US3152597A

US3152597A - Coin feeder and stacker

Info

Publication number: US3152597A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 1981-10-13

Description

Oct. 13, 1964 R. c. RAU

com FEEDER AND STACKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 27, 1962 INVENTOR RICHARD c. RAU

ATTORNEYS Oct. 13, 1964 R. c. RAU

' COIN FEEDER AND STACKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1962 Fl 6. 5 INVENTOR Rlcg an C. Pan wmwaflg (W ATTORNEYS 7 While the larger drum 34 performs its function over an arc of approximately 90 from the location of coin C in FIG. 1 to the top of chute 38, a substantial portion of the remaining are defining the cylindrical surface of the drum is covered by a semicylindrical wall 42. The forward edge 44 of wall 42 serves to dislodge coins from the rubher-like surface 36 of the drum should they adhere to the surface for any reason, rather than drop from it onto the chute 38. The trailing edge 46 of the wall 42 is spaced slightly above the surface of inclined wall 24 and allows only a single layer of coins to pass beneath it on that surface. Thus, the coins reaching the drum surface are assured of being spread out in a single layer without overlapping one another.

When the coins reach the top of the chute 38 they fall from the surface 36 of the drum and onto the chute, and by gravity they are carried to the wheel feeder housing 50. The housing St) is open at its top so that coins on the chute 38 enter the housing through the opening and reach the periphery of the Wheel 16. Guide walls 51 prevent coins from falling off the side edges of chute 38.

The periphery 52 of the Wheel 16 is provided with a series of semicircular cutouts or notches 54 each of which is adapted to receive one coin. The periphery 52 of the wheel 16 is spaced from the edge 56 of the housing St) a distance adequate for the notches 54 to receive coins and rotate within the housing without interference. This is suggested in FIG. 1 wherein a number of coins C are shown in the notches 54. It will be appreciated that the wheel 16 may rotate rapidly so as to continuously provide at the bottom of chute 38 empty notches 54 to receive coins as they move down the chute. The coins are carried from that region at the uppermost point on the periphery of the wheel 16 to the slots 58 which extend downwardly from the housing Stl. As the notches move from the bottom of the chute 38 to the bottom of the housing 50 they are inverted and drop the coins which are carried in them into the slots 58 provided. A plurality of slots 58 are shown and it will be appreciated that the coins will be dropped from the notches 54 in the first slot 58 capable of receiving coins. That is, if the first slot 58a is less than full, the coins will be deposited in that slot and when that slot is full the c ins will pass over it in the notches 54 and drop into the next slot 58b. The slots 58 may then convey the coins to any desired location.

Having described the feeder subcombination of my invention it will be appreciated that it is capable of handling coins in great quantities and feeding them rapidly single file to any desired location. The feeder is particularly suitable for use in combination with a stacking device which presents coins in stacks of a preselected number ready for Wrapping or packaging.

Coin Stacker In FIGS. 35 a stacking device suitable for use in combination with the feeder of FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown. The stacker includes a frame 60 on which is rotatably mounted a semicylindrical sleeve or holder 62 of a length and diameter capable of receiving a stack of a preselected number of coins. The holder 62 typically may be capable of holding twenty quarters, fifty pennies, or forty nickels, all constituting conventional rolled quantities of coins. The holder 62 is carried on a shaft 64 which extends through the frame and carries a gear 66 driven by a second gear 68 in turn mounted on shaft 70. The shaft 70 has one end supported in the frame 66 and the other end of the shaft may be connected to a motor (not shown). In FIG. 3 the

gears

66 and 68 are shown to have nonuniformly spaced gear teeth which cause intermittent rotation of the holder 62 through areas of less than 360. Obviously the special gears could be replaced by a timing circuit for the motor which drives the shaft 70 to achieve the same purpose.

In the position shown, the open side 72 of the holder 62 faces the discharge ends 74 of a number of parallel coin slots '76 each of which is adapted to deliver to the holder a coin with its axis aligned with the axis of the holder so that each will assume the position shown in FIG. 3 when discharged into the holder. In the illustrated embodiment, the number of slots 76 corresponds to the number of coins to be stacked in the holder.

Disposed beneath the holder 62 is a trough-like coin receiver 78 appreciably longer than the holder itself. The holder lies above one end of the trough-like coin receiver 78 and the receiver has upwardly extending side walls 80 which flare outwardly at their tops 82 to guide coins from the holder into the receiver. In FIG. 4 it will be noted that the upwardly extending walls Stl reach substantially to the height of the holder 62 and will guide coins into the receiver when the holder 62 is inverted. That is, when the holder 62 is rotated from the position shown in FIG. 4 to a position wherein its open side '72 faces downwardly, the coins in the holder 62 Will be guided by the plates 80 into the receiver 73.

The holder 62 has a circular end wall 84 from which extends a shaft 36 which rotates with the holder. The shaft 86 carries an axially movable sleeve 88 which in turn carries a circular disc 90 of substantially greater radius than the end wall 84 of the holder 62. The sleeve 83 and disc 90 rotate with the shaft 86. In FIG. 3 disc 9t is shown in broken lines to extend downwardly toward the receiver '78 below the tops of coins disposed in the receiver when placed there by the holder. The sleeve 88 surrounds a spring 92 mounted on the shaft 86, which urges the disc 90 to the position shown in FTG.- 3 adjacent the partition 94 and end Wall 84 of the holder. The disc 9%? may be moved against the bias of the spring 92 to the position shown in FIG. 5.

A solenoid 96 having a plunger 98 is mounted on a support 1d!) beside the frame 6t and the plunger 38 extends through the frame and carries a pusher plate 162 at its end within the receiver '78. The pusher plate Hi2 bears against one end of the stack of coins when they are deposited in the receiver by the holder 62 while the other end of the stack is supported by the disc 90. When the solenoid 96 is energized the plunger 98 moves the pusher plate to the right as viewed in FIG. 3 and the coins in the trough move to the right beyond the partition 94 as shown in FIG. 5. It will be noted that the bottom of the partition 94 has a semicircular cutout which forms with the receiver 78 a circle of slightly larger diameter than the coins so that they may slide from beneath the holder 62 under the influence of the pusher plate 362 to the receiver extension lying beyond the partition. The partition 94 serves to guide the coin on the end of each stack as the stack falls from the holder to the receiver.

In FIG. 5 the disc 30 is shown to include an arcuate cutout 104. The cutout 104 is the equivalent of the curved lower end of the partition 94 so that when the cutout 104 is aligned with the receiver 78 the disc 90 may move over the coins from the position shown in FIG. 5 to that shown in FIG. 3. When the disc 90 is in an angular position such as shown in FIG. 5 the pusher plate 102 will act both upon the coins in the receiver 78 and the disc 90 to move them to the right, as shown in FIG. 5. However when the disc 90 rotates so that the cutout 104 is aligned with the receiver, the spring 92 will move the sleeve 88 and the disc 90 over the coins.

Having described the details of the coin stacker shown in FIGS. 3-5 its operation will now be described. The assembly in FIG. 3 is shown in its initial position wherein coins are deposited from the slots '76 into the holder 62 in the desired number. Rotation of the shaft 64 is such that the holder Will rest temporarily in the position shown in FIG. 3 while the loading of the coins takes place. After the coins are loaded in the holder 62 the prime mover through the

gears

66 and 68 rotates the holder approximately 90 so that the stack of coins in the holder falls from it into the receiver 78. The

United States Patent 3,152,597 CUEN FEEDER AND STACKER Richard (I. Ran, Mention, Mesa, assignor to Electronic Coin Processing Corp, New York, N.Z., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 27, 19 52, Ser. No. 219,671 9 Claims. (Cl. 133-4) This invention relates to coin feeding and stacking machines.

There is a growing demand for all types of automatic equipment for handling coins. In part this growing demand results from the increased use of automatic vending machines and change making machines of all varieties. Increased labor costs have also made it virtually essential in certain industries where large quantities of coins are handled to find automatic equipment for performing tasks formerly carried out manually by unskilled and inexpensive labor.

The use of coins in quantity has also grown so that there is now an appreciable market for packaged coins in assorted denominations specifically chosen to fill the needs of the user. To successfully exploit this market and fulfill the needs of the different industries which must handle coins automatically, the equipment must not only perform dependably and rapidly the tasks assigned to it, but the equipment itself cannot represent a substantial capital outlay.

One important object of this invention is to provide a coin feeder capable of receiving coins in bulk and discharging them rapidly, one at a time, in a selected orientation.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a coin stacking device capable of receiving coins in single file and rapidly converting them into stacks of a selected number of coins.

Yet another important object of this invention is to provide a coin handling machine which is capable of receiving coins in bulk and converting them to stacks of coins of a particular number.

Yet another important object of this invention is to provide a device capable of rapidly and dependably performing the above noted objects.

The machine of this invention capable of performing the stated objects is composed of two major subassemblies; namely, the feeder and the stacker. The coin feeder subassembly includes two rotating members disposed in a housing which receives coins in bulk from an adjacent bin. One of the rotating members turns in a direction opposite to the normal direction of travel of coins in the housing and serves to spread the coins into a single layer on the housing bottom wall. The second member conveys the coins to a remote location where they are dropped into recesses formed in the periphery of a rotating disc which conveys the coins in single file to the top of a plurality of coin chutes or slots.

A number of chutes or slots filled by one or more feeders in accordance with this invention direct coins to a trough-shaped holder which is capable of receiving a preselected number of coins stacked in a roll. The trough-shaped holder is periodically inverted and dumps the coins in stack form to another support, and an actuator is timed to move the coins from the support to a delivery station. Containing forces are applied to the coins in the stack so that they preserve their roll form.

These and other objects and features of this invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of a prefered embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away of a coin feeder constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the feeder shown in FIG 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view with parts broken away of a coin stacker constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the stacker shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the stacker shown in FIG. 3 with the parts of the mechanism in a second position.

In the following description the two main subassemblies are described separately under appropriate subheadings and thereafter the manner in which the two may operate together is presented.

Coin Feeder The coin feeder of this invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a housing 10 having a coin bin or hopper 12 and an operating chamber 14. Disposed below the housing 10 and forming an extension thereof is a wheel feeder 16.

The housing 10 is provided with a pair of side walls 13 and 20, a front wall 22, and an inclined bottom wall 24. A partition or panel 26 cooperates with the bottom wall 24 and the side walls and front wall to define the bin for receiving coins in bulk to be fed by the device. In FIGS. 1 and 2 a number of coins are shown disposed at the bottom of the bin. In ordinary use all of the coins in the bin will be of the same denomination and the particular shape and spacing of the several parts of the mechanism are selected to conform with the size of the particular denomination of coins being handled.

The partition 26 terminates at its lower edge 28 an appreciable distance above the inclined bottom wall 24 so that coins in the bin 12 will slide rather rapidly into the operating chamber 14.

A cylinder 30 is disposed beside the lower end of the partition 26 and carries a plurality of flexible fiappers 32 (four shown) which move clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in a direction opposite to the normal direction of travel of coins on the lower inclined wall 24. The fiappers 32 serve to spread the coins into a single layer as they move down the inclined wall 24 and generally impede the rush of coins in bulk to the lower end of the inclined bottom wall 24. Thus, coins which pass beneath the roller 30 toward the lower end of the inclined wall 24 are spread over the bottom wall in a single layer and do not overlap one another.

A substantially larger drum 34 is also disposed within the chamber 14. The drum has an outer skin of rubberlike material 36 such as polyurethane foam, rotates counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is designed to carry coins from the lower end of the inclined wall 24 to the top of chute 38. The outer surface 36 of the drum is spaced from the curved wall 40 which extends tangentially upwardly from the bottom of the inclined wall 24, an effective distance slightly less than the thickness of one coin of the denomination being handled by the feeder. Thus, the rubber-like surface 36 of the drum engages the coins when they reach the lower end of the inclined wall 24 in the region of the coin C shown in FIG. 1, and carry the coins from that location to the top of the chute 38. If the surface 36 of the drum 34 is sufiiciently flexible or yieldable, no space need be provided between that surface and the wall 40 as it will compress when a coin is grabbed by it and carry it up the wall. This arrangement is suggested in FIG. 2. Note in FIG. 2 coin C being conveyed up the curved wall 40 and in FIG. 1 the coins C" just reaching the top of the chute 38. Coins are also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 on the chute as they slide in the direction of the wheel feeder 16.

rotation may be in the direction of arrow 106 shown in FIG. 3. When the coins are deposited in the receiver 78 they are held at one end by the pusher plate 102 and at the other end by the disc 96. It will be noted that the cutout 104 is not aligned with the receiver 78 so that an unbroken part of the disc lies against the end coin in the stack. The solenoid circuit 96 is timed with rotation of the shaft 64 so that only after the coins are deposited in the trough 78 is the solenoid energized. Energization of the solenoid causes the pusher plate 102 to move the stack of coins of the right to the position shown in FIG. 5, and the plate 90 move with it. Thereafter, continued rotation of the shaft 64 causes the cutout 104 to align itself with the coins and receiver, and the disc is released to the influence of spring 92 and returns to the position shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter continued rotation of the shaft 64 returns the holder 62 to the position shown in FIG. 3 and it may be reloaded with coins and the cycle repeated. It will be appreciated that this operation may be conducted very rapidly and so long as the coin slots 76 are provided with coins the cycle may be repeated indefinitely. It is of course necessary that the coins pushed to the position shown in FIG. 5 be removed from the trough before the next load of coins is moved to that position. This may be carried out automatically by some other equipment perhaps forming part of an automatic coin wrapper.

In the foregoing description the details of construction as well as the operation of each of the subassemblies has been presented. The manner in which they may function together is obvious. Each of the slots 76 in the coin stacker may be connected to or form a continuation of the slots 58 in the feeding mechanism. In this manner the assembly may convert coins in bulk to separate stacks of coins of a selected number ready for wrapping.

From the foregoing description those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications may be made of this invention without departing from its spirit. Therefore, we do not intend to limit the breadth of this invention to the specific embodiments illustrated and described. Rather, it is our intention that the breadth of this invention be determined by the appened claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin feeder comprising,

a coin bin having an inclined bottom wall on which coins slide by gravity toward the lower end,

a roller disposed in the bin above the inclined wall and spaced from it a distance slightly greater than the thickness of coins of the denomination being handled,

means for turning the roller in a direction so that its lower side adjacent the bottom wall moves in a direction against the gravitational flow of coins on the wall for spreading out the conis into a single layer on said wall,

an upwardly inclined Wall secured to and forming a continuation of the bottom wall and being segmentshaped in cross-section,

a drum having a rubber-like outer surface disposed adjacent the inclined wall for conveying coins from the bottom to the top of that wall in a single layer,

a rotating wheel having a plurality of notches formed in its periphery,

means directing the coins from the top of the inclined wall after leaving the drum into the notches,

and a slot for receiving coins in single file from the notches in the periphery.

2. A coin feeder comprising,

a bin having an inclined bottom wall upon which coins will slide by gravity toward the lower end,

a roller spreader disposed above the bottom wall for causing the coins which pass beneath it to lie in a single layer on the wall,

a wheel feeder disposed adjacent the end of the inclined wall, said feeder having a plurality of coin carrying notches formed in its periphery and each adapted to carry a single coin,

conveying means disposed adjacent the wheel feeder and the bottom wall for directing coins from the wall to the notches,

and chutes disposed adjacent the wheel for receiving coins from the notches.

3. In combination with a coin feeder as defined in 10 claim 2, a coin stacker comprising,

a coin holder adapted to carry a stack of coins,

means operatively connecting the chutes with the holder causing the chutes to direct coiris in a stack to the holder,

a receiver disposed adjacent the holder,

means causing the holder to feed a stack of coins carried by it to the receiver,

and means for moving the coins on the receiver.

4. A coin handling device comprising,

a bulk coin receiver and a coin holder, feeding means disposed between the bulk coin receiver and the holder for stacking coins on the holder,

a trough-like receiver,

means periodically causing the holder to discharge its stack of coins onto the trough-like receiver,

a movable plate disposed adjacent the trough-like re ceiver and biased to a position wherein it holds the stack of coins on the receiver,

and a pusher disposed adjacent the trough-like receiver and adapted to move the coins and the plate on said receiver.

5. A coin stacker comprising,

a holder,

means for stacking a selected number of coins in the holder,

a receiver disposed adjacent the holder,

means connected to the holder causing the holder to discharge the coins in stack form to the receiver,

a disc disposed adjacent the receiver and adapted to bear against one end of the stack of coins placed in the receiver,

means for moving the stack of coins in the receiver while the disc bears against one end of the stack,

and means enabling the disc to move over the stack after the stack has been moved.

6. A coin stacker comprising,

a holder for receiving a stack of coins,

a receiver disposed adjacent the holder,

means connected to the holder causing the holder to turn and discharge stacks of coins to the receiver,

:a disc connected to the holder and turning with it, said disc engaging the end of each stack of coins as they are deposited in the receiver,

pushing means engaging the other end of the stack of coins in the receiver and moving them with the disc to a second location on the receiver,

and means formed in the disc causing it to return to its initial position after continued rotation with the holder after the coins on the receiver have been moved to the second location whereby the disc is positioned to engage the end of the next stack of coins placed on the receiver.

7. A coin feeder comprising,

means disposed in the bin above the inclined wall and spaced from it a distance slightly greater than the thickness of coins of the denomination being handled for spreading out the coins into a single layer on said wall,

an upwardly inclined wall secured to and forming a continuation of the bottom wall,

a drum having a yieldable outer surface disposed adjacent the upwardly inclined wall for conveying coins from the bottom to the top of that Wall in a single layer,

and means for receiving coins in single file from the top of the upwardly inclined Wall.

8. A coin stacker comprising,

a holder,

means for stacking a selected number of coins in the holder,

a receiver disposed adjacent the holder,

additional means disposed adjacent the receiver and adapted to bear against one end of the stack of coins placed in the receiver,

means for moving the stack of coins in the receiver while the additional means bears against one end of the stack,

and means enabling the additional means to move over the stack after the stack has been moved.

9. A coin stacker comprising,

a holder for receiving a stack of coins,

a receiver disposed adjacent the holder,

means connected to the holder causing the holder to discharge stacks of coins to the receiver,

additional means connected to the holder and engaging one end of each stack of coins as the stack is deposited in the receiver,

pushing means engaging the other end of the stack of coins in the receiver and moving them with the additional means to a second location on the receiver,

and means formed in the additional means causing it to return to its initial position after movement with the holder after the coins on the receiver have been moved to the second location whereby the additional means is positioned to engage one end of the next stack of coins placed on the receiver.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,594,422 Gordon Apr. 29, 1952 2,645,397 McCallick et a1. July 14, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 677 Great Britain Jan. 10, 1910 48,673 Austria June 26, 1911

Claims

7. A COIN FEEDER COMPRISING, A COIN BIN HAVING AN INCLINED BOTTOM WALL ON WHICH COINS SLIDE BY GRAVITY TOWARD THE LOWER END, MEANS DISPOSED IN THE BIN ABOVE THE INCLINED WALL AND SPACED FROM IT A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF COINS OF THE DENOMINATION BEING HANDLED FOR SPREADING OUT THE COINS INTO A SINGLE LAYER ON SAID WALL, AN UPWARDLY INCLINED WALL SECURED TO AND FORMING A CONTINUATION OF THE BOTTOM WALL, A DRUM HAVING A YIELDABLE OUTER SURFACE DISPOSED ADJACENT THE UPWARDLY INCLINED WALL FOR CONVEYING COINS FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP OF THAT WALL IN A SINGLE LAYER, AND MEANS FOR RECEIVING COINS IN SINGLE FILE FROM THE TOP OF THE UPWARDLY INCLINED WALL.