US1978187A - Coin counting and collecting means - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1934.

S. 'CHIGER COIN COUNTING AND COLLECTINGMEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 11, 1929 Oct. 23, 1934. s. CHIGER COIN COUNTING AND COLLECTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ori inal Filed July 11, 1929 g Illlll FIPH Patented Oct. 23, 1934 PATENT OFFICE COIN COUNTING AND COLLECTING MEANS Siegmund Chiger, Berlin, Germany, assignor to the firm: G. Z. M. Patentverwertung Aktiengesellschaft, Glarus, Switzerland Original application July 11, 1929, Serial No.

377,531. Divided and this application Novemher 17, 1932, Serial No. 643,042. In Germany November 7, 1928 Claims. -(ol. 226-44 My present invention relates to apparatusfor counting and collecting coins, and has particular reference to an apparatus of this kind which can be used either alone or in combination with coin 5 packaging means as illustrated, for example, in my copending application, Serial No. 3'l7,531, of which the present application is a division.

An object of the invention is to provide, a novel coin countingmeans which is constructed for adjustment so that it may be rendered effective to count any desired number of ?coins within certain limits during any one complete cycle of operation of the counting means.

Another object of the invention is, to provide means whereby the operation of the counting means is automatically interrupted following completion of the counting ;of the number of coins that the apparatus is set to count, and is automatically returned to starting position in readiness to start the counting of the next series of coins, 2 Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby a new coin receiving receptacle. is

brought into a coin receiving position following 325 each cycle of operation of the coin counting means.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

which will becomemore fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the

same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of Referring to the drawings in detail, 3 and 32 designate, respectively, a pair of base plates which are suitably secured rigidly with respect to each other with the plate 3 disposed a suit-.

able distance above the plate 32. On the upper plate 3 is supported the coin sorting and counting mechanismof the apparatus, while on the plate 32 is. supported a carrier mechanism for the tubular receptacles which are employed to receive the coins after they have been sorted and counted.

Referring to the coin sorting mechanism of the apparatus, it will be observed that the plate 3 has formed in its upper face, near one end thereso of, a circular well or recess 30,, and that extending upwardly through the plate into this recess, axially'thereof, isa shaft 3b to which is secured a disk 4. As shown, this disk is disposed within and is of less diameter than the recess 3w and is provid- 5 ed with any desired number of coin pusher fingers 5 projecting from the periphery thereof. The channel formed between theperiphery of the disk 4 and the annular side wall of the recess 3a is of sufficient width to accommodate coins of the 7 greatest diameter that are to be sorted and counted by the apparatus, and the coins 2 are, adapted to'be delivered to this channel through a supply tube 1- across the bo-ttomvof which the fingers 5 are adapted to travel during rotation of the disk 4 7 so that as each finger passes beneath said tube it pushes ahead of it the lowermost coin of a stack contained in the tube. During operation of the apparatus the shaft 32) is rotated in any desired manner, Accordingly, ,it follows that during operation of the apparatus the coins are successively removed from the tube 1 and arepushed ahead of thefingers 5, in which connection it will be noted that the advance or leading edges of the fingers, as regards the direction of rotation of the disk 4 which is clockwise in this instance as viewed inplan, are outwardly and rearwardly inclined, or otherwise suitably formed, so that as the coins are pushed along they are urged, outwardly against the annular side wall of the recess 3a.

At a suitable point spaced from the coin supply tube 1 the plate 3 is, cut away at its under side so that the channel between the periphery of the disk 4 and the annular side wall of the recess 3a is bottomless. At the sides of the cut-away portion are suitable guide grooves, flanges or the like in or on which is slidably supported a plate 6 which, in its inserted position, constitutes a bottom forthe aforesaid channel where the plate 3 is cut away. In this plate are two circular openings '7 and 8, the first of which is of a diameter corresponding to or only slightly greater than the diameter of coins of a certain denomination to be sorted and counted, and the second of which is of a diameter slightly smaller than said coins. The smaller opening 8 is located ahead of the larger opening '7 as regards the direction of movement of the coins bythe fingers 5; Thus, it follows that as the coins are pushed along by the fingers 5, all coins of a diameter corresponding substan- 1m tially to the diameter of the opening '7 will pass over the opening 8 without falling therethrough, but will fall through the opening 7 when they are pushed into alinement therewith. On the other hand, all coins of smaller diameter than the opening 7 will, upon being pushed into alinement with the opening 8, fall therethrough and thus be separated from the coins of larger diameter. In this connection, it is pointed out that the outer edge portion of each of the openings 7 and 8 is disposed flush with the side wall of the recess 3a. Consequently, since the fingers 5 are formed to maintain the coins engaged against the side wall of said recess as the coins are pushed along, registration of the coins with the openings 8 and '7 is assured. Any desired number of the plates 6 may be provided for interchangeable use, the respective plates having pairs of openings 7 and 8 of various different sizes for the sorting of coins of diiferent denominations. In this connection it is understood, of course, as heretofore mentioned, that only the coins of largest size that are supplied to the tube 1 are intended to be sorted and counted by the present apparatus, since any coins of still larger size are understood to have been separated previously by any suitable means such, for example, as that illustrated in my aforesaid application, Serial No. 07,621. The coins that drop through the opening 8 are collected in any suitable receptacle for resorting, while the coins of a given denomination to be counted and packed and which drop through the opening '7 enter a chute 12 through which they are delivered to a tubular paper receptacle.

Preferably, the recess 3a in the plate 3 is closed at its top by a cover 9, while in order to assure dropping of the coins through the openings "1 and 8, leaf springs 10 and 11 are attached to the under side of said cover in overlying relation to said openings so that the coins are urged downwardly through said openings as they move into alinement therewith. Moreover, the cover 8 carries a magnet 9a which overlies the path of travel of the coins between the tube 1 and the opening 8, so that any coins of magnetic material are liftedfrom in front of the fingers 5 as such coins pass beneath the magnet.

At 18 is designated a disk which is disposed in the horizontal plane of the path of movement of the coins and which has a peripheral portion thereof extending into the recess 3a between the openings 7 and 8, so that each coin that passes over the opening 8 engages the periphery of said disk during its travel to the opening '7. The disk is provided with any desired number of peripheral recesses and the arrangement is such, as shown, that as each coin passes the disk it engages a recess thereof and imparts rotation thereto through an angle depending upon the number of recesses in the disk. In the present instance the disk is provided with ten recesses and each coin as it passes the disk therefore imparts one-tenth of a complete rotation thereto. The disk is fixed on a shaft 78 which extends downwardly through ij the plate 3 and which has fixed thereto a pinion 1'7 meshing with a gear 15a carried by a counting drum 15. Thus, as the coins are delivered to the opening 7 they serve to impart step-by-step rotation to the disk 18 and through said disk to the f drum 15, whereby said drum, which is properly calibrated and numbered, is caused to indicate in any suitable manner the number of coins up to a certain number which are advanced to the opening 7.

Cooperating with the drum 15 is a second drum 14 which has a gear 14a meshing with a pinion 16 on a shaft '79. One or more fingers 25, 26 is or are provided on the drum 15 to engage the pinion 16 to effect partial rotation thereof each time the drum 15 completes a rotation or each time said drum moves through any desired angle. Accordingly, assuming that the disk 18 has ten recesses and that five complete rotations of said disk are necessary to effect one complete rotation of the drum 15, it is apparent that when one complete rotation of said drum has been effected the same will indicate that fifty coins have been advanced to the opening 7. Assuming further that only a single finger is provided on the drum 15 and that this finger is arranged to engage the pinion 16 as the drum 15 completes its rotation, it is apparent that the drum 14 will be advanced one step for each complete rotation of the drum 15. Therefore, if, for example, at the end of a counting operation the drum 14. has been advanced ten steps and the drum 15 indicates that twenty-five coins have been supplied to the opening '7, the counting mechanism obviously will indicate that a total of five-hundred and twenty-five coins have passed the disk 18 and have been delivered to the opening 7. By employing more than a single finger on the drum 15 each step of advance of the drum 14 may be caused to indicate any desired number of coins less than the number indicated by a complete rotation of the drum 15. In this connection it will be noted that in the present instance the finger 25 is pivoted to the drum 15 so that it may be rocked to render the same either operative or inoperative, While at 2'7, 28 are indicated plungers which are urged outwardly by springs 29, 30, respectively, and which are operable by inward movement to rock said finger, one of the plungers being effective to rock said finger to an inoperative position and the other being effective to rock said finger to an operative position.

The receptacle carrier mechanism is inclusive of a disk 34 mounted on a vertical shaft 33 for rotation with said shaft to bring the receptacles 113 supported on said disk successively beneath the discharge end of the chute 12 to receive the coins which drop through the opening '7 and which gravitate down said chute. In this connection a feature of the invention resides in the provision of means to rotate the shaft 33 to effect discharge of a filled receptacle and to advance a new receptacle into coin receiving relation to the chute 12 each time a given number of coins have been counted and delivered to said chute, and the mechanism comprising this means will now be described in detail.

At a is designated a power shaft which rotates constantly during operation of the apparatus, while at b is designated a stub shaft which is axially alined with the shaft (1 and which is geared to a vertical shaft 51 as indicated at b. The stub shaft 1) carries a clutch element 112 and the power shaft a carries a cooperating clutch element at which is slidable on said shaft into and from engagement with the clutch element b2 and which normally is maintained disengaged from the latter clutch element by a spring a2. Thus, rotation of the shaft a normally does not impart rotation to the shaft 51, but when the clutch element (1 is shifted to engage the clutch element b2, the shaft 51 is driven.

The shaft 51 carries a segmental gear 48 which, upon one complete rotation of the shaft 51 is adapted to engage a gear 47 on the shaft 33 and to impart rotation to the latter gear and the shaft 33 to rotate the disk 34 through an angle to bring anew receptacle 113 beneath the discharge end of the, chute 12 and to move the filled receptacle, over an opening in a plate 35 underlying the disk 34 so that, the filled receptacle may, drop into any suitable collection receptacle.

,f At 23 is designated a lever which is pivoted intermediate its ends and which has, one end one erativ-ely connected with the clutch element a and} its other endprojecting into the path of movement of one end of a, lever 22 which is piV- oted intermediate its ends and which hasits other end disposed to seat normally in oneof a plurality of peripheralrecesses formed in, a disk 21 which is fixed to the shaft 79 of thecounting mechanism. The number of recesses in the disk 21 is such that a newrecess is brought into position to accommodate the second mentioned end of the lever 22 following any given amount of rotation of the drum 14 corresponding to a predetermined number of coins to be delivered to each receptacle, and as each step of advance of the disk 21 occurs the lever 22 is rocked by the cam action of said disk to cause the first mentioned end of said lever to engage the upper endof the lever 23 and to rock the latterleverto shift the clutch element a into engagement with the clutch element b2.

At 50 is designated a latch lever which is pivot ed intermediate its ends and which is disposed as shown so that when the lever 23 is swung by the lever 22 to engage the clutch element a with the clutch element b2, said lever 50 is swung by a spring 50c to'bring one end thereof into the path of return movement of the lever 23 whereby the clutch is maintained engaged even though the le-, ver. 22 may immediately be returned to its normal position by a spring 22a. following rocking thereof by the disk 21.

On the segmental gear 48 is a pin 49a, and when the latch lever 50 is swung into a position to cause the one end thereof to engage and hold the lever 23 against return movement, the other end of said latch lever is brought into the path of movement of said pin 49a so that following substantially a complete rotation of the gear 48 said pin engages and swings said latch lever to release the clutch lever 23 thus to permit disengagement of the clutch, which immediately occurs under the influence of the clutch spring a2. Accordingly, following the supply of a predetermined number i of coins to each receptacle 113, which number may ates automatically to rotate the receptacle carrier disk to eject the filled receptacle, to advance an empty receptacle into position to be filled, and to restore the mechanism to a condition to repeat the operation following the filling of each succes- 'sive receptacle.

,of the present invention andtherefore has not been illustrated.

When all coins of a givendenomination have been sorted and countedthe plate 6 is removed and a new plate is inserted to adapt the apparatus for the sorting and counting of a different denomination; If the same number of coins is to be supplied to each receptacle as in the first instance, no change is made in the fingers 25, 26, but if the number of coins to be supplied to each receptacle is to be greater or less than in the first instance, aproper rearrangement of the fingers 25, 26v on the drum iseifected. Moreover, the drums 15, 1 4 are returned to zero or starting positions, which iseifected by engaginga crank with the slotted upper ends, of theshafts 78, '79. In this connection it will be noted that the slotted ends of the shafts 78, 79 normally are maintained covered by the ends of a bar 73 which is pivoted coaxially with the drum-$114, 15 so as to eliminate anY'Doss-ibility of the operator of the device manually manipulating theoounting wheels during operation of the apparatus. M 69 is designated ,a lever which is intermediately pivotedas at '70,

and which is provided at one end with aslot '71 receiving a pin '72xon the bar '73, and which at its other end is provided with a pin 68 disposed in the path of swinging movement of a lever 63, which has a ratchet connection 65, 66 with the shaft. 33 so thatswinging of said lever 63 in the direction of the pin 68 is effective to rotate the receptaclecarrier disk 34 in a receptacle ejecting direction. In this connection the arrangement is such that the lever 69 can be rocked to swing the bar 73 to uncover the upper ends of the shafts 78, 79 only by swinging of the lever 63 against the pin 68 of thelever 69, since the end of the lever 69 having the pin 68, and also said pin, are housed within a box-like casing formation :0 having a slot y through which the lever 63 extends for manual manipulation and which slot is so narrow as effectively to prevent access to. the pin 68 and the lever 69. The arrangement moreover is such that sufficient swinging movement of the lever, 63 to. swingthe bar '73 to uncover the ends of the shafts 78, 79 is sufficient to rotate the disk 34 an amount to efiect ejection of the receptacle which at the time happened to be in coin receiving relation to the chute 12. Thus, in this way, tampering with the counting mechanism in an effort to cause the same to indicate-that more coins have been supplied to any given receptacle than have actually been supplied thereto is prevented.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the features of the apparatus constituting'the subject matter of the present invention will be clearly understood. It is desired to point out, however, that while only a single specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated 125 and described, the same is readily capable of embodiment in various other mechanical structures within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: i

1. In apparatus of the character described, means for advancing coins to a delivery position, means for counting the coins during their movement to said position, a rotatable support for a plurality of coin receptacles, a gear on said sup- 135 port, a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a segmental gear on said driven shaft for cooperation with said first mentioned gear whereby a complete rotation of the driven shaft imparts partial rotation to said support, normally disengaged clutch 140 means operable when engaged to connect said drive shaft with said driven shaft for rotatingthe latter and the segmental gear carried thereby, means operable by said coin counting means to effect engagement of said clutch means fol- 145 lowing each successive counting of a predetertion and to move a filled receptacle from said position, and means thereafter operable to disengage the clutch and torestore the mechanism to a condition to have the operation repeated.

2. In apparatus of the character described, means for advancing coins to a delivery position, means for counting the coins as they are advanced to said position, a support for a plurality of coin receptacles to be moved successively into a position to receive the coins, a drive member, a normally disengaged clutch device engageable to connect said drive member with said support for moving the latter, means whereby said counting means operates to engage said clutch following each successive counting of a predetermined number of coins by said counting means, a pivoted latch element spring operable to a position following engagement of the clutch to maintain the same engaged until the drive member has operated to move said support to advance an empty receptacle into coin receiving position, and means engageable with said latch lever as the movement of the support is completed to release I said latch lever thus to permit disengagement of the clutch.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which the means whereby the counting means effects engagement of the clutch comprises a cam wheel rotated 'by the counting means, and an interme- 30 operates to cause said support to be moved to advance an empty receptacle into coin receiving position following each successive counting of a predetermined number of coins by said counting means, said counting means including a shaft to be manually manipulated to restore the counting means to a zero or starting position, a member normally denying manual manipulation of said shaft, and a lever for moving said member to a position to afford access to said shaft, said lever being operatively connected with said support and being eifective when moved to move said member to afford access to said shaft and to move said support to advance an empty receptacle into coin receiving position.

5. In apparatus of the character described, means for advancing coins to a delivery position, means (for counting the coins as they are advanced to said position, a support for a plurality of coin receptacles, means whereby said counting means operates to cause said support to be moved to advance an empty receptacle into coin receiving position following each successive counting of a predetermined number of coins by said counting means, said counting means including a shaft to be manually manipulated to restore the counting means to a zero or starting position, a member normally denying manual manipulation of said shaft, a manually operable member constituting the sole instrumentality by which said first mentioned member is movable to afford access to said shaft, and means whereby manipulation of said manually operable member to move said first mentioned member to afford access to said shaft effects movement of said support to advance an empty receptacle into coin receiving position.

SIEGMUND CHIGER.

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