Check-actuated control mechanisms – With additional – disparate means preventing fraudulent... – Means preventing use of tethered check
Patent
1993-06-03
1995-06-27
Bartuska, F. J.
Check-actuated control mechanisms
With additional, disparate means preventing fraudulent...
Means preventing use of tethered check
194346, G07F 104
Patent
active
054272190
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to coin guiding devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known to provide coin guiding devices for controlling the movement of coins along a coin path so as to render this movement more stable. This is particularly valuable in coin validators, wherein the measurement of the coin properties may be influenced if the coin's movement is erratic. Such devices, sometimes known as "snubbers", may take either an active or a passive form. In the passive form, the snubber may for example be made of hard material, and disposed so that a coin inserted into a validator impacts the snubber which thus absorbs much of the coin's energy so that the subsequent flight of the coin is fairly stable. An active snubber may take the form of a lever extending across the coin path, so that the engagement of the coin with the lever causes the lever to move cut of the path of the coin, thus again absorbing some energy from the coin and causing its subsequent movement to become more stable.
Such devices can be quite important, particularly in validators which are designed to be used with coins having a large size variation. In such validators, controlling the movement of small coins along paths which can accommodate large coins is difficult. Also, in view of the increasing tendency to make smaller validators, the distance between the point of entry of the coin and the testing section is becoming smaller, and therefore it is becoming more difficult to ensure that the coin's movement is stable before it reaches the testing section. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a coin guiding device which ensures that coins adopt more reliably a consistent flight path.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a coin guiding device comprising a surface disposed normally in use in the path of a coin, which path has opposite sides each extending transverse to the plane of the coin, characterised in that the surface is inclined downwardly toward one of said opposite sides of the path so as to cause a coin which has engaged the surface to move toward that side, the device being arranged so that the surface moves thereafter in a direction out of the plane of the coin so as to permit the coin to pass.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a coin guiding device comprising a surface disposed normally in use in the path of a coin, which path has opposite sides each extending transverse to the plane of the coin, the surface being moveable under the weight of the coin in a direction out of the plane of the coin to permit the coin to pass, characterised in that the surface is inclined downwardly toward one of said opposite sides of the path to cause coins which have engaged the surface but not yet moved past it to tend to move toward that side, the surface being so arranged that the effective leverage caused by the coin increases as the coin moves toward that side.
Preferably, the surface is moveable out of the path of the coin under the weight of the coin. Preferably, the effectiveness of the weight of the coin in moving the surface increases as the coin moves toward the side of the path. As an alternative, it would be possible for the surface to be latched so that it cannot be moved until the latch is released, and for there to be means disposed at or adjacent the side of the path for releasing the latch when engaged by a coin which has rolled down the surface.
The device clearly has the advantage of absorbing some of the energy of the coin on impact, as in prior art devices. In addition, the device of the preferred embodiment tends to guide coins toward one side of the coin path, and will cause lighter (and smaller) coins to move further to that side of the path than the larger, heavier coins. As a consequence, all or most of the coins will be guided toward that side. Some of the larger coins may be capable of shifting the surface out of their path before they have moved toward the side of the path. How
REFERENCES:
patent: 777525 (1904-12-01), Long
patent: 2287292 (1942-06-01), Bugg
patent: 2708499 (1955-05-01), Patzer
patent: 3837454 (1974-09-01), Joeck
patent: 4243133 (1981-01-01), Nicolaus
patent: 4298116 (1981-11-01), Niemeyer
Bartuska F. J.
Mars Incorporated
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