US3483958A - Serrated edge coin separator with magnetic rail - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 18, 1969 K. E. PENNELL. ET AL 3,483,958

SERRATED EDGE COIN SEPARATOR WITH MAGNETIC RAIL Filed March 29, 1968 INVENTORS. K/f E. Pen/veil Or'esfe SoPaci United States Patent 3,483,958 SERRATED EDGE COIN SEPARATOR WITH MAGNETIC RAIL Kit E. Pennell and Oreste Soraci, Independence, M0., assignors to The Vendo Company, Kansas City, M0., a corporation of Missouri Filed Mar. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 717,274 Int. Cl. G07f 3/02 U.S. Cl. 194-102 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coin acceptor tests the validity of a deposited coin by sensing whether or not the edge of the coin is serrated, the presence of serrations being indicative of validity. The coin rolls down a rail and its edge engages a shiftable separator device that moves with the coin into clearing relationship thereto (to allow the coin to gravitate from the rail) if serrations are present to frictionally grip the device and force it to shift with the coin. In the absence of serrations the smooth edge of the coin slidably engages the device to effect lifting of a latch arm to a raised position where it engages a catch and locks the device to thereby stop the coin and hold the same on the rail for removal by scavenging. The lower end of the rail is magnetized in order to cause serrated coins of magnetic composition gravitating from the rail to follow trajectories determined by their magnetic properties, thus enabling the acceptor to reject steel slugs irrespective of the presence of serrations.

A proposed change in the composition of Canadian dimes and quarters from nonmagnetic coinage material to pure nickel has produced the need for a coin acceptor for vending machines that is capable of handling present Canadian and United States nonmagnetic coins plus the proposed nickel Canadian coinage which is magnetic. In the case of quarters, for example, the present Canadian quarter and older United States quarters are of nonmagnetic, silver alloy composition. The clad composition of newer U.S. quarters is similarly nonmagnetic and of approximately the same electrical conductivity as the silver alloy coinage. Thus, since both US. and Canadian quarters are of approximately the same size, the eddycurrent separator may presently be utilized in acceptors at border sites for slug rejection and coin validation.

However, it is apparent that the proposed pure nickel Canadian coinage is unsuitable for eddy-current separation since the intensity of the magnetic field utilized in eddy-current validators holds a magnetic coin and prevents acceptance. Therefore, if a common acceptor is to be utilized for legitimate coinage of both magnetic and nonmagnetic composition, it is requisite that the magnetic coinage be precluded from subjection to magnetic fields of high holding power and yet some means of rejecting ferrous slugs must be provided or present levels of slug protection will be sacrificed.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide coin separating means which operates independently of the metallic content of the coin.

As a corollary to the foregoing object, it is an important aim of the invention to provide a separator as aforesaid which senses the edge of a deposited coin to determine whether or not serrations are present, the presence of serrations being indicative of validity.

Another important object is to provide such a serration sensitive separator which positively stops the travel of a coin through the acceptor if its edge is unserrated, but permits a valid, serrated coin to continue its travel substantially unimpeded.

Still another important object is to provide a serration 3,483,958 Patented Dec. 16, 1969 ice sensitive separator as aforesaid which is less subject to failure in the event that the acceptor is tilted, as compared with prior coin separators which utilize the coin serrations solely for changing coin trajectories. Coin separators that rely on different trajectories for separating genuine coins and counterfeit are inherently subject to failure when tilted because of the influence of tilt on the velocities of the coins or slugs in the mechanism.

Additionally, it is an important object of this invention to provide a composite, high security coin acceptor which positively rejects steel slugs irrespective of the presence of serrations but Without utilizing the magnetic field of high holding power, and yet incorporates the aforesaid serration sensitive separator to provide a means of accepting genuine coins of both magnetic and nonmagnetic composition.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of a coin acceptor, parts being broken away to reveal the internal construction thereof and the serration sensitive separator,

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the serration sensitive separator in response to engagement by a serrated coin;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the serration sensitive separator in response to engagement by an unserrated coin; and

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views of a modified form of the serration sensitive separator illustrating the operation thereof in response to engagement by an unserrated coin.

Referring to FIG. 1, a coin acceptor 10 has a rear plate 12 and a front plate 14 between which deposited coins gravitate after being introduced into the acceptor 10 through an entrance funnel 16 at the top edge of plates 12 and 14. Coins of a particular denomination are received by a rotatable cradle 18 which rotates in a clockwise direction to discharge the coin from cradle 18 onto an inclined rail 20. The rail 20 is composed of a nonmagnetic material except for its lower end portion 22 which is rounded and comprises a generally sector-shaped, magnetic section. A permanent magnet 24 is housed beneath the coinsupporting surface of rail 20 and is in magnetically coupled relationship to the magnetic end section 22.

A scavenge lever 26 is mounted on a pivot pin 28 and carries a cam 30 which is engageable with a follower roller 32 carried by the front plate 14. The plate 14 may be pivotally mounted on the rear plate 12 for movement away from plate 12 in the usual manner for scavenging purposes, such movement being initiated by the depressing of lever 26 which, in turn, forces cam 30 into engagement with follower roller 32 to shift the front plate 14 away from the rear plate 12 and effectively remove the supporting rail 20 from beneath a coin stopped thereon.

The rail 20 provides a guide for a coin delivered thereto by cradle 18 and supports the edge of the coin for rolling movement thereof down the rail 20 toward the magnetized end section 22 and also toward a separator device 34 which extends into blocking relationship to the path of travel of the coin. The coin illustrated on rail 20 is shown at the time of initial contact of its serrated edge 36 with the separator device 34. As will be appreciated hereinafter, it is assumed that the serrated coin is genuine unless it is composed of a ferrous material.

The separator device 34 includes an elongated member 38 which depends from a pivot 40 and has a lower end defining a socket that rotatably receives the circularlyshaped end of an elongated latch arm 42. A stop element 44 is integral with the lower end of member 38 and projects leftwardly therefrom into underlying relationship to latch arm 42. The latch arm 42 has an outer end that presents a pointed tip 46 which is received in the serrations 36 of the illustrated coin.

The depending, pivotal member 38 is normally maintained in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 by a counterweight 48 which forces the member 38 against a stop in the form of an eccentric projection 50 on the enlarged head 52 of a screw that is threaded into rear plate 12. A latch component in the form of a catch 54 projects forwardly from rear plate 12 and engages the latch arm. 42 when the latter is lifted to a raised position, as will become clear hereinafter.

Both member 38 and latch arm 42 may have a thickness approximately equal to the thickness of the coin to be tested for validity. Thus, the lower end portion of member 38 and the latch arm 42 readily fit into the space provided between the front and rear plates 14 and.12 of the acceptor 10. The screwhead 52 is kerfed to receive a screwdriver tip to provide an expedient means of adjusting the normal position of the device 34 for a purpose to be subsequently discussed.

In operation, the deposit of a serrated coin causes an action illustrated in FIG. 2. The relative positions of the coin and the separator device 34 when the coin first engages the pointed tip 46 of latch arm 42 is depicted in FIG. 1. As the coin continues to gravitate down rail 20, the device 34 is forced to move with the coin since the serrations 36 frictionally grip the tip 46. This produces a swinging movement of member 38 about pivot 40 in a counterclockwise direction as is apparent from FIG. 2. Thus, the device 34 is shifted into clearing relationship to the coin and allows the latter to continue its travel along rail 20 and gravitate therefrom. It should be noted that the action of the projecting stop element 44 underlying latch arm 42 permits the arm 42 and the member 38 to swing as a unit when the arm tip 46 is engaged by a serrated coin.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 the operation of the separator when a coin having an unserrated edge is deposited is illustrated. Such a coin would either be a slug or possibly a genuine coin having a worn edge but which must also be rejected for maximum slug protection. The relative positions of the slug and the device 34 are the same as in FIG. 1 at the time of initial contact. Subsequent movement of the slug. however, lifts the latch arm 42 to a raised position (FIG. 3) since the smooth edge of the slug slidably engages the tip 46 rather than gripping the latter, and subsequently causes displacement of the device 34 until latching occurs (FIG. 4). At this time, the tip 46 of latch arm 42 remains in engagement with the edge of the slug to positively hold the same on rail 20 and preclude further movement thereof. The slug must then be removed by scavenging in the usual manner.

A modified form of the separator is shown in FIGS.

5, 6 and 7. Except for possible reshaping of the latch arm 42, the configuration of the swingable separator device 34 is the same as shown and described above. The difference is in the positioning of the latch component or catch 54a, the latter being further from the rail 20 and closer to the stop 50 than in the form of the invention previously described. FIGURE shows the position of device 34 at the time of initial contact by a slug having an unserrated edge. In FIG. 6 the latch arm 42 has been raised as before by sliding engagement of the unserrated edge of the slug with tip 46; however, the catch 54a now permits latch arm 42 to ride on top of the slug, whereupon the latter continues to advance until it bears against the outer end of the stop element 44. FIGURE 7 shows the final positionof device 34 with element 44 holding the slug on rail 20.

A coin that passes the serration test is permitted to traject from the magnetized lower end 22 of rail 20. In FIG. 1, the longest trajectory 56 depicts the path of a nonmagnetic coin which is not influenced by the magnetized end section 22. The intermediate trajectory 58 is followed by a coin of pure nickel composition which is magnetic and is thus influenced by the magnetized section 22, causing such coin to partially wrap around the end 22 as its gravitates therefrom. The shortest trajectory 60 is followed by a slug of ferrous material which is highly magnetic and is wrapped to a considerably greater degree than the pure nickel coin Since the trajectories 56 and 58 are relatively close together, suitable means (not shown) may be provided to direct coins following either of these trajectories along the accept track of the acceptor. A ferrous slug following trajector 60 is, of course, rejected along the same track that a coin scavenged from rail 20 traverses. Thus, the magnetic graduation tester provided by the magnetized rail section 22 assures that ferrous slugs will not be accepted irrespective of the presence of serrations thereon. However, either nonmagnetic coinage or pure nickel coinage that passes the serration test is accepted. It should be noted that the spacing of the section 22 of magnetic material from the poles of magnet 22 enables the field actually presented to the coin to be controlled and reduced to a level to preclude magnetic coins from being held on the rail. This is to be avoided if both pure nickel and nonmagnetic coinage is to be accepted.

By shifting the stop 50 to the left or right by rotating the screwhead 52, the angle of attack of the tip 46 with respect to the serrations 36 may be adjusted as desired to set the range for the percentage of slug rejection and the percentage of coin acceptance. For highest coin acceptance, the latch arm 42 would be radially aligned with the coin at the time of contact in order that its tip could engage a serration of minimum depth. As the angle of attack is reduced by shifting the stop 50 to the left, a point of maximum slug rejection is ultimately obtained where only coinage with high ridges will be accepted.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coin acceptor:

guide structure for supporting a deposited coin on its edge for movement along a predetermined path of travel; a shiftable separator device normally disposed in said path for engagement by the edge of the moving coin;

said device shifting in the general direction of movement of the coin into clearing relationship thereto in response to said engagement by the edge thereof if the latter has serrations for frictionally gripping the device and forcing the same to shift with the coin, whereby a coin with a serrated edge is permitted to continue to travel along said path;

said device including a pivotal, depending member mounted for swinging movement in said direction about an axis spaced above said path and having a lower end provided with a stop element, and an upwardly shiftable latch arm carried by said member and disposed for said engagement by the edge of the moving coin;

said arm being shiftable to a raised position by a lifting action of the moving coin in response to sliding engagement of the edge of the moving coin therewith, and having a normal position in engagement with said stop element to cause the arm and the member to swing as a unit without relative movement of the arm and the member into said clearing relationship to the moving coin as long as the arm remains in its normal position and is not lifted by the coin; and

a latch component adjacent said device and disposed for engagement by said arm upon lifting thereof to said raised position to hold the arm, and hence the device, against movement into said clearing relationship to the moving coin, whereby to stop the moving coin when the edge thereof is relatively smooth and incapable of frictionally gripping the arm.

2. In a coin acceptor as claimed in claim 1, said latch arm being elongated in configuration, extending from said member and pivotal thereon toward and away from said raised position, and presenting an outer, edge-engaging end.

3. In a coin acceptor as claimed in claim 1,

said latch arm having a pointed, edge-engaging tip;

there being stop means engageable with said member to limit movement thereof in the opposite direction and define a desired angle of attack of said tip relative to the edge of an engaging coin;

said device having means normally biasing said mem her in said opposite direction to normally hold the member against said stop means.

4. In a coin acceptor as claimed in claim 1,

said structure including an inclined, coin-receiving rail defining said path and having a lower end from which the moving coin gravitates;

said device being disposed for said engagement by the edge of the moving coin While the latter is on said rail, whereby the moving coin is tested for serrations 6 prior to reaching said end of the rail and is held on the rail is unserrated.

5. In a coin acceptor as claimed in claim 4, said rail having a magnetized section presenting said end, whereby trajectories are imparted to coins gravitating therefrom according to their magnetic properties.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 23,197 4/1910 Great Britain. 292,706 6/ 1928 Great Britain. 343,462 2/ 1931 Great Britain.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner

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