin gauging pawl suitable for use in the mechanism of Figure 1, Figure 7 is an end view of the pawl of Figure 6, and Figure 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a coin pocket of the mechanism of Figure 1.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 5, the coin mechanism comprises a price change plate (11) having a coin slot (12) and a handle (13) secured to one end of the shaft (14). In use, the coin mechanism is attached to the front of a gas meter, a coin is inserted into slot (12) and handle (13) is rotated clockwise into a discharge position depositing the coin in a cash box (not shown) and at the same time moving quantity wheels (not shown) which allow a measured amount of gas to flow. Only part of the coin mechanism is shown in the drawings, the remainder of the parts being generally conventional as described in Patent No.

1,077,622 (PM96).

Behind slot (12) lies a coin pocket (15). The slot and pocket are designed to take a 1 coin, the nominal dimensions are 22.5 mm diameter 3.1 mm thickness. In Figure 2 the outline of such a coin is shown at (16) partially entered into the pocket. Protruding into the top of the pocket in the path of the coin is a coin gauging pawl (17), seen best in Figures 4 and 5. The end of the pawl in the pocket is slotted as shown in Figure 5 over the area shown cross-hatched in Figures 2 and 4. The thickness of a 1 coin is such that it spans the slot and engages both edges (19,20) when it is inserted into the coin pocket.As the coin is pushed into the pocket in the direction of arrow A (Figure 2) it lifts the pawl (17) pivoting around a pivot point (21) against the resistance of a leaf spring (22) into the position shown in Figure 2 and further up therefrom as the coin is pushed fully home into the pocket.

A shaft (24) extends across the pocket and is fixed at one end to lever (26) pivoted at (27) and at the other end to lever (28) pivoted at (30). Both levers (26) and and (28) are'urged by springs (31, 32) in an anticlockwise sense as seen in Figure 2.

Only the ends of the spring (32) are shown in Figure 2. The path of movement of the shaft (24) when levers (26) and (28) are moved clockwise is shown by the arrow B. When pawl (17) is at its lowest position this path is blocked by a projection (23), but when the correct coin is inserted into the pocket the projection is lifted until the path B is clear.

As the coin continues movement into the pocket it contacts the shaft (24) and rotates the lever (26) clockwise until a striker (36) takes up the position shown in dotted lines. In this position it drivingly engages a quantity wheel (not shown).

When so engaged rotation of handle (13) as described above rotates the coin, pocket and the quantity wheel until at the discharge position the pocket reaches a cash box chute (not shown) where the coin is ejected. The first movement of the coin into the pocket is manually controlled, but the last part is taken over by a coin injector which urges the coin fully home into the pocket when the handle is rotated. This arrangement is similar to that described in Patent No. 1 ,077,622.

It will be noted that the lever (26) cannot be moved until the pawl (17) is lifted, and this lifting movement is applied to the edges (19, 20) by the coin. If a thinner coin of approximately the same diameter were inserted then it would slip into the slot between the edges and would contact shaft (24) without imparting sufficient lifting motion to the pawl. This is because the slot is made deep enough for the coin to slide into it, as can be seen from the shaded portion of pawl (17) in relation to the coin diameter in Figure 2. The thinner coin can be fully inserted into the pocket, pushing the shaft (24) into contact with projection (23). The pocket can then be rotated until the coin falls out, but the quantity wheel has not been engaged because insufficient movement of lever (26) has taken place. No gas, therefore, is obtained.

As shown in Figure 8, the coin pocket (1 5) has its top end closed by the pawl (1 7) and its lower end closed by a moveable shutter (38). The shutter is mounted on a spring member (39) and has an abutment (40). When the coin pocket is rotated into the discharge position, the abutment contacts a stationary member (not shown) which pushes the shutter against the spring mounting to open the pocket, allowing the coin to fall into a cash box.

The shutter as seen in Figure 8 lies at an angle other than 900 to the sides of the pocket, e.g. at an angle of the order of 1100 to its mounting.

If two thinner coins of approximately the same diameter as the 1 coin are inserted together into the pocket then while the two coins are still manually held together they will contact the edges (1 9, 20) of pawl (17) and urge it upwardly as would the correct coin. However, the coins cannot be fully inserted into the pocket while still being held, the last part of the movement in which shaft (24) is engaged and moved being urged by a coin injector operated by the handle. When the coins are released, the slanted floor of the coin pocket causes one coin to slip down to the position shown at (42). The other coin (43) will then slip into the slot in pawl (1 7) which will consequently drop down to obstruct the path of shaft (24).

Again, the pocket can be rotated until the coins are discharged, but no gas is obtained because striker (36) is not moved into engagement with the quantity wheel.

It will be noted that with the above embodiment, if a thin coin is inserted by mistake, it can still be gathered into the cash box and held there until the cash box is emptied, when any cash adjustments necessary will be made. The mechanism may be varied by replacing pawl (17) with the pawl (45) shown in Figures 6 and 7. This pawl has a slot (46) having a similar function to the slot in pawl (17), but has depending off-set stops (47, 48) either side thereof. The stops extend through openings in the walls of the coin pocket to positions immediately behind shaft (24) to prevent the movement thereof. The stops are thus positioned very much closer to the shaft (24) than the projection (23) of pawl (17) in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5, such that if the pawl (45) is not lifted by the coin and the coin then contacts shaft (24), there is little or no further movement of the coin and shaft. This leaves the coin still protruding from the slot, which prevents the handle from rotating the pocket. Accordingly, it is clear to the user that a mistake has been made and the coin can still be pulled out of the slot.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5, shaft (24) is able to move a distance before it contacts projection (23), which distance is sufficient to allow the coin to be clear of the slot so that the user will be unaware that anything is wrong until he has rotated the handle and the coin enters the cash box and is lost to him, but with no gas flow.

Claims (8)

1. A rotary coin holder mechanism including a pocket adapted to receive a coin of known thickness and diameter and having, in the path of movement of such a coin into the pocket, a pawl presenting to the coin a slot narrower than said known thickness, whereby a coin of said known thickness engages the edges of the slot and urges the pawl out of the path into a disengaged position, while a thinner coin slips into said slot, said pawl also having stop means which when engaged prevents the operation of the coin holder mechanism, which stop means is disengaged when the pawl is in its disengaged position.

2. A rotary coin holder mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pawl is pivotally mounted to as to be rotated about its pivot when urged out of the path of the coin.

3. A rotary coin holder mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said slot is made deep enough so that a thinner coin therein does not move the pawl into said disengaged position.

4. A rotary coin holder mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the coin pocket has a slanted floor.

5. A rotary coin holder mechanism as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said stop means, when engaged, is located behind a shaft extending across the coin pocket, to which shaft is secured drive-engaging means, whereby the stop means prevents movement of the shaft to operate said drive-engaging means.

6. A rotary coin holder mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein said stop means when engaged is located spaced from said shaft to allow sufficient movement thereof for a coin to be fully inserted into the coin pocket without said driveengaging means being operated.

7. A rotary coin holder mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein said stop means when engaged is located close to said shaft preventing full insertion of a coin into the coin pocket.

8. A rotary coin holder mechanism substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to Figures 1 to 5 and 8 or these Figures as modified by reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.