US2841934A - Machines for counting coins and other articles - Google Patents

Description

y 1958 F. w. SCHOENEWOLF MACHINES FOR COUNTING COINS AND OTHER ARTICLES 4 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Sept. 50, 1954 m FIG. IO. 64

IN V EN TOR.

FRIEDERICH W. SCHOENE VYOLF FIG. I 2.

F IG. 9.

AWOXIVEV July 8, 1958 F. w. SCHQENEWOLF 2,841,934

MACHINES FOR COUNTING COINS AND OTHER ARTICLES Filed Sept. 30, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FRIEDERICH W. SCHOENEWOLF I BY ,4 fraz/ve/ y 1958 F. w. SCHOENEWOLF MACHINES FOR COUNTING COINS AND OTHER ARTICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 50, 1954 FIG. ll.

INVEN TOR. FRIEDERICH W. SCHOENEWOLF July 8, 1958 F. w. SCHOENEWOLF MACHINES FOR COUNTING COINS AND OTHER ARTICLES Filed Sept. '50, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. FRIEDERICH W SCHOENEWOLF A 770 RA/EJ/ atent fiice 2,841,934 Patented July 8, 1958 MACHINES FQR ()DUIJTHNG C llllNS arm GTHER ARTlCiL-EE Friederich Wilhelm Schoenewolt, New Yorlr, N. Y, r

signer to Automatic Coinwrapping Machine (Corp tion, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Application September 30, 1954, Serial No. 455E363 2 Claims. (Cl. 5%59} This invention relates tomachines in which coins, tokens and more or less similar articles are counted in lots of, say, predetermined numbers of coins per lot. For conciseness the words coin and coins" are used hereinafter as including all articles to which the present invention is applicable except as the contrary may be more appropriate. Machines of the kind indicated are used, for example, for counting U. S. A. dimes and pennies in lots of fifty each, nickels and quarters in lots of forty each, and half dollars in lots of twenty. In addition usually they are adapted to count coins of any denomination in lots limited only by the will and action of the operator.

At times it is desirable that some action or actions be brought about automatically in coin counting machines, say either immediately or a little time after the finish of the counting of each lot of coins regardless of Whether the lot contains a large number of coins or a small numher. For example, frequently a continuously driven wheel is used to force the coins through the counting mechanism, this wheel bearing frictionally on successive coins. if for any reason (for example, say, because of delay in start ing of the count of a new coin lot) this wheel is allowed to run continuously on a coin, the friction of the wheel on the coin may heat the coin quite hot and Wear the Wheel unduly. This can be avoided by stopping the wheel whenever, substantially, the counting is stopped, either stopping the wheel actually, or in effect as by raising the Wheel from the coin below it. As another example, frequently coin counting machines are only semiautomatic in action; c. g. at the finish of the counting until the operator again restarts the counting by his hand or foot. The number of coins countable by such a machine per hour or per day depends therefore on the promptness with which the operator restarts the machine after each stop. By causing the counting to restart automatically after each stop, say an interval after each stop sufficient to permit such actions as may need to be taken between counting cycles, the human element can be eliminated and a given machine enabled to count and deliver not only a substantially definite number of coins per hour and per day, but also deliver a greater number of coins per hour and per day than is customary when the restarts depend on action by the human operator.

Heretofore mechanical arrangements have been de vised to cause a certain type of coin machine to operate cyclically, that is to say, to count coins into successive separate lots wholly automatically without the intervention of the operator.

The present invention, however, provides an arrangement which is applicable wherever the counting mechanism (or one or more members of it) is advanced as the counting of the coins proceeds and associated mechanism is adjustable relative thereto (or vice versa) to the end that the machine can count lots of a certain number of coins at one time and lots of other numbers of coins at other times, and which arrangement is suitable for bringing about substantially any kind of action that it may desire to bring about concomitantly with the counting cycles in coin machines, i. e. to bring about during the counting of each lot of coins, or during, intervals between the counting of two lots of coins. Briefly a controller is provided which is adjustable to various positions where it is engageable, directly or indirectly, by the counting mechanism (or an element or elements of it) as the latter comes to or toward its lot-completed positions, and a second and cooperating element spans the various positions of this controller and accordingly responds to the latter whenever the latter is called to action by the counting mechanism. Either or both the controller, so called, or the second element, or each or. them, may consist of a single member or a plurality of members as will be seen. The second element is used to bring about the operation or operations of the coin machine mechanism which is or are to be dependent or or follow the counting of the coin lots. Preferably this last is accomplished by actuation of a switch (either opening orclosing the switch as appropriate) in an electrical circuit leading to an actuator or actuators for the part or parts of the machine involved. lit a single stop-pin, so called, or the like, is employed in cooperation with movable counters to measure the coin lots, a single member controller mounted on it will sutlice, or itself may sufiice as the controller, or if more than one stop-pin is employed in measuring the number of coins per lot, each may be provided with (or even may itself be) an element of the controller which respectively is brought into action as the respective stop-pin is brought into action to stop a count; however a discrete first member or members to serve as a controller may be mounted other than on the stop-pins, as will be evident.

The invention provides also an improved arrangement for causing coin counting and packaging machines to operate cyclically automatically, i. e. count coins into successive lots and package the lots individually without human aid other than, say, to keep the machine supplied with coins and with wrapping paper orcontainers for the lots of coins. To this end, speaking generally, the coin counting mechanism is arranged to start, say, each action of the packaging mechanism or some part of the packaging mechanism concomitantly with the counting of lots of coins, and the starting of the counting of successive lots coins is put under the direction of the packaging mechanism, or under the control of that p rt of it which is controlled by the counting mechanism. Preferably a device of the nature of a single-turn clutch, so -called, is brought into action by the counting mechanism, say at about the finish of the counting of each lot, to operate the mechanism which packages the coins or some part of it which takes part in packaging of the coins, and the latter having been started in operation, a moment later restarts the counting. Preferably the counting mechanism is of the type mentioned above, and the controller-type of adjunct to the counting mechanism reterred to above is employed to bring the single turn clutch action into operation. This is not altogether necessary, however.

The accompanying drawings show the presently preferred form of the invention applied to a well known form of: coin counting and packaging machine. In those drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of most of the machineas a whole, some parts being broken away to show other parts beneath them. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the controlling mechanism of this machine, again parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan view in the region of the counting mechanism of Fig. 1, drawn to a larger scale thanin the latter figure. Pi 4 is a horizontal section showing the lot-counting wheels and the cooperating stop-pin of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. is a horizontal section about on the line V-V of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail of the controller-cooperating mechanism shown also in Figs. 2 and 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation showing an arrangement whereby a coin-driving driven wheel can be stopped readily on occasion. Fig. 8 is an elevation partly in section of the coin packaging and crimping mechanism of the counting machine of Fig. 1 and showing its relation to the counting mechanism of preceding figures. Pig. 9 shows in elevation, partly in section, the mechanism for lifting the stop-pin from the counting wheels to restart counting. Fig. is a plan view of the conveyor which carries the coin tubes along their supporting table. Fig. 11 is a wiring diagram of the machine. Fig. 12 illustrates a modification.

The machine in connection with which the invention is illustrated is a well known one as before mentioned. It has a hopper into which the coins to be counted, say all of the same denomination, are dumped. Its walls 2 are more or less circular and vertical and its floor 3 consists of a horizontal disc which is rotated rapidly by a motorwhenever counting is to be done. The rotation urges the coins in the hopper toward and against the walls 2, and at one place 4 a port is provided in the walls 2 through which the coins can escape one by one, lying flat, on to a passage or chute 6 and underneath a driven wheel 5; this wheel may be driven by the same motor as the centrifugal disc 3 and usually is driven continuously while counting is to be done. From the wheel 5 the coins slide down the chute 6 to an outlet port 7 through which they escape from the counting mechanism. A star wheel 8 extends into the path of the coins coming from the port 4, adjacent the driven wheel 5, far enough to block the passage 6 against the passage of a coin when the star wheel is in the angular position shown in Fig. 4, and the rotation of the star wheel 8 is restrained, e. g.

by a spring-held lever 9 acting on a notched wheel 10 fixed to the star wheel 8, to such an extent that it stops the flow of coins through the passage 6 except as the coins may be forcibly driven along the star wheel by the wheel 5. When a coin is thus forced through the passage, it turns the star wheel one step. The driven wheel 5 bears against the face of the coin resting on the floor of the passage 6 and drives the coins frictionally as customary. A slide 11 adjustable manually to the right and left (Figs. 1 and 4) serves to make the passage 6 of op propriate width for the diameter of the coin being handled at the moment; this adjustment may be made by the swinging handle 12 (Fig. 1). The driven wheel 5: is carried by a shaft 13, and in turn this shaft is carried in a bracket hinged transversely at 14 (Fig. 7) so that the wheel 5 can rise and fall, and accordingly bear on a coin regardless of the thickness of the coin.

Two counting wheels (sometimes called counters) and in the present instance a stop-pin 3t) measure or determine the number of coins to be counted in each lot. The wheel is geared to the star Wheel 8, through the intermediate gear 23 which is fixed to the star Wheel, and the gear ratio is such that the wheel 20 advances to make one complete revolution each time the star wheel 8 rotates to such an extent that fifty of its notches, and hence fifty coins, pass the driven wheel 5. Also for convenience the wheel 21 is geared to the stop wheel 29 for driving thereby, and the gear ratios are such that the wheel 21 makes one complete rotation each time the star wheel 3 turns sufliciently to pass forty of its notches, and hence forty coins, by the driven wheel 5. To the upper face of the wheel 20 is fixed a member having a long arm or abutment 24 and a diametrically opposite short arm or abutment 25. Similarly a member having a long arm or abutment 26 and diametrically opposite a short abutment 27 'is fixed to the upper face of the wheel 21. The top 28 of the case which encloses these wheels has a slot 29 in it extending from nearly the center of the wheel 20 to the center of the wheel 21 (Fig. 3), and the vertical stop-pin 30, so called, is mounted in this slot and extends downwardly nearly to the top faces of the wheels 20 and 21.

This pin is adjustable along the slot and hence relative 5 to the wheels, from a position where it can be struck by the short arm 2.5 as the wheel rotates (and accordingly by the arm 24 also) to a position where it can be struck by the short arm 27 of the wheel 231 as the latter rotates (and accordingly by the adjacent long arm 26 also); or it may occupy a position where it will be struck by abutment 2.4- alone, or a position where it will be struck by abutment 26 alone, or by none of the abutments. A shaft fill fastened to and rising from the star wheel 8 is geared to a conventional counting register 3?, which registers, as it were, the total number of coins passing underneath the driven wheel 5. The top or cap 28, in which is provided the stop-pin slot 29, is hinged at 38 and a lever 39 at its opposite end, hinged at 40, when actuated raises the top or cap 28 and thereby lifts the stop-pin above and hence out of the paths of the arms 24 to 27.

As the driven wheel 5 drives coins passed the star wheel 8 therefore, this wheel turns the lot counting wheels 20 and 21. Assuming that the stop-pin 30 is down and in the path of one (or two) of the abutments 24 to 27, such counting continues until an abutment strikes the stop-pin. When this occurs, the stop-pin stops the counting wheels and therewith stops the star wheel 8 and thereby prevents the passage of further coins along the chute 6. This is, as it were, the finish of the counting of a lot of coins. By raising the cap or cover 28, by the lever 39, the stop pin can be removed from the path of the arm or abutment engaging it, thereby permitting the counting of another lot of coins to be started, and then can be dropped into stopping position again. It will be seen therefore that by setting the stop-pin 30 in an appropriate position in its slot 29 the machine can be made to count coins in lots of twenty coins per lot, or twenty-five coins, or forty coins, or fifty coins per lot.

In the present instance the machine counts each such lot into a paper tube that is crirnped or otherwise closed against the escape of coins at one end but is open at the other end to receive coins. A carrier 43, rotatable on a vertical axis 44 and carrying a number of coin guides 45, say one for each diameter of coin to be handled by the machine, may be provided to direct coins from the outlet port 7 to the paper tubes 63. Each guide 45 may be circular transversely (for round coins) and flared outwardly, or otherwise extended at its top to permit coins to enter it easily and thence fall freely from it into the paper tubes (Fig. 8). The carrier 43 is so located that it can be turned by hand to place any one of its guides 45 underneath the outlet port; it may be carried by arms 43a attached as at 4357 to some stationary parts of the machine, and a spring latch 43c may be provided to hold the carrier and its guides in each of its active positions.

A carrier for the paper tubes is placed below the level of the guides 45. In the present instance this carrier serves a tube crimping mechanism 46 also and consists of a disc 47, rotatable on a vertical axis 48 and resting on a stationary floor 49, and provided with a number of pockets for the paper tubes. Diametrically each pocket 50 is large enough to receive a paper tube and support it sidewise, and at the same time allow the tube to slip through it; a separate disc 47 may be provided for each size of tube to be handled in order that the pockets 50 may be of appropriate sizes. Also each pocket 50 is open at both ends so that a paper tube in a pocket rests on the floor 49 and thereby is held in the pocket. The carrier is so located that as the disc 47 rotates the pockets in succession underneath the outlet port '1' from the counting arrangement (Fig. 1), and also underneath any coin guide 45 that may be located below that port at the moment. Each guide 45' may be of such an individual length (Fig. 8) that paper tubes that are to receive coins from it will just pass beneath it; in effect the guides 45 thus extend the outlet port 7 to lengths appropriate for all sizes of coins. By placing the guide carrier 43 with its guides 45 to one side of the carrier 47 of the paper tubes (Fig. 1) the long guides are kept out of the paths of long paper tubes. As appears hereafter the carrier disc 47 is rotated intermittently step by step, in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, and in angular positions in which it stands at rest, Fig. 1 (for example, in each of its rest positions), one of the pockets 50 stands in coinreceiving position below the outlet port 7, another pocket 50 (at the left in Fig. 1) is at a crimping station where the open end of each filled paper tube is crimped to prevent the escape of coins from it, still another pocket stands above a hole 58 in the carrier fioor through which the completed filled packages drop from the machine, and still a fourth pocket 50 (at the right in Fig. l) is in a position where an empty paper tube can be placed in it.

Speaking generally, the package carrier 47, 49 can be substantially like the carriers used heretofore to carry filled paper coin tubes through crimpers in coin counting and packaging machines of the type to which the invention is here shown applied, on the crimping mechanism 46 can be substantially like the crimping mechanisms used heretofore in such machines. Thus at one side each pocket 50 is pierced with a slot 51 to permit the entry of a sliding paper tube gripper 52 adapted to hold the paper tube against turning while its open end is being crirnped, and supplemental grippers 52a are mounted in the pocket walls. Immediately above this crimping position of the filled paper tubes a rotary crimper head 53 is provided appropriate to the size of paper tube being used at the moment. Usually in fact a crimper-head carrier 54 is provided, manually rotatable on a vertical axis 55 and carrying a rotary crimper head 53 appropriate for each size of coin the machine is intended to handle; by manually rotating this crimper-head carrier, 21 crimper head appropriate to the particular coin being handled at the moment is brought to active position; a latch lever 56 can be added to drop into slots to hold the carrier in its various angular positions. Also the crimper is driven by a motor 59. Through a shaft 6t) this motor rotates at least that crimper head 53 which stands at the crimping position at the moment, and by the gearing at 61 brings about a single-turn clutch action on the other parts of the packaging mechanism; i. c. When this gearing is once activated it brings the tube gripper 52 against the filled paper tube at the crimping station to hold the tube against rotation, reciprocates the appropriate crimper head 53 against the end of the tube to crimp it, and then returns these parts to their initial positions; also it rotates the tube carrier 47 one step between each two crimping actions. The gearing 61 is activated by a sliding link 62, one reciprocation of which causes the shaft 64 to make one rotation and thereby causes the crimping and associated mechanism to act through one cycle as thus described. The crimping and associated mechanism here illustrated and its operation are well known (it is substantially that of the Seemcl U. S. Patent No. 2,110,685, March 8, 1938), and hence the foregoing description will suflice for the present purposes. It will be noted however that the relation of the crimping and associated mechanism to the counting mech anism has been changed from the common prior practices to, as it were, place the carrier 47 underneath the coin outlet port 7 so that coins can pass from that port into open containers in the carrier 47.

In accordance with the present invention (which is applicable to quite other forms of coin counting machinery aswell, as has been indicated before) the finish ofthe counting of lots of coins is brought about preferably by wheels Ztl and 21 in coaction with the stop-pin 36 which limits their advances as before described. To the stop-pin 30 is hinged a member 65, a controller as I call it, which has an overhanging part 66 and a portion 67 so located as to be struck by the arms or abutments 24, 25, 26 and 27 as these respectively engage with the stoppin 31} and thereby stop the countings. Thus the member 65 is turned on its hingceach time the count of a lot is finished, and thereby its overhand 66 depressed. A second member 69 is hinged at 63 to some fixed part of the machine, and provided with an elongated portion 69a which lies underneath the overhand 66 of the first member or controller 65 and spans the various positions which the controller or member 65 may occupy as the stop-pin 30' is adjusted from its extreme right hand position, Figs. 4 and 5, to its extreme left hand position. Thus this second member 69 is operable by 65in all positions of the latter to the right and left. Conveniently, Fig. 6, this second member 59 has a projecting portion 76 forming an arm to operate an electrical switch, and through which the hinge pin 68 extends, the latter being carried in bearings 69b and 6%. in the present instance the electrical switch 74 (Fig. 11) is self-opening, and is enclosed in the box 71 which is carried on some fixed part of the machine with the operating member 77. of the switch projecting at the bottom of the box 71 and, say, against the switchoperating portion 70 of the second member. It is evident therefore that whenever the counting of a lot of coins is finished by one of the arms or abutments 24 to 27 coming against the stop member 30, the consequent engagement of the respective arm with the first member on controller 65 will turn the second member 69 on its axis 68 and thereby close the switch 74. Also when the lever 39 is actuated to raise the counting mechanism cover 23 and thereby take the stop-pin 30 out of the path of the active arm to let counting resume, the same action withdraws the member or controller e5 from the arm or abutment, it swings back to its initial position (Fig. 2), and also the second member 69 and the switch member 72 resume their initial positions of Fig. 2 as the stop-pin 3t? and controller 65 are lowered again. i The switch 74 is thus released, and in this instance allowed to open. The members 65 and 69 and the movable parts of the switch 74 may be weighted or spring pressed toward their normal positions when released.

As machines or" the type herein shown have been built heretofore, a foot pedal is provided through which the operator starts the counting of each successive lot of coins at his will, and likewise a foot pedal by which he starts each crimping cycle. In such arrangements therefore, delays may occur which result in highly heating coins and undue wearing of the wheel as noted before. Fig. 7 illustrates an application of such mechanisms as just described to the avoidance of such faults. The coin counting machine, for the purpose of this arrangement, can be considered to be manually controlled in the manner above described, and the driven wheel 5 driven through a continuously driven belt 77 running on a pulley 78 which is free on the wheel shaft 113, but which is connectable to the shaft 13 by a clutch 79. This clutch can be opened by swinging its lever till clockwise in Fig. 7 about its pivot 81. A spring 82, operating through a third arm of lever 31) tends to hold the clutch 79 closed. The lower end of the lever is connected by a link 83 to the armature 84 of a solenoid 85, the arrangement being such that when the solenoid 85 is energized and the armature 84 attracted or drawn into the solenoid, the lever 819 is actuated thereby to open the clutch 79. By connecting the switch 74 in series with the solenoid 35 and a source of electrical current and arranging the switch 74 to stand open except when closed by engagement of one of the arms or abutments 24 to 2'7 with the member 65, it is evident that the driven wheel 5 will be driven to feed coins through the counting mechanism so long as the counting Wheels 20 and 21. are rotatable under the thrust of the star wheel 8, but as soon as a count is finished and thereby the counting stopped, switch 741 will be closed, thereby solenoid 85 will be energized, and thereby the driven wheel 5 will be stopped. As soon however as the operator actuates the cover lever 39 to lift the counting mechanism cover 28 to start the next count of a lot of coins, switch 74 opens and thereby deenergizes solenoid 85, and this permits spring 82 to close the clutch 79 so that tne driven wheel will be rotated as needed to force coins through the counting mechanism. While therefore the driven wheel of this Fig. 7 is operative at all times when it is needed, it is not operating at other times.

Additionally Figs. 1 and 8 to 11 show the machine arranged for cyclic or completely automatic operation except for, say, the supplying of the coins to be counted and packaged. As before pointed out, the carrier 47 is so disposed that the coins pass from the counting mechanism to the packaging mechanism. In addition the operation of the packaging mechanism is put under the control of the counting mechanism. To this end a solenoid 90, Fig. 8 is provided and its armature 91 is coupled, say through a hinged link 92, to a lever 93 which actuates the sliding link 62 of the packaging mechanism, the arrangement being such that energization of the solenoid 95 cause that movement of link 62 which brings the crimping and associated mechanism into action as before described. The solenoid 90 is coupled in series with the counting-mechanism switch 74 to a source of current (Fig. 11), and this switch is normally open, i. e. open except as it is closed by engagement of one of the arms or abutments 24 to 27 with the controller or first member 65. Also the starting of the counts (i. e. the starting of the counting of each succeeding lot of coins after the counting of the preceding lot has been finished) is put under the control of the packaging mechanism, each starting being delayed after the bringing of the packaging mechanism into action as may be necessary to permit needed intermediate actions to take place. To this end a normally open self-opening switch 94 is placed adjacent the edge of the carrier disc 47 and the latter is provided with distributed projecting cams 95 to close this switch as they are carried passed the switch by the rotation of the carrier 47. Also a solenoid 96 is provided, with its armature 97 connected to the cover-lifting or count-starting lever 39 (Fig. 9), the arrangement being such that energization of the solenoid 96 actuates lever 39 to lift cover or cap 28 to remove the stop-pin 30 (and controller or member 65) from the arm or abutment 2427 engaged with it. The switch 94 and the count-restarting solenoid 96 are connected in series to a source of current, Fig. 11. There are as many of the switch-operating earns 95 as there are pockets in the carrier 47 (assuming every pocket is an active pocket), each is placed between two pockets (Figs. 1, l0 and 11), and each is so placed that it comes to the switch 94 after the respectively related action of the packaging mechanism has been Well started by the link 62, and also so late in its cycle of operations that the first coins of each lot coming from the outlet port 7 will find an empty paper tube below this port to receive them. It will be understood from the time lag inherent in the motions and movement of the linkages, switches, and solenoid armatures, that the rotating movement of carrier 47 continues after energization of solenoid 96 to the point where the cam 95 has moved slightly past switch 94 and out of contact with it. It then halts. The period of contact, however, as will be understood, is of long enough duration to provide sufficient energization of solenoid 96 as described above.

An empty paper tube can be supplied to each pocket 50 of the carrier 47 when the pocket comes to its right-hand position, Fig. 1. This can be done manually, or automatically as indicated by the hopper 164), Fig. l, in which a stock of empty tubes can be placed transversely and then allowed to slide by gravity or be forced one by one down the chute 101 to the pockets 50 as these come to rest successively below the chute.

With this arrangement it will be seen that as a lot of coins are counted they pass one by one through the counting outlet port 7 to a paper tube container held below the port 7 by the carrier 47. As the counting of the lot is finished (regardless of whether the lot contains a large number of coins or a small number), the counting is stopped by the stop-pin 30, and the controller or first member 65 and the second member 69 close the counting mechanism switch '74 and thus energize the packaging mechanism solenoid 9tl. This solenoid then causes the packaging mechanism to operate through one cycle; i. e. carry a previously crimped filled tube and hence completed coin package from the crimping station to the discharge port 58 whence it falls from the machine; simultaneously carry the last filled tube from below outlet port 7 to the crimping station; simultaneously carry an empty paper tube from the right hand pocket position (Fig. l) to below the outlet port 7; simultaneously move empty pocket 50 from the discharge port 58 to the right hand or tube-receiving position of the pockets, whereat it then receives an empty tube by hand or automatically; and then a crimper head crimps the coin-filled tube last brought to the crimping station, thus completing this succeeding package. The rotation of the carrier one step in thus carrying empty and filled tubes from station to station, brings one of the earns 95 to the packaging mechanism switch 94 at the proper time to start the counting of another lot of coins. Closing this switch energizes the counting mechanism solenoid 96, and this, acting on the lever 39, lifts the stop-pin 30 and controller or member 65 from the arm or abutment 24-27 engaging them at the moment. This in turn permits the counting of the next lot of coins to start and allows the counting mechanism switch 74 to open, thus deenergizing the packing mechanism solenoid and allowing the link 62 to return to its initial position. At about the same time the departure of the acting cam from the switch 94 cleenergizes solenoid 96, thus allowing the stop-pin 30 and controller 65 to fall into an abutment path again but back of the abutment which previously engaged them, so that the counting proceeds. This completes one cycle of the machine, and the foregoing operations repeat. The operations of the machine therefore are continuous and at a fixed rate so long as the operator keeps the machine supplied with coins and empty paper tubes of the size being worked on at the time. By stopping the machine and substituting another carrier 47, rotating the guide carrier 43 to bring a newly appropriate guide 45 to below the outlet port 7 and making the proper adjustments at the counting mechanism which will be understood from the above and prior practices, obviously the machine will perform the same cyclic operations with coins of another size.

Fig. 12 illustrates generally a possible modification in construction with respect to restarting the countings; i. e. starting the counting of each lot of coins. This may be used to actuate the counting-starting switch 94; for example, it may be used in lieu of the cams 95 on the package carrier 47, or used in machines so constructed that no carrier analogous to the carrier 47 is needed. Briefly it consists of a shaft 64 which makes, say, a single rotation during each cycle of operation of the machine and which carries (accordingly one) cam 95a to operate the switch 94. This shaft 64 may be, for instance, the shaft 64 of Fig. 8. With such an arrangement, of course the switch 94 may need to be relocated as it were, to place it within reach of the cam 95a. The operation of a machine embodying this modification will be understood from the foregoing.

In general, it will be understood that this invention is not limited to the construction and operation shown in the accompanying drawings and described above except as appears hereafter in the claims, and that those claims are to be understood as including equivalents of the various elements named in them as well as those elements themselves.

I claim:

1. A coin counting and packaging machine having counting mechanism including at least one counting wheel which is advanced as the counting of the coins proceeds, at least one stop-pin Which is adjustable to various positions whereat said pin is engageable by said counting wheel to stop said wheel and thereby stop the counting at the finish of the counting of lots of predetermined numbers of coins per lot, said machine having a discharge port for coins from the counting mechanism, a carrier movable to carry open empty packages to said port for filling by coins and to carry filled packages thence, a package-closing mechanism disposed to operate on filled packages in said carrier, means to operate, when brought into action, said carrier and package-closing mechanism, a member movable on said stop-pin by engagement with said counting wheel at said various positions of the stoppin, a second member spanning said various positions of the first member and engageable by said first member thereat and connected to said means to bring the same into action, and means controlled by said carrier to remove such stop-pin from engagement with said wheel to restart the counting of coins.

2. A coin counting and packaging machine having counting mechanism including at least one counting wheel which is advanced as the counting of the coins proceeds,

at least one stop-pin which is adjustable to various positions whercat said pin is engageable by said counting wheel to stop said wheel and thereby stop the counting at the finish of the counting of lots of predetermined numbers of coins per lot, said machine having a discharge port for coins from the counting mechanism, a carrier movable to carry open empty coin collecting tubes to said port for filling by coins and to carry filled tubes thence, a packaging mechanism disposed to operate on filled tubes in said carrier, means to operate, when brought into action, said carrier and packaging mechanism, a member movable on said stop-pin by engagement with said counting wheel at said various positions of the stoppin, a second member spanning said various positions of the first member and engageable by said first member thereat and connected to said means to bring the same into action, and means controlled by said carrier to remove such stop-pin from engagement with said wheel to restart the counting of coins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,901,715 Young Mar. 14, 1933 1,925,522 Chiger Sept. 5, 1933 2,323,492 Seemel Iu1y,6, 1943 2,679,849 Buchholz June 1, 1954

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