GB2412222A

GB2412222A - Conveying coins using a belt

Info

Publication number: GB2412222A
Application number: GB0405616A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Timothy William Hill; Brown Simon Scott
Original assignee: Scan Coin Industries AB
Current assignee: Scan Coin Industries AB
Priority date: 2004-03-12
Filing date: 2004-03-12
Publication date: 2005-09-21
Also published as: GB0405616D0

Abstract

In a coin conveying device comprising a conveying belt 4 which engaging the faces of the coins to drive the coins along a table surface 5 between an infeed end and an outfeed end, the coins are positioned laterally at the infeed end by a surface of a member 14, such that one edge of each coin lies on a first datum axis 16, parallel to the belt, and are further positioned laterally just before the outfeed end by a second positioning member 26 which moves the coins to place the opposite edge of each coin on a second datum axis parallel to the belt. Active deflectors 20 - 23 between the infeed and outfeed ends are operable to deflect coins in response to the output of coin discrimination means 13 at the infeed end. Second discrimination means 17 are provided at the outfeed end.

Description

1 2412222

COIN CONVEYING DEVICES

This invention relates to coin conveying devices and particularly, but not exclusively, to a coin conveying device for feeding coins in single file in a controlled lateral orientation to a further coin handling machine, but the device may be used for carrying out a coin inspection procedure on a batch of coins.

The term 'coin' will be used herein to include a disk or bogus coin such as a washer or counterfeit coin, or a component of a composite coin, such as the central blank or the outer ring used in a 2 coin.

Various coin conveying devices utilising one or more belts to drive the coins are well known. One advantage of a coin belt conveying device is that the device can be driven at high speed in order to handle a large number of coins in a short space of time.

One such coin belt feeding device is described in our published

specification No. EP 0269690B (= W O 8707742).

That machine has been used as a coin sorter, the coins being driven in single file past one or more coin testing means, and depending upon the results of the coin tests, the coins would then, downstream of the testing means, be selectively deflected out of the path of the belt by selectively operated deflector pins. Accordingly the machine could be used to deflect coins of particular characteristics into different coin outlets, for bagging or subsequent handling and any undeflected coins could pass to another outlet if desired.

a a . * . . We have appreciated that there could be some advantage in using a coin belt conveying machine to feed coins in single file in a controlled orientation to a further coin handling machine particularly, but not exclusively, when the belt conveying machine has provided a validated assessment of the coin numbers and type/types being fed to the further machine.

According to one aspect of the present invention a coin conveying device comprises a coin conveying belt extending longitudinally of a table and adapted to drive coins fed to an infeed end of the table towards the outfeed end of the table by face contact between the belt and the coins, a first coin orienting means positioned in advance of the infeed end of the table adapted to laterally position the coins relative to the table whereby one edge of the coins lies on a first axis of the table extending parallel to the belt, at or adjacent to one edge of the belt, and wherein a second coin orienting means is provided generally in the region just prior to the downstream end of the table which provides a feed outlet of the device, the second coin orienting means being so arranged as to urge the coins laterally of the belt, whilst being driven by the belt, such that the opposite edges of the coins are then aligned with a second axis of the table, the second axis extending parallel to the belt but at or adjacent to an opposite edge of the belt.

By 'opposite edges' we mean the edges of a coin that are remote from a diametral axis of the coin that is parallel to the belt.

Thus the coins are switched as they approach the downstream end of the table from one axis or datum to a second axis or datum.

. . e . . . . .. . ..

. An advantage of this datum-switching arrangement is that the second coin orienting means can act as a filter to prevent stray coins from passing to the feed outlet of the coin conveying device. Stray coins can result from collisions between coins, for example on occasion a coin which was intended to be deflected from the table by selectively actuable deflection mechanism positioned at an intermediate position along the table, instead collides with another coin and gets bounced along the table towards the outfeed end. In the absence of the second coin orienting means such a stray coin, even though not been driven by the belt, could sometimes pass to the end of the table.

The second coin orienting means acts as a filter against most of such bouncing coins because only coins which are positioned under the belt can engage with the second coin orienting means in the manner necessary for passing to the outfeed end of the device.

The second coin orienting means conveniently comprises a deflecting wall which is upstanding from the table and slopes towards the belt in the advancing direction of the belt and then is contiguous with the second axis, the arrangement being such that coins being driven along the table by the belt engage with the deflecting wall and are urged laterally of the table and belt by the engagement between the coins and the deflecting wall, to follow said second axis with the engaged edge of the coins.

According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a coin conveying device comprising a coin conveying belt extending longitudinally of a table and adapted to drive coins fed to an infeed end of the table towards the outfeed end of the table by face contact between the belt and the coins, a first coin discrimination means positioned at or adjacent to the upstream end of the table, and a second coin discrimination means positioned at or adjacent to the downstream end of c ec . . . . . the table, actively operable coin deflection means positioned at an intermediate position in the length of the table, and control means which is responsive, or capable of being made responsive, to the output of the first discrimination means to cause operation on occasion of the coin deflection means, the control means also being responsive to the output of the second discrimination means to monitor the number/characteristics of the coins that are fed past the second coin discrimination means.

Thus the second discrimination means can provide the control means with validation information as to the coins that have actually been fed past the second discrimination means. The provision of such a validation is an improvement upon the situation where it is assumed that in response to measurements made by a coin discrimination means positioned in advance of the coin deflection means, the correct coins have been deflected out of the path of the belt, and the remaining coins only have proceeded to the downstream end of the table. As previously discussed, it is possible on occasion for initially deflected coins to stray from their intended path away from the belt through collision with another coin, and then pass to the downstream end of the table.

The identity confirmation signal provided by the second coin discrimination means is preferably used to modify or verify the running count and identities of coins of predetermined types that have passed to the end of the table, and this corrected or validated information may then be used in various ways, in dependence upon the function being performed by the coin conveying device, to provide accurate information on the coins that have reached the downstream end of the table.

The second coin discriminating means may be used to measure a plurality of characteristics of each coin or just one characteristic, such as the coin diameter.

e .

e - e.e tee * *. e * * A coin conveying device in accordance with the second aspect of the invention can be used to feed selected coins to a further coin handling machine which is positioned to receive coins from the downstream end of the table, those coins that are not to be permitted to reach the downstream end being selectively deflected from the path of the belt by operation of said coin deflection means under the control of the control means.

Thus, the coin conveying device in accordance with the second aspect of the invention can be used to provide a clean feed of coins to a further machine by programming the control means to cause deflection of a specified category or categories of coins.

Since such a device is not primarily being used as a coin sorter for sorting out a large number of different types of coins, the table does not need to be very large to accommodate a large number of coin deflection devices, as is otherwise required, such as in our well known Scan Coin 4000 machine. Accordingly the invention in its second aspect facilitates the provision of a relatively short table and thereby a relatively compact device which can find utility in a large number of situations.

The device may be configured or configurable for use as a value counter in which case it may be arranged that all coins are conveyed to the downstream end of the table.

The device may similarly be used as an overseer in a mint in which circumstance all the coins could be fed through the device to obtain statistical information on the various characteristics of the batch of coins.

The batch may then be fed through the device again when it has been reconfigured to sort out coins of a particular specified range of characteristics.

. ..e a eve en. a . A machine which is constructed in accordance with both the first and second aspects of the invention is capable of being compact yet can provide a validated feed of coins to a further coin handling machine.

Preferably a main belt pulley for said belt at the downstream end of the table is made sufficiently wide to enable that belt pulley also to drive a connecting belt linking with a further coin handling machine.

Said main belt pulley is preferably mounted on a resiliently biased pivoting trailing arm which pivots about the axis of a motor-driven pulley, the motor-driven pulley driving said belt pulley by way of a transfer belt which connects said motor-driven pulley with a transfer pulley that is fast with said main belt pulley.

A coin conveying machine in accordance with both the first and second aspects of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view looking downwardly on the machine from an angle of 45 to the vertical, the coin hopper being removed, and the coin belt and belt drive assembly being removed; Figure 2 is a CAD view of the downstream end of the table of the machine of Figure 1, and looking generally from above and to one side of the downstream end, coins being shown urged laterally by engagement with the second coin orienting means, and showing schematically the machine control system; and Figure 3 is a perspective view from above and to one side of the second coin orienting means and showing details of the belt drive assembly.

e .e ëe . e e ë e .

e With reference to Figure 1 the illustrated coin feeding machine 1 is an inventive development of the Scan Coin 4000 series machines, the coin- sorting principles of which are described in the aforementioned Patent Specification No. EP 0269690B. The machine of Figure I comprises an inclined disc feeder 2 which feeds coins in single file to a coin belt conveyor 3, the coin belt 4 being indicated in broken outline. The belt conveyor 3 comprises an elongate flat table 5 along which the coins are conveyed by the lower run of the belt, the coins being sandwiched between the lower run of the belt and the table The disc 7 of the disc feeder 2 is rotatable about an axis inclined at 45 to the vertical when the machine chassis 8 is stood on a horizontal support, the table 5 also being inclined at 45 to the horizontal. It will be appreciated, however, that angles other than 45 may be employed.

A coin trough or hopper indicated in broken outline at 10 defines a coin holding space, in well known manner, with the lower portion of the upper face 11 of the disc.

The particular disc feeder 2 illustrated incorporates several new and inventive features that are set out in detail in our co-pending UK Patent Application entitled 'Hopper Coin and Disc Feeders' reference GML2966 of even date; UK Patent Application entitled 'Hopper Coin and Disc Feeders' reference GML2967 of even date; UK Patent Application entitled 'Hopper Coin and Disc Feeders' reference GML2965 of even date; UK Patent Application No. GB 0323033.1 dated 2 October Anna For the purpose of describing the features of the machine that relate to the present invention, the inventive features of the disc feeder are not material since well known types of the disc feeder would suffice in place of the illustrated disc feeder 2, any such disc feeder being arranged in . e *e e ee e.

. well known manner to provide a feed of coins to the upstream end of belt 4, the disc motor being under the control of a control unit 12.

A first coin discrimination unit 13 is positioned around the belt run flush with the upstream portion of the table 5, coins being positioned transversely of the table 5 prior to reaching the first discrimination unit 13 by a first coin orienting means constituted by the sloping edge 15 of coin guiding block 14. The sloping edge 15 abuts with the upper edges of the coins being slid along table 5 by the belt 4 and urges the coins transversely of the belt to bring the upper edges of the coins in engagement with a first datum 16 provided by the downstream edge of guide block 14.

The first discriminator unit 13 in conjunction with software routines contained in controller 12 is capable of performing the following measurements on a coin whilst the coin is being conveyed at high speed past the unit 13: 1) Diameter 2) Thickness 3) Surface skin conductivity of the centre of a coin 4) Intermediate depth conductivity of the centre of a coin 5) Bulk conductivity of the centre of a coin 6) Magnetic permeability of the centre of a coin 7) Surface skin conductivity of the radially outer part of a coin 8) Intermediate depth conductivity of the outer part of a coin 9) Bulk conductivity of the radially outer part of a coin 10) Magnetic permeability of the radially outer part of a coin It should be appreciated that the principles of the present invention are not related to the characteristics of the coin discriminator unit 13. Some of the foregoing features of the unit l 3, in particular the ability to . * : : : :.. .:. . . .e . ...

measure surface skin conductivity as well as intermediate and bulk conductivity is the subject of our co-pending Patent Application No. GB 0322354.2 filed 24 September 2003. It would, however, be possible to use to the prior art discriminators which can be electromagnetic or use other coin measuring means, in place of the discriminator unit 13.

A second coin discriminator unit 17 comprising upper and lower portions 17a, 17b is provided at the downstream end of the table 5, the upper portion 17a being mounted on a bridge 18 which spans a coin outfeed slot 19, the lower portion 17b being mounted in the table below the bridge 18. The unit 17 provides a validation function as will be described hereafter.

Selectively-operable coin deflectors 20, 21, 22 and 23 are spaced apart along the table 5 under the belt path, and these can be energised by the control unit 12 as required in response to the measurements made on a coin by the first coin discrimination unit 13, the correct timing of the operation of a particular deflector 20, 21, 22 and 23, being determined from the output of an encoder, not shown, on the belt drive. Of course, if it is determined that the coin can be allowed to pass to the coin outlet 19 then none of the deflectors 20 to 23 would be activated.

In brief the deflectors 20 to 23 work on the basis that a deflector pin is projected, or left projected, into the path of a coin to cause the coin to be deflected transversely slightly from the axis of the datum edge 16, and once deflected the belt urges the coin downwards into a hockey-stick shaped recess to deflect the coin, generally downwards in Figure 1, out of the belt path. It is partly that function, and partly the need for accurate positioning of the coins for the test conducted by unit 13, that the coins are initially brought against the first datum edge 16.

ë eve e e *as.e * a - e e e ë ee. e At the downstream end of the table 5 the coins proceeding along the table by being driven by the belt 4 are subject to a 'datum switch' by being brought against a second datum surface 25 which extends axially of the table 5 and closely adjacent to one edge of the belt, the opposite edge of the belt to that adjacent to the first datum edge 16.

This datum switch is performed by the sloping face 27 of a coin orienting block 26, the faces 27 and 25 upstanding from the face of the table 5.

The first and second coin deflectors 20, 21 can be used to recirculate coins back into the holding space of the disc feeder 2 when, for example, it has been confirmed by the validation signals of second sensor unit that a requisite number of coins of specified characteristic(s) has been fed through the outlet 19. The third and fourth coin deflectors 22 and 23 can be used to deflect reject coins out of the path of the belt. The reject coins may be bogus coins, coins of the wrong denomination, or when the machine is being used to measure the characteristics of a batch of newly minted coins, coins that are not within a required tolerance.

As previously discussed, when the device is used with newly minted coins, it may initially be used as an overseer, or data logger, of the characteristics of the batch by initially configuring the device such that all coins proceed to the downstream end of the outlet 19.

This can, in effect, provide an 'electronic signature' of a batch of coins.

The coin orienting block 26 acts as a filter to prevent stray coins from passing into the outlet 19 since only coins that are being driven by the belt can engage surface 27 and be correctly positioned to pass through outlet 19. On occasion a coin deflected by deflector 23 may collide with * * e a * * * * * * * * ** * a * e.e ..

another rejected coin and be bounced towards outlet 19, but the block 26 will obstruct it by engagement of the coin with block face 26'.

Figures 3 and 4 show details of the belt-drive assembly. The main belt pulley 30 is the pulley around which the belt runs at the downstream end of the table 5. Pulley 30 is made of sufficient width to be capable of accepting a further belt for transferring coins passing through outlet 19 to a further coin machine being fed by the illustrated machine 1. In order to provide for some lifting of pulley 30 away from the table against resilience, to cope with different thicknesses of coins and occasional doubles, the drive spindle of pulley 30 is carried by a pivoted trailing arm 31 that is mounted for pivoting against spring biasing, not shown, about the axis of a motor-driven pulley 32 (driven by motor 33, Figure D, said axis extending parallel to the upper face of table 5. A transfer belt transfers the drive from pulley 32 to a pulley 34 on the opposite end of the drive spindle of main drive pulley 30.

The resilient biasing of the drive belt towards the table at the downstream end of table 5 is desirable to permit lateral movement of the coins by the surface 27.

Motor 33 is driven by pulses under the control of control unit 12 such that the precise position of coins being conveyed along the table by belt 4 is known at all times. This information can be passed onto a further coin handling machine being fed by the machine 1, if so desired.

The coin trough will usually be replenished with coins by a vibratory coin feeder which incorporates mechanical sorting and cleaning features as described in our Patent Application No. PCT/GB2003/04184 filed 26 September 2003. Such feeders are well known in the art and therefore

do not require further description.

ace r e a se. .e.

ar e ë.e The measures taken in the machine to validate the coins by use of a second coin discriminator unit 17, and the use of the datum switching feature assist in making the device more suitable for use in severe environments such as in some mints.

The illustrated machine is capable of being operated at different speeds by use of variable speed motors for the disc 11 and belt drive.

Control unit 12 also controls a vacuum pump 40 that is used to provide suction force for holding coins against the margin of the disc 11, but the arrangement of the suction mechanism does not form part of the present invention.

The control unit 12 may be arranged to vary the disc speed in relation to the preponderance of coin size in a batch of coins, preferably adaptively varying the disc drive motor speed, for example by monitoring the gaps in the coins being fed by the belt, and adjusting the disc speed to reduce the gaps when appropriate.

With advantage a CANBUS cabling system is employed for the various main control functions.

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Claims

1. A coin conveying device comprising a coin conveying belt extending longitudinally of a table and adapted to drive coins fed to an infeed end of the table towards an outfeed end of the table by face contact between the belt and the coins, a first coin orienting means positioned in advance of the infeed end of the table adapted to laterally position the coins relative to the table whereby one edge of the coins lies on a first axis of the table extending parallel to the belt, at or adjacent to one edge of the belt, and wherein a second coin orienting means is provided generally in the region just prior to the outfeed end of the table which provides a feed outlet of the device, the second coin orienting means being so arranged as to urge the coins laterally of the belt, whilst being driven by the belt, such that the opposite edges of the coins are then aligned with a second axis of the table, the second axis extending parallel to the belt but at or adjacent to an opposite edge of the belt.

2. A coin conveying device as claimed in claim 1 in which the second coin orienting means acts as a filter to prevent stray coins from passing to the feed outlet of the coin conveying device.

3. A coin conveying device according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the second coin orienting means comprises a deflecting wall which is upstanding from the table and slopes towards the belt in the advancing direction of the belt and then is contiguous with the second axis, the arrangement being such that coins being driven along the table by the belt engage with the deflecting wall and are urged laterally of the table and belt by the engagement between the coins and the deflecting wall, to follow said second axis with the engaged edge of the coins.

4. A coin conveying device comprising a coin conveying belt extending longitudinally of a table and adapted to drive coins fed to an infeed end of the table towards the outfeed end of the table by face contact between the belt and the coins, a first coin discrimination means positioned at or adjacent to the upstream end of the table, and a second coin discrimination means positioned at or adjacent to the downstream end of the table, actively operable coin deflection means positioned at an intermediate position in the length of the table, and control means which is responsive, or capable of being made responsive, to the output of the first discrimination means to cause operation on occasion of the coin deflection means, the control means also being responsive to the output of the second discrimination means to monitor the number/characteristics of the coins that are fed past the second coin discrimination means.

5. A coin conveying device according to claim 4 in which the second discrimination means provides the control means with validation information as to the coins that have actually been fed past the second discrimination means.

6. A coin conveying device according to claim 5 in which the identity confirmation signal provided by the second coin discrimination means is used to modify or verify the running count and identities of coins of predetermined types that have passed to the end of the table, and this corrected or validated information may then be used in various ways, in dependence upon the function being performed by the coin conveying device, to provide accurate information on the coins that have reached the downstream end of the table.

7. A coin conveying device as claimed in any preceding claim in which a main belt pulley for said belt at the downstream end of the table is made sufficiently wide to enable that belt pulley also to drive a connecting belt linking with a further coin handling machine.

8. A coin conveying device according to claim 7 in which said main belt pulley is mounted on a resiliently biased pivoting trailing arm which pivots about the axis of a motor-driven pulley, the motor-driven pulley driving said belt pulley by way of a transfer belt which connects said motor-driven pulley with a transfer pulley that is fast with said main belt pulley.

9. A coin conveying device substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.