US2310089A - Periodic coin collector - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet l W. L. HUDSON PERIODIC COIN COLLECTOR Filed Dec. 11, 1940 Feb; 2, 1943.

INVENTOR. William/Z. M071 firrys.

Feb. 2, 1943,.

- w. HUDSON PERIODIC COIN COLLECTOR Filed D30. 11, 1940 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CLOCK W MOTO R Patented Feb. 2, 1943 grass F FEE 11 Claims.

In selling equipment on the installment plan it has been found that many people seem unable to save the amount necessary to make the installment payments. Various devices have been provided for collecting coins by requiring deposits of coins in a meter or collector before the device can be used. In early forms such collectors were arranged to permit operation of the apparatus for a certain number of hours of actual use. This was not entirely satisfactory because, if the purchaser happened to have very little use for the equipment during several days, no collections would be made. Furthermore, it was undesirable for the purchaser to have a feeling that each use of the equipment cost him money.

The ideal collection basis is a certain amount per day, allowing the purchaser to use the equipment as much as possible without any additional charge. It is preferable that the collector collect the stipulated amount whether the equipment be used or not. It is also desirable that there be some means for discouraging the disconnection of the collector over night so that it will run two days with only one days collections. From a practical standpoint it is also very important that the collector be adjustable to collect different numbers of coins depending on the price of the equipment being purchased. According to the present invention,

all of this is accomplished by a collector of exceedingly inexpensive and simple construction, which nevertheless operates with exceptional dependability.

A coin chute is provided which holds a plurality of coins, the top one of which actuates a switch to connect the purchased apparatus. A disc adjacent the coin chute rotates once in each 24 hours and is provided with one or more pins optionally, each pin pushing a coin out from the bottom of the chute. If one pin is used, one coin a day is collected. If two pins are used, two coins a day are collected. The coins are pushed out each night, and all of the coins which have been pushed out into the collection box must be replaced by additional coins before the equipment can be used the'next day. If the equipment is not used the next day, additional coins are pushed from the coin chute to the collection box the second night, and so twice the number of coins must be replaced the second morning. After a coin has been pushed out, and preferably for several hours thereafter, the coins remaining in the chute are held in such a position that even additional coins can-- not close the switch for connecting the purchased equipment. This discourages disconnecting the collector because it is likely to result in shutting off the connected equipment during the next day when it is desired to use the equipment.

Additional advantages and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

' Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectional View through the form of collecting unit chosen for illustration of the invention, the operating parts being shown mainly in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a front View of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with the cover removed to show the operating parts.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts in a position assumed when a coin has just been pushed out, the coin chute being partly broken away for the sake of clarity.

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram.

A preferred form of the invention has been chosen for illustration and description, in compliance with section 4888 of the Revised Statutes, but persons skilled in the art will readily perceive other means for accomplishing the same results, and the claims are therefore to be con strued as broadly as possible, consistent with the prior art.

The collector chosen for illustration is housed within a box H having a cover l2 adapted to be locked thereon by the lock E3. The box, and. hence the collector unit as a whole, may conveniently be secured to a standard Hiof the apparatus to be paid for, as by suitable brackets I I and I 8, at least one of which is secured firmly from the inside of the box H as by nuts l9 to discourage tampering. The bracket I8 has been illustrated as spring-actuated by means of a spring 2|.

A cord 23 connected to the equipment to be paid for extends through a slot 24 in the bottom of the box H and is plugged into an electrical attachment outlet 26 within the box II. The cover l2 closes over the slot 24 so that the cord 23 cannot be removed from the locked box II and hence the equipment can only be used when current is supplied to it through the outlet 26. The outlet 25 is connected to a collector attachment cord 28 through a switch 29, which is coincontrolled, as seen best in Fig. 2. This switch may be of the type now on the market known as Microswitch and includes a lever 3| extending into a coin chute 32 at such a position that a coin 33 therein will actuate the lever 3| from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 2. The position shown in Fig. 4 is the off position, and the position shown in Fig. 2 is the on position. Hence, when a coin'is in the position of the coin 33 of Fig. 2, the switch 29 is closed and current is supplied to the outlet 26 and through it to the equipment to be paid for.

Coin chute The coin chute 32 holds a plurality of coinssix in the illustrated form of the invention. The lowermost coin 34 rests on a retaining shelf 36 until it is thrust therefrom, accidental movement therefrom being prevented by spring 3! and by the walls of the chute 32. These walls are so arranged that normally the only way in which the coins can pass from the chute 32 is through the slot 38 at the side thereof, and, for the coin to get through this slot, the spring 31 must be pressed down.

Coin-collecting disc To remove a coin from the slot at the desired time a pin 4| is carried by a collecting disc or rotor 42. The collecting disc 42 rotates clockwise, as seen in Fig. 2, so that the pin 4| is moving to the left and is about to push the lowermost coin 34 through the slot 38 and off of the shelf 36. From there the coin will drop into the bottom of the box H, which forms a collection box. When the pin 4| is moved out of the way, the remaining coins will drop down so that there is room for one more coin in the chute. Until such coin is supplied,the switch 29 will be open and it will be impossible to use the equipment to be paid for, which for convenience may be called the associated equipment.

The collecting disc 42 is driven by an synchronous clock motor 44 through a suitable train of gears 46, some of which are within the motor casing to which the number 44 is applied, and a friction clutch 41 which permits the disc 42 to be turned independently of the gears in order to set it in accordance with the time of day, so that the coins will always be pushed out during the night and hence so that they will not cause interruption of the supply of current to the associated equipment during the day, when the associated equipment may be in use.

It will be observed that the collecting disc 42 is inclined slightly, as seen best in Fig. 1. The purpose of this is to enable the pin 4| which passes through the plane of the coin chute 32 at the bottom of the chute to pass entirely behind the coin chute at the top of the disc 42. shaft of the disc 42 and the axes of all the other rotating parts are perpendicular to the disc 42, these rotating parts all being carried as a unit by the plates 48 which are mounted on the main frame 49 but at an angle thereto. The coin chute 32 may also be carried by the frame 49, being spaced therefrom by brackets which also operate to hold the cord 23 away from the disc 42.

Past-due collections As has previously been described, the pin 4| pushes the bottom coin 34 ofi of the shelf 36 and it will thereafter be impossibl to operate the associated equipment until another coin has been deposited. On Sundays, however, the equipment would not normally be operated anyway and furthermore on some occasions there might happen to be no need for the particular equipment for two'or three days. It is desirable that the pur-- chaser of the equipment should not then be able to use the equipment merely by inserting one coin, as would be the case with old fashioned coin-collecting meters. According to the present invention this is prevented in a very simple manner by having the collecting disc 42 continue to rotate even when no coin is actuating the switch lever 3| so that it will push an additional coin from the coin chute 32 each day. Thus, Saturday night one coin will be pushed out and Sunday night another coin will be pushed out so that the user will have to insert two coins to connect the associated equipment on Monday morning. If no coins are inserted on Monday, three coins will have to be inserted on Tuesday.

It will be observed that this provision for collection of past-due coins is made at the nominal cost of providing a coin chute long enough to hold several coins between the shelf and the lever 3|.

Adjusting amount of collections In some instances it is desired to collect two, three or four coins a day instead of one and hence it; is very desirable to have a collector which may be adjusted to collect from one to four coins each day. In this way the jobber selling the equipment can adjust the collector to collect one coin a day if the equipment is inexpensive, and two coins a day if higher priced equipment is sold. Suggestions heretofore along this line have involved relatively expensive structures with shifting gears or the like. According to the present invention the adjustment for the amount to be collected is made by the simple expedient of adding additional pins 4|. Thus, in Fig. 2 it is seen that there are three additional slots 56, in each of which an additional pin 4| may be inserted. Each pin will push one coin from the coin chute 32 each night.

An inexpensive manner of securing the pins to 7 42, the leaf spring 57 being riveted at its inner end to the disc. The slots 56 are each provided with projections 58 forming a constricted throat. The head of the pin is enlarged, preferably being tapered as seen in Fig. 1, so that it snugly engages the slot 56 inside of the projections 58. Th projections 58 prevent accidental removal of the pins 4| and in fact prevent removal of the pins unless suficient force is used to flex the leaf spring 5? so that the pins 4| may be pushed rearwardly slightly in order to clear the projections 58. A convenient tool for inserting and removing the pins 4| comprises a small red with a bore at its end just large enough and deep enough to receive the reduced portion of th pin 4|.

Anti-disconnect feature Because the collecting disc 42 normally rotates even when the associated apparatus is not in use, a few purchasers will be tempted to disconnect the whole connecting unit overnight or at other times when the associated equipment is not to be used. This can be done by the simple expeclient of pulling the plug on the end of the cord 22 out of its convenience outlet. With such devices heretofore it has been necessary to seal such plugs to the outlet to prevent their removal, and even this safeguard was sometimes thwarted by pulling the main switch at; night. According to the present invention such temptations are largely lessened, or in the illustrated form completely overcome.

As seen best in Fig. 4, the shelf 36 is hinged on a pivot 6 l. During normal operation the shelf isheld in the position shown by a bimetallic strip 62 which is heated by a resistance coil 63 through which current flows whenever the cord 28 is connected to the source of current. This coil can be of very low resistance, connected in series with the clock 44 but it has been shown as connected in parallel with the clock, in which case it should be of very high resistance so that it would normally only reach a temperature of perhaps 125 to 200 F. As soon as the plug on the end of cord 28 is withdrawn, this coil and the bimetallic strip 62 would start to cool off. They would not 0001 very rapidly, being within the closed box II. It is preferred that they take at least five minutes to cool sufficiently to let the shelf 36 begin to drop. This is a long enough time to permit the entire unit to be moved from one position in the shop to another without any effect. However, if the plug is removed much longer than this, the bimetallic strip will cool sufiiciently to let the shelf 36 drop to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 4, in which position all of the coins in the coin chute 32 will roll out to the bottom of the box 'I I. When the plug is again inserted, the bimetallic strip 62 will be heated up and will raise the shelf 35 to its normal position, but it will be necessary to insert six coins before the associated equipment can be used. Thus, the purchaser will gain nothing by disconnecting the collector and, in fact, he will ordinarily be penalized by having to pay more than he would otherwise.

In order that the strip 62 may hold the shelf 36 up for several minutes after the unit has been disconnected, it is necessary that it normally be considerably hotter than necessary to raise the shelf. It would then tend to raise the shelf higher than its normal position, but this may be prevented by a lug 64 formed on the shelf 36 and engaging the main frame t9.

Dead period period is likely to occur during the next day at some time when the associated equipment is in use. The knowledge that this is likely to happen Will discourage disconnecting the collector.

The dead period is provided without additional cost by virtue of the fact that when the pin 4| is in the position shown in Fig. 4, having just pushed one coin off of the shelf 36, it restrains the remaining coins so that they cannot drop down into the shelf but are held in the positions shown in Fig. 4. If a new coin 66 is now inserted, it can go no farther than the position shown in Fig. 4 and hence no coin actuates the switch lever 3|. Under influence of the pin 4| alone the dead period may last for about an hour, which if it occurred during the day would be plenty of time to discourage disconnecting the collector. Such disconnection of the collector can be further discouraged, however, by providing a bar secured in the additional slots 56 and extending from near the pin 4! to beyond the (ill last of the slots 56. This bar will keep the coins in an inoperative position for about eight hours. This would make it almost impossible to disconnect the collector so judiciously as to get two days use with only one coin. Of course, when additional pins are in the slots 56, the bar at the corresponding position would be omitted since each pin will produce its own dead period and it is not necessary that the dead period be continuous.

As an alternative arrangement, four or more pins may be provided permanently in the disc 42, each being permanently secured, and a set of bars may be provided so that, if only one coin is to be collected, a bar will extend from the first pin to the last pin while, if two coins are to be collected, a bar will extend from the second pin to the last pin. These bars may snap onto the pins so as to be easily removed and replaced. They will of course extend along a straight or arcuateline between the pins.

Coin pusher To push the coins firmly down into the chute, a spring-urged roll-er H may be provided. In the'illustrated form of the invention this roller slides freely between the front and back plates of the coin chute 32 and is urged inwardly by a spring 12 (Figs. 1 and '2). One end 13 of the spring 12 is bent over to form the shaft of the roller H and may reciprocate through slots 14 of the front and back plates of the coin chute. The other end 16 of the spring 12 may likewise be bent at right angles to the spring to fit into a hole drilled in the coin chute 32. The spring is retained in place and in a flexed condition by a screw 11.

When a coin 33 is pressed into the slot 19 at the top of the coin chute 32, it presses the roller ll outwardly but as soon as the center of the coin passes the center of the roller, the roller urges the coin downwardly into the chute. This tends to prevent putting something sticky on the coin to make it stay at the position of the upper coin 33 in Fig. 2, and also prevents rolling the coins out of the chute by turning the collector upside down. Of course, any other means may be provided for preventing reverse movement of the coins. If it were decided to provide for prepayment so that several coins could be put into the coin chute in advance of the time they were needed, this could be accomplished merely by extending the coin chute upwardly to make room for the additional coins. In that event, however, the roller H and spring 12 should be omitted since the weight of a single coin would not operate this roller. Some other means for preventing reverse movement would preferably be provided, such other means already being known in the coin device art.

Operation attachment outlet 26, and the collector cord 28 into a suitable convenience outlet. He will then turn the collecting disc 42 so that it indicates the correct time of day opposite the pointer 8! which is secured to the coin chute 32 and which cooperates with the brackets 5| in holding the cord 23 away from the disc 42. As soon as the coil 63 has heated the bimetallic strip 62 to raise the shelf 36 to its normal position, the dealer will insert six slugs into the coin chute 32 so that the upper slug will actuate theswitch lever 3! and connect the equipment being sold. The dealer will now close the cover 12 and lock it with the lock l3, taking the key 82 with him.

The switch 29 will remain closed to permit use of the associated equipment throughout the day. About midnight the pin 4| will engage the lowermost coin 34 and push it 01f of the shelf 35. If two coins are to be collected each day, a second pin in the next slot 56 will, about two hours later, push a second coin from the shelf 36. Before the purchaser can use the associated equipment the next day, he must replace as many coins as were pushed out during the night. The coins which were pushed out are of course retained in the bottom of the collector box II and are removed by the dealer periodically.

If the purchaser does not insert the coins the next day, as, for example, if it is Sunday, an additional coin or additional coins will be pushed out during the second night with the result that on the day following it the purchaser will have to insert coins for two days before he can use the associated equipment.

If the purchaser should attempt to avoid the insertion of coins by disconnecting the collector cord 28 when the associated equipment is not in use, the bimetallic element 62 will cool off and allow the shelf 36 to drop, dumping all of the coins from the coin chute 32. Even if this thermostatic dumping is not provided, disconnecting the collector unit cord 28 will be discouraged by virtue of the fact that after the pin 4| pushes a coin out, it prevents the coins from dropping all the way to the shelf for a substantial period with the result that even the insertion of an additional coin will not actuate the switch lever 3| until this dead period has expired. Therefore, if the cord 28 is disconnected,the dead period would be likely to occur the following day when the associated equipment would be desired.

It is thus seen that a given number of coins is collected by this collector each day regardless of the amount that the associated equipment is used. This type of collector is especially suitable for the sale or rental of various types of equipment, such, for example, as hair driers or hair waving machines in beauty shops. Its inexpensive construction makes its use possible with equipment in which the sales price is fairly low.

I claim:

1. A coin collector including a coin chute adapted to hold a plurality of coins, a switch actuated by an upper one of the coins for controlling the apparatus to be paid for, and means effective whether the apparatus to be paid for is used or not for removing from the coin chute successive coins in successive predetermined periods, said means comprising a rotor rotating once during each said period, and a plurality of pins carried by the rotor and each disposed to push one of the coins from the coin chute, at least one of the pins being removable to vary the number of coins removed during a cycle of the rotor.

2. A coin collector including a coin chute adapted to hold a plurality of coins, a switch actuated by an upper one of the coins for controlling the apparatus to be paid for, and means effective whether the apparatus to be paid for is used or not for removing from the coin chute successive coins in successive predetermined periods, said means comprising a rotor rotating once during each said period, and a pin carried by the rotor and disposed to push one of the coins from the coin chute.

3. A coin collector including a coin chute adapted to hold a plurality of coins, a switch actuated by an upper one of the coins for controlling the apparatus to be paid for, and means efiective whether the apparatus to be paid for is used or not for removing from the coin chute successive coins in successive predetermined periods, said means comprising a rotor rotating once during each said period, and a pin carried by the rotor and disposed to push one of the coins from the coin chute, said rotor being adapted to haveanother pin optionally made effective thereon for pushing out another coin during each said period.

4. A coin collector including a box adapted to be locked, connection means adapted to connect a connection wire of associated equipment within the locked box in a manner to prevent its removal, a coin chute adapted to receive a plurality of coins through a slot accessible from the outside of the box, a switch adapted to be closed by an upper coin in the chute for completing the connection of the associated equipment, and timing mechanism for automatically removing from the bottom of the chute at least one coin during each of successive predetermined periods.

5. A coin collector including a box adapted to be locked, connection means adapted to connect a connection wire of equipment to be sold within the locked box in a manner to prevent its removal, a coin chute adapted to receive a plurality of coins through a slot accessible from the outside of the box, a switch adapted to be closed by an upper coin in the chute for completing the connection of the equipment to be paid for, and means for removing at least one coin from the bottom of the chute during each 24 hours and for preventing completion of the circuit to the equipment being paid for during a substantial portion of the 24 hours of operation of the collector to discourage interrupting the operation of the collector.

6. A coin collector including a box adapted to be locked, connection means adapted to connect a connection wire of equipment to be sold within the locked box in a manner to prevent its removal, a coin chute adapted to receive a plurality of coins through a slot accessible from the outside of the box, a switch adapted to be closed by an upper coin in the chute for completing the connection of the equipment to be paid for, means for removing at least one coin from the bottom of the chute during each 24 hours and for preventing completion of the circuit to the equipment being paid for during a substantial portion of the 24 hours of operation of the collector to discourage interrupting the operation of the collector, and a roller adapted to engage the edge of a coin at least as high as the center of said upper coin and resiliently urged against said edge above its center when in its normal position to urge it firmly downwardly.

'7. A coin collector including a box adapted to be locked, connection means adapted to connect a connection wire of equipment to be sold within the locked box in a manner to prevent its removal, a coin chute adapted to receive a plurality of coins through a slot accessible from the outside of the box, a switch adapted to be closed by an upper coin in the chute for completing the connection of the equipment to be paid for, means for removing from the bottom of the chute at least one coin during each of successive predetermined periods, and means for removing all of the coins from the chute if the operation of the coin collector is interrupted longer than a predetermined time.

8. A coin collector including a coin chute adapted to hold a plurality of coins, a switch actuated by an upper one of the coins for controlling apparatus to be paid for associated with the collector, and timing mechanism effective whether the apparatus to be paid for is used or not for automatically removing from the coin chute successive coins in successive predetermined periods.

9. A coin collector including a coin chute adapted to hold a plurality of coins, a switch actuated by one of the coins for controlling the apparatus to be paid for, and means effective for removing from the coin chute successive coins in successive predetermined periods, said means comprising a rotor rotating once during each said period, and a pin carried by the rotor and disposed to push one of the coins from the coin chute, said rotor being adapted to have another pin optionally made efiective thereon for pushing out another coin during each said period.

10. A coin collector including a coin chute adapted to hold at least one coin, a switch actuated by a coin in the coin chute for controlling the apparatus to be paid for, and means eifective for removing from the coin chute successive coins in successive predetermined periods, said means comprising a rotor rotating once during each said period, and a pin carried by the rotor and disposed to push one of the coins from the coin chute, said rotor being adapted to have another pin optionally made effective thereon for pushing out another coin during each said period. 7

11. A coin collector, including a coin chute adapted to hold at least one coin and means effective for removing from the coin chute successive coins in successive predetermined periods, said means comprising a rotor rotating once during each said period, and a pin carried by the rotor and disposed to push one of the coins from the coin chute, said rotor being adapted to have another pin optionally made effective thereon for pushing out another coin during each said period.

WILLIAM L. HUDSON.

Images