US3280489A

US3280489A - Substitute silver dollar

Info

Publication number: US3280489A
Application number: US387877A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bergmann Conrad
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-08-06
Filing date: 1964-08-06
Publication date: 1966-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 1983-10-25

Description

C. BERGMANN SUBSTITUTE SILVER DOLLAR Filed Aug. 6, 1964 Oct. 25, 1966 INVENTOR. 6'0 E ym a0/ #//5 Afro/Neff MBY il United States Patent O 3,280,489 SUBSTITUTE SILVER DOLLAR Conrad Bergmann, 1365 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, Calif. Filed Aug. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 387,877 3 Claims. (Cl. t0-27.5)

This invention relates to a substitute for silver dollar and more particularly to a disc for holding and visibly displaying a dollar bill folded such as to expose all four corners thereof.

The present invention was conceived with a view of alleviating the problem caused by the national coin shortage now `being experienced. Recent reports indicate that the Treasury Department plans to ease this shortage by raising coin production. However, the present plan only extends to denominations up to half dollars, there being no plan to mint silver dollars.

The shortage of silver dollars or cartwheels as they are often referred t-o, is being felt most in States such as Nevada where gambling is legal. It is also being felt in connection with coin controlled apparatus operable by coin of a dollar value. Thousands of slot machines and other coin -controlled apparatus are standing idle for want of silver dollars to operate them. The need for a substitute coin is therefore apparent.

The present invention contemplates `the provision of a manufactured metal disc of the diameter and thickness of -a silver dollar having a certificate or note of paper currency embedded therein in such manner as to assure the holder thereof of its full face value.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a substitute for a silver dollar in the form of a disc housing an actual silver certificate and for displaying the denominational figures at all four corners of such certificates.

It is another object of this invention to provide a rim of the diameter and thickness of `the rim of a silver dollar with a central zone of lesser thickness to provide side recesses into which transparent discs are secured over a piece of paper currency folded into a flat pack such as to expose all four corners of the latter, the fiat pack bein-g housed within a central opening formed in the central zone of the disc so that both sides of the folded fiat pack will be visible through the transparent discs.

These and other vobjects and advantages of the present invention will become -apparent from a reading of the following description and claims in the light of the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the elements embodied in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graphic diagram of a piece of paper currency marked out with crease lines for purposes of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan View of the elements of FIG. 1 assembled and as seen from the reverse side of that illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a section diametrically through FIG. 3 and taken along line 4 4 thereof.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section of a portion of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating one manner of folding the bill of FIG. 3.

In the drawing a finished substitute for a silver dollar designated 10 is shown in FIG. 3. In general it comprises a disc 11 of metal having an annular rim 12 of a thickness comparable to that of a silver dollar and properly serrated. Within the rim 12 the disc 11 has a zone 13 of reduced thickness of approximately one half (1/2) that of the thickness of the rim 12. The zone 13 is centered relative to the plane of the disc 11 to provide a recess on each side of the central zone 13 for the reception of a pair of

transparent discs

14 and 15. These

discs

14 and 15 are preferably non breakable plastic material of 3,289,489 Patented Oct. 2.5, 1966 suitable strength and thickness to withstand breakage and removal and yet transparent to fully display the material beneath it.

The central zone 13 -of the disc 11 is open to provide a space 16 for the reception of a piece of paper currency 17. In the present disclosure the space 16I is shown as a square opening with its four

sides

18, 19, 20` and 21 forming chords of the circular central zone 13 having their meeting corners touching the inner periphery P of the rim 12. However, the shape of the space 16 may be varied dependent upon the .manner of folding the piece of pape-r currency 17 to be housed therein.

One manner of folding the piece of paper currency is shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 whereby all four corners of such currency will Ibe visibly displayed. In the illustration three crease lines longitudinally of the piece 17 are designated 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The dista-nce betwee-n crease lines 2 and 3 is equal to the distance between one pair of

opposite sides

18 and 20 of the open space 16 in the disc 11. The first fold is made along crease line 1 by folding the bottom edge 22 of the piece 17 back under. The second fold along line 2 is in the same direction leaving the numeral 1 at both ends of the piece 17 exposed. The fold along crease line 3 is also backward from the front face of the paper currency so that the upper strip 4 (FIG. 6) lies against the ba-ck of the piece 17 and the shorter strip 5 along the bottom edge overlies a portion of the strip 4 on the back face of the piece 17. When the piece 17 thus folded lengthwise is turned around it appears somewhat as seen in FIG. 1 with the numerals at all four corners fully exposed.

The piece of currency 17 also has crease lines transversely of its length. These are designated (E for centerline OL and OR for outward bends or folds and IL and IR for inward bends or folds as seen in FIG. 1. A zigzag line Z in FIG. 1 illustrates the folds along the transverse crease lines whereby when all panels lie fiat as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 there are six such panels with three layers of paper within each panel. The folded currency 17 thus provides a square pack 23 adapted to fit within the space 16 and a thickness such as to fit withi-n the thickness of the central Zone 13 of the disc 11. It should here be noted that both

end panels

24 and 25 at the left and right ends L and R, respectively of the piece 17 have the numeral hearing corners of the currency exposed. The arrangement is such that the panel 24 at the left end of the piece 17 will be viewed through one of the transparent discs 14 as seen in FIG. 1 and the other panel 25 at the left end of piece 17 will be viewed through the other transparent disc 15 as seen in FIG. 3.

With the paper currency thus folded into a pack 23 and lodged in the space 16 in the central zone 13 of the disc 11 both transparent discs 14 and 1S are pressed into `their respective recesses on the respective sides of the central zone 13.

On each side of the central zone 13 the

remaining segments

28, 29, 30 and 31 beyond the

chordal sides

18, 19, 20 and 21 respectively of the open center provide mounting faces for the

transparent discs

14 and 15. These discs may be cemented to the outer faces of the

segments

28, 29, 30 and 31 or the inner periphery P -of the rim 12 can -be peaned over the outer periphery of the

discs

14 and 15 to secure them in place within the thickness of the rim 12.

As delineated in FIG. 3 the

segments

28, 29, 30 and 31 are suitable for receiving printed matter 35 such as the name and address `of an advertiser. Such printed matter may be embossed on the surfaces of the

segments

28, 29, 30 and 31 or the inner periphery P of the rim 12 can be 14 and 15 in the zone of such segment.

The present invention thus formed provides a substitute for a silver dollar embodying a silver certificate,

Federal Reserve Note or the like of that value and fully displaying all four corners af such paper currency to verify the presence of the value contained. Such substitute dollar being the size, dimension and weight of a valid coin, it will fit the coin slot of coin controlled apparatus designed for the reception of a silver dollar and thereby render the apparatus operable.

While I 4have illustrated and described a preferred ernbodiment of the present invention, it will be understood, however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope 7of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desired to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following7 claims:

1. A substitute for a silver dollar consisting of a housing for a note or certificate of comparable value comprising a metal rim having the ythickness and diameter of a valid silver dollar, said housing being of lesser thickness than the rim within the latter to provide a recess on each side thereof, a -note or certificate arranged in said housing for visibly displaying at least the denominational numerals at all four corners of such silver certificate, and a transparent disc secured in each of the recesses on either side of said disc for conning the silver certicate thus displayed.

l2. A substitute for a silver dollar comprising a housing having a metal rim comparable in thickness and diameter to that of a valid silver dollar, a centrally located disc within said rim of lesser thickness than the latter to provide a recess on each side of said disc, a central opening formed in said disc, a v-alid certificate or note folded into a flat pack of equal thickness to said disc and having the denominational numerals at all four corners of such certificate or note facing outwardly, and a transparent disc in each recess on either side of said disc and each secured Within said metal rim 5 for confining and displaying said hat pack.

3. A substitute for a. silver dollar consisting of a housing for paper money such as a silver certificate Federal Reserve Note or the like comprising a disc, a met-al rim on said disc having the thickness and inner and outer diameters of the rim of a valid silver dollar coin, a rectangular open center formed in said disc leaving segmental zones Within said rim, said disc having a thickness of approximately one half that of said rim, a single sheet of paper money folded to provide a flat pack substantially the ythickness of said disc and to fit within the open center of the latter for displaying the denominational numbers 'at all four corners of such paper money on each side of said flat pack, a transparent disc on each side of said disc Within the rim thereof, and means for securing said transparent discs Within said rim and against the segmental zones of said disc for visually displaying printed matter beneath said transparent discs.

References Cited by the Examiner 25 UNITED STATES PATENTS 31,871 4/1861 Copley 40-27.5 X 560,900 5/ 1896 Fredricks 24-27 .5 2,196,850 4/1940 Bostian l0-27.5 2,256,399 9/ 1941 MacHarg 40--152 2,506,509 5/ 1950 Kratkowski 40-152 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A SUBSTITUTE FOR A SILVER DOLLAR CONSISTING OF A HOUSING FOR A NOTE OR CERTIFICATE OF COMPARABLE VALUE COMPRISING A METAL RIM HAVING THE THICKNESS AND DIAMETER OF A VALID SILVER DOLLAR, SAID HOUSING BEING OF LESSER THICKNESS THAN THE RIM WITHIN THE LATTER TO PROVIDE A RECESS ON EACH SIDE THEREOF, A NOTE OR CERTIFICATE ARRANGED IN SAID HOUSING FOR VISIBLY DISPLAYING AT LEAST THE DENOMINATIONAL NUMERALS AT ALL FOUR CORNERS OF SUCH SILVER CERTIFICATE, AND A TRANSPARENT DISC SECURED IN EACH OF THE RECESSES ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID DISC FOR CONFINING THE SILVER CERTIFICATE THUS DISPLAYED.