US3255767A

US3255767A - Coin dispenser

Info

Publication number: US3255767A
Application number: US408179A
Authority: US
Inventors: John V Mickelson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-11-02
Filing date: 1964-11-02
Publication date: 1966-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 1983-06-14

Description

June 14, 1966 v, MICKELSON 3,255,767

COIN DISPENSER Filed NOV. 2, 1964 INVENTOR JOHN V. MICKELSON (1/ M $1.64. ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,255,767 CUIN DISPENSER John V. Michelson, 13805 Dawson St., Garden Grove, Calif. Filed Nov. 2, 1964, S421. No. 408,179

3 Claims. (Cl. 1336) This invention relates to a coin dispenser and more particularly to a container adapted for mounting in a vehicle so as to store and readily dispense coins used in parking meters.

Congestion in downtown municipalities has caused the wide spread adoption of parking meters. This in turn creates a need for each motorist to have a supply of pennies, nickels and dimes available. Such change is also require at toll stations for roads and bridges.

An object of the present invention is to provide a container which stores and readily dispenses coins for use in parking meters.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin dispenser which may be easily attached or removed from the inside of an automobile.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved coin dispenser which is economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, reference being made to the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a coin dispenser in which the present invention is embodied.

FIGURE 2 is a cross section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a section similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the plunger in a lowermost position.

FIGURE 4 is a section similar to FIG. 2 but showing the plunger in an ejecting position and the coin dispenser is shown in relationship to a persons hand.

With reference to the drawings, a coin dispenser is shown in FIG. 1 having a support arm 12. A magnet 14-is fixed to one end of the support arm and is adapted to cling to the dashboard or other metallic portions within an automobile. Other attaching means such as a small suction cup, not shown, could be used in place of the magnet 14 for fastening the support arm of the coin dispenser to nonmetallic materials such as glass. Thus,

I one end of the support arm will readily adhere to the interior surface of an automobile.

A tubular casing 16 is fixed to the end of the support arm 12 opposite the magnet 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the tubular casing is positioned so that its longitudinal axis 18 is inclined relative to the vertical axis 20 by an angle of inclination 22. This angle of inclination must be large enough so that the gravitational force acting upon a coin 24 overcomes frictional resistance and causes the coin to slide perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 18. Such would occur when the tangent function of the angle of inclination is greater than the friction factor between coins. The angle 22 should not be so great as to cause the coins to overturn. An angle of thirty degrees has been found to be satisfactory.

The tubular casing 16 has a cylindrical coin storage chamber 26 coaxially aligned within and having a bore diameter suflicient to receive the largest diameter of coin to be held. A coin slot 28 is provided in the tubular casing transversely of the longitudinal axis 18 and facing downwardly normal thereto. A top panel 30 is located at the upper end of the tubular casing to enclose the coin storage chamber. The bottom of the chamber is defined by a panel 32 fixed to the tubular casing and having an opening 34 provided therein.

An ejection plunger 36 having a head portion 38 fits within the coin storage chamber 26 for supporting coins 3,255,767 Patented June 14, 1 966 24. A stem portion 40 is fixed to the head portion and extends outwardly from the chamber through the opening 34. The weight of coins 24 tend to force the plunger downward to the lowermost position, as shown in FIG. 3, where the head portion 38 is retained by the bottom panel 32. The plunger may be elevated by lifting upward on the stem portion as shown in FIG. 4. The coin dispenser 10 is of a size whereby a finger 42 of a persons hand 44 may contact the stern portion 40 of the ejection plunger 36 and upon elevating the plunger, a coin 24 discharged from the coin slot 28 will fall into the palm 46 of the hand.

In operation, the coin dispenser 10 is attached to the interior surface of an automobile by magnetic attraction of the magnet 14. The surface to which the magnet is attached should be substantially perpendicular so that the tubular casing 16 is positioned at the proper angle of inclination 22. However, dispensers could be made for attachment to inclined surfaces by adjusting the angle between the face of the magnet and the longitudinal axis 18 of the tubular casing 16.

Coins 24 are fed through the coin slot 28 in the manner in which a piggy bank is filled. The weight of the coins force the plunger head portion 38 to the bottom of the storage chamber 26, as shown in FIG. 3. The coins are stacked upon the plunger head portion and remain in such a position until they are needed. When it is desired to eject a coin, a hand 44 may be extended, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the finger 42 contacts the stem portion 40 of the ejection plunger 36. By gently raising the hand, the coins are elevated within the storage chamber, as shown in FIG. 2. When the top coin comes into alignment with the coin slot 28, it slides downward through the slot, as shown in FIG. 4, and falls into the palm of the hand. This procedure is repeated until the desired number of coins are obtained. Then, the stem portion is released and the ejection plunger drops to the bottom of the storage chamber.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as. illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A coin dispenser comprising a tubular casing having a coaxially aligned coin storage chamber within and a coin slot extending transversely of the casing, an ejection plunger with a head portion fitting inside the chamber for supporting a stack of coins and a stem portion extending outwardly from the casing for elevating said stack of coins, and means mounting said casing in position with the longitudinal axis of said chamber inclined to the vertical axis by an angle having a trigonometric tangent function greater than the friction factor between coins and with said coin slot facing downward, said coin dispenser being of a size whereby a finger tip of a persons hand may contact the stem portiton of the ejection plunger and upon elevating the plunger, 2. coin brought into alignment with said coin slot will slide downwardly therefrom by gravitational force and fall into the palm of the hand.

2. A coin dispenser, as described in claim 1, wherein said means mounting said casing includes a support arm fixed to the casing, and attaching means fastened to the support arm providing yieldable adherence with a supporting surface.

3. A coin dispenser comprising a casing having a cylindrical coin storage chamber positioned within and a coin discharge slot aligned transversely of the chamber with a length equal to the diameter of the chamber, an ejection plunger slidably fitting within the coin chamber for elevating coins to the coin discharge slot and having a stem portion extending outwardly from the casing for operating said plunger, a support arm fixed to the casing for positioning said casing so that the longitudinal axis of said chamber is inclined to the vertical axis by an angle having a trigonometric tangent function greater than the friction factor between coins, and a magnet fastened to said support arm for attaching said coin dispenser to an interior surface of a vehicle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

S. H. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A COIN DISPENSER COMPRISING A TUBULAR CASING HAVING A COAXIALLY ALIGNED COIN STORAGE CHAMBER WITHIN AND A COIN SLOT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE CASING, AN EJECTION PLUNGER WITH AHEAD PORTION FITTING INSIDE THE CHAMBER FOR SUPPORTING A STACK OF COINS AND A STEM PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE CASING FOR ELEVATING SAID STACK OF COINS, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID CASING IN POSITION WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CHAMBER INCLINED TO THE VERTICAL AXIS BY AN ANGLE HAVING A TRIGONOMETRIC TANGENT FUNCTION GREATER THAN THE FRICTION FACTOR BETWEEN COINS AND WITH SAID COIN SLOT FACING DOWNWARD, SAID COIN DISPENSER BEING OF A SIZE WHEREBY A FINGER TIP OF A PERSON''S HAND MAY CONTACT THE STEM PORTION OF THE EJECTION PLUNGER AND UPON ELEVATING THE PLUNGER, A COIN BROUGHT INTO ALIGNMENT WITH SAID COIN SLOT WILL SLIDE DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM BY GRAVITIONAL FORCE AND FALL INTO THE PALM OF THE HAND.