Coin handling – Deliverer – Delivery of a single coin
Patent
1995-12-22
1997-04-01
Bartuska, F. J.
Coin handling
Deliverer
Delivery of a single coin
194200, G07D 100
Patent
active
056160755
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to coin dispensing apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of devices are known for dispensing coins, for example in change giving apparatus. Coins are commonly stored in tubes within each of which coins of a respective denomination are stacked face-to-face. The coins are usually dispensed by sliding the bottommost coin laterally out of the stack. One proposed arrangement incorporates a motor having a shaft which, when rotated in a first direction, drives a one-way clutch to operate a dispensing arm which strips the bottommost coin from a first stack, and which when rotated in the opposite direction drives a further dispensing arm via a second one-way clutch so that the bottommost coin of a second stack is dispensed.
Most, if not all, coin dispensers of all types suffer at least to some extent from occasional jamming problems when a coin is bent or deformed or becomes lodged in the wrong position and prevents correct dispensing. It would be desirable to provide an arrangement in which such problems are at least mitigated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided coin dispensing apparatus comprising:
at least first and second coin stores each for storing a plurality of coins;
first and second dispensing members associated respectively with said first and second coin stores, each dispensing member being operable to execute a dispensing movement to dispense a coin from the respective store;
a dispensing actuator for driving the dispensing members, the actuator comprising a motor which can drive a shaft in either of first and second opposite directions and transmission means coupling the shaft to the dispensing members in such a way that rotation of the shaft in the first direction causes the first dispensing member to execute a dispensing movement and rotation of the shaft in the second direction causes the second dispensing member to execute a dispensing movement; and
control means for controlling the operation of the dispensing actuator;
wherein the control means is operable, when a coin is to be dispensed from the first store, to cause the motor to drive the shaft in the first direction, then briefly in the second direction and then again in the first direction, so as to tend to clear a jam which may be preventing correct dispensing from said first store, the rotation of the shaft in the second direction being insufficient to cause substantial movement of the second dispensing member.
The brief reversal of rotation of the shaft, followed by the re-commencement of the forward rotation (which is preferably carried out a plurality of times) causes the first dispensing member to be moved in a type of "hammer action" which would tend to clear any jam preventing dispensing. The control means can be arranged to apply similar movement to the dispensing member of the second store.
The transmission between the shaft and the second dispensing member preferably includes a lost-motion coupling, and the reversed motion of the shaft is preferably such that it does not exceed the lost motion provided by this coupling so that no movement of the second dispensing member occurs during this reversed rotation. This lost-motion coupling is preferably a one-way clutch which causes the second dispensing member to be driven only when the shaft is rotated in the second direction. There may be an additional degree of lost motion at other places in the transmission, the arrangement being such that the movement caused by the reversed rotation of the shaft is less than the sum of the total lost motion in the transmission.
Also, or alternatively, the transmission means may be arranged such that the degree of movement of the second dispensing member for a given amount of rotation of the shaft varies during the dispensing cycle, the reverse rotation of the shaft occurring when the dispensing member is positioned such that it moves only by a very small amount in response to shaft rotation.
These arrangements ensure that the hammer action
REFERENCES:
patent: 3943950 (1976-03-01), Thur et al.
patent: 4398550 (1983-08-01), Shireman
Musto Colin A. G.
Weston John A.
Winstanley Nigel A.
Bartuska F. J.
Mars Inc.
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