IE50206B1

IE50206B1 - Improved coin escrow

Info

Publication number: IE50206B1
Application number: IE2150/80A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Plessey Overseas
Priority date: 1979-10-17
Filing date: 1980-10-16
Publication date: 1986-03-05
Also published as: ZW24680A1; GB2060969A; DE3039344A1; ZA806194B; CH647345A5; DE3039344C2; GB2060969B; AU6306580A; IE802150L; AU532196B2

Abstract

The coin escrow is profiled so that the minimum width is such as to permit the passage of the thickest coin whose maximum width is greater than the sum of the thickness of the two thinnest coin, without the thinnest coins being able to overlap each other. The profile of the inner vertical faces are arranged to tilt the vertical axes of adjacent coins through a small angle about their common axis through the length of the escrow.

Description

The invention relates to improvements in coin escrow design.

Known types of escrow take the form of a vertical or inclined passageway through which a coin or coins pass in order to operate a prepayment device in which the escrow is fitted. Such devices could be, for example, telephone boxes, vending machines and fruit machines in which a plurality of coins of different denominations can be used. In the cases when a single escrow fitted to such devices accept a plurality of coins of the same or different denomination a problem can exist if any of the coins become partly superimposed and jam in the escrow.

According to the present invention there is provided an escrow, for use in prepayment devices, for receiving multi-denominational coins, wherein the escrow is profiled so that its minimum width permits the passage of the thickest coin of the denominations, having a maximum width greater than the sum of the thickness of the two thinnest coins of same denomination, without the thinnest coins being able to overlap each other, and the profile of the inner vertical faces of the escrow are arranged to tilt the vertical axes of . 2 . adjacent coins through a different angle about their common axis relative to each other through the length of the escrow.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein, Figure 1 shows a cross sectional view of the escrow with two coins passing therethrough; Figure 2 shows an end elevation viewed on section X-X; Figure 3 shows an end elevation viewed on section Y-Y; Figure 4 shows a view of an escrow face, similar to Figure 1, which is delineated to assist in trigonometrical evaluation of the escrow contours; Figure 5 shows the trigonometrical functions derived from Figure 4; and Figure 6 shows the derivation of the virtual thickness of a fifty pence coin.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 the profile of the inner vertical faces of the escrow is such as to tilt the vertical axes XX and YY of two adjacent coins A and B through a small angle about their common axis ZZ. The coins are tilted throughout the length of the escrow. The escrow therefore twists throughout its length. It can be seen from Figures 2 and 3 that the maximum width of the escrow is the thickness of two thinnest coins plus gap x plus gap y. In practice a coin in the escrow would tilt to a greater extent than shown and the coins are in the position shown to show gaps x ardy more readily.

The escrow design will now be discussed with reference to Figures 4 and 5, wherein points A to H are points on the side faces of the escrow. A convenient datum plane is chosen having a vertical centre line through point A, and the centre line of a five pence coin profiles being parallel to the escrow centre - 3 50206 line. Let point A on the face of the escrow be co-planar with the centre line of the coin profiles on the same face of the escrow. Let point E be rotated in its vertical section through a small angle a about the centre line of the coin profiles, parallel to the escrow centre line, in a clockwise direction when viewed in the direction of arrow V. Let the other points be rotated similarly through an angle directly proportional to a as their natural distance from the vertical section through A. represented by to C? and are: These distances are C1 = 2a Sin g Equation 1 10 C2 = 2b Cos β Equation 2 C3 = C^ + 2b Cos β = C^ + Cg Equation 3 C4 = d Cos β Equation 4 c5 = c4 + C, Equation 5 c6 =c4 + c2 Equation 6 15C7 = C4 + C3 Equation 7 The corresponding vertical distances d^ to d? from the horizontal centre line of the coin profiles are: . =/r XC1)2 Equation 8 ) d2 = dl Equation 9 20 d3 = ZaCos 0 - and by symmetryd2 Equation 10 d4 = dy = d3 Equation 11d5 = d6 = d1 Equation 12 The displacements t^ to t7 of the points B to H normal to the datum plane of 25 the escrow surface are: - 4 50206 tj = dj tan cij t2 = d2 tan ag 1 1 1 ty — dy tan ciy ) ) ) Equation 13 ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) The angles of rotation to q, = C, = c2 1 1 1 Oy = Cy ay are proportional to a . Therefore, ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Equation 14 ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) The escrow can have a width at any vertical section greater than the thickness of two thin five pence coins. The surface contours of the escrow prevent one coin overtaking the other therefore preventing the coins jamming.

The minimum width of such an escrow at any vertical section is that given by the lesser of a) the maximum coin thickness passed by the coin plate and b) the virtual maximum thickness of a coin passing between the escrow contours.

The maximum thickness is that of a fifty pence coin. The virtual thickness of a fifty pence coin is derived with reference to Figure 6 where the virtual thickness T = maximum thickness of the coin t + m tan 9.

Therefore the values of α, β, are variable and are chosen for a given design y,· and by use of the beforementioned equations the escrow design is formulated.

Claims

1. An escrow, for use in prepayment devices, for receiving multidenominated coins, wherein the escrow is profiled so that its minimum width permits the passage of the thickest coin of the denominations, 5 having a maximum width greater than the sum of the thickness of the two thinnest coins of same denomination, without the thinnest coins being able to overlap each other, and the profile of the inner vertical faces of the escrow are arranged to tilt the vertical axes of adjacent coins through a different angle about their common axis relative to each other through the length of 10 the escrow.

2. An escrow is claimed in Claim 1 wherein the passage through which the coins pass is contoured in such a manner that it twists so that the vertical axes of two adjacent coins are tilted.

3. An escrow as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the passage can accept 15 consecutively the largest denomination coin and the smallest denomination coin, together with any intermediate denomination without any of the coins becoming overlapped in the passage.

4. An escrow as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the passage is contoured with angled recesses and protrusions. 20

5. An escrow substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.