US2763400A - Supply stop mechanism for coin handling machines and the like - Google Patents

Description

Sept 18, 1956 Filed May 28, 1952 SUPPLY J N. FRANCIS STOP MEI-CH ANISM FOR COIN HANDLING MACHINES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1L WWW p 18, 1956 J. N. FRANCIS SUPPLY STOP MECHANISM FOR COIN HANDLING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed May 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent SUPPLY STOP MECHANISM FOR COIN HANDLING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Joseph N. Francis, Woburn, Mass., assignor to Standard Coin Wrappers, Incorporated, Boston, Mass., :1 corporation of Massachusetts This invention relates to article handling and feeding machines and more particularly to coin machines such as counting machines wherein the coins are subjected to centrifugal force by rotation of a container or base on which the coins are deposited, and into which the coins are supplied from a source such as a hopper.

The invention has for an object to prevent the articles from being fed to the machine faster than they are discharged therefrom which would result in overflow and danger of loss. This is particularly liable to happen when the delivery from the machine becomes slower than normal or is stopped.

A further object of the invention is to provide. such a machine which while effective for its intended purpose ofiers no obstruction to the proper functioning of the machine even when the machine is in feed-stopping condition.

Still another object is to provide a very simple and inexpensive yet effective mechanism for accomplishing the intended purpose.

For a complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a coin-handling machine, more particularly a coin counter, and supply hopper, em bodying the invention.

Figure 2 and 3 are detail sectional views on lines 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, of Figure. 1.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the parts in supply-stopping position.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, at 1 is shown the support ing portion of a coin counting machine. This machine is provided with a rotatable substantially horizontal table 2 carried at the upper end of a rotatable shaft 3. This table 2 forms the base of a container having a marginal upstanding stationary side wall portion 4. This wall portion 4 has an outwardly extending flange 5 which may be secured to the support 1 as by screws 6. Its upper edge portion is inwardly inclined as at 10 and has a rim portion 11 thereon.

Suitable means may be provided, as is well known in the art, for receiving coins from the container which coins are thrown outwardly while in flat condition by centrifugal force produced by the rotation of the table 2, but as such mechanism is old and well known in the art, it is not shown herein.

Above the receptacle is positioned a supply hopper 15 having a chute 16 arranged to deliver the coins into the receptacle, and as shown, such coins may be fed into the receptacle through a rotary valve 17 actuated intermittently by ratchet mechanism. This valve mechanism comprises, as shown, three vanes 18 carried by a central shaft 19 and which progressively pass a discharge opening 20 in the hopper. These vanes, together with the side Walls of the casing 21 in which the vanes 18 revolve to 2,763,400 Patented Sept. 18, 1956 provide receptacles which receive the coins from the hopper and carry them about the axis of the shaft 19 and finally discharge them into the chute 16. The shaft 19 outwardly of the valve casing 21 carries a ratchet wheel 22 which may be engaged by a ratchet :dog 23 pivoted on an arm 24 journaled on the shaft 19 and normally urged into engagement with the ratchet teeth by a spring 25. The outer end of the arm 24 is pivoted to a link 26 which is secured to the upper end of a bar 27. The lower end of this bar 27 carries a follower roll 28 which rests upon the periphery of a cam 29 fixed to a shaft 30.

A motor 31 serves to rotate the cam 29 through a train of gearing indicated generally at 32, this resulting in raising the bar 27 and then allowing it to descend by gravity at the desired rate of speed, thus to produce an intermittent rotation of the vanes 18 and intermittent feed of coins into the coin container.

Within this container there is shown pivoted at 35 (see Figure 3) substantially parallel to the shaft 3 an arcuate element 36 which normally projects inwardly over the rotary table 2 but spaced above this table a predetermined distance so that when the supply of coins within the container is below the level of the element 36 this element is not contacted thereby and remains in its inwardly extended position shown in Figure 3. It is so normally held by a spring pressed plunger 37 (see Figure 3), the inner end of which engages against the outer face of the element 36 and presses a tail portion 38 thereof against the inner face of the wall 4. This plunger 37 passes through a tubular casing 40 which houses a spring 41 reacting between the closed outer end 42 of the casing and a collar 43 pinned to the plunger. This plunger 37, as shown, is provided with a cross pin 45 which rides in a slot 46 in the outer portion of the casing 40, this pin and slot connection providing against turning of the plunger 37. Its outer end is slabbed oil to form a latch element 47, which, when the plunger is in the position shown in Figures 3 and 4, is retracted from the path of motion of the bar 27. However, should the mass of articles within the container rise to such a point that they engage against the inner face of the member 36, the centrifugal force imparted thereto by rotation of the table 2 will press against the inner face of the member 36 and press it back transverse to the axis of rotation of the table 2 against the inner face of the wall 4 in the position shown in Figure 5, so that when a notch 50 in the bar 27 comes opposite thereto, the plunger will snap into it, thus preventing the rod 27 from descending after it has been lifted to its highest point by the cam 23. As this cam is now prevented from engaging and reciprocating the bar 26, further operation of the ratchet feed mechanism is stopped and so remains until such time as the level of the coins within the container is lowered to a point heneath the element 36, whereupon centrifugal force is no longer effective to press this element outwardly and hell the plunger in feed-stopping position. As soon as this occurs, the spring 41 presses the plunger inwardly and removes its latch portion 47 from stopping engagement with the bar 27 so that the ratchet feed mechanism is again rendered operative to feed coins or other articles from the hopper 15 into the container.

From the foregoing description of an embodiment thereof, it will be evident that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a container having a substantially horizontal rotary base and means for rotating said base, a supply receptacle, and means for delivering articles from said receptacle to said container, of an element carried within said container above said base and yieldable transverse to the axis of rotation of said base and with which articles in said container above a predetermined level may contact and against which they may be thrown by centrifugal force due to rotation of said base, and means operatively connected to said element and to said delivering means and actuable by motion of said element caused by centrifugal pressure thereagainst by articles within said container for rendering said delivering means inoperative.

2. In combination with a container having a substantially horizontal rotary base and means for rotating said base, a supply receptacle, and means for delivering articles from said receptacle to said container including a reciprocab'le member, an element pivoted on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said base in said container and normally yieldingly projecting over said base spaced above said base and adapted to be engaged and swung outwardly by centrifugal force exerted by articles within said container above a predetermined level thrown thereagainst by the rotation of said base, and means 'operatively connected to said pivoted element and arranged to be projected into the path of motion of said reciprocable member and prevent further reciprocation thereof and further feed from said receptacle when said element is swung outwardly.

3. In combination with a container having a substantially horizontal rotary base and means for rotating said base, a supply receptacle, and means for delivering articles from said receptacle to said container including a ratchet feed mechanism, a cam, a bar yieldingly engaging said cam and connected to said ratchet feed and axially movable to intermittently actuate said feed mechanism, an element pivoted in said container on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said base and normally yieldingly projecting over said base spaced above said base and adapted to be engaged and swung outwardly by centrifugal force exerted by articles within said containerabove a predetermined level. thrown thereagainst by the rotation of said base, and means'operatively connected to said pivoted element and arranged to be projected .into the-path of motion of said bar and prevent further reciprocation thereof and further feed from said receptacle when said element is swung'outwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES-PATENTS 619,425 Marsden Feb. 14, 1899 701,453 Zellers June 3, 1902 1,092,240 Bennett Apr. 7, 1914 1,157,979 Fasting Oct. 26, 1915 1,203,167 Woolson Oct. 31, 1916 1,501,622 Ruau July 15, 1924 1,530,478 Carlson Mar. 24, 1925 1,869,895 Hazenfield Aug. 2, 1932 2,049,990 Armstrong Aug. 4, 1936 2,277,879 Ness Mar. 31, 1942 2,430,407 Nelson Nov. 4, 1947 2,619,256 Wiley Nov. 24, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Norway 2 of 1913

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