Coin handling – Deliverer – Rotary
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-11
2001-07-17
Bartuska, F. J. (Department: 3652)
Coin handling
Deliverer
Rotary
C194S344000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261170
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Our co-pending PCT application number PCT/GB 96/01763 relates to dispensing mechanisms and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a coin or token handling mechanism for use in vending machines, amusement or gaming machines, change giving machines or any other machine that requires a pay-out of coins or tokens to be made, for instance in the form of a prize or as change.
For simplicity, the word coin used in our co-pending application and in this application represents both coins and tokens.
Our co-pending application defined and described various improvements to one known type of coin dispensing mechanism. The known type of coin dispensing mechanism comprises a hopper containing a rotatable disc, the plane of the disc being inclined at an angle to the vertical. The disc carries pegs and as the disc rotates, coins in the hopper are captured between the pegs and are lifted in a position in which they rest against the face of the disc. In the upper reaches of the disc there is a wiping arrangement which removes the coin from the disc and into a slot. The slot can be the exit point of the coin from the coin dispensing mechanism, or the start of a subsequent device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present application defines and describes further improvements to the known type of mechanism.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a coin dispensing mechanism is provided comprising a rotatable plate, coin handling means being arranged on one side of the plate and plate drive means being arranged on the other side of the plate such that the plate provides a physical barrier separating the drive function from the coin handling function.
This keeps the coin handling part of the mechanism totally separate from the drive arrangement so that each of the separate functions can be optimized.
With the known arrangement utilising a rotatable disc, drive components pass through the disc into the coin handling area and include, for example, means to push the disc onto a bearing from the coin side of the disc.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which the rotatable plate comprises a rotatable disc, means are provided to pull the disc onto a bearing from the drive side of the disc.
The bearing may comprise a flat friction bearing.
Thus, on one side of the disc, coins can be stored, churned, lifted and dispensed. On the other side of the disc, means can be provided to keep the disc stable, rotate the disc, and compensate for wear, misalignments and shock loads.
This aspect of the invention is beneficial to the coin handling side of the disc because there are no physical protrusions of the drive arrangement into the coin handling area. The central area of the disc may comprise a flat surface parallel to coin pick up and dispensing areas. Any fasteners holding the disc to the drive means do not protrude above this flat surface.
According to a second aspect of this invention, coin guide means are provided to guide coins as they move in a given direction in succession, adjacent coins touching each other edge to edge, the guide means defining a flow path for the coins such that as the coins move in the said one direction each coin is gradually twisted relative to the succeeding coin about the centre line of the coin which extends through the plane of the coin in the said one direction.
Thus a coin emerging from the output end of the guide means may lie in a plane which is at a substantial angle to the plane of a coin entering the guide means.
Providing guide means arranged to twist coins in this way enables coins to be moved within a guide while substantially reducing the risk that a shingling type coin jam will occur.
A shingling jam occurs when one end on coin manages to part slide alongside another end on coin in a guide slot until both become wedged so forming a physical barrier to further coin movement. When a shingling type jam does occur it can damage or deform the coins and the sides of the guide slot. The slot has to be unjammed by hand. This means that the host machine is out of commission until service personnel arrive.
Existing known slot designs have a number of disadvantages.
Firstly, for coins to slide smoothly within the hollow slot, there has to be a clearance between each coin and the width restraint of the slot. It is this clearance that means a shingling jam is possible. Non flat coins or insufficient clearance means that coins are reluctant to move within the slot which results in high wear rates, jerky coin movements, high coin to coin loads, and even a single coin might cause a jam if it is sufficiently bent.
If the contact faces where the coins touch each other are not exactly parallel then there is a component of force moving the coins apart, which positively assists in causing a shingling type jam, particularly with worn or damaged coins.
If however each coin is twisted slightly with respect to the adjacent coins about the coin centre line defined above, then the risk that one coin can slide past another is substantially reduced.
The optimum angle of twist to avoid one coin sliding past the other is 90° but lesser angles will work just as well provided the angle of twist relative to each other is sufficient.
One embodiment of coin twisting guide mechanism comprises a substantially flat strip defining a coin guide slot, the strip being twisted about its longitudinal axis, for example in a helical manner.
According to another embodiment, a coin twisting guide mechanism comprises a block of material within which a coin guide slot is defined, the slot being twisted about the longitudinal axis of the block.
Although the coin guide means for twisting coins is described herein for use with particular coin dispensing mechanisms, the coin guide means can be used to guide coins in any application.
According to a third aspect of the invention, a coin dispensing mechanism is provided having coin guide means arranged to guide coins to an exit from the guide means, the guide means being provided with means to flick each coin out of the exit, the flicking means also being arranged to change the dispensing direction of the coin as it is flicked out.
Preferably the coin flicking means comprises a spring loaded arm against which the coins are urged in succession as they move along the guide means towards the exit.
By appropriate positioning of the spring loaded arm, the arm can be caused to guide the coin in a new direction and then squeeze the coin, causing the coin to squirt out through the exit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1963402 (1934-06-01), Comer
patent: 4589433 (1986-05-01), Abe
patent: 4592377 (1986-06-01), Paulsen et al.
patent: 2838746 (1980-03-01), None
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patent: 213751 (1982-09-01), None
patent: 157642 (1991-03-01), None
patent: WO 91/10974 (1991-07-01), None
patent: WO 93/21606 (1993-10-01), None
patent: WO 95/05645 (1995-02-01), None
Bell Mike
Paling Mark
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Bartuska F. J.
Coin Controls Limited
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