US799350A

US799350A - Coin-tray.

Info

Publication number: US799350A
Application number: US20425004A
Authority: US
Inventors: John W Meaker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1904-04-21
Filing date: 1904-04-21
Publication date: 1905-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1922-09-12

Description

PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

J. W. MEAKER.

COIN TRAY.l

APPLICATION FILED APR.21,1904.

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UNITED STATES -PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. MEAKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES CLARENCE POOLE, TRUSTEE, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

COIN-TRAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed April 21, 1904. Serial No. 204,250.

To @ZZ whom t 77mm/ concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. MEAKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Trays; and I do hereby declare that the following is'a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved coin tray or device for holding and supporting coins of various denominations in separated groups, each containing a fixed or predetermined number of coins, so that all the coins in any one group may be taken from the tray at once without the necessity of counting them and with the certainty. that the number will be correct.

The tray herein shown as embodying my invention is more especially intended for use in connection with automatic coin-delivering apceiving grooves B B B2 B3 BL B5.

paratus; but such tray may be used separately, if desired.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a tray embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof, taken upon line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical section thereof, taken upon line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken upon line 4 4 of Figs. 2 and 3.

As shown in said drawings, A indicates the body of the tray, which is arranged in an inclined position and, as herein shown, is supported by means of vertical end flanges A A2. The tray itself and the end walls A A2 are preferably made of a single or integral casting. A separated plate A3 is shown as secured to the rear margin of the tray and to the end margins vof the end walls A A2 to close the space at the rear of the tray.

In the top surface of the plateA and transversely thereof or extending in a direction from the lower to the upper margin of the tray are formed a series of parallel coin-re- The forward or lower ends of the several grooves B to B5 are closed by means of a transverse front wall A2, the top edge of which is preferably in the same plane with the top of the body of the tray. The rear ends of said grooves are preferably closed by means of a rear wall formed by anupward extension A5 of the rear pla'te A3, although the presence of said rear wall is not essential, inasmuch as the rear ends of the grooves may be left open. Said grooves B to B5 are severally appropriated to coins of various denominations. If the traybe used for United States coins, the coin-receiving grooves will be adapted to receive dollars, half-dollars, twenty-five-cent pieces, dimes, nickels, and pennies. Said grooves are made of rectangular form in cross-section and with parallel vertical side walls and are preferably uniform in depth. The grooves thus made are adapted toreceive or hold a number of coins when the latter are arranged in transverselyextending groups or with the individual coins arranged side by side or with their flat faces parallel with the side walls of the grooves. Each of the grooves is, moreover,` adapted to receive a desired number of coins, such as it may be found most convenient to take from the tray at one time in making change. As shown in the accompanying drawings, the grooves B toB5 are made of proper width to contain, respectively, ten silver dollars, ten half-dollars, ten twenty-five-cent pieces, five dimes, te'n nickels, and ten pennies. By reason of the inclined arrangement of the tray the several transversely-arranged groups of coin in each groove tend toroll or gravitate toward the front or lower edge of the tray, so that the forward or lowermost group in each groove will rest against the front wall of the tray, while those at the rear or above it will rest against the lowermost group and against each other and so that when a group of coins is removed from the forward end of l either groove those above willdescend and br1ng the next succeeding group lnto positlon for removal.

It is intended that the several coin-receivf rendering it certain that the same number of IOO coins will in all instances be contained in each group removed from the grooves. This result is readily obtained in the case of the large coins, such as silver dollars, notwithstanding' some of the coins are more or less worn, because in case of coins as thick as silver dollars and when the grooves are wide enough to receive not more than ten coins it will never happen that the coins will become suficiently thin to permit an additional coin to be inserted. In the case, however, of the smaller coins-such as half-dollars, twentyfive-cent pieces, dimes, nickels, and pennieswhen as many as ten coins are arranged in each group and several coins so worn thin by use are present in the group room may be left for the insertion of an additional coin, and unless provision were made to prevent this insertion of an additional coin more than the desired number might be inserted into the groove. I have provided a device for this purpose consisting of thin longitudinal separating-strips C C C2 C3 C4', which are secured in the bottoms of the groove between the side walls thereof. The strips, arranged as described, are disposed in such position with respect to the side walls of the grooves as to divide the coins into a plurality of subgroups, each containing a desired number of coins-as, for instance, as shown in the accompanying drawings, the groove B for halfdollars is provided with a centrally-arranged partition-strip C, the groove B2 for twentyfive-cent pieces is provided with two partition-stri ps C C, so arranged as to afford space for four coins between them and three coins between their outer faces and the side walls of the groove, the groove B3 for the dimes is provided with two strips C2 C2 like the strips C' C above described, while the grooves Bi B5 are provided with single partition-strips C3 0*, arranged each centrally of the groove in which it is placed. These strips are preferably made of very thin metal and are arranged to rise above the bottoms of the grooves far enough to keep the coins separatedY from each other. The utility of the dividing-strips thus arranged will be readily understood when it is seen that a space wide enough to contain three, four, or five new coins would not permit the insertion of an additional coin should one or more old or worn coins be inserted, it being obvious that in the case of the narrower or subgrooves the eXtra space afforded by the thinner coins would only be a fraction of that which would be present were a corresponding proportion of thin coins present in a group of ten coins inserted in a groove made wide enough to receive ten new or unworn coins. To facilitate the removal of the groups of coin from the front ends of the grooves, the strips are cut away in their parts near the said front ends of the grooves so that they will not at this point entirely separate the coins, but will permit the upper or forward edges of all of the coins in the group to be pressed together, and thereby removed at once from the groove. Said strips are shown as terminating at their forward ends rearwardly of the front wall A* and as being cut away in rounded form, so that their said forward ends will project only slightly between the rear and lower edges of the coins which rest in contact with said front wall, thereby enabling their upper and forward edges to readily come together or into contact when inward pressure is applied by the fingers to the end or outside coin of the group in taking the same from the groove.

It will be manifest that the partition-strips arranged as described obviate the possibility of more than the desired number of coins being inserted in the grooves to make up any one group, while at the same time the convenience of inserting and removing the coins is not at all interfered with, it being obvious that as the coins are always removed from the lower or forward end of each groove and as the strips are cut away or shortened at their forward ends, as above described, a group may be taken from the lower end of either of the grooves by grasping the ends of the group by the fingers, so as to bring' the separated coins in the groove together at their upper or forward edges, thereby enabling all of the coins to be llifted at once from the groove without liability of the coins in the group being displaced, it being o f course understood that as soon as the coins constituting any group are lifted from the groove they will be freed from the end of the partition-strip, which projects slightly between their rear and lower edges when the group is in contact with the forward end of the groove.

The tray illustrated in the accompanying drawings is provided at one side with a shallow receptacle D, such as is commonly present and used in connection'with such trays, to receive odd coins, money in rolls, gold coin, or other currency which thel grooves are not adapted to receive.

The drawings show the entire tray as supported on the upper portions of two parallel vertical plates E E by means of studs e e in the plates, which engage notches a a in the lower edges of the end walls A A2, said plates E illustrated being the parallel side frameplates of a money-changing machine.

In the case of the groove B3 for dimes the separating-strip C2 is preferably extended only a part way from the front tb the rear of the tray, leaving a space at the upper end of the groove for the reception of dimes in rolls. In the case of dimes it is found that some coins are worn so thin as to be nearly half of their original thickness, so that even when the partition-strips are used some of the coins are so thin that three of them may be inserted in the space provided for two, and it is therefore best to place new or little-worn coins only in the divided groove. If, therefore, many old IOO or much-worn dimes are to be handled, it is better that they should be done up into rolls or placed crosswise in the groove B3 above the partition-strips and removed one by one therefrom in making change.

I claim as my invention- 1. A coin-tray provided with a coin-receiving groove having a longitudinal coin-separating strip which is cut away at the part of the groove from which the coins are removed.

2. An inclined coin-tray provided with a coin-receiving groove which is closed at its lower end, and has a longitudinal coin-separating strip which terminates short of the lower end of the groove.

3. A coin-tray provided with a coin-receiving groove of rectangular form in cross-section and adapted to receive a plurality of groups of coins with the coins in each group in parallel relation to the side walls of the groove and having in said groove a longitudinal coin-separating strip cut away at the part of the groove from which the coins are removed. c

4. An inclined coin-holding tray provided with a coin-receiving groove of rectangular form in cross-section and adapted to receive a plurality of groups of coins with the coins in each group in parallel relation to the side walls of the groove, said coin-receiving groove being closed at its lower end and provided with a longitudinal coin separating strip which terminates short of the lower end.

5. A coin-tray provided with a plurality of grooves of varying widths, each of which is of rectangular form in cross-section, and adapted to receive transversely-arranged groups of coins of different denominations; the tray being inclined so that the coins will roll by gravity toward the lower ends of the grooves and said grooves being closed at their lower ends of two witnesses, this 8th day of April, A. D. 45

JOHN W. MEAKER. Witnesses: f

C. CLARENCE POOLE, WILLIAM L. HALL.