WO2000008609A1 - Magnet coin separator - Google Patents

Abstract

Magnetic Flux/Attraction to sort non-magnetic coins from most magnetic silver coins and cheap magnetic slugs. The slugs and most national silver coinage are magnetic and separated by adhering to the Conveyor Belt when travelling over the Magnetized Drum. This unaccountable financial resource is released from the magnetic attraction as the Conveyor Belt returns to the Drive Drum whereby the silver coinage and slugs are deposited into the client charity's Silver Bonus/Donation Safe. The non-magnetic coins do not adhere to the Conveyor Belt and follow their natural trajectory onto the 30 degree cantered Metallic Proximity Counter Tracks where off-set Proximity Counters verify coin diameter for subsequent credit. Plastic slugs are not credited. Following completion of the deposit, a 25 second time-out automatically prints the Transaction Coupon and records the data internally for on-line reporting or down-loading.

Description

SPECIFICATION

MAGNET COIN SEPARATOR

The Patent Pending PENNY EXCHANGE AUTOMAT, or Register (PER) Magnetized Drum, Conveyor Belt and Metallic Proximity Counting Track Assembly automatically sorts and separates a nation's non-ferrus (non-magnetic) Small Coin Denominations (SCDs), eg. CDN/US Pennies, Lire, Centimes, Yen, EURO-Cents, etc., from both ferrus (magnetic) Larger Coin Denominations (Silver Coinage) and iron/steel Slugs/ Washers, eg. the separation from Bulk CDN Pennies and return of CDN$0.05/$0.10/ $0.25/$1.00&$2.00 Silver Coinage and inexpensive magnetic/plastic Slugs/Washers.

The PER's Business/Charity Marketing Mix Operational Specifications are an integral part of the Basic Principle of this Patent Pending Magnetic Flux/ Attraction Application. Due to the rigorous client retail outlet operational environment, the PER was specified to be a one- moving-component, jamb-free, fraud-proof, standalone and unsupervised 24/7 100% Bulk Coin Exchange Service Mechanism offering customers a 100% bar coded Product or Service Credit Coupon/Tax Receipt (or cash) in exchange for the household's annual sustainable accumulations of SCDs (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1999, Copyright).

The PER Technological Invention lies in the SCD Anti-Fraud Slug Material Economic Analysis, (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1997, Copyright). This security analysis is inherent to the Application for Patent as it determined the only requirement of the PER was the simplest application of a rotating Magnetized Drum under a Conveyor Belt Assembly which sorts and separates the non-magnetic SCDs (representing a material scrap/washer value of US$0.0075 to US$0,025), from most of a nation's magnetic silver coinage and cheap steel/iron slugs and/or washers (@ $0.0025 each in bulk, ie. 1/4 the material value of an SCD and therefore a fraud threat).

Therefore, the PER Invention lies in that only magnetic iron/steel slugs/washers are significantly less in value than the SCD's non-magnetic metal requiring that all magnetic metals be removed, eg. @ $0.0025 each in bulk. Because these metals represent the only readily available economical opportunity to mass produce SCD slugs in an attempt to obtain fraudulent credit by the PER, the PER's anti-fraud performance specification required the removal of all magnetic slugs/washers and scrap, as the only identified metal slug security threat determined by the Anti-Fraud Slug Material Economic Analysis.

The PER Invention also lies in the secondary application of Bulk SCD Metallic Proximity Counters offset on a Centrifical Cantered Track which concurrently performs a multi-SCD diameter check prior to counting and crediting SCDs in real-time on the LED (Display). Given the potential use of high density plastic slugs/chips with a material cost less than $0,001, ie. 1/lOth the material value of the SCD, the PER's Anti-fraud Slug Material Analysis further required the specification that high density plastics also not be credited.

Based on present Coin Handling Industry Security Standards, this capability rates the PER's specialized SCD/Silver Coinage processing technology well above even the most sophisticated industry standard anti-fraud protective measures. As a result, the client retail outlet's PER standalone and unsupervised specification requirements are satisfied.

Due to the fact that silver coinage possesses a commercial value well in excess of the coin's actual scrap material value, the more sophisticated existing and semi-supervised exchange industry standard services are indeed required for adequate Care, Custody and Control. As a result, the PER required this niche-technology service capture the only "Annual Sustainable Accumulation SCD Cashflow Niche-market, ie. there is not a sustainable silver coinage cashflow market therefore the PER need not have the sophistication required of a silver coinage based technology, which reportedly jambs if unsupervised. The PER's specified bulk processing speed is 10 to 16 x S CDs/second, eg. $6.00 to 10.00/minute.

Most ferrus silver coinage and cheap slugs are either automatically sorted and returned to customers as a fair minded business practice and/or manually retrieved whilst the deposit is underway in the PER's Vibrating Deposit Tray. Conversely, most PER clients have requested that they retain possession of this financial resource in their Silver Bonus/Donation Safe on behalf of their in-house Corporate Charity, in addition to the implementation of their Corporate Piggy-Bank Program (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1999, Copyright). CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Application Number 09/128,973, Filing Receipt Date 08/03/98 GRAY was required to provide the information requested in the PTO "Notice to File Missing Parts of Application", PTO- 1532 (Enclosure to PTO- 1123) and PTO "Notice of Incomplete Application", PTO-1123, both dated 09/02/98. The requested information was subsequently provided under the title of "THE PENNY EXCHANGE AUTOMAT", which is now referred to as "THE PENNY (SCD) EXCHANGE REGISTER, or (PER)." The PER's Motto is: "IT MAKES 100% CENTS".

The PTO, Washington, USA formally registered and classified Patent Application Number 09/128,973 as Group Art Unit 3615, Preliminary Class: 209 and retroactively issued the original Filing Date 08/03/98.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFISCHE APPENDIX Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

THE PENNY (SCD) EXCHANGE AUTOMAT's (PER) Field of Endeavor is the radical Basic Principle of Magnetic Flux/ Attraction applied to meet the identified household's Bulk Coin Handling Service Needs/Demand within the Coin Handling Industry's Technology Art. A private in-house search discovered that no other industry technologies utilized the basic principle of simple magnetic flux/attraction as a means to sort and separate coinage. This most general of separation of technologies shall prove exceptionally strong commercial competitiveness protection for the one-moving-component PER.

The PER's Technology Art was specifically designed to meet the rigorous operational specifications required to support the PER's Marketing Mix (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1999, Copyright) which was further specifically designed to capture and process, @ a 100% exchange rate, each Household's Annual Sustainable Accumulation of SCDs Identified Service Need/Demand, eg. the US$1,700,000,000 North American Annual Sustainable Bulk Penny Cashflow Service Need/Demand Analysis (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1997, Copyright). It is noteworthy that no sustainable silver coinage accumulation problem was determined to exist, which makes common sense, as discovered by the more complicated, troublesome and 400% to 800% more costly traditional industry technology automats that must charge a "8.9%o Processing Fee" on all coinage processed to carry their external servicing expenses and capital debt load.

The PER's Jamb-free Technology was specifically designed, priced and sized to be a "Cash Register" for wholesale and retail sale to a wide variety of PER client retail outlets, ie. mall-LOTTO stands, department store anchors, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, cinemas, amusement parks, churches, schools, casinos, etc.

The PER's Value-added Service Differentiation function generates on behalf of their PER clients new business revenues by providing their own "Captive In-house Customer Base", ie. the household, with a 100% free and convenient bulk coinage service via the offer of a 100% bar code credit coupon or donation tax receipt and/or cash for their unavoidable annual accumulation of Bulk SCDs, eg. CDN/US Pennies, Lire, Yen, Centimes, EURO- Cents, etc. The PER Motto that "IT MAKES 100% CENTS" is most appropriate given the selected marketing mix field locations.

The PER's Value-added Service Mechanism satisfies the identified customer's bulk SCD handling service need/demand of: sorting, separating, purchasing penny rolling tubes (@ a 11.5% gross expense saving), rolling and returning to a bank for credit. By taking advantage of this free 100%) exchange service, the household has a newly created and convenient PER bulk penny financial resource which may be exploited via the PER Corporate Piggy-Bank Program (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1998, Copyright). Keep in mind that these PER New Revenues realize clients their usual 40%) product margin, eg. fast-foods, or 100%) service margin, eg. cinema tickets, on exchanged SCDs. An alternate marketing mix is to exchange SCDs for a 100% Church Donation Tax Receipt, or a combination of the private and not-for-profit sector concepts, ie. @ Mall-LOTTO Stands.

Most unaccounted for Silver Coinage, eg. the CDN$2.00, $1.00, $0.25, $0.10 and 2 in 3 of the $0.50 coins, are automatically returned, or as preferred by most PER clients, now deposited directly into the Silver Coinage Bonus/Donation Safe, for adequate Care, Custody and Control as a donation to their Corporate Charity.

The potential for the PER Service Mechanism to become "Culturally Adopted" by each targeted national market is great given "IT MAKES 100%) CENTS", eg. North America alone represents some 300,000,000 customers generating $1,700,000,000 in bulk pennies annually (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1997, Copyright). Given 500+ prime public and private sector corporate/not-for-profit clients with 250,000 acceptable client retail outlet field placement locations, the PER's economical service distribution makes the service conveniently and widely available to the public.

Most nations maintain non-ferrus (non-magnetic) SCD Floats, eg. CDN/US Pennies,

Lira, Centimes, Yen, EURO-Cents, etc. which makes their fraudulent duplication using the more expensive non-ferrus (non-magnetic) materials economically unfeasible, ie. representing a scrap material value greater than $0.0075 and less than $0,025. Therefore, the

PER invention lies in the application of a one-moving-component Magnetized Drum,

Conveyor Belt and Metallic Proximity Counter Track Assembly to sort & separate SCDs from both ferrus silver coinage, which do not represent a sustainable accumulation problem to households, and magnetic steel/iron slugs, which represent approximately a $0.0025 scrap material value. The PER Invention also lies in the use of Metallic Proximity Counters offset (to check multi-SCD coin diameters) on a centrifugal cantered Track to eliminate fraud should high density plastic slugs be attempted.

The PER's technology is registered as USA PTO Patent Pending Application Number 09/128,973, Filing Date 08/03/98 as follows:

Group Work Art: 3615

Preliminary Class 209: Classifying, Separating and Assorting Solids; and suggested

Sub-Class 2: Methods and apparatus under the Class definition applied to particular materials or articles [non-ferrus (non-magnetic) Small Coin Denominations (SCDs), eg. Pennies, sorting and separation from ferrus (magnetic) higher coin denominations, eg. Silver Coinage and slugs] in which the invention lies in the application of the separation, which may not be novel, per se, to such particular substances or articles [pennies, silver coinage and slugs].

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The previously in-house researched coin handling industry's standard applied arts (Florian, P.Eng., 1996) are inherently complicated, expensive, eg. US$12,500 and have the major problem of coin jambing thereby requiring semi-supervision. This is due to the necessity to check thickness and diameter tolerances closely prior to the coin's individual induction signature decoding metal content or surface roughness checks prior to individual coin crediting. These traditional technologies are well suited, and indeed required, to securely process the higher denomination silver coinage, but as will be proven below, and as detailed in the Anti-fraud Slug Material Economic Analysis (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1997, Copyright), these tight tolerance checks are not required for non-magnetic Small Coin Denominations (SCDs), eg. CDN/US Pennies, Lire, Centimes, Yen, EURO-Cents, etc.

This PER Patent Pending Technology's General Claim is based on the simple Principle of the Magnetic Flux/ Attraction Application as it justifies the PER's above industry standard anti-fraud security performance specification. Due to the material value of non- ferrus (non-magnetic) small SCDs that are an annual accumulation problem for each applicable nation's public, the PENNY (SCD) EXCHANGE REGISTER (PER), shown in the photo, FIG.l, Page 1/3, was designed to be the only patent pending jamb-free and fraud-proof service mechanism offered to satisfy the identified household's bulk SCD service need/demand, ie. the annual accumulation of the $17.00 in Bulk Pennies, Lire, Centimes, Yen, EURO-Cents, etc. (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1997, Copyright).

The PER Patent Pending Components are illustrated in FIG.2 and FIG.3, Page 2/3. The application of the simple magnetic flux/attraction principle within the coin handling industry is indeed radical and surpasses the coin handling industry's standard of anti-fraud security and jamb-free operational specifications when limited to the processing of a nation's non-ferrus (non-magnetic) SCDs, ie. those with a material value of $0.0075 to $0,025. Surprisingly, the limitation that the nation's SCD(s) must be non-magnetic nevertheless allows this niche-technology to be applied in 8 x EEC (then the EURO-Cent applies) and 4 x SE Asia major national markets, and an estimated 30 x smaller national markets world- wide as well. The major external component assemblies are identified and itemized in FIG.l, Page 1/3. The major internal components are identified and itemized in FIG.2 and FIG.3, Page

2/3.

The major Canadian (CDN) PER components are summarized as follows: the PER Cabinet and Controls (Start Button, Charity Selection Button (optional), Charity % Donation Dial, and LED, ie. the PER message display), Vibrating Deposit Tray, 4 x Coin Path Separation Guides, Flow Control Bar/Brush, 4 x 30mm wide Coin Acceleration Slides, Choke Point Bar/Brush, 4 x 36mm wide Conveyor Belt Coin Paths, Patent Pending Magnetized Drum and Conveyor Belt Assembly, 4 x Metallic Proximity Counters offset for Pennies by 16mm on 4 x 41mm wide 30 degree Cantered Centrifical Coin Tracks, and Bulk SCD Hopper and Silver Bonus/Donation Safe Hopper.

The PER Operational Sequence is illustrated in STEPS 1 through 16, FIG.4, Page 3/3.

Due to the PER's unsupervised and standalone operational environment, specifications required that a customer simply push the Start Button to begin their deposit of bulk pennies, and possibly some silver coinage as well, into the PER's Vibrating Deposit Tray. The Vibrator liquifies the coins and assists the customer's spreading/feeding of coins under the 1.75 x the SCD thickness Control Bar/Brush, eg. the CDN Penny with @ 2.5-3.0mm clearance, @ approximately 4 x coins/second for each of the 4 x Coin Paths (each the width of the largest silver coin's diameter + 1mm, eg. the CDN$2.00 @ 30mm).

The coins, now under controlled flow conditions on the Differential Acceleration Slide, spread out further automatically (allowing any stacked coins to join a single coin stream) and then enter through the PER Choke Point/Obstruction Removal Control Bar/Brush (with a clearance of the largest coin thickness + 0.5mm, eg. 2.0-3.0mm for the CDN$2.00 coin) @ 40cm/second and then onto the 4 x 36mm wide internal Conveyor Belt Coin Paths (increased in width from 30mm to 36mm to eliminate jambing).

The Conveyor Belt is moving significantly faster than the coins, @ 80cm second, which has a PVC surface to automatically grab and separate the coins and provide the minimum separation required for accurate counting by the 4 x Metallic Proximity Counters. The coins are brought up to the same speed of the belt over the 15 cm x Tray-Belt Transition Length as they travel over the 10.2cm diameter Magnetized Drum, rotating at a brisk 2.75 RPS or 80cm/second, ie. the Belt speed. Magnetic silver coinage, slugs and scrap adhere to the 2mm thick PVC Conveyor Belt due to the balanced magnetic flux/attractive force applied through the Conveyor Belt, whilst non-magnetic SCDs follow their natural trajectory and leave the belt. The magnetic metals follow the Conveyor Belt around the Magnetized Drum via its attraction, which is balanced to overcome the centrifical force trying to throw them off. As the Belt returns to the Drive Drum, the balanced magnetic flux/attractive force is broken and the silver coinage and cheap slugs fall into the Silver Bonus/Donation Safe Slide and into the "Silver Donation Safe" for adequate client Care, Custody and Control.

The non-magnetic SCDs follow their natural trajectory onto the 4 x 41mm wide Metallic Proximity Counter Tracks (increased in width again from 36mm to 41mm) which uses both 30 degree cantered slides and 16mm offset Counters and centrifical force generated by the 7.5cm radius wrap-around-curve to eliminate small diameter slugs/scrap, pellets, etc. and high density plastic slugs. Therefore, the PER credits only the non-magnetic, ie. relatively expensive, metal SCDs. The SCDs are then directed into the Bulk SCD Hopper Chute.

Following the end of the deposit, the PER times out and prints the client specific 100% SCD Exchange Coupon/Tax Receipt and issues it to the customer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG.l THE Patent Pending PENNY (SCD) EXCHANGE AUTOMAT (PER) - Front and Right Side External Views, Page 1/4:

LED DISPLAY - Customer Instructions, eg. Press Start to Deposit, Real-time SCD Count during deposit, Salutations, Scrolling Messages, etc.

PER OPERATION 3-STEP SELECTOR SWITCH - 1. OFF, 2. ON, 3. Account Period Summary Hard Copy Print Out.

CHARITY SELECTION BUTTONS (Optional) - Permits customers to optionally donate a portion of their SCD deposit to their selected charity in exchange for a 100%) Tax Receipt.

CHARITY % DONATION SELECTION DIAL - Permits customers to chose the % of their SCD deposit that they wish to donate, ie. 0%, 20%, 40% or 100%., with the remainder being credited on the client's 100%) Product/Service Coupon.

START BUTTON - Begins Deposit Tray Vibrator and Magnetized Drum Conveyor Belt Drive Motor.

BULK COIN VIBRATING DEPOSIT TRAY - Automatic Flow Control Bar/Brush: Initial sorting tray to assist the customer's removal of useful silver coinage, keys, etc. and semi-manual SCD feeding, @ 4 x coins/second/coin path, ie. given 4 x Coin Paths, 16 x SCDs/second, under the 1.5 x SCD thickness Flow Control Bar/Brush, eg. 2.5mm.

DEPOSIT TRAY COIN DIFFERENTIAL ACCELERATION SLIDES - Following feeding under the Flow Control Bar/Brush, coins accelerate differentially to 40cm second to ensure a single layer feed under the Choke Point Bar/Brush. DEPOSIT TRAY CHOKE POINT BAR/BRUSH: Final coin feeding Choke Point Bar/Brush, @ 0.50mm + the thickness of the largest silver coin clearance, eg. 2.0mm, and 1mm + the largest coin's width, eg. 30mm, prior to entering the PER's Patent Pending Magnetized Drum and Conveyor Belt SCD/Silver/Slug Sorting and Separation Technology. This is also the customer's Choke Point/Obstruction Removal access. Following this point, there are no "pinch points" as the 4 x Coin Paths increase in width at the Tray-Belt and Belt-Counter Track Transition Points to ensure jamb-free operation (no thickness checks beyond this point are required).

BAR CODE COUPON/TAX RECEIPT PRINTER - Issues 100% Product or Service Coupon, 100%) Tax Receipt or Cash with a Transaction Receipt. For tax purposes, the PER maintains a hard copy of the Transaction Record in addition to extensive internal and on-line reporting protocalls.

BULK PENNY HOPPER - Storage of processed pennies.

SILVER DONATION SAFE - Storage of Silver Coinage and Slugs.

FIG.2 PER INTERNAL OPERATIONAL COMPONENT DESCRIPTION - Front Internal View, Page 2/4:

TRAY-BELT TRANSITION POINT - Point where the 40cm second single layered coins are grabbed by the 80cm/second Conveyor Belt. As with the Differential Acceleration Slide, this feature separates the coins further.

CONVEYOR BELT - 72.0cm long x 190cm total width x 2mm thick with 4 x 36mm Coin Paths and travelling @ 80cm/second.

DRIVE DRUM & MOTOR - Standard electrical motor, gear ratio and timing belt to rotate the 10.2mm Diameter aluminum Drive Drum @ 2.75 RPS (revolutions/second), ie. 80cm/second (a), radius. CONVEYOR BELT COIN TRANSITION LENGTH - The 15cm length of the 4 x 36mm wide Conveyor Belt Coin Paths are required to allow the coins to accelerate up to the 80cm/second belt speed in preparation for sorting and separation at the Magnetized Drum.

Patent Pending MAGNETIZED DRUM - To separate magnetic and non-magnetic metals, 26mm wide x 3mm thick Strip Magnets are recessed into the steel Magnetized Drum under each of the 4 x 36mm wide Conveyor Belt Coin Paths. 10mm wide Wear Guards are positioned between the magnets to avoid wear and degradation of the fragile strip magnets. The magnets stay in place naturally. The use of high energy magnetic strips backed by steel increases and evens out the Magnetic Flux through the Belt when compared to a magnetic sheet.

BELT-COIN COUNTER TRACK TRANSITION POINT - Magnetic Silver Coinage and Slugs/Washers and Scrap adhere to the belt via the balanced magnetic attraction by the Magnetized Drum. Non-magnetic SCDs do not adhere to the belt and follow their natural trajectory onto their respective Metallic Proximity Counter Tracks.

SILVER BONUS/DONATION SAFE - Magnetic Silver and Slugs fall off the Conveyor Belt as it leaves the Magnetized Drum onto a chute which deposits this unaccounted for financial resource into a dual locked safe for adequate Care, Custody and Control.

Patent Pending METALLIC PROXIMITY COUNTER TRACKS x 4 - The 4 x 7.5cm radius x 40mm wide stainless steel Centrifical Tracks are cantered @ 30 degrees to force all non-magnetic (expensive) coins/scrap material tightly against the lower Coin Path Separation Guide, now only 6mm in width, down from 16mm @ the Deposit Tray. The Metallic Proximity Counters are offset from the lower Guide by the smallest SCD diameter less 2mm, eg. for the CDN Penny 16mm. The use of Metallic Proximity Counters eliminates plastic slugs/chips as a fraudulent material.

BULK PENNY (SCD) HOPPER - Non-magnetic SCDs/Coins are credited and deposited into the Bulk Penny (SCD) Hopper for later servicing. INTERNAL ACCOUNTING REPORTS & CONTROLS - Driven by client specific demands, the PER maintains a wide variety of accounting control report formats and protocalls, on-line and down-load programs, bar code/card crediting capabilities, etc.

FIG.3 PER INTERNAL OPERATIONAL COMPONENT DESCRIPTION - Right Side Sectional Views, Page 3/4:

See FIG.2 above for description.

FIG.4 PER INTERNAL OPERATIONAL COIN PROCESSING NUMBERED SEQUENCE, STEP 1 through STEP 12 - Internal Front View Illustration, Page 4/4:

See Detailed Description below for commentary.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The Patent Pending PENNY (SCD) EXCHANGE AUTOMAT (PER), the Canadian (CDN) version of which is shown in the photo, FIG.l, Page 1/4 and illustrated in FIG.2, Page 2/4 and FIG.3, Page 3/4 with the Operational Sequence itemized in FIG. 4, Page 4/4, automatically exchanges a customer's annual accumulation of small coin denominations (SCDs) with @ client retail outlet's 100% Product/Service Credit Coupon or Tax Receipt, whilst returning all desired higher coin denominations (Silver Coinage) and slugs.

The Patent Pending PENNY (SCD) EXCHANGE AUTOMAT (PER) Anti-Fraud Material Threat Analysis (Gray, 1997, Copyright) eliminated the inherent problem with all other in-house researched coin handling industry technological arts that require the higher value silver coinage be visually inspected during bulk processing and/or undergo individual strict diameter and thickness tolerance checks prior to induction/roughness verification. All these low tolerance operations are a source of jambing and therefore do not support traditional technologies in the "PER's Unsupervised Bulk Coinage Retail 100%) Exchange Environment very well." This frank fact eliminates all existing, indeed 400% to 800% more expensive than the PER Cash Register, technological applications as feasible within an unsupervised and standalone operational environment, ie.the identified household bulk SCD service need/demand within the PER identified client retail outlets.

The Patent Pending Claim of a Magnetized Drum, Conveyor Belt and Metallic Proximity Counting Track Assembly chosen to utilize the Basic Principle of Magnetic Flux/Attraction are detailed below. The process methodology and materials utilized are described from the point of initial deposit payout selection, STEP 1, through to coupon issue, STEP 12. The PER Operation Sequence is illustrated in FIG.4, Page 4/4.

Following the customer pushing their selected Charity Button and turned the SCD % Donation Dial, STEP 1, they push the Start Button, STEP 2. at which time both the Vibrating Deposit Tray and Conveyor Belt Drive Drum are activated and the LED prompts for the deposit to begin. As per STEP 3, the E-M Vibrating Deposit Tray operates at 3250Hz which assists the orderly spreading/feeding of the bulk coinage under the 1.75 x the SCD Thickness Control Bar/Brush Clearance, ie. CDN Penny 2.5mm and onto the 4 x 30mm wide Acceleration Slides (with a width of the largest silver coin + 1mm, eg. the CDN $2.00 coin which is 29mm + 1 m, or 30mm).

The Deposit Tray's Separation Guides between the 4 x Coin Paths are initially 16mm in width x 5mm in height which permits the 4 x Coin Paths to increase in width internally within the PER as the 4 x Coin Path Separation Guides reduce in width respectively, ie. the Coin Paths on the Conveyor Belt and Metallic Proximity Counter Tracks are increased in tolerance from 30mm to 36mm and 40mm respectively to eliminate scrap hang-ups. These measures ensure that any and all material passing the Choke Point Control Bar/Brush will not be physically capable of jambing the PER. The PER is capable of ingesting nails, liquids, pellets, sand, wire, etc. without becoming jambed whilst maintaining a 100% processing/vetting accuracy. Given the scouring nature of this one-moving-component's product, the PER is found to be self cleaning.

As per STEP 4, this deposit procedure further permits patrons the opportunity to remove any inadvertently deposited silver coinage, keys, rings, etc. mixed in with their bulk SCDs, or to allow these few coins under the Flow Control Bar/Brush and into the PER's Silver Bonus/Donation Safe for subsequent donation to the PER Client's Corporate Charity.

As per STEP 5, the few SCDs/obstructions that take place at the Choke Point Control Bar/Brush are easily cleared by the patron who need only use a finger to slide the coins up the Acceleration Slide and then re-released for re-deposit.

As per STEP 6, following passage through the Vibrating Deposit Tray Flow Control Bar/Brush, the 4 x 30mm wide Acceleration Slides separates coins further and ensures only a single layer prior to feeding SCDs automatically, @ a speed of 40cm/second and rate of 4 x SCDs/second per Coin Path, onto the Conveyor Belt assembly.

Given 4 x Coin Paths/PER, the operating speed of 16 x SCDs/second, or approximately $10.00/minute, is achieved. As the coins enter the PER proper and onto their respective 4 x 36mm wide Conveyor Belt Coin Paths with a speed @ 80cm/second, the PVC Conveyor Belt grabs onto and separates the coin flow further.

The 19.0cm wide by 2mm thick PVC belt maintains tracking using two x external edge Tracking Guides. To ensure that no material, eg. round bee-bees/pellets, falls off the belt, two Edge Guards are attached to the top of the PVC belt over the Tracking Guides. As per STEP 7, the length of the PVC belt is 15cm from the Deposit Tray-Belt to the top of the Belt-Magnetized Drum Transition Points to ensure that each SCD has matched the 80cm/second speed of the Conveyor Belt in preparation for the sorting of magnetic and nonmagnetic coins/slugs. The design trajectory and centrifical force requires non-magnetic SCDs travel @ 80cm/second prior to traveling over the Magnetized Drum and leaving the Conveyor Belt.

The Magnetized Drum consists of a 19.5cm long x 10.2cm diameter steel pipe with end caps and an axle. As per STEP 8, the 26mm wide Strip Magnets are recessed between 10mm x Wear Guards on both sides and centered under each of the 4 x Coin Paths in order to attract and hold all magnetic coins/material to the Conveyor Belt as the Magnetized Drum rotates at 2.75 RPS, ie. 80cm second @ radius. Aligned with each of the Conveyor Belt's 4 x 36mm wide Coin Paths, 26mm wide by 3mm deep circular grooves are recessed into the steel drum to house the 26mm wide x 3mm thick magnetic stripes. No adhesion is required to fix the magnetic strips to the steel drum due to their inherent magnetic flux attraction. The use of steel as the backing and use of magnetic strips, as opposed to a single magnetic sheet, increases and evens out the magnetic flux/attractive force projected through the 2mm x 20.5mm Conveyor Belt.

As per STEP 9, all magnetic silver coinage and slugs are deposited into the dual locked Silver Bonus/Donation Safe as the Belt returns to the Drive Drum to provide the client with adequate Care, Custody and Control.

The 10.2cm diameter Drive Drum is fabricated using a 19.5cm long aluminum pipe with end caps, Axle, Drive Gear and Timing Belt. The Drive Gear is connected to a standard electric Drive Motor via a Drive Gear and reducing ratio to rotate the Drive Drum @ 2.75 RPS, ie. 80cm/second @ radius.

As per STEP 10, non-magnetic SCDs follow their natural trajectory onto their respective Metallic Proximity Counter Tracks as they are not attracted to the Magnetized Drum's sorting and separation Strip Magnets.

As per STEP 11, the 4 x Metallic Proximity Penny Counter Tracks are made of stainless steel and curved at a radius of 7.5cm to give SCDs the required centrifical forces @ 80cm/second to remain flat and follow the 30 degree cantered tracks tightly. As per STEP 12, the 30 degree canter forces coins tightly against each inner Coin Path Guides whilst it passes the <16mm penny's SCD diameter check off-set 4 x 90Hz Metallic Proximity Counters for subsequent internal accounting and concurrently crediting real-time on the LED.

As per STEP 12, following a 25 second time-out period, the 100%) Transaction Coupons are printed as per the customer and client specifications, bar coding, on-line reporting, etc.and issued.

Claims

CLAIMS:

CLAIM #1. In that my invention lies in the Basic Principle Claim of the Magnetic Flux/Attractive Force Application to separate non-ferrus (non-magnetic) SCDs, eg. Canadian (CDN) Pennies, from ferrus (magnetic) silver coins, eg. CDN $0.05, $0.10, $0.25 $1.00 and $2.00, and cheap iron/steel slugs, it is this radical application's General Principle of utilizing Magnetic Flux/ Attraction which is far removed from all existing coin handling industry technologies. Based on a private in-house search, no other US Registered Patents were discovered as being founded on the simple magnetic flux/attractive principles to separate Small Coin Denominations (SCDs) from general silver coinage/slugs based on magnetic or non-magnetic properties.

CLAIM #2. Notwithstanding the generality of the Primary Claim #1 above, the PER's chosen Electro-Mechanical Patent Pending Magnetized Drum, Conveyor Belt and Counting Track Component Assemblies are based on the Magnetic Flux/ Attraction Principle and detailed in FIG. 2, Page 2/4 and FIG. 3, Page 3/4. Whilst there are other magnetic sorting E- M options, it is the use of the "Principle of Simple Magnetic Flux Attraction to Sort and Separate Coins and Slugs in bulk" which is Claim #2.

The PER's chosen 100% Exchange/Silver Donation Marketing Mix Processing Sequence (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1998, Copyright) is described and illustrated in FIG.4, Page 4/4.

My PER Invention is based on Claim #2 by utilizing a Magnetized Drum and Conveyor Belt to specifically sort and separate non-ferrus (non-magnetic) SCDs from ferrus (magnetic) silver coins and iron steel slugs.

CLAIM #3. My PER Invention is based on the Secondary Claim of utilizing off-set Metallic Proximity Switches/Counters to not detect plastics and detect and credit nonmagnetic metallic SCDs over a minimum diameter utilizing the 30 degree Cantered Centrifical Counting Tracks. CLAIM #4. My PER Invention is based on the Secondary Claim of utilizing ever increasing Coin Path widths, ie. 30mm @ the Deposit tray, 36mm on the Conveyor Belt and 41mm on the Metallic Proximity Counter Tracks to ensure the PER is jamb-free beyond the Choke Point Bar/Brush.

CLAIM #5. My PER invention is based on the supporting Dependent Economical Based Claims inherent in both the "SCD National Cashflow Statistical Model (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1997, Copyright)" and the "Anti-Fraud Slug Material Threat Analysis (Gray, P.Eng., MBA, 1997, Copyright)."