US3741222A - Coin holder and counting device - Google Patents

Abstract

A coin receiving and holding board including an array of indicator segments pivotably mounted adjacent the coinholding groove, such segments being manueverable to contact the coins as may be stacked in such groove and thus provide positive, immediate, and error-free designation of the total value of the coins in the stack.

Description

United States Patent [191 Honesto COIN HOLDER AND COUNTING DEVICE [76] Inventor: Elias Honesto, 128 Park Avenue, Apt. 3, San Francisco, Calif. 941 18 [22] Filed: June 21, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 154,728

[ 11] 3,741,222 June 26, 1973 Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Attorney-Manfred M. Warren, Herbert Rubin et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A coin receiving and holding board including an array of indicator segments pivotably mounted adjacent the coin-holding groove, such segments being manueverable to contact the coins as may be stacked in such groove and thus provide positive, immediate, and error-free designation of the total value of the coins in the stack. a

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 28 3 50 I 28' 52W 20.00 60 30 1|. n 24 1: I; )6

i i i I AL H l'i i i 3 1 r- 1 -T I 40 {u 111 V 2 42 1 64 11/1932 Germany 133/8 R PATENIED JIJIIZS I918 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. ELIAS HONESTO ATTORNEYS COIN HOLDER AND COUNTING DEVICE This invention relates to coin counters and more specifically to one in which coins may be quickly and easily stacked in grooves on a board and the amount thereof immediately determined, and thereafter quickly and easily removed for wrapping, storing, or other handling.

It is known to provide coin changers and the like which receive and store coins in stacks and make them readily accessible for dispensing as change. Some prior art devices of this general description also incorporate visual aids to determine the amounts of such coinage. See, for example, the U. S. Patents to G. A. Mesthos and E. E. Ihrig et al, respectively, U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,148 patented June 11, 1963; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,475,829 patented Nov. 27, 1923. Also, grooved boards for this purpose are known, see, for example, the U. S. Pat. No. 518,948 to Hayden patented May 1, 1894.

However, all of the foregoing devices which are characteristic of the prior art with which I am familiar, employ visual aids for determining the amount of coinage accumulated which are generally difficult to read accurately, particularly when the chore of counting change occurs at the end of a shift, such as in bar tending, and late at night, when the user is tired and apt to make visual or counting errors.

Thus it is an objectof the present invention to provide a device for receiving and stacking coins and disclosing the value of the stack of coins rapidly and accurately.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a coin counter which may be easily and conveniently placed on a counter within easy reach of the user, and which provides coin stacks which may be conveniently removed for wrapping or other subsequent handling.

A feature and advantage of this invention is that the device thereof may be relatively economically produced and efficiently utilized in that it involves few parts and is relatively simple to operate.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the specification which follows and by referring to the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a front elevation of one version of a coin board embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the device embracing my invention, including an indication of a typical users hand in position for typical counting operatron; 7

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring first to FIG. 1, I show a board 12 for receiving and holding a plurality of coins such as the stack 14 (FIG. 2), each such stack being of a particular denomination or coin type, such as pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters, half dollars,-and the like. Thus, each stack of coins of a given coin type is received in a different one of several grooves 16-24 each of whose cross-section is slightly larger than at least a portion of the circular cross section of the coin type to be received and stacked in that groove. This relationship is best seen in the sectional view of FIG. 3.

In order to facilitate the placement and removal of coins from the device of my invention, the grooves, of which groove 22 best seen in FIG. 3 is typical, are each formed so as to define in cross section just less than half the coin; thus, the coin stack may be removed from the groove with a minimum of difficulty. Such handling is further facilitated by finger detents 26, 28 formed in the board proximate each end of the several grooves and in passage communication therewith via neck openings30, 32. Thus, when a stack of coins received in a given groove are desired to be removed, all the user has to do is grasp each end of the stack by insertion of the index and thumb fingers into detents 28, .30; bear down on the coins through such contact; and remove the stack. Obviously, if a stack is less than the full height of the groove, one can reach into the groove directly to grasp the upper end of the stack, and use the lower detent to engage the bottom coin of the stack.

It is a particular feature of my invention that my device may be used not only to receive and stack coins of a given coin type a relatively simple mechanical expedient known in accordance with prior art devices I have cited at the beginning of this specification but as a beneficial feature the valve of the coin stack may be quickly and easily discerned by means of the novel indicator means 34-42 mounted, respectively adjacent to each of grooves 16-24 for measuring the height of a stack of coins in anyone of such grooves.

More specifically, such means comprise a plurality of indicator segments 34 (FIG. 2) pivotably mounted for rotation about an axis 44 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the adjacent groove, in FIG. 2 that of groove 16. (It should be noted that while the description of the specification here is with reference to a particular plurality of indicator segments 34 adjacent to groove 16, such description is typical and may be appliedto each of similar indicator segments 36-42 adjacent, respectively, to grooves 18-24 pivotably mounted about axis 46-52, respectively.)

Each of segments 34, i.e. individual segment plates 34a, 34b, 340, etc., are located and so shaped as to registrably engage at least some of the coins 14 previously received and stacked in groove 16, when such segments are rotatably manuevered, as by the users finger A, about axis 44 toward groove 16.

Segments 34a, 34b, 34c, etc., are preferrably fabricated of a material, such as plastic, wood, metal, or the like, having a thickness equal to the thickness of the coin type whose stack height, and hence value, is to be measured. In the case of groove 16 such coin type may be pennies, for example. The segments are themselves stackably assembled for pivotable movement upon rod 54 which is conventionally secured at its top and bottom extremities by means of bracket plates 56 and 58, respectively, the latter being secured as by suitable adhesive or other conventional fasteners to board 12, the same being shown in somewhat greater detail with reference to indicator segments 40 and groove 22 in FIGS. 3 and 4.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2-4, segments 34a, 34b, 340, etc., when rotated so as to contact a stack of coins, the segments engage the stacked coins in edge-to-edge contact. As a consequence, when the segments are thus registrably engaged with the coin stack, the number of segments engaged equals the number of coins in the stack. Then, by the simple expedient of marking each of the segment plates with the accumulated value of the coin type stack from and below that plate, for example,

the $23" mark 66 in FIG. 2, the value of the coinage in such stack is immediately disclosed to the user in a manner which is error free and virtually effortless to utilize.

It should be noted that my invention preferrably includes the particular indicator segment design and relationshipto proximate coin groove shown in somewhat greater detail at FIGS. 3 and 4. That is, each of the segment plates, typified by the upper most plate 68 is shaped to form a planar profile best described as a circular plate portion 70 having tangential arm 72 integral therewith. The length of the arm is selected to contact a coin 74 previously received and held in stacked relationship in groove 22. The elevation of coin 74 is established by the coins stacked therebeneath and is coincident to the elevation of segment 68 because all of the segments are of the same thickness as the coins whose stack they measure and are mounted on bracket 64 whose support surface elevation is the same as the bottom surface of the adjacent-coin groove 22. The entire array of indicator arms above and below segment 68 are themselves pivotably and snugly mounted within groove 76, thedepth thereof and its distance from the adjacent coin receiving groove being selected to position the segments in the following manner: when a particular segment isrotated about axis 50 on rod 60 so as to contact the last of the coins in a stack, the segments above that segment which will not contact any coins may rotate still further, so that the arm portion thereof will not visually obstruct the arm of the segment last in contact with the coin stack. In this manner, I achieved one of the salutary features of my invention, namely of a coin counting segment and an immediate, error-free reading of the accumulated coin stack value which may be marked thereon. Obviously, the foregoing detailed description in reference to FIGS. 3- and 4 is applicable to similar indicator segments and associated coin grooves shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; but, in the interest of brevity and clarity, are not needlessly repeated herein.

Again, with reference to FIG. 1, I have found it most useful and convenient to provide board 12 with an array of coin grooves 16-24 as previously mentioned. Eachof the several coin grooves are adapted toreceive and hold different coin types, the primary difference between the groove shapes being merely to provide cross sections corresponding to the particular coin size,

i.e. pennies, nickels, etc. Also, for more convenience in use I mark each of the coin grooves at the bottom thereof with the coin type to be received therein; and the region over the top'of the groove with the total amount of such coin stack, if the groove is filled completely with the designated coinage. I have also found it preferable to provide the board embodying my invention with stand feet -84 which support the board upright but at a slight slanting back angle to facilitate the holding of the various coins in a stable manner. The board may be fabricated of attractive wood, metal, plastic or other suitable materials; and dimensioned to fit neatly and conveniently on a counter at or near a bar, newsvendor stand, or other place of business where such device may be beneficially employed.

I claim:

1; A device for receiving and holding a plurality of coins in stacked relationship, and determining the total value of such stack of coins, comprising:

a board;

a groove in said board formed to receive said stack of coins, said groove having a cross-section slightly larger than the cross-section of the coin types to be received;

indicator means mounted adjacent to said groove for measuring the height of said stack of coins in the groove proximate thereto;

said means including a plurality of indicator segments pivotably mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said groove;

said indicator segments each comprise a flat plate having a thickness equal to the thickness of the coin type whosestack height is to be measured, said segments being rotatably mounted to engage the stacked coins in edge-to-edge' contact, so that when the segments are registrably engaged with a coin stack, the number of segments engaged equals the number of coins in the stack.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1 and wherein further each flat plate has marked thereon the accumulated value of the coin type stack below last said flat plate, so that the height of the stack is disclosed to the user as the value thereof designated on the flat plate that the last coin in stack registrably engages in edge to edge contact.

Claims (2)

1. A device for receiving and holding a plurality of coins in stacked relationship, and determining the total value of such stack of coins, comprising: a board; a groove in said board formed to receive said stack of coins, said groove having a cross-section slightly larger than the cross-section of the coin types to be received; indicator means mounted adjacent to said groove for measuring the height of said stack of coins in the groove proximate thereto; said means including a plurality of indicator segments pivotably mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said groove; said indicator segments each comprise a flat plate having a thickness equal to the thickness of the coin type whose stack height is to be measured, said segments being rotatably mounted to engage the stacked coins in edge-to-edge contact, so that when the segments are registrably engaged with a coin stack, the number of segments engaged equals the number of coins in the stack.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1 and wherein further each flat plate hAs marked thereon the accumulated value of the coin type stack below last said flat plate, so that the height of the stack is disclosed to the user as the value thereof designated on the flat plate that the last coin in stack registrably engages in edge to edge contact.

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