GB2228126A - Eight way coin separator - Google Patents

Description

1 EIGHT WAY COIN SEPARATOR The present invention relates to a coin

separator, of the type to be fitted at the outlet of a selector-discriminator, so that from control signals received from such discriminator, the separator can guide the coins through eight different ways, i.e., the device may receive and separate eight different types of coins.

It is well-known that an unlimited amount of machines work automatically driven by a coin or set of coins, for instance vending machines for different types of products, games machines, and so on.

These machines can generally accept different types of coins, i.e., coins worth different amounts, and in turn and especially product vending machines, in addition to accepting different types of coins, must supply the relevant change, in order to facilitate the consumer's payment procedure, i.e., so that no client is lost through having to use a given type of coin or lose the change or refund.

First of all, in order to merely facilitate collection procedures, offering the coin duly classified, and secondly and most importantly, to manage the machine to store within it and duly separated different types of coins, which may in turn be used for the relevant refunds or changes, this type of machines are equipped, in addition to a coin selector, that must accept them as valid, with a separator to guide them toward different containers depending on their value.

2 More specifically, known selectors have a magnetic field, that is specifically modified in accordance with the type of coin going through it, so that with the assistance of a programme operatively established to such end, the selector may not only detect as valid coins that are in fact so, and in accordance with the valuations provided therefor, but may also discriminate them, i.e., make a specific valuation for each of them to send the relevant instructions to the separator.

In this sense, reference can be made, for instance, to US patent 4,503,961, where a tubular rocking lever may take up five different positions, so that In one position, namely the vertical position, such tubular body acts as guide for the coins, whereas when rocked to one side and at different angles, it is its side surface that actually guides the said coins toward four ways, two located on either side.

The essential problem of this solution, in addition to having a limited number of ways, namely five, is the actual difficulty to establish five operative positions for the same element.

The actual applicant himself holds Spanish patent of invention 87006,23 which describes a coin separator which also has a tubular rocking body as in the aforesaid US patent, but with the difference that this tubular body Is treble, so that from a middle position at rest it may take up three positions with the assistance of a pair of electro- magnets.

This solution, albeit structurally simpler than the previous one, only yields a three way separator, with an operating capacity that can nonetheless be extended to five or six ways, by introducing the improvements described in certificate of addition 8703430 in such patent, specifically through deviators provided at the end of each of the said guides.

1 W 3 However, five electro-magnets are required in this case to obtain a six way separator, thereby resulting in a sizeable and expensive solution, where the number of ways is also limited.

The coin separator set forth by the invention, with extremely simple structural features and a small size, yields eight ways, i.e., separation of eight different types of coins using only three electro- magnets, i.e., its perforinance is Improved with a structure that is remarkably simpler and less sizeable than the conventional one.

More specifically and in order to achieve the above, the separator subject hereof is constituted by a body generally shaped as an upside down 'Y', so that it is fitted with an inlet duct and two outlet ducts, with the particularity that such outlet ducts are double, through the provision of a partition wall in each of them, and that the inlet duct is moreover provided with a deviating rocking lever, that can shift the coins to the side toward two other double outlet ducts, and hence a single inlet duct is connected to eight outlet ducts.

More specifically, the inside of the Inlet duct is provided with a rocking wall driven by an electro-magnet, so that depending on the position of such wall the coins shall be led toward the right branch or toward the left branch of the said upside down "Y". Furthermore, and depending on whether the deviating rocking lever is at working or at rest, each coin will fall toward the double outlet duct located under the inlet duct or will be shifted to the side toward the other double duct.

Finally, these double ducts are provided with a rocking valve that in turn guides the coin toward either of the two ducts established therein.

4 soth rocking valves, located in connection with the partition wall of the double outlet ducts, are simultaneously driven by an electro-magnet, at the same time as the deviating rocking levers are also driven by another electro-magnet, so that jointly with the electro-magnet that acts on the rocking wall, they complete the driving elements of the separator, that are therefore only three.

In order to complement the description being made and to assist a better understanding of thecharacteristics of the invention, a sheet' of drawings is attached to the present specification as an integral part thereof showing the following, in an illustrative and non-limiting manner:

Figure 1.- Shows a sectional profile of a coin separator made in accordance with the object hereof, positioned suchthat all the coils or electro-magnets are at rest.

Figure 2.- Shows a view similar to figure 1, but with all the coils now working.

Figure 3.- Shows a side elevation and also sectional view of the separator in the same working position as shown in figure 1.

Figure 4.- Finally shows a lower plan view of the separator where all its eight outlets can be clearly seen.

In the light of these figures it may be seen that the coin separator subject hereof comprises a body 1 defining an inlet duct 2, through which the coins 3 may reach the separator from the relevant selectordiscriminator, not shown in the figures, the lower part of 35 which inlet duct 2 branches out into two outlet ducts 4 and 5, each of c which becomes double with the assistance of a partition wall 6-61, so that the body 1 Is on the whole shaped as an upside down "Y".

Furthermore, and behind the bottom transversal wall 7, shifted 5 backwards with respect to the inlet duct 2, are two other likewise double outlet ducts 8-9, similar to the aforesaid 4-5, and similarly separated Into compartments by partition walls 10 similar to the said walls 6.

The inlet duct 11 is provided with a rocking wall 12, which specifically rocks on its lower edge and on the rocking axis 13, so that such wall 12 may guide the coins 3, either toward branch 5 of the outlet ducts group, as shown in figure 1, or toward branch 4 as shown in turn in figure 2.

is Moreover, the lower end of the inlet duct 2 is provided with a pair of deviating rocking levers 14, the arched bottom 15 of which, making up the actual deviating element, penetrates inside the inlet duct 2 through apertures 16 operatively provided in body 1, so that the said deviating levers 14, depending on their position, allow each coin 3 to fall straight from the inlet duct 2, to one of the double outlet ducts 45 or deviate the same backwards, specifically toward the double outlet ducts 8-9, specifically toward one or the other in accordance with the respective position of the rocking lever 12.

1 This rocking lever 12 is driven by an electro-magnetic coil 17, duly attached to body 1, whereas the rocking levers 14 are In turn jointly driven by another electro-magnetic coil 18.

In connection with the upper edge of the partition walls6 and 10, for the double outlet ducts, respective rocking valves 19-19' are provided, specifically rocking on axes 20-20' established in connection with lower edge thereof, such valves 19 being jointedly fixed to small connecting rods 21, specifically at joints 22, such small connecting rods being in turn jointedly fixed to each other at 6 23, specifically at the same spot where they are jointedly fixed to the travelling nucleus of a third electro-magnetic coil 24, so that when the said coil is not excited, as in figure 1, the valves 19-19' block the access toward external ducts A-G-G-H, whereas when the coil S 24 is excited valves 19 and 19' fall on each other, as shown in figure 2, the outlets or aforesaid ducts opening, whereas C-D-E-F are closed.

Therefore, and in accordance with the structure described, each coin 3 reaching the separator and depending on whether the coils 17, 18 and 214 are working or at rest, in accordance with the Information received from the selector-discriminator, shall be guided toward the right or toward the left by wall 12, shall keep falling vertically or will be displaced with respect to the inlet duct 2 by the deviating bottoms 15 in accordance with the position of rocking levers 14 and will finally be definitively deviated in accordance with the position of valves 19, so that each coin, irrespective of its value and always going in through the same inlet duct 2, shall leave through the relevant outlet duct A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H, depending on its value.

It is not considered necessary to extend the present description any further for an expert in the art to understand the scope of the invention and the advantages derived therefrom.

The materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements may vary, provided this does not imply a modification in the essence of the characteristics of the invention.

The terms used to describe the present specification should be understood to have a wide and non-limiting meaning.

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Claims (4)

C L A I M S

1.- Eight way coin separator, of the type destined to be fitted at the outlet of a coin selector-discriminator, that in addition to accepting the same as valid, sends control signals to the separator, for due separation in accordance with its value, essentially characterized in comprising a body defining a top inlet duct the lower part of which is divided into two outlet ducts, with the particularity that each such duct is double, with the assistance of a middle partition wall, it having furthermore been foreseen that the inlet duct is provided in addition to the lower outlet toward the said two lower double and divergent ducts, a side outlet toward two other double outlet ducts, such extension being coplanar in respect of the foregoing, with the further particularity that the inlet duct is provided with deviating means toward the rear outlet double duct, such means leading toward the right or left double outlet ducts, and at each such double outlet ducts deviation means toward either of its two unit outlets.

L- Eight way coin separator, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the inlet duct is provided with a rocking lever, specifically on an axis positioned in connection with its lower edge, such wall being driven by an electro-magnetic coil duly established in the separator body, as well as a pair of deviating rocking levers, located outside the inlet duct, jointly driven by another electro-magnetic coil and their lower end provided with a branch orthogonally bent inwards, penetrating the body through the relevant aperture, such deviating rocking levers acting at either side of the middle rocking wall and having an arched deviating bottom sloping toward the pair of double outlet ducts shifted with regard to the inlet duct.

3._ Eight coin separ-ator, in accoce with claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that a valve is jointedly fixed in correspondence with the upper edge of each of the double outlet ducts 8 partition walls, both valves being related to each other through small connecting rods that are jointedly fixed thereto, at the same time as they are jointedly fixed to each other and to the travelling nucleus of a third electro-magnetic coil, that can lead the said valves to a closure position for the external outlet ducts or fall on each other closing the internal outlet ducts.

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4.- Eight way coin separator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown 10 in the accompanying drawings.

Published 1990 atThe Patent Office. State House. 6671 High Rolborn,London WC1R4TP. Further copies maybe obtained from The Patent Office Sales Branch. St Mary Gray. Orpington. Kent BR5 3RD- Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd. St Mary Gray. Kent. Con- 1 87