US3696582A

US3696582A - Coin packer

Info

Publication number: US3696582A
Application number: US100640A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lester B Lodrick; Vincent N Teno
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-12-22
Filing date: 1970-12-22
Publication date: 1972-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-10

Abstract

Wrapped coin packaging apparatus including a housing having an inlet for receiving wrapped coin packages, a pair of receptacle filling locations spaced from each other on opposite sides of the inlet, and transfer means operable to successively receive coin packages at the inlet and transfer the packages individually to one of the filling locations. The transfer means is selectively adjustable between a first operating position in which it transfers packages from the inlet to one of the filling locations, and a second operating position in which it transfers packages from the inlet to the other of the filling locations.

Description

nited States Patent Lodrick et al.

1541 COIN PACKER [72] Inventors: Lester B. Lodrick, 42687 Loni,

Sterling Heights, Mich. 48078; Vincent N. Teno, 5078 Babbit, Troy,

Mich. 48084 22 Filed: Dec. 22, 1970 211, App]. N6; 100,640

52 us. c1. .53/59, 53/78, 53/245 51 I111. 01. ..B65b 57/10 58 Field 61 Search ..53/59, 78, 162, 245

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,570,212 3/1971 Murrav et a]. ..53/78 2,993,316 7/1961 Kerr ..53/62 1,187,098 6/1916 Robertson ..53/245 x 1451 Oct. 10, 1972 2,918,766 12/1959 Rogier et al. ..53/78 X Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Attorney-McGlynn, Reising, Milton & Ethington ABSTRACT Wrapped coin packaging apparatus including a housing having an inlet for receiving wrapped coin packages, a pair of receptacle filling locations spaced from each other on opposite sides of the inlet, and transfer means operable to successively receive coin packages at the inlet and transfer the packages individually to one of the filling locations. The transfer means is selectively adjustable between a first operating position in which it transfers packages from the inlet to one of the filling locations, and a second operating position in which it transfers packages from the inlet to the other of the filling locations.

38 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDocT 101912 3 696 582 sum 3 or 3 I INVENTORS gg/m may amkzg lkzc'ewi/il (/2220 ATTORNEYS COIN PACKER denomination.

An object of this invention is to provide apparatus for automatically packaging a preselected quantity of wrapped coin bundles or packages in a flexible bag or other, receptacle so that each receptacle will contain a predetermined number of coins.

A more specific object is to provide coin packaging apparatus for use in conjunction with coin wrapping machines so that wrapped coin bundles or packages from the coin wrapping machine may automatically be packaged in receptacles in predetermined quantities.

A further object is to provide packaging apparatus including means defining an article pick-up location, means defining at least one receptacle filling location spaced from the article pick-up location, and transfer means operable to successively receive articles individually at the pick-up location and transfer the articles to the receptacle filling location, with means responsive to the transfer operation of the transfer means to interrupt the transfer operation when a preselected number of articles has been transferred to the receptacle filling location.

Still another object is to provide wrapped coin packaging apparatus including a housing having an inlet for receiving wrapped coin packages from a coin wrapping machine, a pair of receptacle filling locations spaced from each other on opposite sides of the receiving inlet, and transfer means operable to successively receive coin packages at the inlet and transfer the packages individually to one of the filling locations, the transfer means being selectively adjustable between a first-operating position in which it transfers packages from the inlet to one of the filling locations, and a second operating position in which it transfers packages from the inlet to the other of the filling locations.

Still another object is to provide a receptacle holder for holding flexible bags or other type receptacles for a filling operation wherein the bag is supported in an unloaded position when empty and gradually extends to a filled, loaded position as articles are placed into the bag.

The foregoing, and other objects, are achieved by the provision of packaging apparatus having a housing with an inlet for receiving wrapped coin bundles or packages from a coin wrapping machine with a pair of receptacle filling locations spaced from each other on opposite sides of the inlet. Transfer means is provided which is operable to successively receive coin packages at the inlet and transfer the packages individually to one of the filling locations. The transfer means is selectively adjustable between a first operating position in which it transfers packages from the inlet to one of the filling locations, and a second operating position in which it transfers packages from the inlet to the other of the filling locations. A counter is operable to cause the transfer means to shift from one operating position to the other when a preselected number of packages or bundles has been transferred by the transfer means to, one of the filling locations.

A receptacle holder is provided at each of the filling locations, each of the receptacle holders being selectively movable between an active position for receiving packages from the transfer means, and an inactive position disposed out of the path of packages being transferred by the transfer means from the inlet to the filling location.

The transfer means may comprise a holder for the wrapped coin packages having a package receiving position at the pick-up location, and a package discharging position at the receptacle filling location. The holder is mounted for pivotal movement between the receiving and discharge positions and is biased to the package receiving position by a counterweight. The

weight of the package received by the holder causes the holder to pivot to the discharge position and deposit the package at the receptacle filling location, and the counterweight or other biasing means causes the holder to return to the package receiving position subsequent to the discharging of each package at the receptacle filling location.

The transfer means may also include a support member with an arm pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pivot pin carried by the support member, the package holder being carried by one end of the arm, the counterweight being mounted on the other end of .the am. A stop member is engaged by the arm in the package receiving position in each of the operating positions of the transfer means to maintain the arm in an over-center position, that is, a position in which the arm leans away from the vertical with the holder pivoted toward one of the receptacle filling locations so that the weight of a package in the holder will overcome the counterweight and cause the arm to pivot from the receiving position and carry the package to the receptacle filling position where it is discharged from the holder. The package is discharged from the holder at the receptacle filling position by gravity due to the pivoting action of the arm and the position of the holder which causes the holder to dump the package at the filling location.

The support member is mounted on a partition for movement between two positions, and a shifting mechanism is operable to move the support member between'positions to adjust the position of the pivotal axis of the arm so that in one position the arm pivots toward one of the receptacle filling locations when a package is received in the holder, and toward the other receptacle filling location when the support member is in its other position.

A receptacle holder is provided in each of the filling locations, each of the receptacle holders being selectively movable between an active position for receiving packages from the transfer means and an inactive position disposed out of the path of packages being transferred by the transfer means from the inlet. Each of the receptacle holders comprises a ramp member pivotally mounted on the housing for movement between an inclined position in the active position of the receptacle holder and a generally upright position in the inactive position of the receptacle holder. A carriage is slidably mounted on the ramp member for movement between an unloaded position near the upper end of the ramp member and a fully loaded position spaced from the unloaded position toward the lower end of the ramp member. A bag or other flexible receptacle may have its open end secured to a fixed portion of the receptacle holder and seated on the carriage so that the weight of articles or packages deposited into the receptacle causes the carriage to move downwardly toward the lower loaded position and extend the bag as the bag is filled. The carriage is biased to the unloaded position and the weight of packages or articles in the receptacle causes the carriage to move toward the loaded position against the biasing force.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of packaging apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 as viewed on lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with certain portions removed to expose the interior parts of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the transfer mechanism;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional detailed view taken on lines 55 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detailed view of an-adjustable package locater for locating packages of variable sizes on the transfer means.

In the drawings, reference numeral 2 collectively designates a conventional coin wrapping machine of the type operable to wrap a predetermined quantity of coins of a specific denomination into a bundle or package P and dispense the packages through a discharge chute indicated by reference numeral 2a in FIGS. 1 and 5. The wrapped coin packages P are fed into packaging apparatus according to the invention which in the illustrated embodiment includes a housing designated generally by reference numeral 4 having an inlet 6 for receiving the wrapped coin packages P; a pair of receptacle filling locations 8 and 8' spaced from each other on opposite sides of the inlet 6; and transfer means designated collectively by reference numeral 10 operable to successively receive the coin packages P at the inlet 6 and transfer the packages P individually to one of the filling locations 8 and 8'.

The transfer means 10 is selectively adjustable between a first operating position illustrated in FIG. 3 in which it transfers packages from the inlet 6 to the filling location 8, and a second operating position indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 4 in which it transfers packages P from the inlet 6 to the other filling location 8'.

The housing 4 includes a rear wall 3, a front wall 5, and an intermediate supporting panel 7 disposed between the rear and front walls 3 and 5, respectively. The rear and front walls 3 and S, as well as the supporting panel 7, are secured together in spaced relationship by bolts or other threaded fasteners 9 which are threadedly engaged with spacers 11.

As is set forth in greater detail below, counters l2 and 12' are operable to cause the transfer means 10 to shift from one operating position to the other when a preselected number of packages P has been transferred by the transfer means 10 to one of the filling locations 8 and 8'. The counter 12 causes the transfer means to shift from the position shown in FIG. 3 in the phantom line position of FIG. 4 when a preselected quantity of packages P has been transferred from the inlet 6 to the receptacle filling location 8, whereupon the transfer means 10 will transfer a preselected quantity of wrapped coin packages P from the inlet 6 to the receptacle filling location 8'. When the preselected quantity of packages P has been transferred to the receptacle filling location 8', the counter 12' will cause the transfer means 10 to return to the operating position shown in FIG. 3 to feed packages P to the filling location 8.

A receptacle holder is located at each of the filling locations 8 and 8', the receptacle holder at the filling location 8 being designated by reference numeral 14 and the receptacle holder at the filling location 8' being designated collectively by reference numeral 14. Each of the receptacle holders l4 and 14 is selectively movable between an active position for receiving packages from the transfer means 10 and an inactive position disposed out of the path of the packages being transferred by the transfer means 10 from the inlet 6. In FIGS. 1 and 3, the receptacle holder 14 is in the active position, and the receptacle holder 14 is in the inactive position. As is pointed out in greater detail below, the receptacle holders l4 and 14' support flexible receptacles or bags B for receiving the wrapped coin packages P from the transfer means 10.

The transfer means 10 includes a holder for the packages P which is designated by reference numeral 16, the holder 16 defining a generally V-shaped trough for receiving the packages P. As shown in FIG. 5, the discharge chute 2a of the wrapping machine is positioned in inlet 6 of housing 4. The cylindrical coin packages P slide down the chute 2a generally along the path indicated by arrow y in FIG. 5, and slide endwise into the trough of holder 16. As the package P slides into holder 16, its motion is stopped by a locating member 17.

The holder 16 is formed at the upper end of an arm 18 pivotally mounted on a pin 20, the end of the arm 18 opposite the holder 16 carrying a counterweight 22. In each operating position of the transfer means, the holder 16 has a package receiving position at the inlet 6, the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3, and a package discharging position at one of the receptacle filling locations, the discharging position of the holder 16 being shown in phantom lines in FIG. 3.

A stop pin 26 projects from the arm 18 (FIG. 5) for engagement with a stop member 28 in the operating position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the engagement of the stop pin 26 with the stop member 28 maintaining the arm 18 in an over-center position with respect to the pivot pin 20 such that the holder 16 is disposed in a counterclockwise location with respect to pin 20 as viewed in FIG. 3, the arm 18 leaning away from the vertical. Consequently, the weight of a package P in the holder 16 causes the arm 18 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction to the phantom line position shown in FIG. 3 to discharge the package P, the counterweight 22 causing the arm 18 to return to the full line position shown in FIG. 3, or the package receiving position, when the package P has been discharged from the holder 16. In the discharge position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 3, the stop pin 26 engages a stop member 27.

The pivot pin is secured to a support member 24 which is movably mounted on the rear wall member 3. Support member 24 is secured to wall member 3 by a fastener 32 (FIGS. 4 and 5), the support member 24 being shiftable about the axis of fastener 32 between the full line position shown in FIG. 4 and the phantom line position shown in FIG. 4. Panel 7 is formed with an arcuate slot 30 to accommodate movement of the pivot pin 20 from one operating position to the other.

When the pivot pin 20 is located in the full line position in FIG. 4, the stop pin 26 engages the stop member 28 on partition member 7 such that packages received in the holder 16 cause the arm 18 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about the axis of pin 20 to discharge the packages P into the receptacle filling location 8. Conversely, when the support member 24 is shifted to the phantom line position of FIG. 4 such that the pivot pin 20 is located at the left-hand end of the arcuate slot 30 as viewed in FIG. 4, the stop pin 26 will engage the stop member 28, and packages P received in the holder 16 will cause the arm 18 to pivot in a clockwise direction about pivot pin 20 and discharge the packages P at the receptacle filling location 8'. When the transfer means is in the operating position shown in full lines in FIG. 4, the path of movement of pin 26 from the package receiving position to the package discharging position clears the stop member 28. Conversely, in the operating position shown in phantom line in FIG. 4, the path of movement of pin 26 from stop member 28' to stop member 27' is such that pin 26 clears the stop member 28.

Reference numeral 34 collectively designates shifting mechanism for shifting the support member 24, and hence the pivot pin 20 of arm 18, between the two operating positions illustrated in FIG. 4. The shifting mechanism 34 includes a shifting lever 36 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pin 38 projecting from the rear wall 3 (FIGS. 4 and 5)..One end of lever 36 is pivotally connected by a pin and slot arrangement to the support member 24, the pin 40 being mounted on support member 24 and received in slot 42 formed in the end of lever 36. The other end of lever 360pposite the end containing slot 42 is pivotally connected by a pin 44 with the arms 46 and 46' of oppositely disposed solenoids 48 and 48', respectively.

The illustrated solenoids are of the type wherein the arms retract when the solenoid is energized. Thus, when solenoid 48 is energized, and solenoid 48' is deenergized, arm 46 holds the shifting lever 36 in the full line position of FIG. 4 with pin 20 at the right-hand end of slot 30. Conversely, when solenoid 48 is deenergized and solenoid 48' is energized, arm 46' holds the shifting lever 36 in the phantom line position of FIG. 4 with pin 20 at the left-hand end of slot 30. The solenoids 48 and 48' thus actuate the shifting lever 36 to shift the support member 24 between first and second operating positions to respectively feed packages P to the receptacle filling locations 8 and 8'.

holder 14, the package P actuates arm 52 of switch 50.

When the switch 50 has been actuated a preselected number of times as set on the counter 12, counter 12 transmits a signal to the solenoids to deenergize solenoid 48 and energize solenoid 48' and thereby cause the shifting lever 36 to shift the position of the support member 24 to the phantom line position shown in FIG. 4 so that packages are then fed to the bag B supported by the receptacle holder 14'. Counter 12 is electrically connected with the solenoids by lead wires 56, and is electrically connected with switch 50 by lead wires 54. Similarly, counter 12' is connected with switch 50' by lead wires 54 and with the solenoids by lead wires 56'. One suitable counter is the type sold as Model No. FA-043, by the Hecon Company.

.The construction of the receptacle holder 14 is identical to that of the receptacle holder 14'. Con sequently, a description of any portion of one of the receptacle holders 14 and 14' will be applicable to the other.

With reference to FIG. 3, the receptacle holders 14 and 14' are each pivotally mounted on the housing 4 by pivot pins 58 so that the receptacle holders are pivotally movable between active and inactive positions. As pointed out previously, the receptacle holder 14 in FIG. 3 is in the active position,, and the receptacle holder 14' is in the inactive position.

Each of the receptacle holders l4 and 14' comprises a ramp portion 60 beneath which is formed a casing 62. Extending forwardly and outwardly from the upper end of the ramp 60 is a supporting flange 64 which extends partially across the space enclosed by a bag shaping and supporting portion 66, the supporting flange 64 defining one edge of an opening 63 through which the packages P are fed into the bag B. The bag shaping portion 66 includes inner and outer end members 59 and 61, respectively, connected by side members 57 which cooperate to define the opening 63. An adjustable member 65 has side members 67 extending alongside the side members 57 of the bag shaping portion 66, and the side members 57 and 67 each have slots 69 formed therein for receiving an adjustable fastener 71. Extending from the outer surface of the adjustable member 65 is a handle 68 for manual operation of the receptacle holder between its active and inactive positions about the axis of pivot pin 58. By loosening the fastener 71, the adjustable member 65 in the handle 68 can be shifted to the phantom line position illustrated in FIG. 3 on the receptacle holder 14' so that a larger bag B than is illustrated can be accommodated by the receptacle holder.

Enclosed within the casing 62 beneath ramp 60 is a tubular member 70, and a helical spring 74 is received in the tubular member 70 and has one end secured to a spring support bracket 72 at the upper end of the casing. The free end of the spring 74 is seated against a pulley support bracket 76 having arms 78 for supporting the shaft of a pulley 80. Mounted on the outer end of the arms 78 is a piston member 82 which closely engages the surface of the tubular member 70. A cable 84 has one end secured to bracket 72 by a fastener 85, and the cable extends from fastener 85 through the spring 74 and around pulley 80 carried by the free end of the spring to a pulley 86 rotatably mounted on bracket 72. The cable 84 extends around pulley 86, and the other end of the cable is secured to the shaft 88 extending between a pair of support plates 93 of a carriage 90 slidably mounted on a ramp 60.

Plates 93 of carriage 90 project through slots 92 (FIG. 2) formed in the ramp 60, and rollers 96 on shaft 88 engage the lower surface of ramp 60, that is, the surface adjacent the tubular member 70, and rollers 94 on a shaft 95 extending between the plate members 93 engage the upper surface of ramp 60. Carriage 90 has a receptacle or bag supporting portion 98 extending across the plates 90, and spring 74 biases the carriage 90 to the unloading position near the upper end of ramp 60. In FIG. 3, carriage 90 on the receptacle holder 14 is in the unloaded position. Carriage 90 of the receptacle holder 14 in FIG. 3 is shown in a loaded position in which the carriage is located at the lower end of the ramp, and rollers 94 engage a transverse plate 102 extending between side guide plates 100 at the lower end of the ramp. Plate 102 also supports the receptacle holder in the upright, inactive position, that is, the position of the receptacle holder 14' in FIG. 3.

In the active positions of the

receptacle holders

14 and 14, the respective support plates 64 of the

holders

14 and 14 respectively engage

inclined partition members

108 and 108 extending between panel 7 and the front wall 5. Slots 123 and 123' are respectively formed in

partitions

108 and 108 for receiving arm 18 as the arm moves to the package discharging position, the holder 16 moving over the respective upper edges 121 and 121' of partitions 108 and 108' as the arm 18 moves through the respective slots 123 and 123. The partitions 108 and 108' respectively are joined with vertical partitions 110 and 110' which cooperate to define a spill chute 111, and a receptacle 114 for spilled coins communicates with the spill chute 11 1 and is supported by partition members 112 and 112'. The lower end of receptacle 114 engages the actuator of a microswitch 116 so that the weight of articles falling into receptacle 114 actuates the microswitch 116 to provide a signal to the operator, and to shut off the power to the coin wrapping machine to stop the operation until the spilled coins can be removed and the count corrected. Microswitch 116, when actuated by the weight of spilled articles in receptacle 114, interrupts the circuit to the coin wrapping machine to thereby stop the feeding of coin packages P to the inlet 6.

The casings 62 of receptacle holders 14 and 14' rest on support members 104 and 104' extending between the supporting panel 7 and front wall in the active positions of holders l4 and 14'. In the active positions, the casings 62 of the

respective bag holders

14 and 14 engage the actuators of microswitches 106 and 106', respectively, connected in the circuit with the power to the coin wrapping machine for feeding the wrapped packages to the inlet 6. Microswitches 106 and 106 are connected into the control circuit for the coin wrapping machine such that when neither of the receptacle holders 14 and 14' are in the active positions, the power is shut off to the coin wrapping machine.

To start a filling operation, flexible bags B are secured to the bag shapers 66 at the upper end of ramp 60 of the

receptacle holders

14 and 14. In the unloaded position of the carriages 90, the sides of the flexible bags B are gathered in accordion fashion about the bag shaper 66. Each bag is supported on the respective bag shaper 66 and the base portion 98 of the carriage 90. Spring 74 biases the carriage to the unloaded position near the upper end of the ramp 60. The discharge chute 2a of the coin wrapping machine 2 is positioned in the inlet 6 of housing 4, and the number of coin packages P to be packaged in each bag B is set on the counter 12. The coin wrapping machine discharges wrapped coin packages P through chute 2a (FIGS. 1 and 5) such that the cylindrical packages P slide endwise into the holder 16 of the transfer means 10 as shown in FIG. 5 and 6. As the package P slides into the trough of the holder 16, its end engages the package locater 17 to stop the axial movement of the package P.

As the packages P slide down the trough 2a in the direction of arrow Y, each package P slides over the end of a stop member 142 causing it to pivot counterclockwise about its pivot pin 144 to permit the package P to pass over the stop member. Pivot pin 144 secures the stop member 142 to a bracket 140 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is mounted on the supporting panel 7. The stop member 142 is biased to the position shown in FIG. 5 by a spring 146 extending between the end of the stop member 142 and bracket 140. As the package P moves past the stop member 142, the spring biases the stop member to return to the position shown and prevent the package P from bouncing rearwardly back into the chute 2a when it engages the locater 17.

The locater 17 is engaged with a cam surface 126 which is adjustable by a cam adjustment member 120 so that the position of the locater 17 can be adjusted to accommodate packages P of different lengths. The locater 17 has a stem 122 biased by spring 124 to engage a cam surface 126 having depressions 128a and 128b. The thickness of the cam 126 varies, and as shown in FIG. 6, the depression 128a is formed in a thinner portion of cam surface 126 than the depression l28b. The cam surface 126 is selectively positionable about the axis of a mounting pin 130 extending through the front wall 5 to secure the cam adjustment member 120 to the housing. Rotation of the cam adjustment member 120 about the axis of pin 130 brings the stem 122 of the locater 17 into engagement with a different portion of the cam surface 126. Thus, with the stern portion 122 seated in depression 1281? instead of depression 128a, the position of the locater l7 shifts toward the left in FIG. 6 to accommodate a package P having less length than the one illustrated in FIG. 6.

As each package P is received at inlet 6 in the package holder 16, the weight of the package P causes arm 8 to pivot about pin 20 to the package discharge position shown in phantom line in FIG. 3. As the pin 26 strikes the stop member 27 in FIG. 3, the package P falls out of the holder 16 into the bag B. When the package P falls out of the holder 16, the counterweight 22 causes thearm 18 to return to the package receiving position shown in full lines in FIG. 3 wherein the pin 26 is engaged with the stop member 28 (FIG. 4).

As each package P moves from inlet 6 to bag B, it strikes the arm 52 of switch 50. With each cycle of movement between the receiving and discharge position by the holder 16, the arm 52 is actuated. As the weight of the packages in the bag B increases, the carriage 90 moves down the ramp 60 against the action of the spring 74. When the number of packages P determined by the-setting of counter 12 has been deposited into bag B on the receptacle holder 14 of FIG. 3, the counter 12 transmits a signal to the solenoids 48, 48' to shift pivot pin 20 to the left-hand end of the arcuate slot 30 The operator grasps the handle 68 to pivot the receptacle holder 14 about pin 58 to the inactive position to remove the filled bag B. When the filled bag is removed from the carriage 90, spring 74 causes the carriage to return to the unloading position shown on the receptacle holder 14 of FIG. 3 from the loaded position shown on the receptacle holder 14' of FIG. 3. The piston 82. acts as a retarder to slow the return of the carriage 90 to the unloaded position and prevent the occurrence of shock loads when the spring 74 is unloaded abruptly upon the removal of a filled bag B. i

If, during the operation, any unwrapped coins should be ejected from the coin wrapping machine through inlet 6, or if a package P for some reason misses the holder 16, the coins fall through the spill chute 111 into the receptacle 114 and actuate the microswitch 116 to interrupt the power to the coin wrapping machine and shut down the operation. Consequently, the possibility of an inaccurate count, or of an inaccurate number of coin packages being deposited into the flexible receptacles B is minimized.

In summary, the illustrated embodiment of the invention discloses package apparatus comprising means defining an article pick-up location 6; means defining at least one receptacle filling location 8 spaced from the article pick-up location 6; transfer means operable to successively receive articles P individually at the pick-up location 6 and transfer the articles P to the receptacle filling location 8; and means 12, 34, responsive to the transfer operation of the transfer means 10 to interrupt the transfer operation when a preselected number of articles P have been transferred to the receptacle filling location 8.

While several specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing specification, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction disclosed. Modifications and alterations in the construction and arrangement of parts, all falling within the scope and spirit of the invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. Packaging apparatus comprising: means defining an article pick-up location; means defining a pair of receptacle filling locations spaced from said article pick-up location; transfer means operable to successively receive articles individually at the pick-up location and transfer the articles to a selected one of the receptacle filling locations; and means responsive to the transfer operation of said transfer means to interrupt the transfer operation when a preselected number of articles have been transferred to said selected receptacle filling location; said transfer means comprising a holder having an article receiving position at said pickup location and an article dumping position at said receptacle filling location; said holder being mounted for pivotal movement between said receiving and dumping positions and being biased to its article receiving position, the weight of the articles received at the article pick-up location actuating the holder to the article dumping position.

2. Packaging apparatus comprising: means defining an article pick-up location; means defining at least one receptacle filling location spaced from said article pickup location; transfer means operable to successively receive articles individually at the pick-up location and transfer the articles to the receptacle filling location; means responsive to the transfer operation of said transfer means to interrupt the transfer operation when a preselected number of articles have been transferred to said receptacle filling location; said transfer means comprising a holder having an article receiving position at said pick-up location and an article dumping position at said receptacle filling location; said holder being mounted for pivotal movement between said receiving and dumping positions; and means biasing said holder to the article receiving position, said holder being operable by the weight of an article received thereby to pivot to the dumping position and deposit the article at the receptacle filling location, said biasing means causing said holder to return to the receiving position subsequent to the depositing of each article at the receptacle filling location.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said transfer means includes a support member; a pin on said support member; and an arm pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said pin, said holder being carried by said arm at a location on said arm spaced from said pin.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said biasing means comprises a counterweight mounted on said arm on the opposite side of said pin from said holder.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 including stop means engageable by said arm for maintaining said arm in an over-center position toward said receptacle filling location with respect to said pin in the receiving position of said holder.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means responsive to the transfer operation to interrupt the transfer operation comprises shifting mechanism for shifting the pivot point of said arm to a position to prevent said holder from depositing articles at said one receptacle filling location.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 including a wall member, said support member being movably mounted on said wall member, said shifting mechanism being connected with said support member and operable to adjust the position of said support member to change the position of the pivotal axis of said arm.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said shifting mechanism includes a shifting lever pivotally mounted on said partition and pivotally connected with said support member.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said shifting mechanism further comprises actuating means connected with said shifting lever and operable to shift said shifting lever between two positions and to thereby shift said support member between a first position in which said holder feeds articles to said one receptacle filling location and a second position in which said holder feeds articles to a second receptacle filling location spaced from said one receptacle filling location and said pick-up location.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said actuating means comprises a pair of oppositely acting solenoids.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 further including a counting switch for each receptacle filling location having an arm engageable by an article being carried by said holder from said pick-up location to the respective receptacle filling location, said counting switches being operable to energize said solenoids to shift said shifting lever when a preselected number of articles has been transferred from said pick-up location by said holder.

12. Packaging apparatus comprising: means defining an article pick-up location; means defining at least one receptacle filling location spaced from said article pickup location; transfer means operable to successively receive articles individually at the pick-up location and transfer the articles to the receptacle filling location; means responsive to the transfer operation of said transfer means to interrupt the transfer operation when a preselected number of articles have been transferred to said receptacle filling location; a receptacle holder movable between an active position for disposing a receptacle mounted thereon in a position to receive articles transferred by said transfer means from said pickup location, and a remote inactive position, said receptacle holder comprising a ramp member mounted for pivotal movement between an upright inactive position, and an inclined active position; and a carriage mounted on said ramp for movement between an unloaded position near the upper end of said ramp and a loaded position near the lower end thereof, said carriage being adapted to support a flexible receptacle in the form ofa bag.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 further including biasing means biasing said carriage to the upper end of said ramp such that the weight of articles received in a receptacle supported by said carriage tends to move said carriage toward the lower end of said ramp against said biasing means.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said biasing means includes a spring carried by said receptacle holder.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 including a tublar member carried by said receptacle holder, said spring being received in said tubular member for movement between stressed and unstressed conditions.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein one end of said spring is fixed to said receptacle holder, and further including a first pulley carried by the other end of said spring, a second pulley mounted in said receptacle holder, and a cable having one end secured to said receptacle near said one end of said spring and its other end secured to said carriage, said cable extending from said one end thereof through said spring sequentially around said first and second pulleys.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 further including a retarding piston carried by the free end of said spring and engaging the wall of said tubular member to resist movement of the free end of said spring.

18. Packaging apparatus comprising: means defining an article pick-up location; means defining at least one receptacle filling location spaced from said article pickup location; transfer means operable to successively receive articles individually at the pick-up location and transfer the articles to the receptacle filling location; means responsive to the transfer operation of said transfer means to interrupt the transfer operation when a preselected number of articles have been transferred to said receptacle filling location, said transfer means comprising a holder having an article receiving position at said pick-up location and an article dumping position at said receptacle filling location, said holder comprising a trough member substantially V-shaped in crosssection; and an end locater for engaging the end of articles received in said trough member at said pick-up location; said end locater being selectively adjustable to accommodate articles of different lengths.

19. Wrapped coin packaging apparatus comprising: a housing having an inlet for receiving wrapped coin packages; a pair of receptacle filling locations spaced from each other on opposite sides of said inlet; and transfer means operable to successively receive coin packages at said inlet and transfer the packages individually to one of said filling locations, said transfer means being selectively adjustable between a first operating position in which it transfers packages from said inlet to one of said filling locations and a second operating position in which it transfers packages from said inlet to the other of said filling locations.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19 further including a spill receptacle beneath said inlet for receiving unwrapped coins or packages missed by said transfer means, and a spill detection switch in said receptacle actuatable by coins or packages falling into said spill receptacle from said inlet.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19 further including a counter operable to cause said transfer means to shift from one of said operating positions to the other when a preselected number of packages has been transferred by said transfer means to a filling location.

22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19 including a receptacle holder at each of said filling locations, each of said receptacle holders being selectively movable between an active position for receiving packages from said transfer means and an inactive position disposed out of the path of packages being transferred by said transfer means from said inlet.

23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein each of said receptacle holders comprises a ramp member pivotally mounted on said housing for movement between an inclined position in the active position of said receptacle holder and a generally upright position in the inactive position of said receptacle holder.

24. Apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein each receptacle holder includes a carriage slidably mounted on the respective ramp member for movement between an unloaded position near the upper end of said ramp member and a fully loaded position spaced on said ramp from said unloaded position toward the lower end of said ramp member.

25. Apparatus as claimed in claim 24 wherein each receptacle holder includes biasing means biasing said carriage to the upper end of said ramp such that the weight of articles received in a receptacle supported by said carriage tends to move said carriage toward the lower end of said ramp against said biasing means, said biasing means being operable to return said carriage to the unloaded position.

26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein each receptacle holder includes a tubular member, said biasing means being received in said tubular member.

27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein said biasing means comprises a spring and one end of said spring is fixed to the associated receptacle holder, and further including a first pulley carried by the other end of said spring, a second pulley mounted in said receptacle holder, and a cable having one end secured to said receptacle near said one end of said spring and its other end secured to said carriage, said cable extending from said one end thereof through said spring sequentially around said first and second pulleys.

28. Apparatus as claimed in claim 27 further including a retarding piston carried by the free end of said spring and engaging the wall of said tubular member to resist movement of the free end of said spring.

29. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein said transfer means comprises a package holder having a package receiving position at said inlet and a package discharging position at the selected filling location, said package holder being mounted for pivotal movement between said receiving and discharging positions with the pivotal axis being located such that the weight of the package in the holder causes the holder to move to the discharging position.

30. Apparatus as claimed in claim 29 including means biasing said package holder to the package receiving position in each operating position of said transfer means, said holder being operable by the weight of packages received thereby to pivot to the discharging position, said biasing means thereafter causing said package holder to return to the package receiving position.

31. Apparatus as claimed in claim 30 wherein said transfer means includes a support member; a pin on said support member; and an arm pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said pin, said holder being carried by said arm at a location on said arm spaced from said pin. v

32. Apparatus as claimed in claim 31 wherein said biasing means comprises a counterweight mounted on said arm on the opposite side of said pin from said holder.

33. Apparatus as claimed in claim 32 including stop means engageable by said arm for maintaining said arm in an over-center position toward said receptacle filling location with respect to said pin in the receiving position of said holder.

34. Apparatus as claimed in claim 33 including shifting mechanism for shifting the pivot point of said arm to thereby change the operating position of said transfer means.

35. Apparatus as claimed in claim 34 including a wall member, said support member being movably mounted on said wall member, said shifting mechanism being connected wit h said support member and operable to ad ust the posltlon of said support member to change the position of the pivotal axis of said arm.

36. Apparatus as claimed in claim 35 wherein said shifting mechanism includes a shifting lever pivotally mounted on said partition and pivotally connected with said support member.

37. A receptacle supporting apparatus comprising: a ramp; a carriage mounted on said ramp member for movement between an unloaded position near one end of said ramp and a loaded position near the other end of said ramp, means biasing said carriage to said unloaded position; and a hollow bag shaper at said one end of said ramp for supporting the sides of a flexible bag such that the bottom of the bag is supported on said carriage, said carriage being movable relative to said bag shaper.

38. Apparatus as claimed in claim 37 wherein said bag shaper is adjustable to accommodate flexible bags of varying sizes.

Claims

1. Packaging apparatus comprising: means defining an article pick-up location; means defining a pair of receptacle filling locations spaced from said article pick-up location; transfer means operable to successively receive articles individually at the pick-up location and transfer the articles to a selected one of the receptacle filling locations; and means responsive to the transfer operation of said transfer means to interrupt the transfer operation when a preselected number of articles have been transferred to said selected receptacle fillIng location; said transfer means comprising a holder having an article receiving position at said pick-up location and an article dumping position at said receptacle filling location; said holder being mounted for pivotal movement between said receiving and dumping positions and being biased to its article receiving position, the weight of the articles received at the article pick-up location actuating the holder to the article dumping position.

2. Packaging apparatus comprising: means defining an article pick-up location; means defining at least one receptacle filling location spaced from said article pick-up location; transfer means operable to successively receive articles individually at the pick-up location and transfer the articles to the receptacle filling location; means responsive to the transfer operation of said transfer means to interrupt the transfer operation when a preselected number of articles have been transferred to said receptacle filling location; said transfer means comprising a holder having an article receiving position at said pick-up location and an article dumping position at said receptacle filling location; said holder being mounted for pivotal movement between said receiving and dumping positions; and means biasing said holder to the article receiving position, said holder being operable by the weight of an article received thereby to pivot to the dumping position and deposit the article at the receptacle filling location, said biasing means causing said holder to return to the receiving position subsequent to the depositing of each article at the receptacle filling location.

12. Packaging apparatus comprising: means defining an article pick-up location; means defining at least one receptacle filling location spaced from said article pick-up location; transfer means operable to successively receive articles individually at the pick-up location and transfer the articles to the receptacle filling location; means responsive to the transfer operation of said transfer means to interrupt the transfer operation when a preselected number of articles have been transferred to said receptacle filling location; a receptacle holder movable between an active position for disposing a receptacle mounted thereon in a position to receive articles transferred by said transfer means from said pick-up location, and a remote inactive position, said receptacle holder comprising a ramp member mounted for pivotal movement between an upright inactive position, and an inclined active position; and a carriage mounted on said ramp for movement between an unloaded position near the upper end of said ramp and a loaded position near the lower end thereof, said carriage being adapted to support a flexible receptacle in the form of a bag.

18. Packaging apparatus comprising: means defining an article pick-up location; means defining at least one receptacle filling location spaced from said article pick-up location; transfer means operable to successively receive articles individually at the pick-up location and transfer the articles to the receptacle filling location; means responsive to the transfer operation of said transfer means to interrupt the transfer operation when a preselected number of articles have been transferred to said receptacle filling location, said transfer means comprising a holder having an article receiving position at said pick-up location and an article dumping position at said receptacle filling location, said holder comprising a trough member substantially V-shaped in cross-section; and an end locater for engaging the end of articles received in said trough member at said pick-up location; said end locater being selectively adjustable to accommodate articles of different lengths.

31. Apparatus as claimed in claim 30 wherein said transfer means includes a support member; a pin on said support member; and an Arm pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said pin, said holder being carried by said arm at a location on said arm spaced from said pin.

35. Apparatus as claimed in claim 34 including a wall member, said support member being movably mounted on said wall member, said shifting mechanism being connected with said support member and operable to adjust the position of said support member to change the position of the pivotal axis of said arm.