US3906965A

US3906965A - Coin separator and stacker

Info

Publication number: US3906965A
Application number: US525841A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gijsbertus Cornelius Luyben; Wilde Abraham Marinus De
Original assignee: Mars Inc
Current assignee: Mars Inc
Priority date: 1973-11-22
Filing date: 1974-11-21
Publication date: 1975-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-23
Also published as: FR2252614B2; DE2455069A1; AU7560874A; ZA747459B; GB1489872A; JPS584391B2; CA1035231A; JPS5087099A; FR2252614A2; HK283A

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a substantially vertical chute into which coins of predetermined diameter topple through a calibrated window. The chute guides the coins from the entrance to a coin tube at the lower end of the chute. The coins slide edge first across the upper end of the coin tube. The inner edge or lip of the upper end of the coin tube opposite the lower end of the chute is exposed when the coin tube is filled to less than capacity and is obscured by the uppermost coin when the tube is filled to capacity. The chute has a concave rear wall to guide the coins to the coin tube and a front wall having an initial downward slope to guide the coins from the entrance to the rear wall. The vertical contours of the rear wall vary across the width of the rear wall due to a camber so as to impart a component of rolling motion to a coin sliding down the chute in contact with the rear wall, before the coin reaches the upper end of the coin tube.

Description

United States Patent [191 Luyben et al.

[ Sept. 23, 1975 COIN SEPARATOR AND STACKER [75] Inventors: Gijsbertus Cornelius Luyben;

Abraham Marinus De Wilde, both of Delft, Netherlands [73] Assignee: Mars, Incorporated, McLean, Va.

[22] Filed: Nov. 21, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 525,841

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 22, 1973 United Kingdom 54317/73 [52] US. Cl 133/1 A; 194/1 K; 133/3 D [51] Int. Cl. G07F 3/04 [58] Field of Search 194/1 B, l K, 1 G, l R; 133/15 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,844,297 10/1974 Lautzenhiser 133/3 D H7 at Primary ExaminerAllen N. Knowles Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Davis, Hoxie, Faithful] & Hapgood [57] ABSTRACT The apparatus comprises a substantially vertical chute into which coins of predetermined diameter topple through a calibrated window. The chute guides the coins from the entrance to a coin tube at the lower end of the chute. The coins slide edge first across the upper end of the coin tube. The inner edge or lip of the upper end of the coin tube opposite the lower end of the chute is exposed when the coin tube is filled to less than capacity and is obscured by the uppermost coin when the tube is filled to capacity. The chute has a concave rear wall to guide the coins to the coin tube and a front wall having an initial downward slope to guide the coins from the entrance to the rear wall. The vertical contours of the rear wall vary across the width of the rear wall due to a camber so as to impart a component of rolling motion to a coin sliding down the chute in contact with the rear wall, before the coin reaches the upper end of the coin tube.

33 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures US Patent Sept. 23,1975

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FIG.6

FIGS

COIN SEPARATOR AND STACKER The present invention is concerned with an improvement in coin handling apparatus suitable for incorporation in a coin operated vending machine. Such coin handling apparatus receives coins of various denominations, determines the denomination and authenticity of the coins, rejects slugs and coins of unacceptable denominations, determines and sums the denominations of acceptable coins, produces a vend signal when ac ceptable coins to a value equal to and in excess of the price of the item to be vended have been inserted, and produces change in an amount equal to the excess of the value of the accepted coins over the price of the item selected.

A coin inserted into a vending machine having such apparatus enters the apparatus and moves by gravity along a series of coin tracks which establish a sinuous coin path. Sensors arranged along the coin path measure one or more physical properties of the coin such as electrical conductivity, diameter, acceleration, velocity, or functions which depend on combinations of these properties. Circuitry associated with the sensors determines whether the coin is an authentic coin of an acceptable denomination. If not, the coin is rejected. An accepted coin travels under gravity along a further track past one or more acceptance windows arranged in order of increasing height in the direction of coin travel. The acceptance windows each lead via a chute to a coin tube appropriate for coins of a particular denomination. The heights of the acceptance windows correspond to the diameter of acceptable coins. A coin falling through one of the acceptance windows is guided vertically down the associated chute and then generally horizontally across the mouth of the associated coin tube. The coin tubes are dimensioned to store a supply of stacked coins sufficient to meet anticipated change-giving requirements. When a coin tube is full, further coins of that denomination issuing from the associated chute will slide across the top coin in the tube, by-passing the tube, and enter a further or overflow chute which leads to the locked coin box in which accepted coins of all denominations are stored for periodic removal. Coins larger than any of the acceptance windows continue under gravity along the further track to the chute to the coin box. When the value of accepted coins exceeds the price of the desired item, the excess is determined by the circuitry, and change dispensing mechanisms at the foot of the coin-tubes are actuated to dispense the appropriate change.

It has now been found occasionally coins become jammed at the top of a full coin tube when the front of the rim of a coin issuing from the associated chute catches the rim or embossing of the top coin in the tube. One method of solving this problem is to increase the slope of the chute and thereby increase the velocity of coins issuing therefrom. This method, however, causes many coins to pass over the tube mouth even when the tube is not full.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for stacking coins comprising a substantially vertical chute into which coins of predetermined diameter topple through an entrance at its upper end and from which they leave moving edge first across the open upper end of a coin tube at its lower end, the inner edge of the upper end of the coin tube opposite the lower end of the chute being exposed when the coin tube is filled to less than capacity and being obscured by the uppermost coin in the tube when the tube is filled to capacity, the chute having a convex front wall and a concave rear wall to guide the coins from the entrance to the coin tube so that they slide edge first across the upper end of the coin tube, the vertical contours of the rear wall varying across the width of the rear wall so as to impart rolling motion to a coin sliding down the chute in contact with the rear wall before the coin reaches the upper end of the coin tube.

Rolling minimises the effect of interference between the edge of the moving coin and the uppermost coin in the tube and keeps the front of the arriving coin from engaging the uppermost coin in the tube, all without the necessity of increasing the speed of the moving coin.

Throughout this specification the term coin is intended to mean genuine coins, tokens, counterfeit coins, slugs, washers, and any other item which may be used in an attempt to use coin-operated devices, and for simplicity, coin movement on the coin edge is described as rotational motion, however, except where otherwise indicated, translational motion is also contemplated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial rear elevational view of apparatus including the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, showing a full coin tube;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the coin chute lining of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, a coin inserted into the coin-receiving slot (not shown) of the vending machine is directed into a hopper 103. The coin drops from the hopper onto a track 111 and rolls down the track between front and

rear plates

101 and 102. At the end of track 111 the coin drops onto a pad 115, which dissipates a substantial portion of the kinetic energy of the coin to reduce coin bouncing. The coin rolls down the upper surface of the pad 115 and onto a track 113. As the coin rolls down the track 113, it is identified by means incorporating one or more of

sensors

130, 131 and 132. By the time the coin reaches the end of the track 113, it has been identified as either acceptable or unacceptable, and if acceptable, it has been further identified as to denomination.

At the end of the track 113, the momentum of the coin carries it across to a second substantially vertical pad 117. The pad 117, similar to

pads

115 and 125, causes the dissipation of most of the kinetic energy of the coin, allowing it to drop almost vertically toward an acceptance gate 124. If the coin has been identified as acceptable, the gate 124 is retracted into the rear plate 102, allowing the coin to fall past the gate 124 toward a pad 125. If the coin has been identified as unacceptable, the gate 124 intercepts the coin, diverting it onto a track 116. The coin rolls down the track 116, entering a reject chute 146 at 108. The reject chute 146 delivers the rejected coin to the coin return window of the vending machine.

As mentioned above, a coin identified as acceptable drops past the retracted acceptance gate 124 onto the pad 125 behind a separator plate 104 as viewed in FIG. 1. Like the

pads

115 and 117, pad 125 causes the dissipation of a substantial portion of the kinetic energy of the coin to reduce coin bouncing. These pads may be energy absorbing devices as disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 468,205 filed May 8, 1974 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 the pad 125 of relatively hard plastics such as glass-filled Noryl, is mounted on a pad 151 of relatively soft rubber such as neoprene. The pad 151 is in turn mounted on an L-shaped bracket 152 of delrin DEL- RIN is a Registered Trade Mark). The bracket 152 is coupled to the outer surface of the separator plate 104 by means of a second relatively soft rubber pad (not shown) of neoprene. The

pads

125 and 151 and the associated leg of bracket 152 pass through an enlarged aperture 154 in the separator plate 104 so that the upper portion of the energy absorbing device is not restrained by plate 104. In addition, a guide plate 105 (FIG. 2) has a notch (not shown) opposite the aperture 154 to permit the pad 125 to span the gap between the

plates

104 and 105 without being restrained by any contact with plate 105. The pad 125 may be glass-filled to improve its wearing properties. The elements of the energy absorbing device may be held together by any suitable adhesives. Alternatively the device may be constructed of a block of a hard material such as aluminium oxide, as disclosed in the specification of copending U.S. Ser. No. 525,742 filed Nov. 21, 1974, assigned to the assignee of this application. In either case, the pads cause absorption or dissipation of the kinetic energy of the moving coin to reduce coin bouncing.

After dropping onto the pad 125, the accepted coin rolls down onto a track 121 between the separator plate 104 and guide plate 105. The track 122 passes acceptance or

separator windows

128 and 129. The

plates

104 and 105 are tilted towards

windows

128 and 129 to ensure that coins passing the windows will fall through the appropriate window into an associated

separator chute

134 or 135.

Windows

128 and 129 are graded in height from smaller to larger. Thus the height of the top of the window 128 above the track measured perpendicular to the track 121, may equal the diameter of a ten-cent coin plus a small clearance, while the corresponding dimension of window 129 may equal the diameter of a five-cent coin plus a small clearance. Accordingly, a ten-cent coin rolling along the track 121 will fall through window 128. A larger five-cent coin will roll past the window 128 and fall through the window 129. An acceptable coin larger than the five-cent coin (e.g., a twenty-five cent coin) will roll down the track 121 without falling through either window. At the end of the track 121 such a coin enters large coin chute 144 (approximately parallel to and behind the reject chute 146 as viewed in FIG. 1) and drops to a coin track 140. The large coin then rolls down the track 140, behind the separator plate 104 as viewed in FIG. 1, to the end of the track where it drops into a chute 142 leading to the coin box of the machine.

To ensure that all coins of appropriate diameter fall through the windows, as is best seen in FIG. 2, the curb 130 at the foot of the window 128 is made low and without any appreciable surface perpendicular to coin track 121 below the window. The curb 130 tapers upward to a single edge or fulcrum 149 about which coins pivot into coin chute 134. In addition, the separator plate 104 includes lay-back slot 157 which increases by increment a the angle from the vertical of all coins small enough to pass through one of

windows

128 and 129. Accordingly, the top of lay-back slot 157 is the same distance from the track 121 as the top of larger Window 129. Coins too large to enter either separator window roll down track 121 without entering the layback slot 157.

A coin which falls through either

window

128 or 129 is guided down "the associated coin chute 134, toward the mouth of an associated

coin tube

136, 137. If the coin tube is full, the coin continues across the mouth of the coin tube and drops onto the coin track which delivers the coin to the chute 142 as in the case of acceptable coins too large to pass through either

window

128 or 129. If the coin tube is not full, the coin drops into the coin tube where it is stacked and stored until it is later dispensed as change.

To eliminate the possibility of coins becoming jammed at the top of full coin tubes caused by rubbing of the front of the rim of an arriving coin on the rim or embossing of the uppermost coin in the tube, the guiding surface of the coin chutes is cambered to impart a rolling motion to the arriving coin additional to the sliding motion caused by its passage down the chute. When the arriving coin is to some extent rolling over the uppermost coin in the tube instead of merely sliding, the arriving coin can ride over the rim and embossing of the uppermost coin by rolling and the front of the arriving coin does not touch the uppermost coin in the tube.

In the present embodiment rolling motion is imparted to the coin by an insert 170 which is inserted in the chute cover 147 as shown in FIG. 2 and provides the rear wall of the coin chute. The insert 170 is cambered as shown in FIGS. 3-6, varying in thickness in substantially linear fashion from essentially zero at its upstream edge 171 to approximately 4.7 millimeters at its downstream edge 172.

The contours of the rear wall taken on vertical planes vary across the width of the rear wall, the contour line at the downstream side of the rear wall having a radius of curvature smaller than that at the upstream side .so that the distance between the entrance and the coin tube measured along the rear wall is greater at the upstream side than at the downstream side. At the entrance end of the inserted 170 adjacent one of the

windows

128, 129 the camber gradually disappears, and the exit end of the insert is curved (see FIGS. 3 and 6) to surround the top of the coin tube 136. A coin falling through the window 128 is guided down the chute 134 and onto the insert 170 by a block 145, the upper surface of which is cambered or pitched downward in the downstream direction as shown in FIG. 2. In practice the blocks are not mounted perpendicular to the track 121 as indicated in FIG. 1, but instead are mounted approximately 85 from the direction of coin travel down the track. The blocks direct the coins toward the cambered insert and also prevent the coins from randomly tumbling down the chute in a manner likely to cause jamming. On reaching the insert the coin continues to slide downward, but the contour of the inner surface of the insert gradually changes the direction of coin motion towards horizontal. At the same time, the camber of the insert 170 causes some rotation to be superimposed on the sliding motion of the coin.

By the time the coin reaches the exit end of the chute, at the top of the coin tube 136, it is usually both sliding and rolling down the chute. The rolling componentof motion imparted by the cambered chute insert 170 causes the coin to roll across the uppermost coin in the coin tube 136 and onto the coin track 140.

The trajectory of the canted coins as they leave the coin chute at the coin tubes is nearly horizontal. Particularly with smaller, lighter coins such as the United States ten-cent coin, it has been found that a relatively small clearance is desirable in the chute 134 to reduce coin vibration and direct coins accurately at lip 158 in the month 159 of the coin tube 136. This minimises the probability that a coin will overshoot the coin tube 136 when the coin tube is not full. The lip 158 is preferably straight and horizontal across the entire width of chute 134. A transition to circular coin tube 136 is. effected below lip 158. The surface 161 of block 145 above mouth 159 is substantially parallel to the trajectory of coins in that portion of the apparatus to ensure that any coin striking the lip 158 will drop into the coin tube 136.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for stacking coins comprising a substantially vertical chute into which coins of predetermined diameter topple through an entrance at its upper end and from which they leave moving edge first across the open upper end of a coin tube at its lower end, the inner edge of the upper end of the coin tube opposite the lower end of the chute being exposed when the coin tube is filled to less than capacity and being obscured by the uppermost coin in the tube when the tube is filled to capacity, the chute having a concave rear wall to guide the coins to the coin tube so that they slide edge first across the upper end of the coin tube and a front wall having an initial, downwardly sloping surface to guide the coins from the entrance to the rear wall, the vertical contours of the rear wall varying across the width of the rear wall so as to impart rolling motion to a coin sliding down the chute in contact with the rear wall before the coin reaches the upper end of the coin tube.

2. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 1 in which the vertical contours are varied across the width of the rear wall by giving the rear wall a camber at least at the lower end of the chute so as to vary the contours across the width.

3. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 1 in which the vertical contours are varied such that the distance between the entrance and the coin tube measured along the rear wall is greater along one side than along the other side.

4. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 3 in which the vertical contour line of the rear wall at one side has a radius of curvature which is greater than the radius of curvature at the other side of the rear wall at least at its lower end.

5. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 3 in which the entrance is a Window at the side of an inclined coin track, coins rolling down the track of the predetermined diameter falling from the track into the chute through the window, the contour and the said distance being greater along the upstream side of the rear wall than the downstream side.

6. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 5 in which the rear wall is provided by the inner surface of an insert with its outer surface of the insert being part cylindrical, the thickness of the insert varying substantially linearly across its Width. I

7. Apparatus for'st'acking coins according to claim 6 in which the insert thickness varies from substantially zero to 4.7 millimeters. i

8. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 6 in which the vertical contours of the rear wall are substantially identical at the upper end of the chute across the width of the rear wall.

9. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 8 in which the vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall of the chute vary across the width of the front wall in a manner similar to the variations in the rear wall.

10. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 9 in which the upper end of vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall are varied by cambering the front wallat the upper end of the chute.

11. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 2 in which the vertical contours are varied such that the distance between the entrance and the coin tube measured along the rear wall is greater along one side than along the other side.

12. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 3 in which the vertical contour line of the rear wall at one side has a radius of curvature which is greater than the radius of curvature at the other side of the rear wall at least at its lower end.

13. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 1 in which the rear wall is provided by the inner surface of an insert with its outer surface of the insert being part cylindrical, the thickness of the insert varying substantially linearly across its width.

14. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 13 in which the insert thickness varies from substantially zero to 4.7 millimeters.

15. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 13 in which the vertical contours of the rear wall are substantially identical at the upper end of the chute across the width of the rear wall.

16. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 15 in which the vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall of the chute vary across the width of the front wall in a manner similar to the variations in the rear wall.

17. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 16 in which the upper end of vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall are varied by cambering the front wall at the upper end of the chute.

18. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 1 in which the vertical contours of the rear wall are substantially identical at the upper end of the chute across the width of the rear wall.

19. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 18 in which the vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall of the chute vary across the width of the front wall in a manner similar to the variations in the rear wall.

20. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 19 in which the upper end of vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall are varied by cambering the front wall at the upper end of the chute.

21. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 1 in which the vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall of the chute vary across the width of the front wall in a manner similar to the variations in the rear wall.

22. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 21 in which the upper end of vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall are varied by cambering the front wall at the upper end of the chute.

23. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 3 in which the rear wall is provided by the inner surface of an insert with its outer surface of the insert being part cylindrical, the thickness of the insert varying substantially linearly across its width.

24. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 23 in which the insert thickness varies from substantially zero to 4.7 millimeters.

25. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 22 in which the vertical contours of the rear wall are substantially identical at the upper end of the chute across the width of the rear wall.

26. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 25 in which the vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall of the chute vary across the width of the front wall in a manner similar to the variations in the rear wall.

27. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 26 in which the upper end of vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall are varied by cambering the front wall at the upper end of the chute.

28. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 4 in which the entrance is a window at the side of an inclined coin track, coins rolling down the track of the predetermined diameter falling from the track into the chute through the window, the contour and the said distance being greater along the upstream side of the rear wall than the downstream side.

29. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 28 in 'which the rear wall is provided by the inner surface of an insert with its outer surface of the insert being part cylindrical, the thickness of the insert varying substantially linearly across its width.

30. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 29 in which the insert thickness varies from substantially zero to 4.7 millimeters.

31. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 29 in which the vertical contours of the rear wall are substantially identical at the upper end of the chute across the width of the rear wall.

32. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 30 in which the vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall of the chute vary across the width of the front wall in a manner similar to the variations in the rear wall.

33. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 32 in which the upper end of vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall are varied by camben'ng the front wall at the upper end of the chute.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Q PATENT NO. 3,906,965

DATED September 23, 1975 |NvENT0R(5) Gijsbertus Cornelius Luyben 6 Abraham Marinus DeWilde it is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 3, line 37, "122" should be lZ1--.

C01. 7, claim 25, line 2, "22" should be --23-.

Signed and Scaled this second Day Of March 1976 i [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Q Arresting Officer Commissioner ofParents and Trademarks

Claims

6. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 5 in which the rear wall is provided by the inner surface of an insert with its outer surface of the insert being part cylindrical, the thickness of the insert varying substantially linearly across its width.

7. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 6 in which the insert thickness varies from substantially zero to 4.7 millimeters.

10. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 9 in which the upper end of vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall are varied by cambering the front wall at the upper end of the chute.

29. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 28 in which the rear wall is provided by the inner surface of an insert with its outer surface of the insert being part cylindrical, the thickness of the insert varying substantially linearly across its width.

33. Apparatus for stacking coins according to claim 32 in which the upper end of vertical contours of the upper surface of the front wall are varied by cambering the front wall at the upper end of the chute.