US2112511A - Coin handling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 29, 1938. B. w. WILLIAMS COIN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed March '27, 1936 Iweraio-P ZzfZzf' .M M. $9M m 55 aw xi 7 8.

Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STAES.

AENT OFFICE COIN HANDLING APPARATUS Application March 2"], 1936, Serial No. 71,214

6 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in coin handling apparatus of the type having an upright magazine containing a stack of coins, checks, tokens or the like to be moved therefrom and be dispensed by an ejector or slide member which is driven by some appropriate motor means such for example as an electric motor, electromagnet or solenoid. Such apparatus may be used for change making purposes when handling coins, or when handling checks or tokens may be used in an amusement device as disclosed in the patent to Seiden et al. No. 2,010,966 of August 13, 1935.

Sometimes when coins and the like become worn and are of less than normal thickness and sometimes when the coins or the like are not properly stacked in the magazine the ejector or slide member does not properly receive the coin or the like and consequently it happens at times that the slide member jams thereby severely straining the parts objectionably overloading the driving motor device that drives the slide member. Also, in some conditions of use, when the motor device is not energized and the parts are inoperative, unscrupulous persons may fraudulently force the slide by hand to cause it to dispense checks or the like from the magazine.

Accordingly, two problems are involved and this invention provides means, or a simple, inexpensive character to correct the difiiculties described.

More particularly the invention relates to means to prevent harmful results to the dispenser parts when the ejector, or slide, jams, and secondly to a releasable lock means for positively locking the slide against operation when the motor driving device is dead.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved coin or check handling apparatus which will overcome the dimculties encountered in the use of present known mechanisms of this kind.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved driving means for the dispenser member embodying an overload release connection to save the parts from injury when the article sought to be dispensed jams the dispenser member.

Another object is to provide such means in the nature of an attachment that can be used with standard apparatus of this type without materially altering the structure of the apparatus.

Still another object is to provide a releasable lock means for the ejector or slide dispenser member which is operative to lock the member when the driving motor is dead, and automatically releasable to free the slide member when the driving motor device is energized.

Other important objects will be apparent to those skilled in this art as the disclosure is more fully made.

Briefly, the improved structure incorporates an overload spring connection between the motor and dispenser slide, which spring normally serves to move the slide, but gives, when the slide jams to save the parts from damage. An electromag netically controlled lock device is associated with the slide, the lock device preventing movement of the slide when the driving motor is dead, but being released to free the slide when the driving motor therefore is energized. This novel structure is illustrated in detail in the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the coin, and the like, handling apparatus;

Figure 2 is a general, side elevational View the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail cross sectional view, partly in elevation, taken along the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and,

Figure 4 is a wiring diagram.

The apparatus may be constructed as a unit and mounted on a base plate III which can be located where desired, as for example, on the floor of a cabinet indicated at H. At one end the base plate is formed with a dispenser drop hole 12' leading to a suitable spout [3, as shown.

The top side of the plate 10 is preferably fiat and in this embodiment of the invention carries a reciprocatory, or to and fro, moving dispenser slide member 14 formed at one end with an elongated guide slot I in which is located a headed guide bolt 16 secured appropriately in the base Hi. The other end of the slide moves through a guide passage ll formed in the lower end of a block 18 fastened by screws H! to the base II). This block is formed with a vertical, cylindrical bore and carries an upright tube or magazine 20 which contains a stack of coins, checks, tokens or other fiat disk articles to be dispensed. The end of the slide [4 which moves under the magazine 29 is formed with a circular opening 21. Normally the slide is in the position shown in Figure 2 with the opening 2| disposed under and in registration with the magazine 20 so that the column of disk articles therein gravitates into said opening 2! with the column or stack resting on the tight bottom provided by the top surface of the plate I0. I

Since the slide [4 in the present instance is of a thickness equal to the thickness of two superimposed disk articles, two of the latter will thus lodge in the opening 2| ready to be moved to the ofiset coin drop opening l2 when the slide I4 is driven. The thickness of the slide may be varied so that one disk only will be moved thereby, or if made thick enough the slide can be made to receive and move more than two checks or coins. In other words the type of slide to be employed is entirely optional.

The end of the slide I4 remote from the magazine 20 is stopped by an adjustable set screw 22 carried in a block 23 fixedly mounted on the base l0. Said block 23 also carries an upright pin 24 to which is connected one end of a tension spring 25 the other end of which is secured to a pin 26 carried on the slide l4, as shown. The spring 25 obviously serves normally to pull the slide l4 to the normal position shown in Figure 2 where the opening 2| therein is in position to receive articles from the magazine 20.

Adjacent the block 18 the'plate [9 has securely mounted thereon a suitable electromagnetic motor device, such for example as a motor 21, shown. This motor includes a movable part such as the shaft 28, carrying a worm 29 meshed with and driving a worm wheel 30 carried fast on a transverse shaft 3| which is journaled in brackets 32 formed with the housing for the motor 21.

An end of the shaft 3| is extended as shown to project over the slide l4 where it carries and turns a. blank wheel 32' on which is eccentrically mounted a roller 33.

The slide I4 has integrally formed therewith an upright wall 34 which carries a pair of spaced transverse pins 35 on one side thereof, which pins are headed and pass through spaced alinedslots 36 formed in a bar 31 carried by said pins 35 on said wall 34, as shown. The left hand pin 35 as viewed in the drawing carries one end of a stiff coil spring 38, the other end of which is connected to a pin 39 carried on the bar 31. The tension of the spring 38 serves normally to hold the bar 3'1 to the left as shown in Figure 2 with the right hand end of the slots 36 respectively stopped against the pins 35. The right hand end, or end of the bar 31 disposed adjacent the roller 33 is bent transversely at a right angle as at 43.

One edge of the slide [4 is notched as at 4| to be engaged by the stopper end 42 of a pivoted stop pawl 43 pivoted by a pin 44 to the base I 0 adjacent the slide, said pawl being normally urged by a spring 45 to engage the pawl in the notch 4| to hold the slide l4 locked releasably against movement. This pawl includes an upstanding armature piece 46 positioned to be attracted by the core of an eleotromagnet 41 carried by a bracket 48 on the base I 0, as shown. This completes the detailed description of the parts comprising the entire structure and the manner of its operation will next be given.

As has been said, the normal or starting position of the parts is shown in Figures 1 and 2 wherein the slide I4 is held back by the spring 25 to position the opening 2| directly under the magazine 20, whereupon the slide receives by gravity two superimposed flat circular, coins or the like. The slide 14 furthermore is held locked by the pawl 43 since the spring 45 is operative to hold it so and the electromagnet 41 is deenergiz ed. Also it will be understood that the motor '21 likewise is dead. A circuit and control switch for the motor 2'! and magnet 41 have been shown in Figure 4. Thus in use it will be desirable to wire the motor 2? and magnet 41 in a series circuit 4'! with a suitable switch control 21 to make and break the circuit so that both the motor and magnet will be simultaneously energized or deenergized. In other words, when the motor runs the lock is inoperative.

We will therefore assume that the motor starts. At the same instant the magnet 41 is effective to release the pawl 43 in an obvious manner to free the slide l4 so that as the motor 21 turns the shaft 3! through the gearing described the wheel 32 turns.

Since the roller 33 moves in a path to pick up the bent end 4!. it follows that the roller 33 picks up the bar 37, so to speak, and pulls it in the direction of the magazine 20. But the bar 37 cannot under normal loads move relative to the wall 34 and slide 14 because the spring 38 is so stiff or strong that the slide 14 through the wall is pulled with the bar 31 as a unit. Thus the slide 14 moves the coins it holds to a position over the opening 52 to permit the same to drop by gravity from the slide and down through the spout H to be dispensed. The spring 25, of course, serves to retract the slide from this dispensing position back to the normal or coin receiving position ready for a repeat stroke as is well understood in the operation of these mechanisms.

In the event that the slide should jam on its pass across the lower end of the magazine because cf a cooked coin or a worn one, an overload occurs which causes the spring 38 to yield or give without moving the wall 34 because it is stuck with the slide M and cannot move because of the jamming and the spring 38 is not stiff enough to drive the slide under such resisting force. Consequently, when the roller 33 pulls the end 40 the bar 31 moves alone relative to the Wall 34 and slide M with the spring 38 stretching. Thus the slide and driving connections cannot be forced when jamming takes place and these parts are saved from injury. Further, the motor 2'! cannot be overloaded and this too is highly desirable.

This result is especially desirable in such instances where the motor is held energized long enough to cause the slide to make a number of strokes, for in such a case the driving energy when the slide is jammed is dissipated by moving the bar 3'! alone against the pull of the spring 38. This simple lost motion connection therefore has great utility. When the dispensing operation has ended and the motor and magnet are deenergized the spring 45 is operative to move the pawl 53 to its slide locking position in the notch 4! to prevent movement of the slide I4.

From this disclosure it can now be seen that an improved coin and the like handling apparatus has been provided which achieves all of the desirable objects of the invention heretofore recited.

It is the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the structure shown for purposes of illustration which do not in material respects constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention as covered by the appended What is claimed is:

1. In a coin handling apparatus having an upright tube containing a column of coins or the like to be dispensed, a, fiat ejector having an opening therein toregister with the lower end of the tube to receive a coin. said ejector being mounted for substantially horizontal movement over a. support to carry a coin in its opening from a, position under the tube to a dispensing posi tion, a motor device including driving means to move the ejector, the combination with said driving means of a translationally movable bar carried on the ejector for moving the ejector from said driving means, and a spring operatively connected between the bar and ejector; which spring is strong enough for normally pulling the ejector but yields to save the ejector and motor device from damage when a coin jams between the ejector opening and tube by preventing the driving means from moving the slide.

2. In a device of the class described, an upright tube containing coins or the like to be dispensed, a flat slide having an opening therein adapted to register with the lower end of the tube to take and move a coin therefrom to a dispensing position, said slide being carried on a support for reciprocatory movement, a motor device, the combination with said slide of a bar carried on the slide for relative sliding movementwith respect thereto, a spring having ends respectively connected to the bar and slide and in a manner normally to resist relative movement between the slide and bar, and a driving means between the motor device and bar for driving the bar and moving the slide through the spring under normal loads, said spring yielding under abnormal resistance to movement of the slide occurring when a coin jams between the slide opening and tube, whereby said bar will move relative to the slide without applying driving force to the latter.

3. In a device of the class described, an upright coin containing magazine, a motor driven slide mounted to slide back and forth under the magazine to dispense coins therefrom, the combination with said slide of pins carried on the slide, a bar having spaced aligned slots formed therein, with a pin passed through each slot to mount the bar on the slide, a spring connected between the bar and one of the pins on the slide, said spring being of a stifiness to cause the slide and bar normally to move bodily together, said spring stretching when the slide jams on a coin in the magazine to cause the motor force to be applied to the bar only whereby the bar moves relative to the slide.

4. In a coin handling apparatus having an upright tube containing a column of coins or the like to be dispensed, a flat ejector having an opening therein to register with the lower end of the tube to receive a coin, said ejector being mounted for substantially horizontal movement over a support to carry a coin in its opening from a position under the tube to a dispensing position, an electric motor including gearing, a Wheel driven by the gearing, an eccentric drive pin on the wheel, the combination with the ejector of a bar carried thereon for relative sliding movement, said bar having an end portion en.- gageable by the pin to move same, and a spring connection between the bar and ejector, which connection normally is eiTective to move the slide with the bar but which connection yields and is inefl ective to apply driving force to the slide when a coin in the opening of the latter jams against the tube.

5. In a device of the class described having a base plate carrying an upright coin containing magazine, a slide member carried on the plate for to and fro movement relative to the magazine to dispense coins therefrom, an electric motor means including mechanism to drive the slide member, the combination with said slide member having a notch formed in an edge thereof, of a spring pressed lock member carried on the base plate and normally engaging the'notch to lock the slide member against movement, an electromagnetic releaser means carried on the base plate adjacent the notched edge of the slide member, and means simultaneously to energize the releaser means and the motor means to re-- lease the lock member and free the slide member for operation.

6. In a device of the class described having a base plate carrying an upright coin containing magazine, a slide member carried on the plate for to and fro movement relative to the magazine to dispense coins therefrom, an electric motor means including mechanism to drive the slide member, the combination with said slide member having a notch formed in an edge thereof, of a spring pressed lock lever normally engaging the notch to lock the slide member against movement, said lock lever carried on the base plate for swinging movement about a vertical axis, an electromagnetic releaser carried on the base plate adjacent the notched edge of the slide member and having a core disposed on an axis transverse to the slide member, and means simultaneously to energize the motor means and releaser to swing the lock lever free of the slide member to enable the latter to operate.

BRADLEE W. WILLIAMS.

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