US3249195A

US3249195A - Program selection circuits with coin slot machines for self-service launderettes

Info

Publication number: US3249195A
Application number: US363788A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rub Jakob; Baumgartner Eugen
Original assignee: Schulthess & Co Ag Maschf
Current assignee: Maschinenfabrik Ad Schulthess and Co AG
Priority date: 1963-11-25
Filing date: 1964-04-30
Publication date: 1966-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-03
Also published as: DE1449228B2; GB1017791A; DE1449228A1; CH406698A; AT246084B

Description

May 3, 1966 J. RUB ETAL 3,249,195

PROGRAM SELECTION CIRCUITS WITH COIN SLOT MACHINES FOR SELF-SERVICE LAUNDERETTES Filed April 30, 1964 PIW PM? FIZIIVJ HW- United States Patent 3,249,195 PROGRAM SELECTION CIRCUITS WITH COIN SLOT MACHINES FOR SELF-SERVICE LAUN- DERETTES Jakob Rub and Eugen Baumgartner, both of Wolfhause'n- Bubikon, Zurich, Switzerland, assignors to Maschinenfabrik Ad. Schulthess & Co. AG., Zurich, Switzerland Filed Apr. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 363,788 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Nov. 25, 1963, 14,391/ 63 4 Claims. (Cl. 194-6) The invention relates to a program selection circuit with coin slot machine for self service launderettes, with several programs with different prices. With a known program selection of this kind, made by the applicants, it is necessary to select a punched card, corresponding to the selected program and to insert the coins corresponding to the charge into the coin slot machine. If the program selection and the amount paid agree, an automatic washing machine is put into operation and the cycle corresponding to the selected program is carried out. Although this circuit presents considerable progress compared with previously known installations, in which a coin slot machine enabled a certain operating time to be bought and the program had to be set on the washing machine so that a suflicient operating time for the selected program was assured, there was a demand for further simplification of the operation of these washing machines. According to the invention, this is achieved by the program selection circuit in that the coin slot machine is connected with a group of relays, each of which is activated by a certain amount of money, and the contacts of which are connected with each other and also with a group of relays associated with the different programs for controlling the washing machine sothat the insertion of coins corresponding to the price of a program prepares the energizing of the-program relay associated with this particular program.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the basic circuit diagram of a program selection circuit, and

FIG. 2 shows the diagramof a coin slot machine located in the circuit of FIG. 1.

The program selection circuit of FIG. 1 has five photoresistors PW1, PW3, PWS, PW6 and PW7, forming part of a coin slot machine 50, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2. The coin slot machine 50 has two

parallel channels

51 and 52, into the

inlets

53 and 54 of which coins, say, sixpenny pieces and twoashilling'pieces may be inserted. The outlets 55 and 56 of the

channels

51 and 52 are closed by a cross-bar 57 serving as a closing member and is actuated by a tension spring 58, holding the bar normally in the position shown, in which the outlets 55 and 56 are closed. The closing member 57 has a magnetic core 59 which may be attracted by a magnetic winding 60 (in the'following, the cash winding), in order to open the closing member 57. The

channels

51 and 52 are inclined to the horizontal so that inserted coins roll under their ownweight to the closing member 57 and drop into the outlets 55 and 56 of

channels

51 and 52 into a box, not shown, when the cash winding 60 is energized.

Along the outer wall 61 of the channel 51, there are five photoresistors PW1 to PWS, and along the outer wall 62 of the channel 52, there are two photoresistors PW6 and PW7. The gap between the photoresistors PW1 to PW is equal to the diameter of a sixpenny piece and that between the photoresistors PW6 and PW7 to that of a twoshilling piece. Between the

inner walls

63 and 64 of the

channels

51 and 52, there is a light source 65 which il- "ice luminates with closed starting switch ST through holes 66 in the walls 61 to 64 the photoresistors PWll to PW7, unless these are screened by coins inserted into the

channels

51 and 52. It may be seen that, after insertion of, say, three sixpenny pieces into the channel 51, the photoresistors PWl to PW3 are screened. In the circuit of FIG. 1, the photoresistors PW2 and PW4 are not used although they are fitted in the coin slot machine 50 in order to be available for other circuits of the type shown in FIG. 1. Obviously, the photoresistors PW2 and PW4 (shown in dotted lines) may also be omitted or more photoresistors may be provided, for example, along the outer wall 62 of the two-shilling piece channel 52.

Each used photoresistor PW1, PW3, PW6 and PW7 is connected with one of five amplifiers V, connected through a supply lead 67 and the starting switch ST with one terminal of an AC. source whose other terminal is earthed.

The five amplifiers V form a structural unit 68 and their output terminals are shown in FIG. 1 (from left to right) at 18, 22, 20, 24 and 23. The terminal 18 is connected through a lead a with a relay Ra, and the terminal 22 through a lead b with a relay Rb. The terminals 20 and 2-4 are connected through a lead c with a relay Rc whilst the terminal 23 is connected through a lead d with a relay Rd. The four coin controlled relay-s Ra to Rd are mounted so as to form a structural unit 69.

The amplifiers V are so designed that when an associated photoresistor is screened by a coin, the associated relay is energized. The relay Rd is therefore always energized with closed switch ST if at least one sixpenny piece is in the channel 51, whilst for energizing the relay Rb five sixpenny pieces must be in the channel 51. In order to energize the relay R0, at least three sixpenny pieces must be in the channel 51 and at least one two-shilling piece in channel 52. The relay Rd is energized only if I two two-shilling pieces are in the channel 52. The values for energizing are shown by way of explanation (in Swiss currency) for each relay Ra to Rd in the accompanying drawing.

The relay Ra has a contact 2 cooperating with a pair of

fixed contacts

1 and 3, and resting against contact in the shown position, corresponding to the non-energizing of the relays Ra to Rd. The relay Rd has two

contacts

6 and 8, cooperating with two pairs of

fixed contacts

5 and 7, and 4 and 9, respectively. The same applied to relay Rc with two

contacts

10 and 12 which cooperate with

fixed contacts

11 and 15, and 13 and 14, respectively. Finally, the relay Rd has one contact 25 and two

fixed contacts

16 and 17. Obviously, the four relays Ra to Rd may all be of the same kind, and the second contacts (not .shown) of relays Ra and Rd and the associated fixed contacts may be disconnected.

Conductors e, f, g and h connect always two of the contacts, namely conductor e

contacts

17 and 12, conductor 7

contacts

16 and 10,

conductor g contacts

13 and 8, and

conductor h contacts

15 and 2.

Four relays R1 to R4, forming a structural unit 70, are connected through conductors u, v, w, x, with the fixed contacts of the relays Ra to Rb, namely relay R1 through the conductor v with the contact 3, relay R2 through the conductor x with the contact 9, relay R3 through the conductor w with the contact 4, and relay R4 through the conductor u with the contact 11. Moreover, the contact 25 of the relay Rd is connected through a lead 71 with the starting switch ST. Four signalling lamps S1 to S4 of different colors are connected in parallel to the relays R1 to R4.

As explained further below, the relay R1 is energized if two two-shilling pieces and one sixpeny piece are inserted into the coin slot machine and the starting switch is closed. In order to facilitate the understanding, the

corresponding amounts are shown- (in Swiss currency) in the drawing along lead v and the leads x, w and 1:, leading to the relays R2, R3 and R4. Therelays R1 to R4 serve to start upa'n automatic washing machine with four diiferent programs, each program being determined by energizing one of the relays R1 to R4 (programming relays). The automatic washing machine is not shown; The amounts to be paid correspond to programs requiring different times, such as washing white wash, colored materials, nylon and woolens.

Assuming that nylon laundry is to be washed and that the amount to be paid is 4s 6d, and that first a twoshilling piece has been inserted into the channel 52, this will prepare the photoresistor PW6 for screening, since the starting switch ST is closed only after the coins have been inserted. The energizing of the relay Rc connected with the photoresistor PW6 is not prepared, because for its energizing also the screening of the photoresistor -PW3 is necessary. In order to facilitate the explanation, in the following it will be assumed that the starting switch ST is already closed. On insertion of the first sixpenny piece into the inlet 53 of the channel 51, the photoresistor PWl is screened and the relay Ra is energized, so that the contact 2 is moved to contact 3. However, this has no further consequences for the moment, because the connection 2+h-15-10-f leads to an empty terminal 1. Also the insertion of the second coin has no direct consequences, because the photoresistor PW2 is not present in the circuit of FIG. 1 at all. Insertion of the third sixpenny piece screens the photoresistor PW3, causing relay Re to respond and its contacts 10' and 12 to make contact with

contacts

11 and 13. Now there is a circuit 7125,17-e1213c8-4-w-R3earth, so that the programming relay R3 would be energized if the starting switch ST were closed. However, since the switch ST is closed only after insertion of the coins, nothing happens.

The fourth coin is ineffective whilst insertion of the fifth coin screens the photoresistor PW5, and on closing the starting switch ST, the relay Rb in the circuit 81-71- 2517-e-1213c-89-x-R2earth is energized, causing the programming relay R2 to respond and the signalling lamp S2 shunted thereto to light up. This indicates to the user that the desired nylon washing program has been selected and continues automatically.

Towards the end of the programming cycle, e.g., when the washed material is centrifuged to remove the water, 'a circuit is closed which contains the cash winding 60. In consequence, the closing member 57 is opened, and the coins in the

channels

51 and 52 drop into the cash box. The cash winding is de-energized and the coin slot machine is ready for accepting a new program.

In view of these explanations, it may be easily seen from FIG. 1, that insertion of two two-shilling pieces and one sixpenny piece energizes the programing relay R1 in the circuit 71-25-16-f-1015-h-2-3-vR1-earth, indicated by the signalling lamp S1, and insertion of two two-shilling pieces and three sixpenny pieces causes response of the relay R4 in the circuit 71-25-16-f-10- 11-u-R4-earth and the signalling lamp S4 lights up.

The operation of the program selection circuit above described is extremely simple, since it is no longer necessary to preset a certain program and then to insert the corresponding coins into the slot machine. Insertion of the coins automatically aids in completing the circuit, the

-must be closed.

corresponding program and only the starting switch ST We claim:

1. A program selection circuit with coin slot machine,

especially for self-service washing machines with several programs at different charges, characterized in that the coin slot machine is connected with a group of coin relays having contacts, each of said relays being actuated by a certain am-ount'of money and the contacts of which are connected with eachother and with a group of programming relays associated with the. various programs and serving to control the washing machine in such a way that the insertion in the coin slot machine of the coins corresponding to a certain program prepares the energizing of the programming relay associated with this particular program.

- 2.. A program selection circuit with coin slot machine as claimed in claim *1, characterized in that energiza'tion'of'each programming relay actuates a lamp, which indicates whether or not the associated relay has been energized.

3. A program selection circuit with coin slot machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized by a coin slot machine With at least one channel for coins with dilferent values, light-sensitive photo-electric resistor: elements arranged along the channels, a light source for normally energizing saidphoto electric resistor elements screened by a coin if the same is inserted into the channel, amplifiers connected with said elements through which one or two of the said elements are connected always with one of the coin relays so that, when certain elements are screened after insertion of coins, the corresponding coin relay or relays are switched.

4. A program selection circuit for self-service coin slot laundry machines and the like having service programs at different values, comprising at least one channel memher for receiving coins inserted in sai d slot, said at least one channel member, being provided with a series of openings spaced apart a distance equal to the diameter of a coin, a'series of photo-electric cells arranged one for each of said openings, a source of electrical energy and a series of coin relaysincluded in said circuit, a series 'of amplifiers" connecting one of said photoelectric cells with one of said relays, said-coin relays being provided with fixed and movable contacts, certain of said movable contacts being-"connected in series with certain fixed contacts of adjacent relays, a series of programming relays for initiating. cyclic operations of said laundry machine, a circuit for said programming relays and fixed and movable contacts of the respective relays, whereby energization of one or more of said photoelectric cells when coins areinserted in said atleast one-channel to screen light passing through said'openings' will actuate the fixed and movable contacts of corresponding coin relays and energize said programming relays depending upon the value of the coins inserted in said at least one channel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1941 Christensen l94-l 3/1959 Baker et al.- 194-10

Claims

1. A PROGRAM SELECTION CIRCUIT WITH COIN SLOT MACHINE, ESPECIALLY FOR SELF-SERGICE WASHING MACHINES WITH SEVERAL PROGRAMS AT DIFFERENT CHARGES, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE COIN SLOT MACHINE IS CONNECTED WITH A GROUP OF COIN RELAYS HAVING CONTACTS, EACH OF SAID RELAYS BEING ACTUATED BY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THE CONTACTS OF WHICH ARE CONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH A GROUP OF PROGRAMMING RELAYS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND SERVING TO CONTROL THE WASHING MACHINE IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE INSERTION IN THE COIN SLOT MACHINE OF THE COINS CORRESPONDING TO A CERTAIN PROGRAM PREPARES THE ENNERGIZING OF THE PROGRAMMING RELAY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.