Coin handling – Assorter
Patent
1993-01-29
1994-10-18
Bartuska, F. J.
Coin handling
Assorter
453 17, 453 61, G07D 314, G07D 906
Patent
active
053563328
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to coin mechanisms.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The term "coin" when used herein includes genuine coins, tokens, counterfeit coins and any other objects which may be inserted into a coin mechanism in an attempt to obtain any kind of goods or services.
Coin mechanisms are well known, which test coins as to their acceptability and, if acceptable, indicate their denomination, and which in respect of at least some of the acceptable denominations, direct them to respective coin stores, these usually being in the form of coin tubes, which may have different diameters depending upon the particular coin denomination each is intended to contain, and which are adapted to hold the coins in a vertical stack face-to-face. A coin dispensing arrangement is provided for dispensing appropriate combinations of coins from the bottoms of the stacks for the purpose of giving change or providing prizes. Additionally, there is usually a cashbox to which are directed coins which it is not intended to dispense either as change or as prizes, and also coins which might normally be directed to specific coin stores but which are accepted when the particular coin store in question is already full.
Coin mechanisms of this general type are well known and widely sold.
It is also known that there are some situations in which a particular coin denomination will need to be dispensed, in change or as a prize, sufficiently often that the coin store for that denomination is likely to become exhausted more frequently than is desirable. In an attempt to reduce the resulting problems, some coin mechanisms have been adapted to be equipped with an "auxiliary" coin tube which is individually mountable to, and demountable from, the coin mechanism manually without the use of tools. The auxiliary coin tube is pre-loaded manually with coins of the frequently-used denomination and mounted to the coin mechanism. There are then available for dispensing whatever coins may be already in, or delivered to, the main coin tube for that denomination, plus the quantity of coins of that denomination contained in the auxiliary tube. Over a period of time, nevertheless, it is still likely that the supply of coins of that denomination will become exhausted in which case the auxiliary tube will need to be manually replenished or replaced by a new one pre-loaded with a further supply of the frequently-used denomination of coin. To minimise the frequency with which the auxiliary coin tube has to be manually replenished or exchanged for a new, full, one it is desired for its capacity to be as great as possible, that is to say for its height also to be as great as possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to reduce the frequency with which a large-capacity coin store has to be manually replenished or replaced with a pre-loaded new one.
The invention provides a coin mechanism comprising testing means for testing coins as to their acceptability, a substantially upright coin store adapted to contain a plurality of acceptable coins of a particular denomination up to an upper level, and a coin dispenser for dispensing coins from the lower end of the store, characterised in that said coin store is provided with a coin inlet located below said upper level, and in that means is provided for delivering acceptable coins of said denomination from the testing means through said inlet into the store.
The fact that coins can be delivered into the store at a level lower than the predetermined upper level for stored coins means that the height, and therefore the capacity, of the coin store can be as great as is permissible within whatever space is available yet, at the same time, the store can also be replenished through the inlet, which can be positioned at a level at or below that to which coins can be delivered after having passed by gravity through the testing means and a coin separator which normally will be present for the purpose of separating different denominations of accepted coins and routing the
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patent: 4606360 (1986-08-01), Mills
patent: 5052538 (1991-10-01), Satoh
Mar. 18, 1991 Search Report of corresponding Great Britain application.
Jan. 2, 1991 Search Report of corresponding Great Britain application.
International Search Report of corresponding PCT application No. PCT/GB91/01206.
Campbell Bernard J.
Thompson Trevor
Bartuska F. J.
Mars Incorporated
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