US2581681A - Coin control - Google Patents

Description

Jan. s, 1952 s. MAY 2,581,681"

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com oNTRon Filed Feb. 9. 1945 2 Smm- SHEET 2 F36, LT/5.7

I .Sauro/as Patented Jan. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,581,681 ooIN coNroL Sam May, Chicago, Ill., assignor of one-half to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, Ill.

' Application February 9, 1945, serial No. 577,011

' s claims. (c1, 19e-.9)

This invention pertains to coin control devices,

particularly those employed in conjunction with a coin slideway, into which acceptable coins` are.

directed from a. coin. testing chiite, .into a rst station at which. is a control .switch closed by said coin. thereby setting up a master control circuit so that a main operating lever or control may be actuated .to cause movement.y oi thel coin to a second station at which additional control switch means will be operated by the ycoin to. `set up a selecting` circuit, .enabling theopera-tionof' a.; vendingl selector to cansar delivclyof .desired merchandise or the like.l f

VYFurther obiects and aspectsof noveltyof the device relate to details of the 45D,IlStr'i-ictionA and operation of the illustrative embodiment hereinafter described and including a control chute having a reciprocable slide for moving a coin progressively treinstation to station; means. ac-

tuated by a coin at the rst station tor-holding .back following coins. .in the testine` chu-.te until the first station is cleared: devices, such asidocs, for preventing retrograde movement of, the. coi-ns 'inthe control chiite when the slide is reciproi cated; and construction and arrangement ,of parts affording a compact control unit. particularly adaptable to the vertical or dropl type oi. testing chute, all oi which will appear more :fully as.. the

in conjunction with a selective vending machine circuit.

`In Fig.. 1 there is'shown a conventional type of gravity coin-testing .chute TC, in which a coin is deposited through a slot in the upper lefthand corner (not seen) to gravitate past various testing instrumentalities known in the art and not vdescribed here since. they testing chute per se does not constitute part of the invention. If the coin. is not acceptable, it will drop from the chute in the direction of the arrow marked Reject but if the coin is acceptable, it will drop vfrom a slot (not seen) near the lower right-hand corner in the direction of the arrow marked Accept, and pass into the control .chute CC.

The control chute or ,unit CC -consists of a main backing or mounting plate I0 having on its opposite side, as in Fig. 2, a slide member I I working following description proceeds in View of the...

drawings, in which:

Fig, 1 is a. front elevation of acoin testing chute and the novel control unit: in. cooperative.. combination therewith;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryr rear `elevation, of the between a pair of guide bars I2 securedto the plate .lli as by screws` I3. This construction is more clearly visualized in theV sectional View of Fig., 5. -The control chute is,r preferably attached to the; testing chute by vmeans of an extension 12a and screws I3a on one of the guide bars, Figs. I and 2. As in Figs. 3, 4, andY 5, the spacing between the mounting plate and the slide denes a coin-passage I4., said passage being open at the top, to receive an accepted coin, and at the bottorn for discharge ofsuch coin after it has served itscontrol purposes.

As in Fig. 2, the slide carries an arm I5 to which is attached one end of a spring I6 having its other end anchored to a post I'I on plate I0; this spring normally urges the slide to 'its upper limit defined by a stop bar I8 (see Fig. 3 also) this is the coin-receiving position.y

On the outside of the mounting plate IU, Fig. l, are dogs l2c `and ZI (see Fig. 3, also) pivoted 'respectively at litio and 2Ia on angles 22 welded to the plate I0; coil springs 2 3 on each pivot 20a and 2id urge, the respective. noses 28h and 2lb of these dogs throughslots `in the mounting plate Fig. 4 is a section identical' to thatrof-Fig. Shut showing the slide` in advanced position; Y

' Fig. 5 is a horizontal section-through the control unit along lines 5:-5 of Fig. 1

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through a modied A:form of the control uni-t, similartov Fig. 3, show- .f

so that said noses project normally into the passage I d, as in Fig. 3.

' Dogs 2) and 21I- are thus seen to be spaced apart vertically, yand they constitute means for positioning the coin for 'control purposes and for preventing retrograde movements of the coin when the, slidev is advanced; they are beveled downwardly, as will beseen in'Fig. 3, so that a coin may pass downwardly thereof, but the coin may not pass upwardly .of these dogs.

Similarly, as viewed` in Figs. 2 and 3, particular1y,.the slide carries a pairof vertically spacedapart, dogs 25. and 26, pivoted. respectively at 25a and 26a' on brackets 21 welded tothe slide, and each saiddog is. provided with spring means 28 vv"normally urgingu the respective noses 25D and 2Gb through slots in the slide, into the passage I4.

@This second pair of dogs. also has downwardly floe'vellednoses.so that they will be raised. to pass above dog (see also Fig. 5), such that a coin resting at the rst station A, Fig. 3, in which the coin will be held by dog 26, will be engaged by said oset nose and cause blade 3| to be raised, closing contact with switch blade 32a, androcking the oiset end 33 of a blocking lever 34 pivoted in cleat 35 on plate I6, so that the opposite end portion 36 of this lever will be projected into the coin passage of the testing chute through an opening 3'! in the latter, thus blocking descent of additional coins from the testing chuteinto the control chute until .the control functions of the preceding coin have been fullled and the control chute cleared of such preceding coin, as

by operation of the slide l.

Assuming certain operations of the control slide in the intendedmanner, as will more fully appear hereinafter, a coin will ultimately become lodged ata second station B (Fig. 4)' in which it is held by the second dog 2| on the main plate; in this station, the coin is engaged by the offset nose 40 of a switch-operating lever 4| (Fig. 1), pivoted at 42 on a second switch 43 mounted on the plate i0, so that the lever will be raised, thus closing switch arms 44 and 45 so long as the coin rests in the second position.

An important feature is the provision of means 'for holding the rst or uppermost dog 25, Figs. 2 and 3, partly raised in order that an entering coin may pass directly to the iirst station, A in engagement with the nose 2Gb of dog 26, as in Fig. 3.' This meansis preferably in the form of an arm 48 (Fig. 2) attached to the stop bar I8 at its upper end and having its lower end 48h (Figs. 2, 3, 4) 'disposedto engage the nose 25h of the upper dog so that the latter will be cammed outwardly when the slide is in its upper or normal position, thus withdrawing nose portion 25h so that the coin may drop directly into engagement with dog 26. A very slight downward movement of the 'slide from normal position clears dog 25 Vof this camming means and at once permits dog 25 to block the coin passage and prevent retrograde or upward movement of the coin.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the controlv chute structure is identical to that just described, but dogs 2|)v and 2| and 25 and 26 are respectively'replaced by compound ris in upper or normal position. Accordingly, in

this modied construction, a coin received in the Vcontrol chute'will drop directly into engagement with nose portion 50a,'position A in Fig.6, at which it is engaged by the nose 32 of Athe first switch, closing the latter, asin the case of the arrangement of Fig. 3. When theslide is moved downwardly a slight amount, nose portion a disengages the camming bar. 48 and dog 5.5 pivots `inwardly-olisposing both nose portions 55a, 55h

in blocking position in the passage |4. so that a coin in either station A or station B will be carried downwardly by corresponding movement of the slide.V 'This construction effects economies in space and cost, and is particularly desirable for coins of larger diameter, such as quarters and half-dollars.

f Operation Assuming a. coin to be deposited in the testing chute TC of Fig. 1, and that such coin successfully traverses the latter, it will gravitate from 'the acceptance passage in TC, so-marked in Fig. 3, into passage I4 in the control chute and pass dog 25, since the latter is raised by camming member 48, and lodge" in position A upon, -the nose zal; of'dog 25. In such position, the offset nose v32 of switchr 30 will Vengage the side of the coin, being thereby raised Yto close switch 36 for certain control purposes shortly to be described. Closure of switch 30 as aforesaid conditions a circuit which makes possible the electrical actuation of the slide |v, from its normal, coin-receiving, position of Fig. 3, to the advanced position of Fig. 4. When slide descends, nose 25h on dog 25 engages the edge of the coin and pushes it downwardly past nose 2Gb on dog 2U until the coin rests on the nose 2lb of dog 2|, as in Fig. 4. Whenthe actuating circuit which caused the downward movement of slide is broken in a manner later to be described, spring |6 (Fig.'2) restores the slide to normal position, and the cammed nose 26h ofdog 26 yields to pass the coin,while'nose' 20h on -dog 20 prevents .upward movement of the coin. Thus. the coin is trans'- ported into a second position or station B, as in Fig.`4, and the oiset projection 40 (Fig.` vl also) on'switch operating lever 4|, engages the side of the coin and'clo'ses the contact blades of the second switch 43, thereby conditioning further control circuit means,r to be described, for operation, as in conjunction with a vending machine or the like.

Where the compound dogs 50 and 55 areused, as in Figs. 6 and '7, the action of the control chute is the `same as just described with the differenceythat, instead of initially resting upon the nose 2Gb of the second, shiftable dog 26, as in the embodiment of Fig. 3, the coin in the first stationror position A, rests upon the nose 50a of the stationary compound dog 50, as in Fig'. 6, since the shiftable dog 55 is normally withdrawn by camming action of nose part 55a with' the camming bar 48. However, a slight downward movement of the slide I will disengage nose part 65a frombar 48`andpermit this' dog 55vto .be pivoted -byits spring into fully projected condition in passage |4, and the coin will be trapped, .inl a manner of speaking,'between nose portions 55u-and 55h, and thereby carried downwardly past nose portion 50a of dog 5|) to the second station, -B.fas' in Fig.' 7;' when the slide is restored by its spring to normal, raised position, nose portion'50azprevnts upward movement of the coin, while nose portion' 55h is cammed away and passes upwardly over the coin to normal position, leaving the coin in the second. position, described inrviewl of Fig. 4. In' other respects, the action of --the vmodified form of the device is the same as the form of Figs. 1 through 5.

In Fig. there is disclosed one form of control circuit'utilizing. thenovel control means in 'ia vending machine,.which includes a plurality tof 'individuallf'vending devices 'of knownV type, lmarked Vend I, Vend Lyend III, each adapted to be individually actuated by an associated elec- :tromagnetic: operating. coil 6|, 62, or 63.' respec- -tivelyL vThese devices arey well-known in' the: art

'and do not per se constitute part ofthe invenftion, and are therefore not described in further detaiLit being pointed 'out simply that encrgiaaytion of any of the coils 6|, 62', or 63 will cause vendingof a desired article from the associated vending mechanism.

Rei'erring to Fig. 8,- wherein the control unit ACC is shown sc l` i,e matically with a testing chute lTCj'g the 'two control Switches Stand 43 are arranged for actuationrespectivelyby a coin at first and second stations. /Thecircuit isbst nnderstood vbyjtracing lits operation'ifollowing deposit of an acceptable coin in TC', which coin first closes blade 3| against its companion blade "32d, lthereby closing circuit from" battery "'65, 'grounded at 66, through conductor 81 'and inagnetic lock coil 68, grounded at 6 8', energizing this coil to withdraw the lqeli member or plunger i8 and free the master control lever 1| for operation by the patron.

Operation'of mastercontrol 1|' closes master switch blades 12;, 13v and 14V, 15, thus connecting ground 16 through contacts 12, 1'3,y conductor 11, a safety resistance 1 1', which is preferably a signal lamp, coin slide actuating'coil 18, conductor mthrough switch blades 15,'A 14, conductor 61, coin contacts 3|?, 32a" tov battery or power t5,

thereby causing coin slide actuating coil 1g to be energized to retract'plunger` 19, connected with coin slide natfle, so that the com is thereby moved from itsv Aiii'st position ork station tothe second station,closing the second' control switch '43, it being lobserved that as soon as the coin leaves itsl first station, switch 30 opens,de-en ergiaing bothl the magnetic lock coil and the slide actuating coil, so that the coin slide returns to normal position, and the master control f lever 1| becomes-locked as soon as released.

Closure of the second coin control switch 43- connects battery or power supply 85' through contact blades 44, 45, conductor 11, coin slide actuating coil 18 conductor 64 to one terminal lblade S8, thereby energizing vending coil l6| via conductor l89, since thisl coil, asy well-as the re',-

mair'ling vending coils, is connected through ccnductor 64, coinslide coil, 18, and second coin switch 4 3 to battery 65. yThus, actuation of se- "le'ctor lever I eiects operation of the first vending unit, Vend I.

Shouldjthe, patronl depress the second selector lever Il, instead of lever 1 then in-that case contact blade 90 would break circuit with normal contact al and" make ci`rlcl1it. with Contact 92,

thereby connecting ground f rfoml 81 viav normally closed contactsv85, 861 conductor-83 to vthe second .65

vending coil'62 via' conductor 94, actuating the f the Patronetmiis to depress Severalselecfor. levers at Once *JQ defraud', the machine. only one vending unit willvv ba operated in any event, because it will be` apparent that if selectors I and II, for example, be simultaneously depressed, the necessary ground circuit from 81 will simullta'neouslyibe broken at contacts 85, 86 of Ythe first selector switch, and there will be no ground on W "maxim contact 8 0 of the second.: selector necessary for operation of the second coil. i

'Elhould the patron desire to actuate the third vendingy unit, instead of the first or second, he depresses selector lever Ill', thereby causing contact blade 96 to break circuit with its normal contact 91, grounded at Hi8, and closing Circuit from ground 81 via contacts 85, 86, closed, of the first selector switch, and contacts 90, 9|, closed, ci the second selector switch, to contact 8 8, and energizing vending coil 63 via conductor 99 and the power connection through, coin slide coil 18 and second coin switch 43, as heretofore described. If. an attempt is made to defraud the machine by depressing more, than one selector lever, for example the second and third, only one vending unit willbe actuated, namely, the second unit, since operating ground for the third unit, will be broken yatl selector switch contacts 90, 9| the iii--v stant the second switch is operated; and operating ground from 81 via contacts 85, 66 of the first switch,.noimally closed, will be applied to the second vending coil through' second selector switch contacts 90, 92. Similarly, depression of 'all three (or any number of analogously connected selector switches) will result in the actuation of only one vending unit, namely, the first one, since ground 81 will be connected to the latter via con- ` tacts 85, 68 of' the first selector switch, while ground'ior the other two or remaining coils will be broken atcontacts., 8| and 85, 86.

Thus, the provision of fraud preventive circuit means including a series or link ground connectionV through all selector switches, prevents, operation of more than one vending unit at a time, for each coin deposited, regardless of how many selectors are actuated.

ltwill also'be observed. that since the coin slide coil 1B is connected in series With the operating circuit for any Vending coil, via conductor tilv and second coin switch 43, that the coin slide will be actuated each time. any vending unit is actuated, thereby removing the coin from operative relation with the second coin switch 43, and preventing repeated operationy ofy the vending units after onel has been operatedA for each'coin deposited.'

Should a coin be resting at the first station,

closing coin switch 38, lever-3ftI will be thereby rocked into'the coin testing chute TC to block aclvditionallyV deposited coins until the rst station -is cleared, thereby preventing jamming of coins in the control unit.

n my 'co-pendingv application, Serial No. 538,773, led June 5, 1944, which issued as Patent No'. 2,426,781, September 2, 19471, I disclose a type o'icoin control unit which may be used' with any `ltype 0i coin lchute* and which is particularly adapted for the type of vending machine which employs a plurality o fcoin testing unitsor coin eures; "1' ,n

The present invention provides a control unit especially suited to use with the vertical or gravity type of coin tester, in a machine having .7a plurality of selectable vending units butonly one coin testing unit. It'will be apparent, however, that the present control uni-t may be used with 'any type of coin testing unit or coin source capable of delivering the coin into the` upper or receiving end'v of the-said control unit.

coin to actuate control switches in a plurality of positionsinto whichthe coin is moved successively as incident oftheoperation' diiY the vending 7 machinefthereby reducing costs, serviceproblems, and the possibility of defrauding the machine, especially where said machine has a plurality of selectively operable' vending or other units only one ofwhich is intended to be operable for each coin deposited.

I claim:

1. A coin control device comprising a station'- ary and a reciprocable member dening a coin passage in which a coin moves in one of the directions of movement of the reciprocable member, a pair of dogs on'the 'reciprocable member, a pair of dogs on the stationary member, said dogs yieldingly urged in a direction to project into said passage and the dogs of each pair being relatively spaced apart in the direction of movement of a coin therein for purposes of locking movement of a coin ppositely to said direction under predetermined conditions but yieldable to permit movement of a coinin the said direction of movement, vmeans Vyieldingly urging the reciprocable member into a normal position, means engageable with at least one dog on the reciprocable member, when the latter is in normalposition, for veffecting withdrawal of said dog to permit movement of a coin into a nrst position determined by one of the dogs on the stationary member, at least one of said dogs on the reciprocable member effecting movement' of a coin at said rst position into a second position by movement of the reciprocable member a determined amount from normal position-control switch means at said iirst and second positions actuated by coins thereat,` at least one of said dogs on the reciprocablefmember acting to remove a coin from vsaid second position responsive to movement of the reciprccable member from normal position.

2. A coin control comprising a vertical chute, a vertically reciprocable slide formingv a side portion of said chute, a first dog on saidslide yieldingly projecting into the chute and arresting a coin gravitating into the chute ata first position, a second dog on said slide yieldingly projecting into said chute above-said first dog, means holding said second dog withdrawn from the chute when the Vslide is in normal position so that a coin may pass to said first position, said second dog projecting into the chute to engage a coin at said first position and move the coin to a second position responsive to predetermined said first dog actingto dislodge coins at second position for discharge from theA chute responsive to predetermined movement of the -slide from -normal position.

3. I n a coin control chute, a coin actuated control switch at a first position, a coin actuated control switch at a second position, a recipro- -cable member and cooperating pivoted dog means on the chute and on the reciprocable member for disposing coins byv unidirectional ,movement progressively through thel chute successively at said rst and second positions andbeyond the latter, and further acting to prevent movement of coins reversely in the. chute and to. blockmovement of coins received-in the'chute tosaidjrst position while the reciprocable membeiil is inga certain range of positionsof reciprocation, electromechanical means for vreciprocating said reciprocable-member, and including circuitfmeans conditioned for operation by both said control switches. l; r

4. A coin control including a chute having a slidable wall opposite a stationary wall. a pair of .dogs on the stationary wall yieldingly urged into the chute to hold a coin at a first station and at a second station therebelow, a second pair of dogs on the slidable wall and spring means urging the same into the chute, spring means urging the slidable wall into a normal position, stationary means engaged by the second dog structure in said normal position of the slidable wallv withdrawing said second Vpair of kvdogs from the chute and permitting entrance of A,these dogs into the chute responsive to slight movement of the slidable wall from said normal position, whereby a first dog of the second pair engages and transports a coin from first to second station lwhile a second dog of said second pair holds the transported coin at second station responsive to predetermined advance of the slidable -wall from normal position, a iirst dog of said first pair -holding the transported coin at second station during return of the slidable wall to said normal position, and control means actuated by a coin yat either station. y

5. Coin control apparatus comprising a control chute for receiving coins, reciprocable slide means and cooperating dog means in the control chute operable to position received coins successively at a plurality of control positions in the control'chute, control switch means actuated by coins at said control positions, a master control conditioned for operation by actuation of the control switch means at a first said control position, slide-operating means actuated responsive to operation of saidmaster control for moving a coin from rst to second position, a plurality of ,selector devices conditionedfor operation by actuation of control switch means at a second file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT Number` o Name Date d 924,851 Steiger June 1:5, 1909 1,348,876 Hobbset a1.' `Aug. 1o, 1920 1,564,383 Varcoe Dec. 8, 1925 1,757,801 Higgins May 6, 1930 2,097,456 Green Nov. 2, 1937 2,098,410 Williams Nov. 9, 1937 2,249,236 Tratsch July 15, 1941 2,363,724 Ford Nov. 28, 1944 v'2,392,511 Thompson et al. Jan. 8, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,125 Great Britain Oct, k13, 1910

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