US1757387A - Coin-slot guard - Google Patents

Description

May 6, 1930.

W. RABKIN COIN SLOT GUARD Filed Aug. 13, 1928 {Z 76 15 la alive r06 AZ 3 .52am.

Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES WILLIAM RABKIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

com-snow GUARD Application filed August 13, 1928.

This invention is a device for resisting the insertion of improper material through the entrance slots of coin chutes and may be employed as a guard for keyholes and other openings. Owners of coin-controlled machines are subjected to great annoyance by mischievous persons who insert soft paper, gum or other material through the coin slots of their machines and thereby choke the slots and the coin chutes so that the machines cannot be used. Frequently it is necessary to dismantle the machine in order to clear the coin chute and permit the insertion of coins in the intended manner, and my invention seeks to provide simple and efficient means whereby the insertion of improper material will be resisted while the insertion of a proper coin will be facilitated. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation with the back plate of the casing removed and showing the coin chute closed;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the guard open to permit the insertion of a coin;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of another embodiment of the invention, the back plate of the casing being removed, and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

The present invention includes a casing comprising a face plate 1 and a back plate 2 which is secured to the face plate in any approved manner and both plates are provided with coin slots 3 and 4 respectively to permit 40 the insertion of a proper coin. Upon reference to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the face plate is provided with side and end flanges 5 which enclose the back plate so that the mechanism will be concealed and the casing may be secured upon the frame of a coin-controlled machine by bolts or screws inserted through the wall of the machine from the inner side thereof. Pivotally mounted between the face and back plates of the casing are jaws 6 which are of similar form and con- Serial No. 299,262.

sists each of an anglelever having its shorter arm pivoted, as at 7, on a line passing longitudinally through the coin slot. The longer arm of ea ch lever extends obliquely across the coin slot and the opposed edges of these arms meet across the slot, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. The meeting edges of the jaws are beveled on their outer faces, as shown at 8, to facilitate their engagement by a coin, which is indicated at 9 in Fig. 4. The working members of the jaws, which are the longer arms thereof, gradually increase in width from the shorter arms to the free ends of the jaws so that when the jaws meet, as shown in Fig. 3, the entire area of the coin slot will be covered. The jaws are yieldably held in the closed position by a spring 10 of any suitable type and mounted in any convenientmanner in the casing.

Should it be attempted to insert paper, chewing gum or other soft material through the slot 6, the passage of such material will be effectually resisted by the jaws of the guard inasmuch as the soft nature of the material will cause it to crumple against the jaws instead of separating them. Consequently, the improper material cannot pass beyond the coin slot, although it may fill the slot to choke the same, but in such case it may be easily removed without requiring the guard and its casing to be removed from the machine or any dismantling whatever to be done. When a coin, however, is inserted, its rigidity will enable it to engage and bear against the meeting edges of the jaws with sufficient strength to spread them apart so that the coin may be passed through the registering coin slots. As the coin is thus inserted, its edge will bear constantly upon the opposed edges of the jaws, as shown in Fig. 4, and as soon as the diameter of the coin clears the jaws, the spring 10 will forcibly close the jaws and expel the coin into the coin chute, returning the jaws to closed position covering the outer coin slot. It may be desirable to bevel the inner faces of the jaws in order to avoid sharp corners which mi ht bind and bite into the coin.

fn Figs. 5 and 6, I have shown a somewhat different embodiment of the invention in which the casing comprises an outer casting 11 having an integral rim 12 formed on its inner'side, this casting and rim being preferably substantially oblong in form. A back plate 13 is secured upon the rim, as sho'wnin Fig. 6, and in the casting and the back plate are formed registering coin slots 14 and .15. Slida'bly fitted'wiithin the rim .12 and between the front of the casting and the back plate 13 are jaws 16 which in their normal position willcover the slots, as clearly shown, and they are held in their closed position by expansion springs 17 disposed between theends of the rim 12 and the outer ends of the jaws and engaged in sockets 18 provided therefor in the jaws. The opposed meeting ends of the jaws are beveled, as shown at 19, and they may be further provided with recesses 20 to facilitate the proper engagement and operationof the jaws by an inserted coin.

When improper material is inserted in the coin chute 14, it will not have sufiicient strength to separate the jaws but will merely 'cru-mple up within the slot in the same manner that material inserted in the coin slot in the previously described form of the inven tion will act. When a coin, however, is inserted, its edge will engage the beveled .meeting ends of the jaws and will pry the same apartagainst theresistance of thesprings 17 and eventually the diameter of the coin will clear the meeting ends 'of the jaws, whereupon the springs will expand and close the jaws, the closingaction serving'to propel the coin forcibly into the coin chute.

"The device is exceedingly simple and compact and will operate effieiently for the purposes for which it is designed. It may be readily applied to any coin-controlled machine :and without any substantial structural changes may be applied to keyholes or similar openings. 7

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

Means for the purpose setforth comprising a plate having a coin slot formed therethrough, jaws pivotally mounted upon said plate, the pivots vbeing located at the opposite ends of the slot and alined therewith and the jaws including obliquely disposed members increasing in width toward their free ends and having opposed side edges meeting diagonally across the slot to cover the same, said edges being beveled inwardly on their outer faces whereby to be separated by an entering coin, and resilient means bearing upon the :outer edges of the jaws to normally hold them together to close the slot In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

WILLIAM RABKIN. [I]. s.

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