US2690828A - Coin changer - Google Patents

Description

L. G. STAIGER Oct. 5, 1954 COIN CHANGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 'June 24, 1950 mm 0 w 0 m M 6 m 5M M5 L. G. STAIGER Oct. 5, 1954 COIN CHANGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24, 1950 4 4 55 IN VEN TOR.

[aw/5 5&4/ er m %iaw 4 fl'ifltta/wey,

L. G. STAIGER Oct. 5, 1954 COIN CHANGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 24 l I INVENTOB. jazz/s faqye'r Y V I Get. 5, 1954 L. e. STAIGER 2,690,828

COIN CHANGER Filed June 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1N VEN TOR.

BY Mk 0.1.

Patented Oct. 5, 195 4 COIN CHANGER Louis G. Staiger, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Clarence E. Threedy, Chicago, 111., as trustee Application June 24, 1950, Serial No. 170,114

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in coin changers especially adaptable for use in coin controlled vending machines.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character by which a coin of a larger denomination than that of the cost of the merchandise to be vended will unlock the vending machine for vending operation and return to the operator coins constituting the difference between the aforesaid coin of larger denomination and the cost of the merchandise to be vended.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination nd arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a support consisting of a cover plate having mounted thereon the coin changer embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same taken substantially on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts thereof in position to return four nickels for a deposited twenty-five cent piece;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts thereof in a position to return one five cent piece for a deposited ten cent piece;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts thereof in position to permit operation of an operating shaft by the deposit of a five cent piece;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken upon line 66 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line l'! of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view taken substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the parts thereof in different operative positions with respect to each other.

My invention is especially useful and has been designed for use in connection with vending machines which require the unlocking of an actuating shaft by the deposit of a coin of proper denomination, such for example, a five cent piece.

It frequently happens that one desiring to operate such machine does not have among his coin change a five cent piece. In such case, should the operator have a ten cent piece or twenty-five cent piece, he may by the use of my coin changer deposit such piece in the device and unlock the same for operation. Upon operation of the machine there will be returned to the operator the difference between the five cent piece and the coin deposited. For example, if the operator deposits a ten cent piece, five cents will be returned to the operator. If the operator has deposited a twenty-five cent piece then in such case five cents will be taken into the machine and twenty cents will be returned to the operator. By such an arrangement it is obvious that the sales of the product vended through the machine will be substantially increased.

To accomplish the several objects of the invention I provide a coin changer which is adapted to be mounted on a support ID which may consist of the cover plate or a wall of the vending machine with which the coin changer is to be associated. Such support comprises side plates H between which is arranged a coin separating device [2 of any approved construction whereby coins are separated according to their denomination and delivered to coin receiving slots I3, l4 and i5 hereinafter more fully described. The side walls l6 of the coin separating device l2 carry lateral pins I! which engage in notches l8 formed in the side plates ll with certain of the pins ll latched in their respective notches by latch fingers L9.

This coin selector is of an approved and wellknown construction and operates in the manner such as is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,292,473.

The slots l3, I4 and 15 are formed in a horizontal plate 20 extending laterally with respect to the Wall 2! of the support I0.

On the wall 2| is provided a bearing sleeve 22 through which rotatably projects a shaft 23 connected in any suitable manner to the operating structure (not shown) of the vending machine. On the outer end portion of this shaft 23 may be placed a suitable hand knob or wheel (not shown) to facilitate manual rotation of the shaft 23.

This shaft adjacent the inner surface of the wall 2| carries a plurality of laminated plates 24 secured together in any suitable manner to provide a coin carriage wheel 24' keyed for rotation with the shaft 23.

Certain plates comprising the wheel 2d provide circumferentially extending arms 28 provid ing slots 27 disposed concentrically with respect to the shaft as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Certain of the plates 2G provide slots l3, l4 and I5 which. when the wheel 24 is in its normal in- 3 operative position as shown in Fig. I register with the slots I3, 14 and i5 respectively to receive coins passing through the latter slots. The slot 13 is of a size to permit a twenty-five cent piece to pass therethrough. The slot I4 is of a size to permit a five cent piece to pass therethrough, while the slot i5 is of a size to permit the passag therethrough of a ten cent piece.

Confronting edge portions of the plates 24 provide a ratchet assembly 28 adapted to engage a finger 29 of a disk 30 pivoted upon a pin 3| carried by the wall 2! and normally held in contact with the adjacent edge of the plate assembly by a spring 32. The arrangement is such that unless the shaft with the plates thereon have been rotated through the required cycle of rotation to effect vending operation the finger 29 will engage the teeth 28 and prevent the shaft and the coin wheel thereon to be rotated in an opposite direc tion. This arrangement is well-known in the art and is frequently called a full stroke device meaning that it is necessary for the shaft to make the necessary rotation before it can be returned to its initial starting position.

The arm 26 of the outermost plate as indicated at 25 provides an abutment which is adapted to engage a stop 34 carried by one branch arm 36 of a crank 31. This plate 2:6 also provides a depending stop lug 38 which engages a roller 39 carried by the other branch iii of the crank 37. This lug 33 is yieldably held in engagement with the roller 39 by a spring one end of which is connected as at 42 to the lug 38 and the opposite end it to the plate it. This spring 4| functions to rotate the coin wheel 25' in an anti-clockwise direction as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The arrangement is such that as long as the stop 34 is in the path of movement of the abutment 33 the shaft 23 will be locked against rotation.

The crank 32 is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 44 carried by the wall 2 i. On this shaft are pivotally carried independently slidable releasing arms d5, 4t and 4'7. These arms are adapted to engage a horizontal pin i8 carried by the branch arm 36. The outer corresponding ends of the arms 45, 4e and i! carry lateral studs 45', 46' and '3'! which engage and ride upon the cylindrical edges 49 of the plates 2d adjacent thereto. When the plates are rotated these studs are adapted to pass into the slots 2'! to allow the coin wheel to make the necessary rotation to effect operation of the vending machine when the stop 34 has been moved by the movement of the pin 38 by pivotal movement of the arms 15, 46 and 41.

The arm 65 has an upwardly extending portion 5a, the outer end of which is bent substantially U-shaped to provide a depending flange 5|. l his flange 5! has an elongated slot 52 formed therein.

Projecting into this slot is a pin 53 secured to and carried by a slidable plate 54. This plate 5 is of elongated formation and is provided with spaced openings 55 normally in registration with openings 56 formed in a mounting plate 57 and on which the plate Ed is slidable between guide rails 53. The arm H has a lateral extension 59 to which is pivoted as at 60 a link 6|. This link 6% is pivotally connected as at E2 to a plate 63 slidably mounted upon the mounting plate 5'5 and provided with an opening Gil normally in registration with an opening 55 formed in the mounting plate 51. This mounting plate 5? is supported by lateral brackets 66- formed as an integral part of the side plates I I.

Extending upwardly from the plates 54 and 63 with their open end portions out of registration with the openings 55 and 64, as shown in Fig. 6,

are a plurality of coin storag tubes 68. These tubes adjacent their upper end portions are joined together by a connecting bar 69. The lower end portions of these tubes are joined together by a base plate 10. The connecting bar 69 is latched to the side plates H by pivoted links H having notches 12 which receive the shanks of pin 13. The base plate 10 provides slots M which receive the shanks of pins 15 carried by th mounting plate 51. By this arrangement the tubes as a unitary structure are detachably mounted in place with their open end portions in the position shown in Fig. 6 with respect to the openings 55 and 6A.

To complete the invention an inclined trough 16 is provided beneath the openings 55- and to receive the coins passing therethrough and to direct the same through an opening 'l'l formed in the bottom portion 18 of the trough l6 and through which opening I! the coins pass into a return trough 46 for return to the operator. This return chute 16 may terminate at its outer end into a suitable and conventional return cup located outside of the vending machine.

The operation of the coin changer thus described is asfollows:

If a nickel is directed by the coin selector l2 through the slot I4 such nickel will lodge into the slot I4 with the edge thereof engaging the stud G8. As the shaft 23 is rotated the nickel will bear on this stud 36 and impart pivotal movement to the arm 46. At this arm i6 is pivoted in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 9 it will engage the pin 53 and pivot the arm 35 likewise in a clockwise direction to move the stop 34 out or blocking position with respect to the abutment 33 thereby to permit complete rotation of the shaft 2" for vending operation purposes. During this rotation of the shaft 23 the roller E l will ride on the edge 35' of the arm 26 to hold the pin 48 in an elevated position. At the completion of the rotation of the shaft .23 rotation of such shaft in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 8 will be efiected by the spring 4|. During this anti-clockwise rotation of this shaft the stop lug 38 will engage the lateral stud 39 and effect return .of the stop "3'4 to its initial blocking position with respect to the abutment 33. The nickel from the slot 14 will at the completion of rotation of the shaft in vending machine operation dro into the coin box-or other receptacle.

Upon the deposit of a ten cent piece by the coin selector device I? into the slot 15 the ten cent piece will drop therethrough into the slot 55. Rotation of the shaft will bear the edge of the ten cent piece against the stud to pivot the arm #1 upon rotation of the coin wheel. Pivotal movement of this arm t} will move the stop as from abutting position as in the case when a five cent piece was deposited in the slot M. As the arm 41 is pivoted in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 8 slida'ble movement will be imparted to the plate 63 moving such plate relative to the mounting plate .61 to the position shown in Fig. 4 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to dispose the opening 3 3 thereof beneath the open end of the tube 68 adjacent thereto so that the lowermost five cent piece contained in such tube will pass through the opening 64 whereby when the plate 63 returns to its normal position shown in Fig. 2 the nickel thus received in the opening 54 will drop through the opening 65 into the return trough 16 for return to the operator. In this manner a ten cent piece is received by the machine and a five cent ooin and has returned to the operator.

Should a twenty-five :cent piece be directed by the coin separator device l2 to the slot [3 such twenty-five cent piece will lodge in the slot I3. Upon rotation of the shaft 23 the twenty-five cent piece, as in the case of the five and ten cent piece, will release the shaft 23 for rotation through the bearing action of the twenty-five cent piece upon the stud $5. This rotation of the arm 45 by engagement of the twenty-five cent piece with the stud 45' will by reason of the connection between this arm 45 and the plate 54 slide the plate 54 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3 with the openings 55 thereof beneath the open end portions of the adjacent tubes of the tubes '68. The plate 54 is of a thickness such as will permit two superimposed nickels to be deposited in each of the openings 55. When such nickels are received from the adjacent tubes, movement of the plate 5 3 back to the position shown in Fig. 2 will position, for passage through the openings 56 into the return trough it, the four nickels thus received from the two tubes of the tubes 58. By this operation a twenty-five cent piece has been received by the machine and four nickels returned to the operator,

By the employment of the arrangement herein described a vending machine requiring for its operation a five cent piece may be operated by the deposit of a five or ten cent or twenty-five cent piece and when operated there will be returned to the operator the difference between the de posited coin and the five cents required for the operation of the machine. For example, in the case of depositing a ten cent piece, a five cent coin will be returned to the operator. In the case 01 depositing a twenty-five cent piece, four nickels will be returned to the operator.

This arrangement also provides a protective latch for latching the operating shaft against operation until a proper coin has been deposited in the coin receiving wheel comprising the laminated plates 24.

In describing my invention, I have used for that purpose five, ten and twenty-five cent coins. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to coins of such denominations.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Coin controlled apparatus comprising a support, a coin receiving wheel rotatably carried by the support to receive coins inserted into said apparatus and having an abutment and a protrusion thereon, and latch means having a first portion adapted to engage said abutment on said wheel to limit rotation thereof, a second portion adapted to be moved upon rotation of said wheel by a coin in position therein so as to prevent the engagement of said first portion with said abutment, and a third portion engaging said protrusion on said wheel when said wheel is in its normal idle position to hold said latch means against movement, whereby said wheel is prevented from :ioving unless a coin is in position in said coin receiving wheel.

2. A coin changer comprising a support, a mounting plate carried by the support and having coin apertures therein, a. pair of horizontally spaced plates positioned above said mounting plate and having coin apertures formed therein normally in registration with the apertures of said mounting plate and adapted for independent horizontal movement with respect to said mounting plate, coin storage tubes carried by said support above said plates and normally out of registration with the apertures of said plates, a coin receiving wheel rotatably carried by the support below said plates to receive coins inserted into said coin changer and having an abutment and a protrusion thereon, means for independently moving said horizontally spaced plates to dispose the apertures thereof out of registration with the apertures of said mounting plate and into registration with said coin storage tubes, means actuated by a coin carried by and rotatable with the Wheel for actuating said plate moving means to dispose the apertures of said horizontally spaced plates out of registration with the apertures of said mounting plate and into registration with said coin storage tubes, latch means having a first portion adapted to engage said abutment on said wheel to limit rotation thereof, a second portion positioned in the path of movement of said coin actuated means and adapted to be moved by said coin actuated means so as to prevent the engagement of said first portion with said abutment, and a third portion engaging said protrusion on said wheel when said wheel is in its normal idle position to hold said latch means against movement, whereby said plate moving means and said wheel are prevented from moving unless a coin is positioned in said coin receiving wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 327,156 Ford Sept. 29, 1885 771,326 Roblyer Oct. 4, 1904 1,146,921 Chapman July 20, 1915 1,183,522 Bates May 16, 1916 1,268,250 Jaeger June 4, 1918 1,665,566 Russell Apr. 10, 1928 1,737,511 Mitchell Nov. 26, 1929 2,045,206 Sjuve June 23, 1936

Images