US3805936A

US3805936A - Coin handling escrow device

Info

Publication number: US3805936A
Application number: US00373025A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Jensen
Original assignee: Seeburg Corp
Current assignee: Seeburg Corp
Priority date: 1973-06-25
Filing date: 1973-06-25
Publication date: 1974-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 1991-04-23

Abstract

An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit has been designed, whereby coins deposited in a coin-operated machine may be held in escrow until it is determined if the coins are to be retained or returned. In accordance with the determination, the coins are either returned to the customer via a coin return chute or retained by the machine and used to fill a coin storage chamber of a change dispenser. Coins in excess of the chamber storage capacity are automatically transferred to a coin collection box. This apparatus includes a chute adapted to receive coins through an open top thereof and to feed coins to a coin dispenser from the bottom thereof; a retractable blocking member that normally protrudes into the chute and thereby blocks the passage of coins from the top to the bottom of the chute; an opening in the side of the chute having a removable cover thereon, such that coins held by the blocking member may be removed from the chute through the opening when the cover is removed; and a two position separation gate outside the chute and below the opening for guiding the coins passing through the opening either to a coin return chute or to a coin collection box.

Description

United States Patent 91 Jensen v 1111 3,805,936 Apr. 23, 1974 COIN HANDLING ESCROW DEVICE [75] Inventor: Herman G. Jensen, Chicago, Ill.

[73] Assignee: The Seeburg Corporation of Delaware, Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: June 25,1973

21 Appl.No.:373,025

[52] U.S. Cl 194/1 H, 194/1 K, l94/D1G. l0, l94/DIG. 15 [51] Int. Cl. G07f 9/04 [58] Field of Search 232/575; 194/D1G. l5, 194/1 K, 1 H, DIG. 10; 133/2 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,230,566 2/1941 Hakanson 194/010. 15 3,204,648 9/1965 Rumer, Jr. et al 133/2 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-David A. Scherbel [57] ABSTRACT An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit has been designed, whereby coins deposited in a coinoperated machine may be held in escrow until it is determined if the coins are to be retained or returned. In accordance with the determination, the coins are either returned to the customer via a coin return chute or retained by the machine and used to fill a coin storage chamber of a change dispenser. Coins in excess of the chamber storage capacity are automatically transferred to a coin collection box. This apparatus includes a chute adapted to receive coins through an open top thereof and to feed coins to a coin dispenser from the bottom thereof; a retractable blocking member that normally protrudes into the chute and thereby blocks the passage of coins from the top to the bottom of the chute; an opening in the side of the chute having a removable cover thereon, such that coins held by the blocking member may be removed from the chute through the opening when the cover is removed; and a two position separation gate outside the chute and below the opening for guiding the coins passing through the opening either to a coin return chute or to a coin collection box.

13 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures COIN HANDLING ESCROW DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention generally relates to escrow devices that hold coins deposited in a coin-operated machine until it is determined whether to refund the money or to retain the money in the machine, and more particularly this invention relates to an escrow device that automatically loads a change storage unit in a change dispenser with the coins retained in the machine.

2. Description of the Prior Art Escrow devices, as they are commonly called, are well-known in the art and find particular application in vending machines. An escrow device is used to hold coins deposited in a coin-operated machine until a decision is reached by either the machine or by the customer depositing the coins whether an article is to be vended or whether the coins are to be returned to the customer. In a typical situation, a customer initially desiring to purchase a 30f item from a vending machine might deposit two dimes therein but find that he lacks a third dime to complete the purchase. In such a case, it is desirable that the customer be able to push a coin return button and obtain the return of the two dimes already deposited. In another case, the same customer might deposit all 30 for the 309 item and then decide that he no longer wants the item, in which case it is again desirable to allow for the return of the money before the customer actually selects and receives the designated item.

The escrow devices commonly used generally comprise an escrow bucket, in which all deposited coins initially are received, and a movable gate mounted below the escrow bucket, such that coins dumped from the bucket may be deflected into a coin return chute or into a coin collection box;

Another feature that is commonly found in coinoperated machines, such as vending machines, is a change dispenser, which deducts the cost of the purchase from the amount of money inserted in the vending machine and returns the difference to the customer as change. In a typical coin-operated vending machine having a change dispenser, a customer depositing a quarter and selecting a l-product will receive 15 change from the change dispenser.

Associated with a change dispenser are change storage units, which store stacks of coins of appropriate denominations for use. by the change dispenser in making change for larger denomination coins. These change storage units of course have to be refilled occasionally, and it is usually the case that the refilling is required more frequently than the normal servicing of the vending machine. Thus, the machine must be serviced more frequently than would otherwise be necessary for a machine without a change dispenser, and this operation makes a machine with a change dispenser more costly to operate than one without a change dispenser, thus nullifying, to some extent, the convenience derived from the presence of a change dispenser in the machine.

In order to avoid these problems, some vending operations employ self-loading change storage units, whereby coins retained in the machine are first used to refill the change storage units, and then any remaining coins are transferred to a coin collection box. The selfloading change storage units presently available have not, however, been entirely satisfactory, because they are quite complex and expensive and often require frequent maintenance expenditures.

The present invention obviates this deficiency in the prior art devices and provides an escrow device and self-loading change storage unit that is simple, inexpensive, and effective in operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The escrow device and self-loading change storage unit of the present invention comprises a chute that is adapted to received deposited coins in the top thereof and to feed coins to a change dispenser from the bottom thereof. A retractable blocking member protrudes into the chute, dividing it into an upper portion above the blocking member and a lower portion below the blocking member. Coins received in the top of the chute will be prevented from falling to the bottom of the chute and will be retained in an escrow position in the upper portion of the chute by the blocking member. The side wall of the chute has an opening therein opposite the blocking member with a removable cover thereon, such that when the cover is removed, the opening is large enough to permit coins stacked in the upper portion of the chute to pass through the opening out of the side of the chute.

Outside of the chute and below the opening in the side wall, a movable gate is provided, sothat when the gate is in a first or rest position, any coins passing out of the chute through the opening will be deflected to a coin collection box, and when the gate is in a second position, coins passing through the opening in the side of the chute will fall'directly to a coin return chute to be returned to the customer.

A coin return operation is accomplished in the following manner. Coins entering the top of the chute fall down the chute and stack up on a blocking member. The upper surface of the blocking member is sloped downwardly toward the opening in the side wall of the chute, so that if the cover is removed, any coins held in an escrow position will slide through the opening out of the chute toward either the coin return or the coin collection box. In response to a coin return signal, a suitable drive means is actuated to move the gate to its second position and to remove the cover so that all of the coins held in escrow slide through the opening and directly into a coin return chute.

If the coins held in the escrow position are to be retained by the vending machine, the following coin collect operation occurs. First, the retractable blocking means is withdrawn from the chute, thereby allowing the coins to drop from the upper portion of the chute to the lower portion of the chute, which constitutes the change storage unit. If the change storage unit is filled up to the level of the blocking member, the coins released by the blocking member will not drop into the lower portion of the tube, but will remain in a stack on the coins below, and this stack will protrude into the upper portion of the chute. These coins, deemed Extra coins, are then transferred to a coin collection box by the return of the blocking member to its original position and the simultaneous removal of the cover from the opening in the side wall of the chute. As the blocking member re-enters the chute, coins stacked in front of the blocking member are pushed through the opening in the side wall by the blocking member and are deflected by the gate (in its rest position) to the coin collection box.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the subject invention, employing a single chute and only three moving parts provides an escrow device and selfloading change storage unit that occupies a minimum of space and provides a simple, faultfree operation that has heretofore been unavailable in any of the prior art devices known.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an escrow device and a self-loading change storage unit that is simple, inexpensive, and effective in operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide an escrow device that will operate in conjunction with a selfloading change storage unit for a change dispenser.

These and other objects, advantages, and features of the subject invention will be illustrated in the following preferred embodiments of the subject invention described below and in the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention in its stand-by or rest position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention in its coin return position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the invention in its coin collect position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the preferred embodiment of the subject invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, the chute is mounted on a conventional coin dispenser 12 (shown schematically in FIG. 1).- The chute 10 comprises a tubular side wall 14 with an open top 16 that is adapted to receive coins deposited in a coin-operated machine employing the present invention. The chute is divided into an upper portion 18, which is used for holding coins in escrow, and a lower portion 20, which is a change storage unit for the coin dispenser 12.

The chute is provided with a blocking member 22 that may be inserted into and withdrawn from the tube through an opening 24 in the side wall 14. Blocking member 22 comprises a horizontal lower surface 26 and an inclined upper surface 28 and is slidably supported on a channel 30 and strut 32, which are attached to side wall 14 of chute 10. A conventional drive means 34 (shown schematically in FIG. 3) moves blocking member 22 from its rest or stand-by position shown in FIG. 1 to its retracted position shown as the dashed element 22"in FIG. 3 and then back to its rest position.

As shown in FIG. 2, coins received in chute 10 come to rest upon the inclined upper surface 28 of blocking member 22 and hence are urged by the force of gravity to slide downwardly off blocking member 22. When the apparatus is in its stand-by position (i.e., the position shown in FIG. 1) section 38 of tubular side wall 14 holds the stacked coins in their escrow position on top of blocking member 22. However, section 38 is not fixed to the remaining portion of side wall 14 but is supported by shaft 40 which is in turn supported by U- shaped member 42. U-shaped member 42 is suspended from braces 44 which are fastened to the non-movable portion of tubular side wall 14. With section 38 suspended thusly, it may be moved from a stand-by or first position in FIG. 1 to a second position, shown in FIG. 2, by retracting shaft 40 by means of a conventional drive means 46 (shown schematically in FIGS. 1 and 2). When section 38 occupies the position shown in FIG. 2, the section provides no restraining force on the coins resting on the inclined upper surface 28 of blocking member 22 and therefore allows the coins to pass out of the chute through the opening 48 in tubular side wall 14.

Hinged gate 50 outside chute 10 and below opening 48 may be pivoted on its mounting 52 by means, of a conventional drive means 54 through conventional linkage 56 to guide coins leaving the chute through opening 48 either to a coin return chute (as shown in FIG. 2) or to a coin collection box (as shown in FIG. 3).

The coin return operation may be described as follows. Coins entering chute 10 come to rest on inclined upper surface 28 of blocking member 22, with the blocking member in its rest position. When the coin return signal is given, gate 50 is rotated counterclockwise to its second position (i.e., the position shown in FIG. 2) and section 38 is withdrawn from tubular side wall 14. Because the coins are resting on inclined surface 28, they will slide off the blocking member 22 and pass out of the chute through opening 48 and fall downward into a suitable coin return chute (not shown). The cycle is then completed by the return of hinged gate 50 and section 38 to their stand-by positions (shown in FIG. 1).

If, in the case of the vending machine, an article is selected by a customer and received, the following coin collection operation is initiated. First, blocking member 22 is moved to its retracted position (shown by dashed element 22 in FIG. 3) by drive means 34. This allows coins 36 to drop past the blocking member into the coin storage area in the lower portion 20 of chute 10. Section 38 is then withdrawn from tubular side wall 14 by drive means 46 to the position shown in FIG. 3 and gate 50 remains in its stand-by position. If the change storage unit (i.e., the portion of chute 10 lying below blocking member 22 (is already filled with coins when blocking member 22 is retracted, the released coins will not drop into the coin storage unit but will rest on top of the coins in the change storage unit, thus forming a stack of coins which protrudes into the path of the blocking member 22 and into the upper portion of the chute 10. When the blocking member is returned to its stand-by position after being retracted, all of these extra coins protruding above the level of horizontal lower surface 26 will be skimmed off the top of the stack of coins and pushed through opening 48 in tubular side wall 14 by the returning blocking member, whereupon they will be guided by gate 50 into an appropriate coin collection box. After this operation, section 38 is again returned to its stand-by position and the escrow device and self-loading coin storage unit are ready for the next operating cycle.

There are of course many possible alternative embodiments of the present invention. In one such alternative embodiment, the blocking member 22 could be pivoted at the upper edge 58 of opening 24 instead of being slidably supported within channel member 30. Likewise, section 38 could be pivoted at the top 16 of chute 10 instead of being entirely removable therefrom. Also, rather than removing a whole section from tubular side wall 14, a suitable opening could be provided in tubular side wall 14 and a removable cover placed thereon.

Another embodiment of the subject invention comprises separate escrow and change storage chutes, with the top of the change storage chute terminating at the bottom of the escrow chute. The escrow chute is fixed in the machine and, as usual, receives deposited coins in the top thereof. The change storage chute, however is movable horizontally into three positions. In its first or rest position, the top of the side wall of the change storage chute blocks the bottom of the escrow chute, so that deposited coins will be held in the escrow chute by the top edge of the change storage chute. In its second position, the change storage chute is in direct alignment with the storage chute. In its third position, the change storage chute is completely out of alignment with the escrow chute, so that coins may drop from the escrow chute past the coin storage chute and may be deflected by a gate similar to gate 50 of the first embodiment described above to a coin return chute or to a coin collection box.

The coin return operation is as follows. Coins received in the top of the escrow chute fall to the bottom of the chute and become stacked on the top edge of the change storage chute in its first position. When the coin return signal is received, the change storage chute moves to its third position, thereby permitting the coins to drop from the escrow chute. Simultaneously, the gate moves to its coin return position, wherein it will guide these coins to the coin return chute.

The coin collect operation is as follows. Coins received in the escrow chute are, as before, held in the escrow chute by the top edge of the change storage chute. When the coin collect signal is received, the change storage chute first moves into alignment with the escrow chute, thereby permitting the coins to drop from the escrow chute into the change storage chute. If the change storage chute is full, the coins of course will not drop into the change storage chute but will remain in a stack in the escrow chute. The change storage chute then moves to its third position and the gate moves to its coin collect position, so that extra coins (i.e., coins failing to drop into the coin storage chute) will be skimmed off the top of the stack within the change storage chute and will be guided by the gate into a collection box. The change storage chute then returns to its first position and is ready for the next cycle.

Various additional changes, modifications, and variations could also be made in the arrangements, operations and details of construction of the elements disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. In a coin-operated machine having a change dispenser, a coin return chute, and a coin collection box, an improvement comprising an escrow device and selfloading change storage unit comprising:

chute means having upper and lower portions, said chute means for receiving deposited coins through an opening in said upper portion and for feeding said coins to the change dispenser from said lower portion;

blocking means for holding deposited coins in an escrow position in said upper portion when said blocking means is in a rest position, said blocking means being movable to a second position so that said coins are permitted to drop from said escrow position to a change storage area in said lower portion of said chute means; coin return means for transferring coins held in said escrow position to the coin return chute in response to a coin return signal; and coin collect means for moving said blocking means to its second position in response to a coin collect signal, thereby allowing said coins to drop into said change storage area, and further for transferring to the coin collection box in response to the same coin collect signal, all coins that fail to drop into said change storage area when said blocking means is moved to its second position. 2. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said blocking means comprises a blocking member movably mounted in the coin-operated machine, said blocking member having a first position wherein passage of deposited coins to change storage area is prevented and said coins are held in an escrow position in said upper portion, said blocking member having a second position wherein said coins are permitted to drop from said escrow position into said change storage area in said lower portion of said chute means; and said coin collect means comprises drive means to move said blocking means from its first to its second position in response to a coin collect signal, thereby allowing said deposited coins to drop into said change storage area, and drive means responsive to the same coin collect signal adapted to transfer to the coin collection box all coins that fail to drop into said change storage area when said blocking means is moved to its second position. 3. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the upper portion of said chute means has an opening therein adjacent to said blocking means and a removable cover is positioned over said opening such that, when said cover is removed, said opening is large enough to permit coins stacked in the upper portion of the chute means to pass through said opening; and said coin return means comprises drive means to remove said cover, thereby permitting coins to pass through said opening, and deflection means adapted to guide said coins passing through said opening to said coin return chute. 4. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit'as claimed in claim 3'wherein:

said blocking means comprises an upper surface that is inclined downwardly toward said opening, such that coins held in said escrow position will become stacked in an inclined position on said surface and will slide through said opening when said cover is removed. 5. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein:

said chute means comprises an upper portion having an opening in its side wall adjacent to said blocking means and having a removable cover thereon. such that, when said cover is removed, said opening is large enough to permit coins stacked in the upper portion of the chute to pass through said opening; and

said coin collect means comprises drive means to remove said cover and to return said blocking means to its rest position from its retracted position, whereby all coins failing to drop below the level of said blocking means are pushed by said blocking means through said opening in said chute means, and deflection means to guide said coins to said coin collection box after they are pushed through said opening.

6. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim wherein:

said deflection means for guiding coins passing through said opening in said chute means to the 'coin collection box or to the coin return chute comprises gate means movably mounted in the machine outside said chute means and below said opening, said gate means being movable to a first position in response to a coin collect signal, so that coins passing through said opening are guided to a coin collection box, said gate means being movable to a second position in response to a coin return signal so that coins passing'through said opening are guided by said gate means to a coin return chute.

7. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said blocking means is slidably mounted on a support means mounted on the outside of said chute means, said support means for directing said blocking means in a path perpendicular to the direction of travel of coins within the upper portion of said chute means and through a slot in the upper portion of said chute means opposite said opening in said upper portion; and

said cover on said opening comprises a removable section of said side wall of said chute means.

8. In a coin-operated machine having a change dispenser, a coin chute, and a coin collection box, an improvement comprising an escrow device and selfloading change storage unit comprising:

a hollow cylindrical chute having upper and lower portions, said upper portion for receiving deposited coins through an open top end and said lower portion for receiving coins passed by said upper portion and for storing the coins for use by the change dispenser;

a blocking member for holding deposited coins in an escrow position in said upper portion, said blocking member movable in a direction essentially perpendicular to the cylindrical chute between a rest position and an activated position, said blocking member preventing passage of coins from the upper portion to the lower portion when in its rest position, said blocking member permitting coins held in said upper portion to drop into said lower portion when moved to its activated position;

coin return means for passing coins held in said upper portion to a coin return chute through the side of said upper portion in response to a coin return signal;

coin collect means for moving said blocking member to its activated position in response to a coin collect signal thereby allowing coins to drop into said lower portion, and further, upon termination of said coin collect signal, for returning said blocking member to its rest position thereby pushing coins in excess of said lower portion storage capacity into the coin collection box.

9. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein:

said blocking member has a sloping upper surface and a blunt frontal edge, said sloping upper surface for supporting deposited coins held in escrow and said blunt frontal edge for pushing excess coins off the top of coins stored in said lower portion of said cylindrical chute.

10. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein:

said cylindrical chute comprises an upper portion having a first and second section, said first section being slidably mounted so that in response to a coin return signal, said first section is moved horizontally to an activated position thereby allowing coins to pass through the opening created between said first and second sections, and said second section of said upper portion being stationarily mounted and having a slot through which said blocking member is moved.

1 1. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 8 further comprising:

a deflection gate having a first and second position,

said first position for guiding coins to the coin return chute and said second position for guiding coins to the coin collection box.

12. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein said deflection gate is moved to its first position in response to a coin return signal and to its second position in response to a coin collect signal. I

13. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 12 wherein:

said cylindrical chute comprises an upper portion having a first and second section, said first section being slidably mounted so that after said deflection gate'is moved to its second position in response to a coin collect signal, said first section is moved horizontally to its activated position thereby allowing coins to be pushed through the opening created between said first ancl-second sections by said block ing member returning to its rest position.

Claims

1. In a coin-operated machine having a change dispenser, a coin return chute, and a coin collection box, an improvement comprising an escrow device and self-loading change storage unit comprising: chute means having upper and lower portions, said chute means for receiving deposited coins through an opening in said upper portion and for feeding said coins to the change dispenser from said lower portion; blocking means for holding deposited coins in an escrow position in said upper portion when said blocking means is in a rest position, said blocking means being movable to a second position so that said coins are permitted to drop from said escrow position to a change storage area in said lower portion of said chute means; coin return means for transferring coins held in said escrow position to the coin return chute in response to a coin return signal; and coin collect means for moving said blocking means to its second position in response to a coin collect signal, thereby allowing said coins to drop into said change storage area, and further for transferring to the coin collection box in response to the same coin collect signal, all coins that fail to drop into said change storage area when said blocking means is moved to its second position.

2. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said blocking means comprises a blocking member movably mounted in the coin-operated machine, said blocking member having a first position wherein passage of deposited coins to change storage area is prevented and said coins are held in an escrow position in said upper portion, said blocking member having a second position wherein said coins are permitted to drop from said escrow position into said change storage area in said lower portion of said chute means; and said coin collect means comprises drive means to move said blocking means from its first to its second position in response to a coin collect signal, thereby allowing said deposited coins to drop into said change storage area, and drive means responsive to the same coin collect signal adapted to transfer to the coin collection box all coins that fail To drop into said change storage area when said blocking means is moved to its second position.

3. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein: the upper portion of said chute means has an opening therein adjacent to said blocking means and a removable cover is positioned over said opening such that, when said cover is removed, said opening is large enough to permit coins stacked in the upper portion of the chute means to pass through said opening; and said coin return means comprises drive means to remove said cover, thereby permitting coins to pass through said opening, and deflection means adapted to guide said coins passing through said opening to said coin return chute.

4. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein: said blocking means comprises an upper surface that is inclined downwardly toward said opening, such that coins held in said escrow position will become stacked in an inclined position on said surface and will slide through said opening when said cover is removed.

5. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein: said chute means comprises an upper portion having an opening in its side wall adjacent to said blocking means and having a removable cover thereon, such that, when said cover is removed, said opening is large enough to permit coins stacked in the upper portion of the chute to pass through said opening; and said coin collect means comprises drive means to remove said cover and to return said blocking means to its rest position from its retracted position, whereby all coins failing to drop below the level of said blocking means are pushed by said blocking means through said opening in said chute means, and deflection means to guide said coins to said coin collection box after they are pushed through said opening.

6. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein: said deflection means for guiding coins passing through said opening in said chute means to the coin collection box or to the coin return chute comprises gate means movably mounted in the machine outside said chute means and below said opening, said gate means being movable to a first position in response to a coin collect signal, so that coins passing through said opening are guided to a coin collection box, said gate means being movable to a second position in response to a coin return signal so that coins passing through said opening are guided by said gate means to a coin return chute.

7. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein: said blocking means is slidably mounted on a support means mounted on the outside of said chute means, said support means for directing said blocking means in a path perpendicular to the direction of travel of coins within the upper portion of said chute means and through a slot in the upper portion of said chute means opposite said opening in said upper portion; and said cover on said opening comprises a removable section of said side wall of said chute means.

8. In a coin-operated machine having a change dispenser, a coin chute, and a coin collection box, an improvement comprising an escrow device and self-loading change storage unit comprising: a hollow cylindrical chute having upper and lower portions, said upper portion for receiving deposited coins through an open top end and said lower portion for receiving coins passed by said upper portion and for storing the coins for use by the change dispenser; a blocking member for holding deposited coins in an escrow position in said upper portion, said blocking member movable in a direction essentially perpendicular to the cylindrical chute between a rest position and an activated position, said blocking member preventing passage of coins from the upper portion to the lower portion when in its rest position, said blocking member permitting coins held iN said upper portion to drop into said lower portion when moved to its activated position; coin return means for passing coins held in said upper portion to a coin return chute through the side of said upper portion in response to a coin return signal; coin collect means for moving said blocking member to its activated position in response to a coin collect signal thereby allowing coins to drop into said lower portion, and further, upon termination of said coin collect signal, for returning said blocking member to its rest position thereby pushing coins in excess of said lower portion storage capacity into the coin collection box.

9. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein: said blocking member has a sloping upper surface and a blunt frontal edge, said sloping upper surface for supporting deposited coins held in escrow and said blunt frontal edge for pushing excess coins off the top of coins stored in said lower portion of said cylindrical chute.

10. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein: said cylindrical chute comprises an upper portion having a first and second section, said first section being slidably mounted so that in response to a coin return signal, said first section is moved horizontally to an activated position thereby allowing coins to pass through the opening created between said first and second sections, and said second section of said upper portion being stationarily mounted and having a slot through which said blocking member is moved.

11. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 8 further comprising: a deflection gate having a first and second position, said first position for guiding coins to the coin return chute and said second position for guiding coins to the coin collection box.

12. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein said deflection gate is moved to its first position in response to a coin return signal and to its second position in response to a coin collect signal.

13. An escrow device and self-loading change storage unit as claimed in claim 12 wherein: said cylindrical chute comprises an upper portion having a first and second section, said first section being slidably mounted so that after said deflection gate is moved to its second position in response to a coin collect signal, said first section is moved horizontally to its activated position thereby allowing coins to be pushed through the opening created between said first and second sections by said blocking member returning to its rest position.