US1937500A - Coin intercepting mechanism for coin operated machines - Google Patents

Description

4 Dec. 5, 1933. A. w. BARNARD COIN INTERCEPTING MECHANISM FOR COIN OPERATED MACHINES Filed Dec. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l OPENING To RETURN YOUR com INVENTOR. @Mw 860mm) 2%.; 1w. bum;

A TTORNE Y.

Dec. 5, 1933. w BARNARD 1,937,500

COIN INTERCEPTING MECHANISM FOR COIN OPERATED MACHINES Filed D90. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 48 64; u y 8 I m 4 I; 48 H 48 /74 Q 55 22 2? 78 66 80 88 i.3 0 l .6 4 E912? .H/ H g F (4& 62 l 2% 63 86 4 89 9 5 80 65 i 62 V 78 86 664 80 F 60 l 1/ [I 1/ 28 m 2 E910 INVENTOR .4 TTORNE Y.

Patented Dec. 5, 1933 COIN INTERCEPTING liKECHANISM FOR COIN OPERATED MACHINES Arthur W. Barnard, Sarasota, Fla., asslgnor to Colonial Scale Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 30, 1930 Serial No. 505,558

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a coin intercepting mechanism for coin operated machines and is herein illustrated by its application to a coin operated weighing scale.

One of the important objects of the invention the provision of a coin intercepting mechanism which may be applied to a coin operated machine to permit the person depositing the coin, by the exercise of a certain amount of skill, to secure its return after it has performed its function of opcrating the machine.

This feature while calling for the exercise of skill also introduces what appears to be an element of chance and thereby tends to stimulate the interest of the public in the machine and to increase its use.

Another object of the invention is to combine, with the interceptive mechanism, means, adapted to be operated by the user from the exterior of the machine, for ejecting the coin from the interceptive mechanism so that the amount of force applied to the ejecting means controls the course of the coin thereafter and determines whether or not the coin is returned to the user.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a construction in which the interceptive and ejecting mechanisms are exposed to view so that the course pursued by the coin can be readily seen.

A further object is the provision of a suitable background simulating a portion of a golf course, tennis court or other game in which may be arranged a plurality of lanes or passages through which the coin, after ejection from the intercepllng mechanism, may travel either to a coin receptacle in the machine or to an open coin rcceptacle on the exterior of the machine.

ther objects are the provision of simple and cincient interceptive and ejecting mechanisms which are capable of application to any coin operated machine and which are durable and require neither adjustments nor repairs.

Other objects of the invention will be more specifically so; forth and described hereinafter. In following description, I will cover, for the purpose illustrating the invention and its mode of operation, one form of intcrceptive and ejecting mechanisms with a background simulating a portion of a golf course, applied to a coin operated weighing scale of the general construction shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,201,917, issued to me October 17, 1916, but it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific forms of mechanisms shown and described and that my invention is susceptible of application generally to coin operated machines.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment and one application of my invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the lower part of the casing of a coin operated scale shown in the United States Letters Patent just referred to, showing a device constructed and adapted to be operated in accordance with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation on an enlargod scale of a chute with one form of coin interccptive mechanism; Fig. 3 is a bottom end elevation thereof looking upwardly in Fig. 2; Figa 4 is top elevation thereof looking downwardly in Fig. 2; 5 is a rear elevation of the lower end of the main body portion of the coin chute; Fig. 6 a bottom view of the same looking upwardly in Fig. 5; Fig. 'l is a side elevation, looking from left to right in Fig. 2, of the bottom end of the chute and the interceptive mechanism showing the interceptive member in inoperative position; Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the same member in operative position holding a coin in ejecting position; Fig. 5' is a transverse sectionalview of the front portion of the scale casing and so background panel on line 9-9 in Figure 1; Fig.

10 is a similar view on line 10-40 in Figure 1; Figs. 11 and 12 are vertical sectional views on lines 11-11 and 12-12 respectively in Figure 1 looking from right to left and Fig. 13 is a side 35 elevation of the coin ejecting member looking from left to right in Figure 1 but on a larger scale.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings there shown one form of interceptive mechanism comprising a chute is. having a flared upper end or mouth 12 for receiving the coin when it drops after having performed its function in the coin operated machine, the chute having its lower end form d. to stop and retain the coin and to hold it in sting position. The chute may be of any suitable length and may be straight or curved dependent, of course. upon the relation of the point at which it receives the coin to the point at which re coin is intercepted. As shown, the chute fines a curved main body portion or back designated as 10 having side flanges 14 and a front plate or covering 16 attached to the side by pins or screws 18, the chute chamber being of dimensions which permit the coin d to pass freely down edgewise. Preferably, plate covering 16 is made of thin celluloid or other transparent material to permit the coin be seen in its downward travel.

The lower end of the chute 10 is formed to stop and hold the coin on edge by means of an end flange 22 (Fig. 2) to which is affixed by screws 24 a retaining strip 26 (Figs. 7 and 8) of celluloid or other suitable material which overlaps the upper edge of the end flange 22 and holds the lower edge of the coin on said end flange. The transparent plate 16 terminates at a point above the bottom end of the chute so that its lower end overlaps the top edge of the coin 28 (Fig. 2) sufficiently to prevent the coin from tilting forwardly. The side flanges 14 of the chute are cut away between the end flange 22 and a transverse line just above the top edge of the coin when it is supported on said end flange in order to permit the coin to be ejected laterally from the bottom end of the chute.

In order to hold the coin against lateral rolling or bouncing when it strikes the end flange on its downward travel, I provide a detent or pawl 30 loosely and pivotally mounted on a pin 32 between two ears 34. formed on the back face of the lower end of the body portion of the chute. The detent 30 is preferably of right-angled form, one arm being much shorter than the other, and is so mounted that the long arm operates as a weight to hold the short arm forward through an opening 36 into the path of the coin 28 so that the coin, when it apporaches the bottom of the chute, engages the end of the short arm and moves it slightly back throwing up the long arm. Fig. 7 shows the normal forward position of the detent when not engaging the coin and Fig. 3 the position of the detent when it engages the coin to hold it against the overlapping edges of the lower end of the plate 16 and the retaining strip 26. It is important that the pressure exerted by the detent on the coin should be just suflicient to prevent lateral movement of the coin when it strikes the end flange but should not be sufficient to cause the lower end of the coin to be deflected outwardly and thereby thrown out of the front of the chute when the coin strikes the detent in its downward passage.

For accomplishing the lateral ejection of the coin from the chute, any suitable form of striking member may be provided and one such form is shown in the drawings comprising an arm or lever 40, simulating in the present case a golf club, which is fixed upon a pin 42 loosely mounted in a downwardly projecting arm portion 44 of a cross-bar 46. The striking member is mounted adjacent the lower end of the chute 10 so that when it is swung the lower or striking end of the member will sweep across the lower end of the chute striking the coin on one side and ejecting it laterally from the chute. Since the lower end of the striking member is formed to simulate a golf club, the back face of the lower end of the chute is provided with two ribs 4.8 which are provided with cut out portions 50 to afford clearance space for the head of the striking member in its sweep transversely of the chute, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, these ribs 48 serving also to hold the end flange 22 and its retaining member in position.

In Fig. l of the drawings, there is shown the application of my invention to a coin operated weighing scale of the construction shown in the United States Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to, the lower portion only of the scale casing being shown. In this view designates the casing having its front side in the form of a door frame 62 secured to one side of the casing by hinges 65 (Fig. 10) and to the other side thereof by screw pins 63. A suitable lock (not shown) may be provided for locking the door in closed position. The door frame is filled in with a clear glass panel 64 fastened thereto, behind which is fastened against the inner face of the glass a background panel 66 having raised and depressed portions, the latter portions forming areas and passages through which a coin may travel. The glass and background panels are secured to the door frame at the top and bottom by any suitable means such as angle brackets 55 (Figs. 9 and 10).

The background panel may be made of any suitable material or in any suitable manner but, as shown, is made in two plies or layers fastened or glued together, one layer being cut out to form open areas and passages between the other layer and the glass panel. In order to afford room for the coin chute l0 and striking member 40 the upper right hand corner of the background panel is cut out entirely on the arc of a circle and bevelled in the area 95 between the two concentric circular lines shown in Fig. 1 and this cut out space is closed by a plate 94, the circular edge of which may be glued to the circular edge portion of the background panel on its inner face (Fig. 11). The coin chute is mounted with its upper portion behind the plate 94 in which is an opening 5'? through which the lower portion of the chute projects into view between the plate 94 and glass panel 64. For holding the chute fixed in position, it may be provided with laterally extending wings 58 (Fig. 1) adapted to be fastened to the inner face of the plate 94.

The striking member 40 is also mounted in the space between the plate 94 and the glass panel 64 but is adapted to be operated from outside the casing. The pin 42, to which the striking member is affixed, is rotatably mounted at its inner end in the plate 94 and extends outwardly through the glass panel and has its outer end extended through the depending arm 44 of the cross-bar 46 and provided with a finger piece or knob 63 (Fig. 13) whereby the pin may be rotated to cause the striking member to eject the coin. A counterweight 67 simulating a golf ball serves to hold the striking member in a retracted position ready for the ejecting stroke. The cross-bar 46 is mounted on the outer face of the door, being secured to the frame thereof at each end by a screw 56.

As stated before, the background panel has on its outer face raised and depressed portions, the latter forming areas and passages for the travel of the ejected coin through various paths. These various portions of the background panel are painted or printed to simulate various features of a golf course and one such arrangement is shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Surrounding the chute l0 and striking member is a depressed area '70 of considerable extent giving opportunity for the coin when ejected from the chute to travel in almost any direction. To the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, the panel is provided with three raised portions '72, 74 and '76 respectively, separated from each other and from the larger elevated portions 78 and 80 by four depressed portions or passages 81, 82, 83 and 84. These four passages are each of a width sufiicient to permit the passage of a coin therethrough and they connect the large area '70 with an irregularly curved passage 86 leading downwardly to a coin receptacle 87 which opens out through the glass panel 64. A coin travelling down said passage 86 falls into the said coin receptacle 87 and may be removed therefrom by the person operating the machine. The three raised portions '72, 74

lad

and 76 simulate bunkers and the portions '78 and 80 are each painted or printed to represent a wood or forest with an illustration of a golf clubhouse in the upper end of portion 78.

Below the large depressed area is arranged a raised portion 88 of triangular form separated from the raised portion by two lanes 89 and respectively leading downwardly to an area 92 at the bottom of which is an opening 91 through which a coin may drop into a coin receptacle within the machine. The portion 88 may be painted or printed to represent a bunker and the area 92 to simulate a pond. A legend Four openings to return your coin may be printed at a convenient point in the passage 86 to call attention to the fact that the operator gets his coin back if, on ejection from the chute, it passes through any one of the four passages, 81, 82, 83 and 84. On the portion 80 may be printed the question Can you drive over the lake? because if the coin drops into the pond it is lost to the operator and falls into the coin box within the machine.

The depressed area '70 may be illustrated with figures of players and these with the other objects on the background panel may be painted or reproduced in colors to add to the general attractiveness of the panel and the scale.

In the operation of the scale of my patent, when a coin is deposited in the machine, it drops into a rotary member, depresses that me .iber and exposes the reading on the dial of the scale and any subsequent movement of the dial at the end of the weighing operation, due to the person stepping oil the scale or to other causes, rotates the rotary coin holding member and discharges the coin.

In the application of the present invention to a scale of that character as hereinbefore described, the chute 10 is so positioned that the coin, when discharged by the rotary member, drops into the flared mouth 12 of the chute, travels down the chute and is held in ejecting position at the bottom end of the chute by the detent, all in full view of the person operating the scale. The operator then, by means of the knob or finger piece 68, turns the striking member 40, in the form of a golf club, to strike the coin edgewise and to eject it laterally from the interceptive mechanism. The course pursued by the coin will depend upon the force of the stroke and. therefore, it may move in one of many different directions, some of which are indicated by the arrows in Figure 1. If the coin travels through any one of the passages 81, 82, 83 or at then it drops down the passage 86 to the open coin box 87 and is recovered by the operator. It, however, it strikes one of the bunkers '72, '74 or 76, it will be deflected back and will fall either through lane 89 or 90 into the pond and opening 91 and will be ret ined by the machine.

It will be apparent that this application of my invention imparts to the use of a scale all the fascination of a game in which the skill of the operator may play a large part in enabling him to reap the benefit of a free use of the scale. The interest thus aroused tends to stimulate and increase the use of a device of this iaracter.

Although I have shown my invention as ap plied to a Weighing scale with a background simulating a golf course, it will be apparent that the invention can, with slight changes which would be apparent to one skilled in the art, be applied to other types of coin operated machines with backgrounds simulating other games in order to stimulate the interest of the user. to increase the use of the machine and at the same time to afford the user the amusement and mental relaxation derived from playing a game.

It is to be understood that the foregoing form and application of my invention is for purposes of illustration only since it may be embodied in various other forms of construction applicable to coin operated machines generally all within the purview of the following claims.

i /hat I claim s:

1. In a coin controlled machine, the combination of chute for intercepting the coin after it has performed its function in the machine, the lower end of said chute being formed to partially expose said coin for permitting its lateral ejectment therefrom, means, operable from outside the machine, for ejecting said coin from said chute, a coin-receptacle accessible from outside the machine and a plurality of lanes or passa es within the machine through one or ii :21; coin travel alter ejection, one of said passages leading to said coin receptacle.

In a coin controlled machine, the combination of a chute for intercepting the coin after it has sr ornied its i lower or d said e being formed to partially expose said coin for perm: .ting its lateral ejectinent therefrom, means, operable from outside machine, for eject? 1.: said coin laterally from said mole within the machine, rec xtcle accessible from outside -60 lanes or passages within either one of which the coin lion, one of said lanes leading to s id ist mentioned coin receptacle and the other lea-d to second coin receptacle.

3. A con rolled machine having provision intercepting the coin after it has performed cti i in said machine, a gravity operated or hold 1 oin on edge in ejecting position and meal operable from without the machine. for ejeno perlnitt or. s id chute in a lw-eral direction. (5. In a coin controlled machine, the so hlnaion of a coin chute having its lower end formed or holding a coin. on and provicl i with. a de opening permitting t coin to ejected creiro: it operated detent tiff the hack face in aid it i not to be e cted and means, for ejecting from without the mash a coin. con rolled weighing scale, the oi mes for intercepting the coin performed its lunction in the scale,

g a chute having its lower mix edge and with a transverse passage exposing the coin to the action of a striking member, means, operable from outside the scale, for ejecting said coin from said interceptive means, coin receptacle accessible from without said scale and a plurality of passages through any one of which the coin may travel after ejection, one of said passages leading to coin receptacle.

8. In a operated weighing scale, the combination of a chute provided with an end fiar for intercepting the coin after it has performed its function in said scale, said chute being provided with a transverse opening permitting the passage of coin ej cting means, an inaccessible coin receptacle within said scale, a second coin receptacle accessible from outside said scale, a coin passage leading to each of said receptacles from said interccptive means and means, operable from outside scale, for ejecting said coin from said intereeptive means into one or the other of said passages.

9. In a coin operated weighing scale, the combination of a chute provided with an end fla 3 for intercepting the coin after it has operated the scale, said chute being provided with a transverse opening permitting the passage of coin ejecting means,- a detent for holding the coin in an edgewise position, a coin receptacle within said scale, a second coin receptacle accessible from the outside of said scale, coin passage leading from said intercepting means to each of said coin receptacles and means, operable from outside said scale, for ejecting said coin from said interceptive means into one or the other of said passages.

10. In a coin controlled machine, the combination of a chute provided with an end flange for intercepting the coin after it has performed its function in the machine, said chute being provided with a transverse opening permtting the passage of coin ejecting means, means, operable from outside the machine, for ejecting said coin from said interceptive means. a coin receptacle accessible from outside the machine, a background panel simulating a portion of a golf course and being provided with a plurality of lanes or passages through any one of which the coin may travel after ejection, one of said passages leading to said coin receptacle.

11.1n a coin controlled machine, a casing, a chute provided with an end flange for intercepting the coin after it has performed its function in the machine, said chute being provided with a transverse opening permitting the passage of coin ejecting means, means, operable from outside the machine, for ejecting sa d coin from said interceptive means, a coin receptacle accessible from outside the machine, a background panel simulating a portion of a golf course and provided with a plurality of lanes or passages through any one of which the coin may travel after ejection, one of said passages leading to said coin receptacle, and a glass panel in the front of said casing for exposing to view said background panel.

12. In a coin controlled machine, a casing, a chute provided with an end flange for intercepting the coin after it has performed its function in the machine, said chute being provided with a transverse opening permitting the passage of coin ejecting means, means, operable from outside the machine, for ejecting said coin from said interceptive means, a coin receptacle accessible from outside the machine, a background panel simulating a portion of a golf course and provided with a plurality of lanes or passages through any one of which the coin may travel after ejection. one of said passages leading to said coin receptacle, and a glass panel in the front of said casing for exposing to view said interccptive and ejecting means and said background panel.

13. In a coin controlled machine, the combination of a chute for the passage of a coin, said chute having its lower end provided with a flange for stopping said coin and with a cut out portion above said flange partially exposing said coin and permitting said coin to be ejected laterally from said chute, a gravity operated detent pivotally mounted on the lower end of said chute for engaging the back face of said coin to hold it on edge on said flange and a striking member simulating a golf club and operable from the exterior of said machine for ejecting said coin laterally from said chute.

14. In a coin controlled machine, a chute having its lower end provided with a flange for stopping a coin passing down said chute and with a transverse cut out portion above said flange, the end of said chute below and on both sides being surrounded by a clear and unobstructed space, a gravity operated detent pivotally mounted on said chute for holding a stopped coin on edge and a striking member operable from the exterior of said machine and having a head adapted to be swung through said out out portion of said chute for ejecting said coin laterally therefrom.

15. In a coin controlled machine, a chute having its lower end provided with a flange for stopping a coin passing clown said chute and with a transverse cut out portion above said flange, the end of said chute below and on both sides being surrounded by a clear and unobstructed space, a gravty operated detent pivotally mounted on said chute for holding a stopped coin on edge, an inaccessible coin receptacle within said machine, a second coin receptacle accessible from outside said machine, a coin passage leading from said clear space to each of said receptacles and a striking member operable from the exterior of said machine and having a head adapted to be swung through said out out portion of said chute for ejecting said coin laterally therefrom into one or the other of said passages.

16. In a coin controlled machine, an elongated coin chute having a passage permitting the coin to travel edgew se therethrough, said chute having a transverse flange below the lower end or said passage for supporting said coin on edge in.

partially emerged position therefrom, said flange being supported by a pair of offset ribs extending downwardly from the back of said chute and said ribs being recessed in their front edges to permit the passage transversely of said chute of a striking member for ejecting said coin laterally from said chute.

ARTHUR W. BARNARD.

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