Check-actuated control mechanisms – With additional – disparate means preventing fraudulent... – Means preventing use of tethered check
Patent
1993-06-04
1996-01-23
Bartuska, F. J.
Check-actuated control mechanisms
With additional, disparate means preventing fraudulent...
Means preventing use of tethered check
194346, G07D 500
Patent
active
054859069
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to coin validators.
A well-known method of fraud associated with coin-operated machines involves attaching string or thread to a genuine coin and then inserting the coin into the machine while holding the string. Once the coin has passed the validating section and caused an appropriate amount of credit to be accumulated, the user is able to stop the coin from passing into a storage section by use of the string. He can then operate the machine to obtain goods or services, and then retrieve the coin, for example by pressing an escrow return button.
Although there are a number of known techniques for avoiding this coin-on-a-string fraud, it would be desirable to provide a solution which is very inexpensive to implement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a coin validator having a sensing arrangement which is arranged to detect the passage of a coin which has left a testing section so as to trigger the accumulation of credit, characterised in that the sensing arrangement comprises a flap which is moved away from a first position by a coin leaving the testing section, and which will be held away from the first position by a thread attached to the coin and held by a user, thereby to inhibit the triggering of accumulation of credit.
It is known in validators to trigger the accumulation of credit only after the coin has moved past a sensor. By the simple provision of the flap, this sensing arrangement can be able to detect the passage of the coin by sensing when the flap returns to its first position. If it is prevented from returning by a thread attached to the coin, no credit is accumulated. It is therefore possible to avoid coin-on-a-string fraud by the simple addition of a flap to a known form of sensing arrangement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Arrangements embodying the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a coin mechanism including a validator according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective, exploded view of a sensing arrangement in the validator;
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section through part of the sensing arrangement;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a flap of the sensing arrangement; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of part of a sensing arrangement of another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, a coin mechanism 2 has a validator 4 which comprises a hopper 6 into which coins can be inserted. The coins fall on to a ramp 8 and then roll down the ramp past a testing region indicated by the shaded section 10. The coins then fall towards an accept gate shown schematically at 12. If the coins have been tested and found not to be genuine, the coins are diverted by the accept gate 12 into a reject path 14, which delivers the coins to a refund tray 16.
If the coins are acceptable, a solenoid is energised to cause the accept gate 12 to shift into a position in which it opens an accept path 18 leading to an escrow bucket 20. Coins entering the accept path 18 move past a sensing arrangement shown generally at 22. After the sensing arrangement 22 has detected that a coin has moved past, it triggers the accumulation of credit, thus permitting a user to operate a machine (not shown) in which the validator is housed. After the machine has provided goods or a service to the value of the accumulated credit, an escrow accept gate 24 is opened to allow a coin or coins held thereby to fall into a cash box 26. Before provision of the goods or services, the user can alternatively press an escrow return button (not shown) to cause an escrow return gate 28 to open and so allow coins in the escrow bucket 20 to travel to the refund tray 16.
Arrangements generally of this type are well known, although the physical structure of such arrangements varies substantially.
If the user attaches thread or cotton to the coin, he can prevent the coin
REFERENCES:
patent: 3279574 (1966-10-01), Seiden
patent: 4298116 (1981-11-01), Niemeyer
patent: 4625851 (1986-12-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 4881630 (1989-11-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 4918724 (1990-04-01), Vogl et al.
patent: 5145046 (1992-09-01), Satoh
Newton Michael E.
Nunn Michael D.
Bartuska F. J.
Mars Incorporated
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