US3243030A

US3243030A - Coin inserter

Info

Publication number: US3243030A
Application number: US412656A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward J Tryon; Melvin D Perdue
Original assignee: STANDARD CHANGE MAKERS Inc
Current assignee: STANDARD CHANGE MAKERS Inc
Priority date: 1964-11-20
Filing date: 1964-11-20
Publication date: 1966-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 1983-03-29

Description

March 29, 1966 TRYON ETAL 3,243,030

COIN INSERTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 20, 1964 6 it. .32 H 5? it: fw t 1 W .l

INVENTOR EDWARD J.TRYoN By MELVIN D. PERDUE March 29, 1966 TRYON ETAL 3,243,030

COIN INSERTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 20, 1964 INVENTOR. EDWARD J.TRY0N BY MELVIN D. PERDUE United States Patent O 3,243,030 COIN INSERTER Edward J. Tryon, Trafalgar, and Melvin D. Perdue,

Indianapolis, Ind., assignors to Standard Change- Makers, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Nov. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 412,656 1 Claim. (Cl. 194-1) The present invention relates to a coin inserter finding an important use as a part of a coin changer but also usable in connection with any coin-receiving apparatus, such as, coin operated vending machines, coin operated washing machines, coin operated dry cleaning machines and the like. I

One problem involved in the manufacturing and use of coin changers and the like is the fact that certain persons attempt to obtain money from the coin changer by holding a coin in the actuating mechanism. For example, some persons may drill a hole through a coin, tie a string to the coin and drop it into the slot manipulating the string in such a manner as to repeatedly actuate the coin changer without fully releasing the coin. Other persons attempt to operate such machines by inserting wire through the coin-receiving slot and operating the actuating mechanism. Still further persons mischievously stuif paper or pour solt drinks or the like into the coin receiving opening interfering with the proper operation of the apparatus. Consequently, an important object of the present invention is toprovide an improved coin inserter constmcted to prevent improper operation and tampering with a coin changer or similar apparatus.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a coin inserter which effectively blocks the placing of paper, soft drinks, and other objects and materials in the coin receiving'chute of a coin changer or other coin operated apparatus.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

One embodiment of the present invention might include a coin inserter comprising a vertical wall. and a horizontal wall joined thereto, said vertical wall having an opening therethrough, a coin receiving block slidable on said horizontal wall and through said opening, said block having a vertically extending coin passage therethrough sized to freely receive and pass a coin, a coin chute fixedly mounted below said horizontal wall on the interior surface of said vertical wall, said block being slidable through said opening to a position wherein said coin passage is aligned with said chute.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a coin and bill changer apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section through an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section through still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of still a further embodiment of the present invention with portions thereof broken away to show the internal structure of the device.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will never- 3,243,030 Patented Mar. 29, 1966 "ice theless be understood that no limitation of thescope of the inventionis there'by intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention 'as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a coin and bill changer 10 having bill changing apparatus 11 incorporated therein and having coin receiving means 12 for providing coins to actuate the apparatus 10 to dispense change to a payout chute or receptacle 15. The details of the bill changer'apparatus do not form a part of the present invention and, consequently, will not be described further herein.

Referring to FIG. 2, the coin passes through the coinrec'eiving means 12 into a chute '16, thence to a'coin rejector 17 and into a pawl mechanism 20 (in a'rne'chanical-type apparatus) or past an electrical switch (in an electrical-type of apparatus). The pawlmechanism and electrical switchare herein referred to generically as actuating mechanism. The details of the apparatus 17 and 20 do not form a part of the present invention and consequently, will not be described further herein. It should be understood, however, in mostsituations'the apparatus of the present invention will be used in connection with apparatus suchas 16, '17 and 20.

Referring now to FIG. 3,"there is illustrated the coin receiving means 12 which includes a vertical wall 21 having joined to the lower edgethereof by welding or the like a horizontal wall 22. The vertical wall 21 may be mounted to the rear of and in connection with a vertical portion 25-of a housing 26 While the horizontal Wall 22may bernounted beneath and in connection with the horizontal portion 27 of the housing 26.

Fixed to the rear surface 30 ofthe vertical wall '21 is a U-shaped bracket 31 the base 32- of which has welded thereto a bearing 35. The bearing 35 is cylindrical in configuration and slida'bly receives ashoulder bolt 36, the shoulder 37 of which is tightly held in abuttingrelation with the rearward 'surface40 of a coin receiving block 41, by the threads 43 of the bolt thread received within a suitable threaded opening 44 in the coin-receiving block 41. The shoulder bolt 36 functions'to limit forward slidable movement of the coin-receiving block 41. Thus, the most rightward position of the block 41 as viewed-in FIG. 3 is the position illustrated in solid lines in that figure.

The block 41 is also movable by manual pushing thereof leftwardly as viewed in FIG. 3 through an opening 39 in the wall 21 to the position suggested by the dotted lines 42 and wherein the surface of the block-'41 abuts the surface "45 of the bearing 35. The coin-receiving block 41 is yieldably held in the'illustrated solid line position by means of a coil compression spring 46 received about the bearing 35 and between the base 32 and-the surface 40-of the block 41. The shape and size of the opening 39 conforms closely to the external shape and size ofthe block 41.

When the block 41 is-in the illustrated solid line position, a coin-receiving passage 50 extending through the block is completely open and unobstructed in the top of the block so that a coin 51 can be deposited in the passage 50. The passage 50 is suiiiciently large to accept any of a plurality of various sized coins up to the largest type coin which can be used to operate the coin changer or the like. Thus, when the coin is dropped into the passage 50, it moves freely to the illustrated solid line position of FIG. 3. The block 41 is then moved to the dotted line position 42 whereupon the top 52 of the slot 50 moves past the housing 26 and the vertical or upright wall 21 prior to the lower end 55 of the slot 50 becoming aligned with or in registry with the tubular member 56 forming the chute 16. Thus, there is no position of the coin receiving block 41 wherein a person might insert a wire, for example, into the passage 50 and still be able to manipulate that wire within the chute 56. This is particularly true because the shape and size of the opening 39 closely conforms to the external shape and size of the block 41. Of course, the last step in the operation of the present device finds the passage 50 in registry with the chute 56 whereby the coin 51 drops into the chute 56 and moves through the dotted line position 60 to actuation of apparatus 17 and 20.

Referring to FIG. an alternative embodiment of the invention might be identical to FIGS. 1-4 as regards the U-shape 31, chute 16, the shoulder bolt 36, the coinreceiving block 41 and the vertical and

horizontal walls

21 and 22. The embodiment of FIG. 5 is different, however, from the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 in that the housing 70 completely covers and encloses the coin-receiving means. Thus, the housing 70 has

vertical walls

71 and 72 which are joined by a horizontal portion 73. Through the horizontal portion 73 is a coin-receiving slot 75 which is in registry wth the slot 50 in the coinreceiving block 41 when the block is in its normal, spring projected position. There is also additionally provided a push button arrangement 76 which includes the push button 77 and a bearing insert member 79 slidably receiving the push button 77.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 is also identical or similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 with the exception that there is provided an electro-magnetic coil 80 having a power source 81 connected in series therewith. There is additionally provided a normally open spring biased switch 82 which is operated by a push button 85 to energize the coil 80 through the circuit including the wires 86. After the coin-receiving block 41 has been moved from its illustrated solid line position where it can receive a coin in its slot 50 to its leftward position where it can deposit the coin in the chute 56, the operator of the device releases pressure on the push button 85 cansing the coil 80 to de-energize to permit the spring 46 to return the coin receiving block 41 to the solid line position.

A further difference between the embodiment of FIG. 6 and the embodiment of FIG. 5 is the flat front on the machine of FIG. 6 as opposed to the stepped front on the machine of FIG. 5. Thus, there is provided a housing 90 which extends vertically and has mounted thereon the curved coin chute 91 which leads to a position above the most rightward position of the coin receiving block 41. A coin may be deposited through the slot 92 which forms the opening of the chute 91. The coin so deposited will travel through the chute 91 into the slot 50 whereupon further operation of the device is as above described.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is disclosed a further embodiment which includes the flat machine front of FIG. 6 and the push button arrangement of FIG. 5. The chute 100 is fixedly mounted upon the housing 101 and has a lower end 102 positioned to deposit a coin in the coin receiving block 105. Fixedly mounted within the housing 101 is an angle 106 which provides a slidable support for the coin receiving block 105, the angle having a coin slot at 104. It should be understood that FIG. 7 is somewhat schematic. For example, there will probably also be provided some sort of stop means for properly locating the coin receiving block 105 under the lower end 102 of the chute with the spring 107 providing the motive force for moving the block to the illustrated rightward position. The embodiment of FIG. 7 is operated similarly to the above described embodiments. Thus, a coin is dropped through the chute 100 into the slot 110 in the coin receiving block 105. The push button 111 is then pressed in or moved leftwardly to move the block 105 to the left to a position wherein the slot 110 in the block 105 is over the chute 112. The coin then drops into the chute 112 and the spring 107 returns the block 105 to the illustrated position. Similarly to the above described structure, the chute 112 is arranged to guide the coin to coin rejector mechanism 17 or to other such coin receiving mechanism in the housing 101.

It will be evident from the above description that the present invention provides an improved coin inserter usable for blocking the improper operation of a coin changer apparatus as Well as related apparatus. It will also be evident that the coin inserter of the present invention provides improved means for preventing the pouring of soft drinks in a coin receiving slot and for preventing the stufiing of paper in a coin receiving slot.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claim are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

A coin inserter comprising a vertical wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface and a horizontal wall joined thereto and extending from the exterior surface thereof, said vertical wall having an opening therethrough, a coin receiving block slidable on said horizontal wall and through said opening, said-block having a vertically extending coin passage therethrough sized to freely receive and pass a coin, a coin chute fixedly mounted below said horizontal wall on the interior surface of said vertical wall, said block being slidable through said opening to a position wherein said coin passage is aligned with said chute, electro-magnetic means for actuating said block to move it through said opening to said position, and resilient means for moving said block back through said opening when said electromagnetic means is de-energized.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,862 1/1898 Emerson et al. 194-48 689,161 12/1901 Buck 19491 93 8,900 11/1909 Schmitt 194-26 2,370,743 3/1945 Micheline.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiner.

S. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner.