US2064286A - Coin gauge - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1936. c. F. BAROTHY COIN GAUGE Filed Dec. 11, 1935 Patented Dec. 15, 1936 iJNlTED STATES Ltttltt PATENT OFFEQE COIN GAUGE Application December 11, 1935, Serial No. 53,947

5 Claims.

This invention relates to coin gauges and more particularly to coin gauges for coin collectors such as those employed at telephone pay stations.

One type of telephone pay station coin collector, for example, such as that disclosed in the U. S. patent to O. F. Forsberg 1,043,219, issued. November 5, 1915, comprises a housing upon which is mounted what is commonly called a coin gauge comprising a metallic structure with a plurality of openings for receiving coins of different denominations. Associated with each of these openings is a slot for guiding the deposited coin into the housing for subse- 15 quent collection or refund, depending upon whether the desired services are secured. A coin gauge of this type has heretofore been cast of a relatively soft metal and plated with a harder metal. It has been a relatively expensive article 20 to produce, requiring many and widely different operations in its production. The size of each opening into which the coins are placed must be held to close limits in order to gauge properly each coin for maximum diameter, and/when the 25 gauge is electroplated with a metal such as chromium, very careful control of the plating process is required to insure that the thickness of the plating is such as to meet manufacturing limits upon the size of the finished opening and 30 provide the necessary protection against wear.

An object of this invention is the provision of an improved multi-part coin gauge having a construction permitting accurate forming and assembly of the parts with a required structural 35 strength and which is economical tomanufacture and durable in service.

In accordance with the above object, the invention contemplates, in one embodiment thereof, as applied to a telephone pay station coin 4o collector a coin gauge comprising front, rear and center integral sections punched and formed from stainless steel and secured together by welding. The front or housing section alone serves to gauge the diameter of the coins and the center and rear sections which are assembled as a unit before their assembly with the front section serve to gauge the thickness of the coins independently of the front section. In an alternative construction the center section com- 50 prises two punched and formed parts instead of one.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying 55 drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a telephone pay station coin collector of a type capable of employing an improved coin gauge of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view on an enlarged scale of the coin gauge illustrated in Fig. l; 5

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled center and rear sections before the front or housing section is assembled therewith; 1

Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical sectional views taken along the lines 5'5 and 66 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view similar to the section 5-5 of Fig. 2 of an alternative construction employing a two-part center section.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1 wherein there is shown a telephone pay station coin collector of the general type disclosed in the herein mentioned Forsberg patent, the numeral Ill indicates an upper housing for the coin collector having on its upper wall It a coin gauge l2 embodying the features of this invention. One embodiment of the coin gauge I2 as shown in Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, has a plurality of openings in its front wall through which coins of different denominations, such as five, ten and twenty-five cent pieces may be deposited for passage through channels, one corresponding to each of the openings provided in a laterally inclined coin chute l3 (Fig. 1). The coin chute channels guide the coins deposited into the openings in the coin gauge I2 to mechanism (not shown), which eventually discharges the coins either into a cash compartment or a refund tray, depending upon whether the desired services are secured or not.

The coin gauge l2 (Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive) comprises cooperating front, rear and center sections I6, H and 18, respectively. Each of the sections comprising one integral piece of metal, preferably stainless sheet steel, produced by suitable blanking, perforating and forming operations in. accordance with known practices in the art of metal working. The front section It includes front, top and end walls H3, 20 and 2i, respectively, and a foot 24 extending forwardly from the front wall, the end walls 2| being inclined outwardly at similar angles from the top wall 20 to the plane of the lower surface of the foot 24. Formed in the front wall I6 are three coin receiving and diameter gauging apertures 25, 26 and 21 for five, ten and twenty-five cent pieces, respectively. Each of the apertures 25, 26 and 21 is surrounded by an annular flange 30, 3| and 32, respectively, the innerv peripheral faces of the flanges being flush with the inner faces of the apertures, and each flange extends rearwardly from the inner face of the front wall l5 for a predetermined different distance, the reason for which will be described hereinafter. Each aperture 25, 26 and 21 has a diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the coin which each opening is designed to receive, thus serving to gauge the diameter of the coins inserted therein.

The center section l8 comprises a plate-like member 33 having three forwardly extending embossments 35, 31 and 38 formed thereon, which are open at their lower ends, the embossments being provided at their upper ends with apertures 39, 53 and 4!, respectively, substantially concentric with the apertures 25, 26 and 21, respectively, in the front section l6. Each of the embossments 35, 3? and 38 extends downwardly at a slight angle from the vertical, each angle differing from the angle of the others and at their lower ends the embossments as well as the portions of the plate 33 therebetween extend for a slight distance below the plane of the lower face of the foot 25 of the front section [6, as indicated at 42 (Figs. 2 and 5). The lower ends of the embossments and the portions of the plate 33 therebetween extend into an opening or slot 64, indicated in dotted lines (Fig. 5), formed in the upper wall H of the coin collector housing Hi, when the assembled coin gauge is secured in position thereon and serve to prevent strips of paper or other material from being inserted under the coin gauge to block the passage of the coins into channels provided in the coin chute l3, which channels communicate with the lower open ends of the angular disposed embossments.

The rear section I! comprises a plate-like member 45 having end flanges 45, inclined similar to the end walls 24 of the front section [6 and fitting therewithin and a rearwardly extending foot 4! disposed in the plane of the foot 24 of the front section. Formed in the member 45 is a single embossment 48 having a size and configuration which permits it to fit snugly within the embossment 38 formed in the center section !8 (Figs. 3 and 5). The rear and center sections ll and i8, respectively, have a substantially identical configuration along their top and ends, as viewed in front elevation, the center section l3 being slightly smaller than the rear section, as indicated at 49 (Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6) and, as described hereinbefore, the lower end of the center section extends below the front and rear sections along its bottom. The peripheral edge face of the rear section I I along its top and ends fits snugly against the inner continuous face of the top 25 and end walls 2! of the front section l6.

It will be observed, referring particularly to Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, that the height or distance that each of the embossments 3G, 31 and 38 is' raised or extended from the front face of the plate 33 differs in the case of each embossment and in assembled relation the rear face of the plate 33 comprising the center section l8 abuts the front face of the plate 45 comprising the rear section ll. Thus the cooperating spaced rear faces of the embossments 33 and 31 and the front face of the plate 45 provide channels 52 and 53 for the passage of five and ten cent pieces inserted into the coin gauge through the apertures 25 and 26, respectively. Likewise the spaced rear face of the embossment 38 and the front face of the embossment 38 on the rear section I! provide a channel 54 for the passage of twenty-five cent pieces inserted into the coin gauge through the aperture 21. The spacing between the opposed faces forming each of the channels 52, 53 and 54 are slightly greater than the thickness of the coin which each channel is designed to receive, the channels thus serving to gauge the thickness of coins passing thereinto. It will also be observed that the twenty five cent channel 54 is arranged forwardly of the five and ten cent channels 52 and 53, respectively, which are in substantial alinement. This is so in order that the completed coin gauge [2 may be employed in conjunction with the particular coin chute l3 used in the coin collector of the general type disclosed in the hereinbefo-re mentioned Forsberg patent.

The annular flanges 30, 3! and 32 surrounding the apertures 25, 26 and 21, respectively, of the front section It and which extend rearwardly from the inner face thereof, abut at their annular edges, in the case of the flanges 30 and 3!, the outer faces of the embossments and 3? surrounding the apertures 33 and 5B, respectively, and in the case of the flange 32 the end thereof is entered in the aperture 3! of the embossment 38, when the front section is assembled with the center and rear sections. The different lengths, hereinbefore described, of the flanges 3!], 3i and 32 it will be apparent are necessary due to the diflerent distances the outer faces of the embossments 35, 3i and 33 are from the outer face of the center plate 33. The flanges 33, 3| and 32 serve as means for guiding the coins inserted through the apertures 25, 26 and 2! into the downwardly extending channels 52, 53 and 54 communicating therewith, respectively. At the lower open ends of the embossments 36, 31 and 38 the front walls thereof are slightly flared (Figs. 5 and 6) to provide greater clearance at these points to insure the passage of the coins from the channels 52, 53 and 54 into the coin chute channels arranged therebelow.

To insure that the coins inserted in the apertures 25 and 26 and guided into the downwardly extending channels 52 and 53 by the flanges 3G and 3|, respectively, will freely pass intothe channels without meeting obstruction from the annular edge faces of the apertures 39 and 40 of the embossments 36 and 31, respectively, the latter apertures are made slightly greater in diameter than the apertures 25 and 25, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, r, and 6. In assembling the front section IS with the center and rear sections I8 and I1, respectively, the inner peripheral edge faces of the flanges 30 and 31 are arranged flush with the similar faces of the apertures 39 and 49, respectively, at their lowermost points. This arrangement provides a continuous flush surface for the five and ten cent coins to slide upon from their entrance into the apertures 25 and 26 until they drop into the channels 52 and 53, respectively. Since the flange 32 for guiding the twenty-five cent coins is entered in the aperture 4! of the embossment 38 the above described provision for insuring the" free passage of the five and ten cent coins is not necessary. Struckout from the front wall of the embossment 38 at the left side of the center section is a small embossment 55 serving as a stop member which in assembling the front section with the center and rear sections abuts the inner face of the front section and is eifective to position them in parallel alinement during assembly. The abutting annular edges of the flanges 39 and Si of the front section and the outer faces of the embossments 35 and 3'4, respectively, on the center section it will be apparent serve the same purpose at the right side of these sections as the stop member 55 at the left side thereof.

In order to facilitate attaching the coin gauge l2 to the top wall H of the upper housing If] and over the slot M the feet 24 and i'i of the front and rear sections it and I1, respectively, are provided with apertures 56 (Fig. 3) which register with apertures formed in the housing wall through which apertures, screws, bolts or rivets are extended to secure the coin gauge in position. The apertures 56 in the rear section are elongated to take care of slight variations in the distance between these apertures and the apertures in the front section after the coin gauge has been assembled, which might vary from the spacing between the corresponding apertures in the housing wall l l.

Small perforations 51 are provided in the rear plate e5 opposite the coin receiving apertures 25, 25 and 2'? of the front section H5 in order to facilitate the removal of any slug or coin which become wedged in the gauge.

The front face of the rear plate 55 has depressed therein characters 62, such as numerals 5, and 25, which are visible through the coin receiving openings 25, 2E and 27, respectively, to indicate the five, ten and twenty-five cent openings in the gauge, the depressed surfaces of the characters being filled in or colored, for instance, with a black enamel, or other finish, to set the characters out against the surrounding stainless steel surface of the plate 45.

In assembling the front, rear and center sections it, if and 83, respectively, to complete the coin gauge 52 the rear and center sections are first brought into abutting relation, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which position the embossment S8 of the rear section is entered in the embossment 33 of the center section and the peripheral edge face of the center section will be positioned slightly inside the similar face of the rear section, as indicated at 49 (Fig. 2). The center and rear sections while thus related and held by suitable clamping means are then permanently attached or united at a plurality of points by spot welding, as indicated at 6!! (Fig. 4:). Thereafter the front section I6 is clamped in a suitable manner with the required pressure against the assembled center and rear sections with the coin guiding flanges 30, 3| and 32 thereof abutting or alined, as hereinbefore described, with the apertures 39, 40 and M, respectively, of the center section, the peripheral edge face of the rear section along its top and ends fitting snugly against the inner continuous face of the top 28 and end walls 2! of the front section. While so related the end flanges 45 of the rear section H are permanently attached or united to the end walls 2i of the front section It at both ends of the assembly at a plurality of points by spot welding, as indicated at 6! (Fig. 6). This completes the assembly of the coin gauge and thereafter it is polished and buffed on the top, sides, front and top of front foot and the back surface of the rear section may be given a coat of black enamel.

In Fig. '7 another embodiment of the invention is illustrated, wherein center and rear sections 63 and 6 of the coin gauge at the twenty-five cent coin portion thereof are constructed differently than these portions in the structure shown in Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive. The rear section 64 in Fig. 7 is not embossed as in the previously described coin gauge structure to form the rear wall of a downwardly extending coin thickness gauging channel 65. Instead the center section 63 is embossed, as indicated at 66, to a plane identical to that of the embossment 48 on the rear section of the first embodiment. To provide the front Wall of the channel 65 a short plate 61 extending across the twentyfive cent portion and to the adjacent end of the gauge is welded to the center section 63, the plate 61 being embossed, as indicated at 68, to a plane identical to that of the embossment 38 on the center section of the first embodiment. A perforation 69 is formed in the wall of the embossment 58 in line with the perforation 51 provided in the rear section hereinbefore described and for a similar purpose. Other than the noted differences in construction the two described coin gauges and the method of producing them are identical.

It is evident that coin gauges constructed, as above described, from a plurality of sections formed from stainless sheet steel molecularly united into an integral structure will have a required strength, the struck out embossments on the center and rear sections serving in addition to their described functions for adding rigidity to the assembly. Also the sections may be inexpensively formed by simple punch press operations and readily assembled and welded together. In addition by fabricating them from stainless sheet steel great wearing quality will result. Furthermore, due to the fact that the front section alone gauges the diameter of the coins while the center and rear sections, which are assembled as a unit before their assembly with the front section, gauges: the thickness of the coins independently of the front section, an accurate construction and assembly of the parts is facilitated.

Although the embodiments of this invention as herein illustrated and described are particularly well adapted for use in connection with telephone pay station coin collectors, it should be understood that the invention is capable of other applications and should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin gauge comprising united front, rear and center sections punched and formed from sheet metal, said front section having a coin receiving and diameter gauging aperture, said center section abutting said rear section and having an embossment formed thereon pro- Vided with an aperture substantially concentric with the aperture in said front section, the opposed spaced faces of the rear section and that of the embossment on said center section forming a channel of predetermined depth communicating by means of the aperture in the embossment with the coin diameter gauging aperture for gauging the thickness of coins passing thereinto.

2. A coin gauge comprising united front, rear and center sections punched and formed from sheet metal, said front section including front, top and end walls, the front wall thereof having a coin receiving and diameter gauging aperture therein, said rear and center sections being an assembled unit before the front section is united thereto, comprising a rear plate having end flanges fitting within and united to the end Walls of the front section, and a center plate abutting the rear plate and having a vertically extending embossment thereon provided with an aperture at its upper end substantially concentric with the aperture in said front section, the opposed faces of the rear plate and the embossment on said center plate forming a channel of predetermined depth communicating by means of the aperture in the embossment with the coin diameter gauging aperture for gauging the thickness of coins passing thereinto.

3. A coin gauge comprising united front, rear and center sections punched and formed from sheet metal, said front section having a plurality of spaced coin receiving and diameter gauging apertures and a coin guiding flange surround ing each of the apertures, said rear and center sections being united in abutting relation and having forwardly extending embossments of pre determined difierent depths formed thereon, each of the embossments on the center section being provided with an aperture substantially concentric with one of the apertures and its surrounding flange in said front section, the opposed spaced faces of the rear section and those -of the embossments on said center section forming channels communicating by means of the apertures in the embossments with the coin diameter gauging apertures for gauging the thickness of coins passing thereinto.

4. A coin gauge comprising united front, rear and center sections punched and formed from sheet metal, said front section having a plurality of spaced coin receiving and diameter gauging apertures and a coin guiding flange flush with the inner surface of each of the apertures, said rear and center sections being united in abutting relation, the center section having forwardly extending embossments of predetermined different depths formed thereon, each provided with an aperture substantially concentric with the apertures in said front section, the rear edge faces of two of said flanges abutting forward faces of the corresponding embossments on said center section, the third flange on said front section being entered in the aperture of its corresponding embossment, a forwardly extending embossment formed on the latter embossment abutting the rear face of said front section, the abutting faces of the embossments, edge faces of said flanges and the rear face of said front section cooperating as stop surfaces in assembling and uniting the sections, the opposed faces of the rear section and those of the embossments on said center section forming channels communicating by means of the apertures in the embossments with the coin diameter gauging apertures for gauging the thickness of coins passing thereinto.

5. A coin gauge comprising united front, rear and center sections, said front section having a coin receiving and diameter gauging aperture and a coin guiding flange flush with the inner surface of the aperture and abutting the forward face of said center section, said center section abutting said rear section and having an embossment formed thereon provided with an aperture designed and arranged for receiving a coin passing thereinto from the aperture and flange of said front section, the opposed spaced faces of the rear section and that of the embossment on said center section forming a channel of predetermined depth for gauging the thickness of coins passing thereinto from the aperture in the embossment.

CHARLES F. BAROTHY.

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