Coin handling – Deliverer – Delivery of a single coin
Patent
1994-05-18
1995-04-18
Bartuska, F. J.
Coin handling
Deliverer
Delivery of a single coin
G07D 100
Patent
active
054073880
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to coin stores, and is particularly but not exclusively concerned with coin escrows, which are stores used, e.g. in payphones, for temporarily retaining coins before dispensing them so that they can either be retained in a cash box or refunded to a user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The applicants disclosed and claimed in their International Patent Application published under No. WO 91/06073 (which is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety) coin stores of a type involving a helical structure which was rotated to dispense coins from various exits, and which had advantages of compactness and low power consumption among others. A corresponding U.S. application issued on Oct. 18, 1994, bearing U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,333.
In those coin stores, a motor was required to rotate the helical structure. Additionally, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 8 additional actuators were required to position the tubes 42 and 44 so as to select coin exits and in the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10, where the helical structure was integral with a single outer tube, one additional actuator was required to selectively inhibit and enable coin exits 20 and 24.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a coin store which retains many of the advantages of those prior coin stores but which is simpler in construction and lower in cost and which may also consume less power.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a coin store comprising a helical structure for receiving coins and storing them between turns so that they can be moved in either of two directions by rotation of the structure, and drive means for rotating the structure in either of two corresponding directions, characterised by means which is operable to selectively enable a coin access point of the store in response to operation of said drive means.
Thus, the drive means which rotates the helical structure serves also to selectively enable a coin access point, so that no additional actuators are required for the latter purpose.
Preferably, said access point is an exit point for stored coins, and said means is operable to enable that exit point in response to operation of the drive means in the direction for moving coins towards said exit point, so that when coins reach that point they can exit at it.
In a preferred embodiment which will be described, that exit point is inhibited when the helical structure is rotated in the opposite direction, but this is not essential because during rotation in that direction coins are moving away from that exit point so it does not matter whether it is open or closed.
Preferably there is a further coin exit point, whereby coins stored between the two exit points can be selectively moved towards, and exit at, either them depending upon the direction of operation of said drive means.
Preferably, the first-mentioned exit point leads to a coin refund path and the further coin exit point leads to a cash box.
As fully explained in the above-mentioned published application, coins which have been inserted by a user are temporarily stored in the coin store and dispensed from there to the cash box to the extent that is necessary to pay for goods or a service (such a telephone call) and any surplus coins remaining after that has been done are dispensed on the refund path and hence returned to the user.
In the described embodiment of the present invention, dispensing to the cash box is achieved by rotating the helical structure in one direction, and dispensing to the refund path is done by rotating the helical structure in the opposite direction, which will result in the refund exit automatically being enabled in response to the operation of the drive means, so the coins can exit from it as they arrive there in turn.
The coin store further has an entry point for the entry of coins to between turns of the helical structure. Normally, the coins arriving at the entry point will have been validated by a coin validator, and routed to the entry point, as more fully descr
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Comfort John J.
Newton Michael E.
Bartuska F. J.
Mars Incorporated
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