US2321153A - Coin tester - Google Patents

Description

Jul 1e 8, 1943. v w. PATZER ETAL COIN TESTER Filed July 27, 1940 W. PATZER E'l'AL COIN TESTER June 8, 1943.

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 4 n I l I a Filed July 27, 1940 Patented June 8, 1943 oFFic COIN TESTER William Patzer and Walter A. Trats c'n',

Chicago, Ill.

Application July 27, 1940, Serial No. 347,933 3. Claims. (01. 194-400) This invention relates to coin testing devices and has as its principal object the provision of coin testing means which employs the coin to generate an electro-motive force by passage between the pole pieces of an electromotive-genrerator, the force thus developed being employed to actuate certain selecting mechanism.

Viewed from another aspect, the invention provides a coin testing device including a chute having acceptance and exit openings and an electromotive generator including spaced metallic poles in the chute between whichthe coin is pushed in frictional engagement with the poles to generate a force, the magnitude of which is dependent upon the physical characteristics of the coin.

A further object is the arrangement of at least one of the poles to yield to permit introduction of the coin between the poles and yet maintain a firm frictional pressure on the coin during its transit therebetween.

A further object is the provision of an electrosensitive device in the nature of a glavanometer type relay to be actuated by a current of certain magnitude from an electro-motive force generated by certain coins to operate selecting means for directing the coins variously toward the acceptance and reject exits.

Still another object is the provision in a coin testing device of the class described including an electromotive generator, of electrically operated coin selecting means operated by current from a source other than the couple, and an electrosensitive device or galvanometer type relay actuated by the couple for connecting the electrically operated selecting means with said other source, together with connections through the galvanometer relay providing a temporary locking circuit to holdup the electrically operated selecting means and give a coin time to pass into 1 the proper exit.

auxiliarywork circuit through the galvanometer relay and electrically operated selecting means after the coin has had time to pass the selecting means. 7

A still further object is the arrangement of the electromotive couple to operate as a diameter a gauge for the coin.

Yet another object is the arrangement of the electromotive generator to engage the peripheral edge portions or rim of the coin to awar defacement of the profile of the coin.

Other objects, advantages and novel aspects of the invention "reside in certain details ofconstruction as welllas the cooperative relationship of the component parts of theillustr'ative' embodiment described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective of the testing unit; a Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear perspective ofthe testing unit; i

Fig.8 is a transversevertical section through the unit; h x P Fig.. 3a is a vertical sectional detail View taken along line 311-311 in Fig. 2;

in the direction of lines 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary interior perspective showing the electromotive couple andcoin pusher; f 9

Fig. 6 is a'circuit-diagram. h

The testing unit shown in'Fig. 1 comprises a thin chute member adapted for mounting-ina'n upright position on some associated apparatus to be controlled, the chute being constructed preferably of an insulating material, such as fiber,

1 in a front'wall plate [0 of w'hichf is a "coin entrance ll communicating to an'interiorchute p'assageto be described inviewof Fig; l -"An operating handle l2 proj ects from thelower-portion of the chute and is journaled in a bushing l3 '(Fig. 3) with'a shaft portion 15- extending from the rear face plate [6 of the chute, asshown in Fig.2, for connection with amounting hub M from which extends a-pusher operating arm 15a.

The body of the chute preferably includes an intermediate cut-out plate I [1' (Figs, 3 and 4) Which is clamped between the front face plate l0 and the rear faceplate I6, suitable screws- ;l 8 holding the plates together, the intermediate 'cutout plate I! also including a' section 11a which provides a descending r-un'way -portion" l'f9 leading into a reject'exit 20 opening into the bottom edge of the chute. The opposite side of the section Ila is spaced from the adjoiningparts' of the main-section l fl't'o define 'an cce tance passage 2| leading into an acceptance eXit'ZZ in the bottom' edge of the chute.

The principal'part of the testing'meansin eludes an electromotive generator consisting of one pole piece or electrode in the form of a plate 23 of copper or other suitable metal, fixedwithin the chute passage above'the runway 19 andhaving a horiz ontallyextending runway ledge 24- on I 26' of therunway'24;

. tion 25, the purpose of which will hereinafter be explained, and a rearward or trailing edge portion 26 which terminates in space approximately above the acceptance opening 2| and the uppermost end of the runway 9 so that the coin A, in rolling off the upper horizontal edge 24, would tend to drop directly into the acceptance opening 2|.

The electromotive generator is completed by the provision of a plate 21 of a metal different from the plate 23, preferably of carbon steel, mounted on horizontally spaced pins 28 extending in vertically elongated slots 29 formed in the. plate 21 so that the latter may shift vertically. The second or carbon steel electrode or plate is provided with a wedge-shaped lower horizontal edge 36 (Figs. 3 and 5), which edge is normally maintained in approximate parallelism with the runway ledge 24 on the companion copper elec- Y trode or pole, piece.

The upper or carbon steel plate or electrode 21 is urged downwardly by a bow spring 3|. This bow. spring 3| is disposed between the top edge of the electrode 21 and the facing provided by the intermediate cut-out plate I! with the medial portion of the bow spring 3| bearing against the plate I'll and the free ends of the bow spring 3| positively urging the electrode 21 into a normally lowered and predetermined spaced relation relative to the companion electrode 23: and particularly the ledge portion 24 thereon. V

The coin entrance II is disposed above the leading edge 25 of the runway 24 in such position that the coin A deposited" therein tends to rest against the verticallyspacededge portions 32 of a U-shaped sliding pusher-33 (Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5) mounted for horizontal sliding movement in horizontally extending, vertically spaced slots 34 (Fig. 2) formed in the face plate IS. The vertically spaced portions 32 onithe pusher'are situated so that the coin A will rest against both edge portions. as shown in Fig. 4,imm ediately following deposit, andduring movement of the pusher '33: to the left until the coin'drops off the left end The pusher 33 is operatively connected to and reciprocated by the arm |5a having a pin and slot driving connection 5b with the same, as shown in Fig.2. A spring 36 having one end suitably'anchored and its opposite end connected to lever arm 15a, urges thelatter and operating handle |2 associated therewith into a normal position in which the pusher is disposed, as shown in Fig. 4,

.ready to engage a coin. Afterdepositing the coin, the patron turns the handle l2, shifting the pusher toward the left (Fig; 4) and pushing the coin A in between the-electrodes 23 and 2'! along the runway ledge 24, as indicated by the coin B.

If the coin is of less than a predetermined diameter, the upper rim portion thereof obviously will not engage the edge 30 on the carbon steel to the plate l6 and to position the projection 46 in blocking position across the entrance of the passage 2| just opposite the, upper edge portion |9a of the inclined runway l9. As a result of such normal positioning of the blocking portion 40, a coin leaving the end 26 of the upper runway ledge 24 will be prevented from entering the acceptance passage and roll over the runway I9 into the reject exit 20 unless the magnet 42 is energized to attract the armature plate counterclockwise (Fig. 3) to retract the blocking portion 46 out of the acceptance passageway 2| before the coin reaches the latter.

The electrically operated selecting means 40- 42 is adapted to be controlled by the electrometive generator 232| when a coin element having proper physical characteristics such as are found in an acceptable coin, for example a U. S. fivecent piece, is pushed between the electrodes forming the electro-motive generator to develop an electric-motive force which operates certain electrosensitive relay means which connects electro-motive force from an auxiliary source, such as a battery 5|, with the coil 42 to effect. withdrawal of the blocking projection 40 from the coin passage 2| which withdrawal of the projection 40 permits passage of the coin into the acceptance passage 2| and exit 22.

The current developed by the 'electro-motive generator is immediately utilized to operate a highly sensitive relay of the so-called galvanometer type'which operates on relatively small currents. This relay is indicated as a unit at 45 (Figs. 2 and 3') mounted on the rear faceplate I6, the relay having'a moving coil system 46 including a movable contact 46a (Figs. 2, 3, 6); disposed by 'hair spring means 41 in a normally open circuit relationship with respect to a companion con-tact48 (Figs. 2 and 6).

' As'shown in Fig. 6, one terminal of the moving coil 46 is connected by a conductor 49 to the electrode 21, the remaining terminal of the moving coil being connected by conductor 56 to the copper electrode 23,'so that when the. proper coin A is pushed between the electrodes an electro-motive force will be developed and current will be conductedthrough" the moving coil sysa dry cell type battery 5| is included as a part of electrode; The diameter of the opening pre-- vents the insertion of coins of greater than the required diameter. a

The acceptance passageway 2| is normally closed by a'blocking projection 40 (Figs. 2, 3a and 4) offset on an armature plate ;4| 1 pivotally mounted on and constituting part of an electrically operated selecting device including a magnet 42 and spring means 43 (Fig. 3a) anchored to the magnet supporting frame and to the armature plate 4| and normally urging the armature plate 4| to dispose the latter at an angle with; respget 'g5 the testing unit. This work circuit is made up by one terminal of the battery 5| being connected to one terminal of the coil 42,'whi1e the remaining-coil terminal is connected .via conductor 53 to one terminal 54 of a supervisory control switch 55 (Fig. 2) mounted on the rear panel '|6of the unit. A companion movable contact '56 of this supervisory switch 55 is connectedin common with conductor 56 through the moving coil system 46 through the movable contact'46a thereof. The companion contact 48 of. the' movable contact 46a is connected by a conductor wire to the positive side of the battery 5|;

The contact 56 of the supervisory switch is of the spring leaf variety and is normally-biased into closed circuit engagement'with the com pan-ion contact 54; however, contact 56,. is held out of contacting engagement with contact 54 by engagement of an offset flange l5c on the main operating arm with an insulated stud 51 on the contact 56, as shown in Fig. 2, so long as the operating arm Ia'is in its normal position. As soon as the operating arm is turned out of normal position to movecoin'A between the electrodes, the supervisory switch contacts 5455 will be closed; and as soon as the current from the electrodes causes the relay contact 46a to engage contact 48, the auxiliary work circuit from battery 5| will be completed and current will flow through the moving coil system 43 energizing the coil 42 which will attract the armature plate 41 and retract the blocking projection 40 so that the already moved coin A may drop into the acceptance passage 2|, assuming the coin to be an acceptable one. As soon as the operator releases the handle [2, spring 36 will restore arm a to urge flange l5cagainst stud 51, thus-opening the supervisory switch 55, deenergizing coil 42 and permitting the spring 43 to restore the selecting armature 4i and blocking projection 40 to normally effective position.

A mounting clip 60 (Fig. 2) is provided on wall l6 of the chute to support a small dry cell, there being terminals BI and 62 engaging the terminals at the opposite ends of the battery for connection in the circuit of Fig. 6. Electrical connection to the electrodes of the electromotive generator is effected by a screw 63 (Fig. 2)

threaded into a stud 64 (Figs. 4 and 5) on the copper plate electrode 23, while connection to the other carbon steel electrode is made to a projection 65 (Figs. 3 and 5) from the steel plate, which projection passes through the cover plate Hi just behind the galvanometer relay 45.

To summarize the operation of the device, it is assumed that the main operating arm l5a is in normal position and that a patron deposits coin A, of suitable diameter and characterictics intended to operate the device, in the opening I I, coin A resting against the edge portions 32 on the pusher. The patron turns the handle l2 and causes the pusher 33 to be displaced toward the left (Figs. 2, 4 and 5), thus pushing the coin A in between the copper electrode 23 and steel electrode 21, the latter yielding against spring means 3| to permit the ready passage of the coin while at the same time firmly urging the wedge-shaped edge portion 30 at the upper electrode into the rimof the coin to establish good electrical contact. Meanwhile, the supervisory switch 55 will have been closed so that the auxiliary battery circuit will be effective as soon as the galvanometer relay is actuated by current generated by the electromotive couple.

The metals employed for electrodes desirably occupy different positions in the electromotive series, and the current generated by the couple is dependent in part upon the metallic constituency of the coin element A as well as upon the pressure exerted upon the coin by the electrodes and the rate of movement of the coin between the electrodes. In order that variations in the rate of movement of the coin may not interfere with the operation of the device as a practical matter, the electrosensitive device or galvanometer relay 45 is preferably chosen to be currentoperated, as distinguished from voltage operated; and the electrodes are arranged and the electrical characteristics of the moving coil system 46 of the electrosensitive device are chosen so that an acceptable coin, for example a fivecent coin of legitimate minting, will generate a certain average current in passing between the electrodes 23 and 21, which current will be sufflcient to operate the galvanometer relay, while other metalliccoin elements will not generate the current requisite to displace-the moving circuit of the galvanometer sufliciently to close circuits 46 and 48. a

If the coin deposited is not an acceptable one, as aforesaid, the relay 45 will not operate and the blocking member 40 of the selecting device will remain in normal position and be struck by the coin after leaving the copper electrode runway 24 and :pass on down the runway l9 into the reject exit 20. If the coin is such as will generate the requisite current to operate the relay 45,

coil 42 will be energized to effect withdrawal of the blocking part 40 so that the coin may fall directly into passage '2! and pass through the acceptance exit 22.

A soon as the operating lever I5a returns to normal position, the supervisory switch 55 will be automatically opened and the auxiliary battery circuit disconnected from the coil 42. 1 I

It will be obvious, as illustrated in Fig. 4, should a coin be deposited while the pusher 33 is-in its coin advancing position, to the left, that upon the return of the pusher 33 to normal position such last deposited coin will be caused to drop through a by-pass 10 for gravitation through the reject exit 26 for return, by means not shown, to the dep-ositor of such coin.

The various advantages and object of the invention may be accomplished by modifications of the particular embodiment specifically described herein, and it is intended that the appended claims shall include all equivalent arrangements fairly coming within their call.

, Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coin testing device including a coin passage having an entrance and a reject exit and an acceptance exit, and testing means in the form of an electromotive generator comprising a pair of spaced electrodes disposed in said coin passage 0 between the entrance and exits, one of said elec- .trodes forming as supporting ledge for a coin inserted into said entrance opening, the other electrode being positioned above said first mentioned electrode and being normally urged in a direction toward the latter for engaging the peripheral edge of a coin passing therealong together with a control arm for effecting movement of such a coin between the electrodes whereby a coin so moved will be caused to gravitate toward said acceptance exit, the combination of a coin deflector normally disposed in said coin passage above said acceptance exit to cause a coin gravitating toward the latter to be deflected toward said reject exit, electrically operated means having a coil and an armature, said armature carrying the coin deflector and having spring means for urging the deflector into said normal position, a primary circuit adapted to utilize the electromotive force developed by said electrodes, a galvanoscope having the coil thereof arranged in said primary circuit with said electrode and adapted to be energized when a coin having certain physical and electrical characteristics is passed between the electrodes as aforesaid, said galvanoscope including a normally open switch adapted to assume closed circuit condition when the coil thereof is energized as aforesaid, a secondary circuit, an auxiliary source of electrical energy for said secondary circuit, said switch and the coil of said electrically operated means "arranged in said secondary circuit for withdrawmg said deflector out of said coin passage to permit coins to gravitate into said acceptance exit.

and another switch in said secondary circuit actuated by said control arm when the latter is restored to a normal position for interrupting said secondary circuit thereby deenergizing the coil of said galvanoscope.

2. In a coin testing device, the combination of means providing a chute having an entrance and a plurality of exit passages, a Control circuit, means providing an electro-motive generator for said control circuit adjacentsaid entrance, said generator including opposite electrode members between which a coin is adapted to be passed withopposite rim portions thereof each engaging one of said electrodes, means including a movable coin engaging member normally disposed to receive a coin from said entrance and for effecting movement of said coin between the electrodes as aforesaid, a relay including a coil connected in said control circuit and adapted to be energized by electricity developed by movement of said coin having certain physical and electrical characteristics, between the electrodes in the manner aforesaid, a work circuit for said coil for holding the latter energized under certain conditions, said relay including a switch means arranged in said work circuit and adapted to be disposed in circuit completing condition when said coil is energized as aforesaid, an auxiliary source of electricity for said work circuit, electrically operated selecting means for efiecting movement of the coin toward a certain one of said exit passages as a result of movement of said coin relative to the electro-motive generator to develop the electricity as aforesaid, said selecting means comprising an armature having a ledge portion thereof normally disposed over one of said exit openings to direct coins to the other one of said exit openings and an electro-magnetic means arranged in said work circuit and adapted when energized to draw said ledge portion of said armature out of said normal position to permit coins to pass into said one of said exit openings, together with another switch in said work circuit for controlling the flow of current through the latter and coacting with said means for efiecting movement of the coin between the electrodes, and

to disconnect said auxiliary source of electricity normal coin receiving position.

3. A coin testing device having, in combination, a coin chute provided with an entrance and an acceptance and reject opening, a metal electrode arranged in said chute adjacent said entrance and providing an approximately horizontal runway on which the rim of a coin may move, said runway terminating in space above said acceptance and reject openings so that a coin lwill gravitate toward the acceptance opening, moveable blocking means normally blocking passage of a coin into said acceptance opening and directing a coin toward the reject opening, a second metal electrode arranged in said chute in spaced relation with respect to said first named electrode and provided with an edge portion adapted to engage the rim of a coin moving along said runway, a reciprocable pusher arranged on said chute for sliding movement between said electrodes, a crank arm arranged on said chute for swinging movement and having its free end linked to said pusher for moving the same from a normal position adjacent said entrance to engage a coin deposited in the latter and move said coin over and off said runway between the electrodes andv develop thereby an electro-motive force, when coins having certain electrical and physical characteristics are deposited, an initial circuit embodying said electrodes to utilize the electro-motive force developed as aforesaid, relay means including a coil connected in said initial circuit and energized by current resulting from said electro-motive force when developed as aforesaid, and a work circuit for effecting operation of said moveable blocking means to withdraw the latter from blocking position over said acceptance opening, said work circuit including an electromagnet arranged adjacent said moveable blocking means and adapted when energized to attract the latter from normal blocking position, an auxiliary source of electrical ener y, switch means operatively associated with said relay means and in the said work circuit and adapted to be closed upon energization of said coil as aforesaid, said work circuit also including said coil whereby to hold said switch in circuit completing condition, and another switch for said work circuit and normally disposed in circuit completing position and having one contact element thereof adapted to be engaged by said crank arm when the latter is in normal position to dispose said control switch in broken circuit position, and spring means connected to said crank arm and anchored to said chute for urging said crank arm into normal position. WILLIAM PATZER.

WALTER A. TRATSCH.

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