US3175563A

US3175563A - Coin dispensers

Info

Publication number: US3175563A
Application number: US197038A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard C Simmerman; Melvin T Roudebush
Original assignee: NCR Corp
Current assignee: NCR Voyix Corp; National Cash Register Co
Priority date: 1962-05-23
Filing date: 1962-05-23
Publication date: 1965-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-30
Also published as: GB951044A

Description

March so, 1965 Filed May 25, 1962 R. c SIMMERMAN ETAL COIN DISPENSERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR S RICHARD C.SIMMERMAN MELVIN T. ROUDEBUSH THEIR ATTORNEYS March 30, 1965 R. c. SIMMERMAN ETAL 3,175,553

COIN DISPENSERS Filed May 25, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 us Y.

95 mvem'ons RICHARD c. SIMMERMAN MELVIN T. ROUDEBUSH THEIR ATTORNEYS March 30, 1965 Filed May 23, 1962 R. C. SIMMERMAN ETAL COIN DISPENSERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS RICHARD G.SIMMERMAN MELVIN IZROUDEBUSH M MA M THEIR ATTORNEYS March 30, 1965 Filed May 23, 1962 R. C. SIMMERMAN ETAL COIN DISPENSERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR S RICHARD G. SIMMERMAN MELVIN T. ROUDEBUSH THEIR ATTORNEYS March 30, 1965 R. c. SIMMERMANQ ETAL 3,175,563

COIN DISPENSERS Filed May 23, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG-.8

. HI! I l III I FIG.9

mveufoas RICHARD c. smmsnmm MELVIN T. ROUDEIBUSH THElR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,175,563 COIN DISPENSERS Richard C. Simmerman and Melvin T. Roudebush, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Filed May 23, 1962, Ser. No. 197,038 3 Claims. (Cl. 133-1) This invention relates to coin-dispensing mechanisms and more particularly relates to a coin delivery mechanism for delivering coins to an elevated position. Prior coin delivery mechanisms were composed essentially of a chute along which the coins traveled by means of gravity. This necessitated the positioning of the coindispensing mechanism at a point above the area in which the coins were required to be delivered. With the development of modern checkout counters, the coin-dispensing mechanisms are being removed from a position on top of the counter to a position within the counter itself, thereby allowing more room on top of the counter for the checkout operations of the customers merchandise.

This positioning of the coin-dispensing mechanism within the checkout counter necessitates the delivery of the coins from the coin-dispensing mechanism to a point on the checkout counter above the dispensing mechanism. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a coin delivery mechanism which transports and delivers coins from a lower, receiving, position to a higher, delivery, position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin delivery mechanism which is portable and is capable of receiving coins on either of its sides from a coindispensing mechanism.

A further object of this invention is to provide a coin delivery mechanism which contains a coin receptacle to which the coins are delivered and which is easily accessible to the customer.

Another object of this invention is to provide adjustable blocking means for each coin slot, thereby preventing coins from rolling out of the opposite side coin slot.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and a combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

Of said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the coin delivery mechanism, showing the coin receptacle.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the coin delivery mechanism with the back cover removed.

FIG. 3 is a left sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing the motor drive arrangement for the transport belts.

FIG. 4 is a left sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2, showing details of the transport belts.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4, showing one type of biasing arrangement for the transport guide rollers.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the transport belts, showing the transporting of the coins by the belts.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the coin delivery mechanism with the illuminated indicator and cover removed.

FIG. 8 is a top sectional view of the coin delivery mechanism taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a sectional detailed view of the belt drive mechanism taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 is a detailed view of the tensioning spring for one of the transport belts guide rollers.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. -1 the coin delivery mechanism, generally indicated as 60. The unit is enclosed by a front panel 61, a left side plate 62, a right side plate 59, and a rear panel 63. Mounted on top of the unit is a coin receptacle 64, into which the coins constituting the change are delivered. As will be explained more fully hereinafter, the depositing of the change in the receptacle 64 results in the lighting of an illuminated indicator 65, thereby directing the customers attention to the coin receptacle. As shown, a cover 66, mounted on top of the mechanism, encloses the illuminated indicator 65.

Each of the

side plates

59, 62 contains a slot 67 (FIGS. 1, 4, 6, and 8), through which the coins are delivered from a coin dispenser to the coin delivery mechanism, to be transported to the coin receptacle 64. Also located in the left side plate 62 only is a T-shaped slot 68.

As will be explained more fully hereinafter, the slot 68 allows for the adjustment of either of two blocking members located adjacent the coin slots 67, so that coins delivered to either of the slots 67 in the left and right side plates will not roll through the opposite slot in the other side plate.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 8, there are shown views of the main components that constitute the coin delivery mechanism. Mounted by means of three studs 69, supported between the left and right side plates, is a support plate 70 (FIGS. 2 and 3), which plate, together with the right side plate 59, supports a belt transport mechanism and its associated motor drive. As may be seen more clearly from FIGS. 2 and 8, the support plate 70 divides the coin delivery mechanism into two compartments, with one compartment containing the belt transport mechanism, while the other contains the motor and its drive mechanism. As may be seen from FIG. 4, the belt transport mechanism consists of two belt systems and their associated guide rollers. The first system comprises a belt 71, which is guided along a predetermined path by means of a drive roller 72 and the

guide rollers

123 and 73 to 84 inclusive. The second belt system, also driven by the drive roller 72, comprises the belt 85 and the guide rollers 86 to 89 inclusive. The belt 85 also utilizes the

guide rollers

123 and 73 to 82 inclusive in common with the belt 71.

The guide roller 88, engaging the belt 85, is rotatably mounted on a yoke member 90 (FIGS. 4 and 10), which in turn is rotatably mounted on a stud 91, secured between the right side plate 59 and the support plate 70. The stud 91 also rotatably supports the guide roller 89. A rear portion of the yoke 90 constitutes a flange 92, to which are secured the ends of a spring 93, which is wrapped around a stud 69 located on the right side plate 59. Action of the spring 93 tends to rock the yoke 90 and the guide roller 88 counter-clockwise, thereby tensioning the belt 85. This tensioning of the belt is also applied to the belt 71 by means of the two lower guide rollers 83 and 84. Each of these guide rollers is mounted on a stud 94 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5), slidably mounted and supported in horizontal slots 95, located in the right side plate 59 and the support plate 70. A yoke member 96, also mounted on the stud 94, is biased in a horizontal direction by a spring 97, attached between the yoke 96 and a stud 98, mounted on the right side plate 59. It will be seen from this arrangement that each guide roller 83 and 84 is urged in a direction opposite to each other by their respective springs 97, resulting in the tensioning of the belt 71.

Each of the

guide rollers

123, 76, 78, and 80 is rotatably mounted on a slide 99 (FIG. 4), which in turn is mounted and positioned on the right side plate 59 by two screws 160. Together with the guide rollers 75,

77, 79, 80, and 81, which are rotatably mounted on studs supported between theright side plate 59 and the support plate 70, the guide rollers 12.3, 76, 78, and 80 are so positioned as to provide'a constant tensioning force on the

belts

71 and 85 as they move between the guide roller 74 and theguide roller 82 as shown in FIG. 4. The action of these guide rollers prevents the coins positioned between the

belts

71 and 85 from slipping and remaining in one position. It is obvious that the amount of tension required is dependent on the angle of elevation of the belt transport. The remainder of the guide rollers, with the exception of the aforementioned guide rollers 123, 76-, 78, and 80, are rotatably mounted in a conventional manner on studs supported between the right side plate '59 and the support plate 70 (FIG. 8). V s

The operation of thecoin delivery mechanism willnow be described in relation to FIGS. 4 and 6. As previously described, in each of the right and left side plates of the delivery mechanism is a slot 67, through which coins may be delivered from a coin-dispensing mechanism. As shown in FIG. 6, the coins drop through the slot 67 into a V-shaped' pocket, generally indicated as 120, formed by the

belts

71 and 85. a As the belts continue along their guide path, they come together, engaging the coins and transporting them around the guide roller 74, past the

guide rollers

123 and 75 to 81 inclusive, and around the guide roller 82. At approximately onehalf the length of travel about the guide roller 82, the

belts

71 and 85 diverge, allowing the trapped coins to be deposited in a chute 101 (FIGS. 4 and 7), whereby the coins are delivered to the coin receptacle 64. The belt 85 continues past the guide rollers v87, 88, and 89 to the drive roller 72, where it converges with the belt 71,

which has traveled around the

guide rollers

82, 83, and 84 to the drive roller 72. After leaving the drive roller 72, the belts engage the guide roller 73, after which they diverge, the belt 85 engaging the guide roller 86, thereby providing the pocket into which the coins, to be. transported to the coin receptacle 64, are delivered. It is seen that this continuous operation of the belts Hand 85 by the drive roller 72 allows for any number of coins to be quickly nad continuously delivered to the coin receptacle. V c

The drive roller 72, which drives the

belts

71 and 85, is rotatably mounted on ball bearings 128 (FIG. 9), as are the other guide rollers except the

guide rollers

123 and 75 to 81 inclusive. The ball bearings are mounted in a conventional manner on a stud 125, supported by the right side plate 59. The drive roller 72 is coupled to a shaft 102 by means of a pin 121 (FIGS. 4 and 9), positioned within a slot 122, located in the hub of the drive roller 72. The shaft 102 is rotatably supported by a stud 126 (FIG. 9), mounted on a guide plate 103 (FIGS. 3, 7, and 9), which in turn is mounted to the support plate 70 by studs 127. The shaft 102 has mounted thereon a gear 104, driven by a gear 105 (FIG. 7), mounted on a shaft 106. The shaft 106 is also rotatably supported by the guide plate 103 by means of a stud (not shown) similar to the stud '126. The shaft 106 is driven by a gear 107, mounted thereon, whichin turn is driven by the splined end of the motor shaft 108 of a drive motor 109 (FIGS. 2 and 7), mounted to the guide plate 103. a This arrangement provides operation of the

belts

71 and 85 upon energization of the motor 109. .Energization of the motor is normally controlled by the machine with which the coin delivery mechanism is. associated at the time a change delivery operation is required. The operation of the coindelivery mechanism may be continuous or of an intermittent nature, depending on the requirements of the installation.

As was previously described, the coin delivery mechanism 60 may be so positioned that coins are delivered to the belt transport from the dispensing mechanism from either side of the delivery mechanism. When this oc- 4 curs, blocking means are provided to block the coin slot that is not being used, thereby preventing the coins from rolling through the belt pocket 120 (FIG. 6) and out the coin slot in the other side. As may be seen from FIGS. 2 and 8, a coin chute 111 is used to connect the belts 71 and with the coin slot 67 in'the left side plate 62 (FIG. 1) due to the position of the

belts

71 and 85 in relation to the left side plate 62. The. chute 11 1 (FIG. 8) is connected to a similar coin slot 67 (FIGS. 4 and 8) in the support plate 70. When the coins are to be delivered from the left sideof the coin delivery mechanism, a slide 112 (FIGS. 2, 3, and 4), slidably mounted on the right side plate 59 by means of screws 114, located within'a slot 113 in the slide 112, is moved to block the coin slot 67 located in the right side plate 59. When coins are to be'delivered from the right side of the coin delivery mechanism, a blocking member (FIGS. 2, 3, and 8),, mounted on screws 115, located in the support plate 70, is moved to cover the coin slot 67 also located in the support plate 70. The T-shaped slot 68 (FIG. 1) in the left side plate 62 provides access to both of the blocking

members

110 and 112, thereby allowing adjustments to be made at any time.

As previously disclosed, the coins engaged by the

belts

71 and 85 are dropped into the coin receptacle 64 after the

belts

71 and 85 diverge when guided past the guide roller '82; When the coins reach the bottom of the receptacle 64, they automatically complete a circuit to a series of lamps 116 (FIGS. 2, 3, -and.4), mounted in.

a holder 119, attached to the top of the support plate 70 by screws 124 (FIG. 3), thereby lighting the illuminated indicator 65. Located at the bottom of the coin receptacle 64 is a contact button 117. The contact contact button 117 and the side of the coin receptacle 64.

While the embodiment of the invention shown and described herein is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the particular form or embodiment disclosed herein, for it is susceptible of embodimentin various otherforms.

What is claimed is: a

1. In a portable coin delivery mechanism for use with a change dispenser, the combination including (a) a multi-sided enclosure having, in the lower portion of at least one of the sides of said enclosure, a coin-neoeiving slot;

(b) a coinmeceiving receptacle mounted on the top portion of said enclosure;

(c) a belt transport system supported'within said enclosure, comprising (d) a pair of endless driven belts;

(2) a plurality of first guide rollers for guiding said belts along a predetermined path, said belts converging to assumea juxtaposition adjacent the coinreceiving slot, forming a V-shaped pocket to receive coins fed through said coin-receiving slot, and diverging adjacent said coin-receiving receptacle, al-

receiving slot and operable to block said coin-receiving slot when the coin-receiving slot is not in use. 2. The portable coin delivery mechanism of claim 1 in which one of said second guide rollers is manually adjustable to vary the force exerted on said belts by said second guide roller.

3. In a portable coin delivery mechanism for use with a change dispenser, the combination including (a) a multi-sided enclosure having, in the lower portion of at least one of the sides of said enclosure, a coin-receiving slot; (b) a coin-receiving receptacle mounted on the top portion of said enclosure; (c) a belt transport system supported within said enclosure, comprising (d) a pair of endless driven belts;

(e) a plurality of first guide rollers for guiding said belts along a predetermined path, said belts converging to assume a juxtaposition adjacent the coinreceiving slot, forming a V-shaped pocket to receive coins fed through said coin-receiving slot, and diverging adjacent said coin-receiving receptacle, a1- lowing coins supported between said belts to drop into said receptacle;

(f) a plurality of pairs of second guide rollers mounted in an overlapping position on opposite sides of a portion or" said predetermined path located between said coin-receiving slot and said coin-receiving reeeptacle, said second guide rollers engaging said belts to resist divergence of said belts, thereby pre venting coins located therebetween from slipping;

(g) a plurality of third guide rollers engaging each of said belts and resiliently mounted to tension each of said belts;

(I1) means for driving said belts;

(i) and slide means mounted adjacent said coin-receiving slot and operable to block said coin-receiving slot when the coin-receiving slot is not in use.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/18 Brandt 1331 8/41 Cooper et a1 198165 9/57 Noyes 1334 LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

EVERETT W. KIRBY, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A PORTABLE COIN DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR USE WITH A CHANGE DISPENSER, THE COMBINATION INCLUDING (A) A MULTI-SIDED ENCLOSURE HAVING, IN THE LOWER PORTION OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE SIDES OF SAID ENCLOSURE, A COIN-RECEIVING SLOT; (B) A COIN-RECEIVING RECEPTACLE MOUNTED ON THE TOP PORTION OF SAID ENCLOSURE; (C) A BELT TRANSPORT SYSTEM SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE, COMPRISING (D) A PAIR OF ENDLESS DRIVEN BELTS; (E) A PLURALITY OF FIRST GUIDE ROLLERS FOR GUIDING SAID BELTS ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH, SAID BELTS CONVERGING TO ASSUME A JUXTAPOSITION ADJACENT THE COINRECEIVING SLOT, FORMING A V-SHAPED POCKET TO RECEIVE COINS FED THROUGH SAID COIN-RECEIVING SLOT, AND DIVERGING ADJACENT SAID COIN-RECEIVING RECEPTACLE, ALLOWERING COINS SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID BELTS TO DROP INTO SAID RECEPTACLE; (F) A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF SECOND GUIDE ROLLER MOUNTED IN AN OVERLAPPING POSITION ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A PORTION OF SAID PREDETERMINED PATH ENGAGING SAID BELTS TO RESIST DIVERGENCE OF SAID BELTS, THEREBY PREVENTING COINS LOCATED THEREBETWEEN FROM SLIPPING; (G) MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID BELTS; (H) AND SLIDE MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID COINRECEIVING SLOT AND OPERABLE TO BLOCK SAID COIN-RECEIVING SLOT WHEN THE COIN-RECEIVING SLOT IS NO IN USE.