1989-11-17
1991-02-26
Spar, Robert J.
Coin handling
Assorter
453 5, 453 9, 453 15, G07D 312
Patent
active
049958488
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a coin sorter of the kind in which mixed coins pass on edge down an inclined ramp and are subjected to a series of tests which are used to sort the coins.
The term "coin" will be used herein to include a token or bogus coin.
In a common type of such machine the coins roll down the ramp with their rear faces supported by an elongate support surface which is provided with an elongate slot of stepped outline, the slot becoming vertically wider towards the lower end of the ramp. Depending upon the diameter of a coin it will fall through the slot in the support surface at a smaller or greater distance down the ramp. For each portion of the slot of a particular width, a coin collection chute is provided for directing the coins which fall through that portion of the slot to a respective open-topped coin collection box or drawer. Reject coins, which may be detected in various ways are dealt with in a different manner.
When it is required to sort a large number of different coin denominations it is accordingly necessary to provide a corresponding number of coin collection boxes which are arranged in a line beneath the ramp. The long length of the ramp and line of coin boxes leads to a very bulky machine.
In other such machines it is known to provide, instead of a stepped coin slot, a series of longitudinally spaced "peeler knives" which are arranged at different distances from the ramp surface along which the coins roll, and which selectively topple the coins from the ramp at different positions along the ramp in dependence upon coin diameter by engaging with the tops of coins of the appropriate diameters. Again, however, the ramp needs to be long to sort a large number of different coin types.
We have realised that it would be possible and advantageous to provide both peeler knives and slots.
According to the invention we provide a coin sorter of the kind comprising a ramp which is adapted to be inclined in use and to be fed at its upper end with coins of mixed types such that the coins proceed on edge down a coin edge support surface of the ramp, in which the ramp is provided with a coin face support surface for supporting one face of the coins as the coins proceed down the ramp, the coin face support surface being provided with aperture means comprising aperture portions of different widths in the direction normal to the direction of the coin edge support surface, the widths increasing towards the lower end of the ramp whereby some coins, depending on their diameters in relation to the transverse dimensions of the aperture portions, will fall through the corresponding aperture portions, the ramp also comprising a plurality of coin deflecting members spaced apart along the ramp and located at different distances from the coin edge support surface, the distances decreasing in the direction from the upper end of the ramp to the lower end of the ramp, the coin deflecting members being so arranged that some coins, in dependence on their diameter, engage with the corresponding deflecting member and are deflected away from the coin face support surface to fall from the ramp.
Since the coin sorter uses both the mechanism of allowing coins to fall backwards through appropriate portions of an aperture and the mechanism of deflecting coins forwardly off the ramp by suitably positioned deflecting members, it is possible to shorten the ramp considerably.
The invention also facilitates a much more compact layout of the coin collection boxes. Essentially, the chutes into which the coins fall may be arranged in an array of two rows rather than in a single line as with the known sorters of this type.
In a preferred arrangement of the coin collection boxes, an upper line of boxes is arranged such that the fronts of the boxes are arranged in line above the fronts of the boxes in a lower line of boxes, the boxes of the lower line being of greater depth than those of the upper line of boxes, in the horizontal direction normal to the box fronts, whereby the lower boxes collect the coins which have fallen thr
REFERENCES:
patent: 1271339 (1918-07-01), McGinnis
patent: 2764990 (1956-10-01), Pick
patent: 2886045 (1959-05-01), Brown et al.
patent: 4111215 (1978-09-01), Wicklander
patent: 4396029 (1983-08-01), Anderson
Hienz William M.
Scan Coin AB of Jagershillgatan 26, S-213
Spar Robert J.
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