US3559789A - Coin-handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

Coin-Handling devices are provided to distinguish genuine coins from spurious coins or slugs. The device includes first means to distinguish between coins and/or slugs formed from a ferromagnetic material from coins and/or slugs formed from a paramagnetic material. Preferably, the first means includes a magnet adapted to be moved into, and out of, face-to-face contact with the coin and/or slug. The device also includes either alone or in conjunction with the first means, second means which distinguishes coins and/or slugs having a smooth peripheral rim from coins and/or slugs having a serrated peripheral rim. Preferably, the second means includes a pair of pivotally mounted hangers having means such as a sharpened edge for engaging the peripheral rim of the coin and/or slug.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventors Willard A. Hastie 1.646377 10/1927 Dalmon 194/97 Aylmer East, Quebec: I 1,730,291 10/1929 Rakowitzky. 194/97 Austin Hastie. Ottawa. Ontario. Canada 2.096.647 10/1937 Pettersson 194/ 100 3 51 9 68 Primary Examiner-Samuel F Coleman pinemed 197-1 Attorney-Jacobi, Davidson, Lllling & Siegel [73] Assignee Coin Verifier-s Company Limited Ottawa, Ontario, Canada a company of Ontario [32] Priority Oct. 4, I967 [33 1 Canada ABSTRACT: Coin-Handling devices are provided to distin- [3 H L673 guish genuine coins from spurious coins or slugs. The device includes first means to distinguish between coins and/or slugs 54] COIN I-IANDUNG DEVIC formed from a ferromagnetic material from coins and/or slugs Claims, Drawing Figs. fonned from a paramagnetic material. Preferahly, the first means Includes a magnet adapted to be moved into, and out i U.S-

of face to face ontact the coin and/ slug The device f 3/02 also includes either alone or in conjunction with the first [50] Field of Search 194/9199, means. Seco'ndmeans which distinguishes coins and/oi- Slugs having a smooth peripheral rim from coins and/or slugs having References Cited a serrated peripheral rim. Preferably, the second means includes a pair of pivotally mounted hangers having means such UNITED STATES PATENTS as a sharpened edge for engaging the peripheral rim of the 1,095,418 5/1914 Raven; 194/97 coin and/or slug I i PATENTEU FEB 219w saw 10 [1F 11 Af-ronutvs COIN-HANDLING DEVICE This invention relates to coin-handling devices. It relates to a construction and means for separating genuine coins from spurious coins or slugs. It also provides a structure and means for segregating certain coins according to their denomination. It also provides a novel technique for sorting and segregating coins.

It is now known that slugs and undesired coins may be separated from desired coins by eddy-current testing of the slugs and coins. By these means, slugs and coins which have electrical resistivities and/or magnetic permeabilities that are appreciably different from the electrical resistivity and/or magnetic permeability of desired coins are rejected. However, some commercially available alloys have electrical resistivities and/or magnetic permeabilities which are sufiiciently close to the electrical resistivities and/or magnetic permeabilities of some of the desired coins to prevent eddy-current testing of slugs made from those alloys from separating those slugs from those desired coins. As a result, slug rejectors which were intended to accept certain desired coins and which were intended to reject all slugs and all other coins and which relied solely upon eddy-current testing have been known to accept some slugs which had electrical resistivities and/or magnetic permeabilities similar to the electrical resistivity and/or magnetic permeability of the desired coins.

Accordingly, it was proposed the art to improve the slug rejectors by using not only eddy-current testing of the coins and slugs but also testing of the weight and of the thickness of the inserted coins and slugs. The eddy-current testing enables the slug rejector to reject all slugs and coins which have electrical resistivities and/or magnetic permeabilities that are appreciably different from the electrical resistivities and/or magnetic permeabilities of desired coins, and the weight and thickness testing enables the slug rejector to reject all coins and slugs which have electrical resistivities and/or magnetic permeabilities similar to the electrical resistivity and/or magnetic permeability of the desired coins which are made from alloys that are different from the alloy of which the desired coins are made. For example, if the desired coins are made from a silver alloy, slugs that are made from a copper alloy which has electrical resistivities and/or magnetic permeabilities similar to the electrical resistivity and/or magnetic penneability of the desired coins would have specific gravities that are appreciably smaller than the specific gravity of the desired coins. This means that if slugs remain as thin as the desired coins, the slugs would not pass the weight test; and it further means that if the slugs are made thick enough to pass the weight test, the slugs would not pass the thickness test. However, if slugs are made from an alloy which has electrical resistivities and/or magnetic permeabilities similar to the electrical resistivity and/or magnetic permeability of the desired coins, but which also has a specific gravity appreciably higher than that of the desired coins, they may pass the weight test and also be accepted, since no commercial thickness tester currently rejects solely on the basis of being too thin.

in summary, then, current three-coin chutes sort coins, firstly, according to their diameter and then evaluate them by several additional tests, namely: (1) is the inserted coin undiameter (too small)? (3) is the inserted coin over diameter (too large)? (4) is the inserted coin too thick? (5) is the inserted coin a washer? (6) is the inserted coin (a) formed from bility, weight, and thickness tests of the prior coin separators. Thus, with the advent of real Canadian coinage made from alloys which exhibit paramagnetic properties, all coin chutes which differentiate between real coins and slugs by the use of eddy-current testing have been rendered obsolete. In other words, test number 6 above cannot be carried out on the new Canadian coins made from alloys which exhibit paramagnetic properties, e.g., the new Canadian 10 cent coins (dimes) and the new Canadian 25 cent coins (quarters).

This invention also relates to improvements in the segregation of genuine coins from spurious coins and/or slugs in a coin chute which includes a coin-feeding slider mechanism wherein the coin is subjected to sizing tests, surface discontinuity tests and magnetic permeability tests in order to permit only genuine coins to pass into an accepted coin chute. These latter types of devices are ones which operate on the premise that genuine coins will not be magnetic or magnetizable. Consequently, with the advent of new genuine coins in Canada which are formed out of material which is at least partially magnetic, i.e., is paramagnetic, these coin-separating devices are now rendered obsolete.

An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a means for distinguishing between certain real coins and slugs without the use of eddy-current testing.

An object of another aspect of the present invention is the provision of a coin separator device which may separate genuine coins made of paramagnetic material from slugs made of paramagnetic material.

It is also an object of another aspect of this invention to provide a coin-separating device which can distinguish and separate paramagnetic genuine coins from ferromagnetic and/or paramagnetic slugs.

It has now been found that a sequence of four tests can be carried out to separate genuine dimes and genuine quarters from slugs even when the coins are formed of material which exhibits paramagnetic properties. The first test is to ascertain whether the periphery of the coin is serrated, i.e., whether the edge is ribbed or milled. This test immediately rejects all smooth-edged industrial stamping slugs regardless of the material out of which they are made. The second test is carried out on the coins having a serrated periphery and determines whether the coin is magnetic or magnetizable or nonmagnetic or nonmagnetizable. if it is nonmagnetic or nonmagnetizable, it may be a slug, or it may be an old genuine coin, i.e., an old dime or quarter formed of silver or a silver alloy. These coins enter the chute and they may be accepted or rejected as desired. The magnetic or magnetizable coins are then subjected to the third and fourth tests. The third test ascertains whether the magnetic or magnetizable material is a material or an alloy of medium magnetic permeability. This will permit the rejection of all smooth-faced coins and the acceptance of imprinted coins of medium magnetic permeability. The fourth test is to ascertain whether the magnetic or magnetizable material or alloy is one of high magnetic permeability. This will permit all high magnetic permeability coins to be rejected, whether they are smooth-surfaced or imprinted.

In other words, the serrated edge test is designed to reject slugs which would not later be trapped by the conventional weight and thickness tests. With the advent of the new Canadian coinage which exhibit paramagnetic properties, the conventional eddy-current tests must be eliminated since the new genuine Canadian coins would adhere to the eddy-current magnet. Thus, the serrated edge" test is a substitute for the eddy-current test, but the other conventional tests, for example, thickness, overand underdiameter, weight and washer trap should be retained.

Tests three and four are designed to be carried out by a special sense magnet. The sense magnet responds to two characteristics of the paramagnetic alloy coin, namely a combination of surface finish and magnetic permeability. Thus, the sense magnet is designed to sense a characteristic which is the product of the magnetic permeability (a) and the area (A) of the coin in actual contact with the magnet. If this product is above a predetermined value, the sense magnet will retain the coin. If this product is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the magnet will release the coin. The initial magnetic permeability of nickel (used in the new coins) is about 300 and that of cold rolled steel is about 1500. Consequently, the test is designed to reject nickel slugs which are not imprinted and cold rolled steel slugs even if they are imprinted, assuming in each case that they have serrated edges.

Accordingly, by one broad aspect of this invention, there is provided, in a coin-handling device in which genuine coins may be segregated according to their denomination and in which genuine coins may be separated from spurious coins or slugs, the improvement comprising: (a) a coin passageway; (b) magnet means disposed in said coin passageway in the path of coins moving in said passageway, said magnet and said coin being relatively movable to place said coin and said magnet in face-to-face contact, whereby all magnetic or magnetizable coins and/or slugs are retained in said passageway by said magnet means for a predetennined period of time; and (c) means, positively actuated after the passage of said predetermined period of time, for urging said magnet and said coin out of face-to-face contact, said urging means being such that only those magnetic or magnetizable coins having less than a predetermined magnetic attraction are urged away from said magnet and are thereby released and pass to a coinaccepting chute, while those magnetic or magnetizable coins having more than said predetermined magnetic attraction are retained in face-toface contact with said magnet against the force of the urging means.

By another broad aspect of this invention, there is provided in a coin-handling device in which genuine coins may be separated from spurious coins or slugs, the improvement comprising: (a) a coin passageway; (b) magnet means disposed in the coin passageway in the path of coins moving in the passageway, whereby the magnet may engage and retain all magnetic or magnetizable coins and/or slugs in the passageway for a predetermined period of time; and (c) means positively acting against the magnetic field after the passage of a predetermined period of time for releasing from the magnet means, those coins whose product of magnetic permeability (p) and area (A) in actual contact with the magnet is equal to or less than a predetermined value, for passing those released coins to a coin-accepting chute, and for retaining, on the magnet means, those coins whose product (;1.)(A) is greater than the predetennined value, e.g. for releasing imprinted paramagnetic coins, but for retaining all ferromagnetic coins as well as smooth-faced paramagnetic coins.

By still another aspect of this invention, an adapter is provided for attachment to a coin chute wherein coins are sorted and separated from one another and from spurious coins and/or slugs, said adapter comprising: (a) a coin passageway; (b) means, in said coin passageway for intercepting and stopping the movement of coins through said passageway for a first predetermined period of time, said means being first (i) positively biased to retain all coins, then (ii) movable, after said first predetermined period of time to permit smooth periphery coins to pass on while engaging and retaining serrated periphery coins, and finally (iii) positively biased to release all retained coins after a second predetermined period of time; (c) magnet means, said magnet and said coin being relatively movable to place said coin and said magnet in faceto-face contact, whereby magnetic or magnetizable coins and/or slugs are retained by said magnet means for said first predetermined period of time, while nonmagnetic or nonmagnetizable coins and/or slugs are permitted to pass to a predetermined coin chute; and (d) means positively actuated after the passage of said first predetermined period of time for urging said magnet and said coins out of face-to-face contact, said urging means being such that only those medium magnetic permeability coins having an imprinted surface are released, for passing said coins to an accepted coin chute, while simultaneously retaining high magnetic permeability coins for later passing said coins to a predetermined rejected coin chute.

By yet another aspect of this invention, a coin-sensing attachment is provided for a coin-handling device, the attachment comprising: (a) base means defining on one face a coin passageway and provided on the other face with prime mover means; (b) a U-shaped treadle having the legs thereof pivotally mounted on the other face of the base means for movement towards and away from the base means; (c) magnet means reciprocally movable into, and out of, the plane of the base means from the other face towards the one face; (d) a coin treadle including a pair of spaced apart hangers on the one face of the base, mounted for oscillation in a plane parallel to the plane of the base means; (e) means, on the other face of the base, for positively restraining the oscillation of the hangers; (f) means, on the other face of the base means, for positively causing the oscillation of the hangers; and (g) means, initiated by the entry of a coin into the coin passageway for causing the operation of the treadle (b), the magnet means (0), the means (e) and the means (f) according to a predetermined sequence.

By a still further aspect of this invention, a method is provided for segregating coins at least partially according to their denomination while segregating genuine coins from slugs which method comprises the steps of: (1) moving the coin along a selected path; (2) intercepting the coin and stopping the movement thereof; (3) bringing the stopped coin and a magnet means into relative contact; (4) sensing the presence of peripheral serrations while said coin is stopped and while the magnet means and the coin are in relative contact; (5) permitting a coin not attracted by the magnetic field and not having peripheral serrations to move along a second path; (6) urging the coin and the magnet out of relative contact; (7) permitting a coin previously attracted by the magnet means and not having peripheral serrations to move along a third path; and (8) permitting a coin previously attracted by the magnet means and having peripheral serrations to move along a fourth path; whereby coins are segregated according to the following characteristics: (A) nonmagnetizable, nonserrated; (B) nonmagnetizable, serrated; (C) high magnetic permeability (i) imprinted, nonserrated, (ii) imprinted, serrated, (iii) nonimprinted, nonserrated, and (iv) nonimprinted, serrated; and (D) medium magnetic permeability (i) imprinted, nonserrated, (ii) imprinted, serrated, (iii) nonimprinted, nonserrated, (iv) nonimprinted, serrated.

By another broad aspect of this invention, there is provided in a coin chute in which a coin is separated from a spurious coin and/or a slug by virtue of the magnetic properties thereof, the improvement comprising: (a) a coin channel bifurcated into a coin-accepting chute and a coin-rejecting chute; (b) magnet means for drawing a magnetic or magnetizable coin and/or slug towards said coin-rejecting chute; and (c) means disposed adjacent to, and upstream of, the fork and adapted to sense whether said coin has an imprinted surface and, in response to said sensing, for urging a genuine coin, which has initially been drawn towards said coin-rejecting chute, towards said coin-accepting chute.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of the coin chute including the coin-handling device of an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the frontal face of the coin chute including the coin-handling device of an aspect of this invention;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the frontal face of the coinsegregating device of an aspect of this invention;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the dorsal face of the coinsegregating device of an aspect of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a section along the line V-V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an elevation along the line VI-VI of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a section along the line VII-VII of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a section along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the dorsal side of the coinhandling device of an aspect of this invention;

FIG. I0 is an elevational view of the dorsal side of the coinhandling device of an aspect of the present invention with the stripping plate pivoted through 90;

FIG. II is an elevational view of the dorsal side of the coinhandling device of an aspect of the present invention in which the stripping plate and the movable gate have each been rotated through 90';

FIG. 12 is an elevational view of the dorsal face of the coinhandling device of an aspect of the present invention in which the stripping plate, the movable gate, and the movable wall have each been rotated through 90;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the coin-handling and coinsegregating device of aspects of this invention in which the stripping plate and the movable gate have been rotated through 90,similar to FIG. 1 1;

FIG. 14 is an expanded perspective view of the cam shaft and an associated part of another aspect of the coin-handling device of an aspect of this invention;

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of a coin chute which includes the coin segregator of an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the coin chute with the coin segregator of an aspect of this invention removed in order to reveal the internal construction of other coin-testing devices;

FIG. 17 is a bottom plan, view of the coin chute as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16;

FIG. 18 is a top of this invention;

FIG. 19 is a bottom plan view of the coin-segregator of an aspect of the present invention; and

FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the coin segregator of an aspect of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, it is seen that the coin-segregating device 300 of the present invention includes a coin treadle 302 having a central main portion provided with upstanding sidewalls 306 and lateral fastening wings 308. The fastening wings 308 are provided with fastening apertures 310.

The coin-segregating device is provided with an electric motor 312 having a drive gear 314 mounted on the drive shaft 313. The electric motor may be driven by electric batteries (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) but other means of driving the motor as by a transformer/rectifier unit connected to conventional 110 V. AC supply may be used. The drive gear 314 drives a driven gear 316 which is splined or otherwise secured to a cam shaft 318. The cam shaft is rotationally mounted on the coinsegregating device 300 by means of a cam shaft bushing plate 320. The motor is firmly secured to the coin-segregating device 300 by means of a motor-mounting pin 321.

A plurality of cams are splined onto the cam shaft at accurately predetennined locations. These cams are a treadle cam 322, a sense magnet control cam 324, a first reject coin cam 326, a second reject coin cam 328, a lower coin cradle-control cam 330 and an upper coin cradle-control cam 332. Cams 326 and 328 are separated by a earn-spacing disc 334a; cams 328 and 330 are separated by cam-spacing disc 334b; and cams 330 and 332 are separated by cam-spacing disc 334c. A treadle is provided by parallel spaced apart treadle arms 336 joined by an upper treadle crossarm 338 to provide a generally U-shaped treadle. The lower end of treadle arms 336 are pivotally mounted on a pivot shaft 352. Treadle cam 322 is designed to cooperate with treadle arm 336 to provide the downward phase of the oscillatory movement of the treadle.

The coin-segregating device 300 is provided with a first L- shaped bracket 340, and a second L-shaped bracket 342 whose purpose will be described hereinafter.

Cams 332, 330, 328 and 326 are designed to cooperate with and actuate and control the movement of upper coin cradlecontrol arm 344, lower coin cradle-control arm 346, second reject coin arm 348 and first reject coin arm 350 respectively. The lower end of each of arms 344, 346, 348 and 350 is pivotally mounted on pivot shaft 352. The upper end of arm is provided with an engagement with upper coin treadlecoii'trol'tongue pivot shah 408, in a manner and for a purpose plan view of the coin segregator of an aspect to lie-described hereinafter. Arm 344 is biased to be normally in contact with a camming face'4l0 of upper coin treadle-control tongue pivot shaft 408 by means of spring 347 secured to L-shaped bracket 340. The upper end of lower coin cradlecontrol arm 346 is designed to engage camming face 400 of lower coin treadle-control tongue pivot shaft 396 in a manner and for a purpose to be described hereinafter. There is some resiliency in the cooperative connection between arm 346 and face 400 to accommodate differences in diameter of a dime and a quarter, in a manner to be described hereinafter.

Second reject coin arm 348 is biased to be in engagement with cam 328 by means of a return spring 354, one end of which is secured to arm 348, the other end of which is secured to first L-shaped bracket 340. In addition, further reject coin arm 350 is biased to contact cam 326 by means of spring 356, one end of which is secured to arm 350, the other end of which is secured to L-shaped bracket 340. Arm 348 has rigidly secured thereto second coin reject wire 349, and, similarly, first reject coin arm 350 has rigidly secured thereto first coin reject wire 351.

Cam 324 is designed to engage a cam follower provided by a link rod 368 which is disposed between first sense magnet control arm 358 and second sense magnet control arm 360. Secured to second sense magnet control arm 360 is a magnet kickoff lug 362, and disposed between arms 358 and 360 is a link rod 364. Mounted on link rod 364 is a sense magnet control arm return spring 366. The other end of spring 366 is secured to second L-shaped bracket 342. The purpose and function of spring 366 will be described hereinafter. The lower ends of first and second sense magnet control arms 358 and 360 are pivotally mounted on pivot shaft352. The limit of the pivoting movement in an upward direction is controlled by an outward limit ring 370 mounted on a limit ring mounting post 372 which is secured to central base 304. The sense magnet 374 is secured in position between the control arms 358 and 360 by means of sense magnet control arm-connecting studs 374.

Secured to the treadle by means of treadle link 380 secured to treadle crossarm 338, and to treadle arms 346 by means of treadle-connecting studs 382 is a switch treadle 378. Switch treadle 378 is provided with a switch lever-locking latch 384 which is adapted to engage a switch lever 386. Switch lever 386 is disposed in contact with the on-off contact (not shown) of a microswitch 390 which is mounted on the coin-segregating device 300 by means of a switch-spacing plate 388. Treadle 336 is biased to latch switch lever 386 onto latch 384 by means of a return spring 337, one end of which is secured to treadle arm 336, the other end of which is secured to L-shaped bracket 342.

Mounted on central base 304 is a support plate 392 provided with a pair of spaced apart brackets 394. The lower coin treadle tongue 398 is provided with a lower coin treadle-control tongue pivot shaft 396 which is pivotally mounted on brackets 394. One end 400 of shaft 396 provides a camming surface for engagement with the upper end of arm 346. Similarly, support plate 392 is provided with upper brackets 406. An upper coin treadle-control tongue 412 is secured to a pivot shaft 408 which is pivotally mounted on brackets 406. One end 410 of the pivot shaft provides a camming face for engagement with arm 344.

Secured to support plate 392 is a first bushing 404 in which is pivotally mounted a shaft portion of a first coin treadle arm 402, and a second bushing 416 in which is pivotally mounted a shaft portion of a second coin treadle arm 414. From the frontal view as shown in FIG. 3, a temrinal actuating portion of first coin treadle arm 402 extends laterally across to face a corresponding terminal actuating portion of second coin treadle arm 414 which also extends laterally across, with a space 418 provided therebetween. The shaft portion of first coin treadle arm 402 then extends downwardly in bushing 404, and the shaft portion of second coin treadle arm 414 extends downwardly in bushing 416. From the dorsal view as shown in FIG. 4, an intermediate leg portion of first coin treadle arm 402 extends longitudinally downwardly to a gently outwardly flared portion 428 terminating in an upwardly bent, serrated coin periphery engaging, and retaining. terminal portion 430. Thus, as seen in FIG. 4, the cross section of the terminal portion 430 is less than cylindrical, i.c. it has a flattened portion 4301, providing a sharpened, serration engaging edge 4302. Similarly. an intermediate leg portion of a second coin treadle arm 414 extends downwardly in a longitudinal direction to a gently outwardly flared portion 432 terminating in an upwardly bent, coin periphery (serration) engaging, and retaining, terminal portion 434. The cross section of the terminal portion 432 is less than cylindrical, i.e. it also has a flattened portion 4321, providing a second sharpened, serration engaging edge 4302.

Also, as seen in HO. 4, the central base 304 is provided with a sense magnet-mounting plate 420 provided with an aperture 422 in which the dorsal circular cross section portion of the sensing magnet 376 is adapted to fit. The central base 304 is provided with a switch-actuating tongue access aperture 426; the treadle crossarm 338 is provided with a dorsally extending switch-actuating tongue 424.

Tongue 410 which contacts the upper portions of segments of coin treadle arms 402 and 414 is biased to move downwardly by spring 347 when arm 344 is out of engagement with camming face 410 of the upper coin treadle-control tongue pivot shaft 408. This causes coin-engaging and retaining surfaces 430 and 434 to be spread apart, thereby releasing a coin having a serrated edge which had been held by engagement of the surfaces 430 and 434 with the serrated edge. Tongue 396 contacts the lower portions of segments of coin treadle arms 402 and 414 to prevent their downward movement, and hence to prevent the engaging and retaining surfaces 430 and 434 from being spread apart unless arm 346 does not engage camming face 400. However, as mentioned before, there is some resiliency in the connection between camming face 400 and arm 346 due to spring 353, and consequently, the engaging surfaces 430 and 434 may spread apart slightly to accommodate differences in diameter between dimes and quarters.

The coin-segregating device according to an aspect of the present invention is preferably adapted to be used in conjunction with other presently conventional coin-separating devices which separate coins by means of their weight, by means of their diameter, by means of their thickness, and by testing for the presence of apertures therethrough, and also is preferably used with presently commercially available coin-scavenging devices for the releasing of unacceptable coins or slugs. In order to provide a complete description of the cooperation between the coin-segregating device of the present invention and the coin chute embodying such coin-segregating device, reference is now made to FIGS. 1, 2, and 9 to 13. Brief descriptions only will be given for these particular coin separators, it being understood that more complete descriptions may be found in one or more of the following Canadian patents: 470,637 issued Jan. 9, 1951 to Robert M. Foushee; 552,761 issued Feb. 4, 1958 to Merral P. Haverstick; 561,074 issued July 29, 1958 to John Gottfried; 561,800 issued Aug. 12, 1958 to Merral P. Haverstick; 595,941 issued Apr. 12, 1960 to Merral P. Haverstick; 745,437 issued Nov. 1, 1966 to Anton Okolischan; and 755,884 issued Apr. 4, 1967 to Anton Okolischan.

Referring to FIGS. 9 to 13 inclusive, the numeral denotes the frame of the coin separator provided by the present invention. That frame is essentially a flat plate provided with a projecting flange 22 at the right-hand side thereof and with a flange 24 at the left-hand side thereof. Two ears 26 are provided on the right-hand flange 22. The ears 26 support a pivot pin 28 and that pin rotatably supports a movable gate 30. The gate can rotate about the pin 28 from a position in parallel relation with the center wall of the frame 20 to a position angularly disposed relative to that wall. A spring 32 encircles the pivot pin 28 and bears against the right hand flange 22 and against the gate 30. This spring biases the gate into parallel relation with the center wall of the frame 20. A spacer 34 is formed on the gate 30, and that spacer engages the center wall of the frame 20 to limit the movement of the gate 30 toward the center wall of the frame 20. This spacer will be dimensioned to enable the gate 30 to cooperate with the center wall of the frame 20 to provide the entering portion of a coin passageway.

A movable wall 38 is rotatable about the pivot pin 28. No spring is used to bias the movable wall 38 toward the center wall of the frame 20. A spacer 42 is provided on the center wall of the frame 20. This spacer will be dimensioned to hold the free edge of the movable wall 38 away from the center wall of the frame 20 a distance just slightly greater than the thickness of acceptable coins. An ear 44 is provided on the bottom of the movable wall 38 and that ear carries a nut 46 which can be adjusted to serve as an adjustable spacer for the bottom of the movable wall 38. The nut 46 will be adjusted to hold the bottom of the free edge of the movable wall 38 away from the center wall of the frame 20 the same distance that the spacer 42 holds the upper end of that free edge away from the center wall of the frame 20. Thus, the spacers 42 and 46 assure the maintenance of the proper spacing between the free edge of the movable wall 38 and the center wall of the frame 20 to accept genuine coins, but to reject, by jamming, coins or slugs which are too thick.

A slot 48 is formed in the movable wall 38, and that slot accommodates a runway 50 on the gate 30, and permits that runway to move into engagement with the center wall of the frame 20. Generally, above the runway 50 is a pair of downwardly sloping channels 49 and 51. The gate 30 carries a second runway 52 which extends to and engages the center wall of the frame 20. The runway 52 stops short of the ear 44 on the bottom of the movable wall 38, and a recess 53 is provided in the bottom of the gate 30 to accommodate that ear. Coins rolling along the runway will be guided by means of parallel channels 57, 55 and will then pass between the ear 44 and the center wall of the frame 20.

A pivot 54 is secured to the gate 30 at a point below the coin entrance and that pivot supports a first coin-sizing gauge 56. This coin-sizing gauge has two spaced projections 18, 19, which extend through slot 64 and cutaway portion 65 in the gate 30. These projections thus extend into a coin passageway defined by the gate 30 and the frame 20, and will intercept coins introduced into that passageway. A stop 67 is provided on the gate 30, and it holds the coin-sizing gauge 56 in the position shown in FIG. 9 during normal conditions of operation. A weight is provided on the coin-sizing gauge 56 to rotate it in a counterclockwise direction against the stop 67. When the coin of the proper size and proper weight enters the passageway and engages the projections on the coin-sizing gauge 56, the weight of that coin will cause the gauge 56 to rotate in a clockwise direction away from the stop 67. The coin-sizing gauge 56 will continue to rotate with the coin until the coin can fall freely from the projections of that gauge, whereupon the weight of the gauge 56 will rotate that gauge in a counterclockwise direction. The runway 50 which is provided on the gate 30 will receive coins from the first sizing gauge 56.

An car 83 on the free edge of the gate 30 carries a generally V-shaped deflector 84 which is provided with a weight 90 on one of the legs thereof. The deflector 84 will be free to pivot relative to the bracket 82 on stud 86, and thus will be free to pivot relative to the gate 30 and the center wall of the frame 20. The weight on the one leg of the deflector 84 will bias the other leg of that deflector into the passageway defined by the gate 30 and the center wall of the frame 20. Swinging movement of deflector 84 is limited by abutment of blade 36 with extension 187 on plate 186.

An L-shaped baffle 92 is provided at the lower left-hand comer of wall 38, a second baffle 94 is provided to the right and slightly above the baffle 92, and a third baffle 96 is provided above and slightly to the right of the baffle 94. These baffles are provided to keep coins from slipping into the space between the outer surface of the movable wall 38 and the inner surface of the gate 30 whenever the gate 30 is moved away from the center wall of the frame 20. If the coins tend to follow the gate 30. the forward edges of these coins will strike the baffles 92. 94 and 96 and will be kept from slipping to the outer surface of the movable wall 38. A spacer 98 is provided on the wall 38. and that spacer extends outwardly from that wall.

A stripping plate 100 is also pivoted on the pivot pin 28, and a spring 101 is provided to urge the stripping plate toward the center wall of the frame 20. The spring 101 encircles the pivot pin 28 and has one end bearing against the flange 22 of the frame and has the other end bearing against the stripper plate 100. The stripper plate 100 has stripping projections 104, 105, and 106 formed at the free edge of that plate. The stripping projection 104 extends through an opening 108 in the gate 30 while the stripping projection 106 extends through an opening 110 in the gate 30. The stripping projections 104, 105 and 106 are normally spaced outwardly of the openings 108, 109 and 110 in the gate 30, being held away from those openings by the spacer 98. However, whenever the gate 30 is moved outwardly and away from the center wall of the frame 20, the openings 108, 109 and 110 will be telescoped over the stripping projections 104, 105 and 106 respectively and thus, the projections 104, 105 and 106 will strip away any coins which tend to move with the gate adjacent the openings 108, 109 and 110. A roller 112 is pivoted on stud 113 to the upper edge of the gate 30. A pressure plate 114 including a generally perpendicular extension 115 provided with a roller 117 thereon is mounted on a pivot 116 which is secured to the center wall of the frame 20. The pressure plate is normally biased to the position shown in FIG. 3 by spring 101 that surrounds the pivot 1 16 and has one end bearing against the pressure plate 1 14 and has the other end bearing against the guide 21. A wiper arm 120 is secured to and moves with the pressure plate 114, and a cam 122 is secured to and moves with the pressure plate 114. As the pressure plate 114 rotates about the pivot 116 to move the wiper blade 121 through the passageway, the cam 122 will engage the roller 112 on the gate 30 and rotate the gate outwardly and away from the center wall of the frame 20. This rotation of the gate 30 will move the runways 50 and 52 away from the center wall of the frame 20.

A second coin-sizing gauge 168 is secured to the gate 30 by being mounted on a pivot 158. This coin-sizing gauge 168 has projections 174 and 176 thereon which extend through slots 154 and 156 in the gate 30 and are guided in channels 155 and 157 provided in the base 20. The coin-sizing gauge 168 is disposed below and to the left of the first coin-sizing gauge 56, and it will receive and test coins which are too small in diameter to be intercepted and momentarily held by the projections on the coin-testing gauge 56 and then delivered to the runway 50. The second gauge 168 has a weight 172 thereon that normally holds the gauge in the position shown in FIG. 9; whenever a coin of proper size and proper weight engages and is held by the projections 174 and 176 of the gauge 168, that coin will cause that gauge to rotate in a clockwise direction. The gauge will continue to rotate in a clockwise direction until the coin held by the projections of that gauge can fall free and permit the weight of the gauge to rotate the gauge back to the position shown.

A bracket plate 186 is secured to the gate 30 at a point almost immediately below the gauge 168. A feeler wire 190 is pivotally secured beneath plate 186. A weight 192 is secured to the feeler wire 190, and that weight, which is adapted to be disposed in channel 191 on the gate 30, biases the upper end of the feeler wire into the passageway 155 between the gate 30 and the frame 20 adjacent the gauge 168. The feeler wire is intended to intercept and hold coins or washers which have openings therethrough or which have abnormal surface deformations.

opening 126 is provided in the center wall of the frame 20 to permit other coins, such as United States or Canadian ten-cent coins (dimes) to pass from the passageway between the gate 30 and the center wall of the frame 20 and preferably also to any desirable testing mechanisms mounted on the subframe 124. This opening will be just large enough to accommodate coins such as United States or Canadian l-cent coins (pennies) which are to be detected and rejected by mechanisms on the front side of the center plate of the frame 20. included in those detecting mechanisms for the pennies" is an arcuate coin-intercepting plate 128 secured to the center wall of the frame 20. The arcuate portion of the plate 128 is spaced above and to the left of the upper portion of the opening 126, thus exposing an arcuate area of the center wall of the frame 20. This arcuate area will be narrow and will reflect the difference in diameter between a penny and a dime.

Dimes moving past second coin-sizing gauge 168 and passing through opening 126 will strike V-shaped deflector 84 with insufficient momentum to be deflected out of the runway, and will be permitted to enter the accepted coin chute. On the other hand, pennies moving past second coin-sizing gauge 168 and passing opening 126 will strike V-shaped deflector 84 with such momentum as to be deflected out of the runway. Thus, the penny will be deflected to the rejected coin chute, thereby preventing the blocking of the accepted coin chute with pennies.

A small centering opening is provided in the center wall of the frame 20, and a coin-intercepting element 132 is mounted on the gate 30 in register with the opening 130 in the center wall of the frame 20. The element 132 is provided with a pivot 134 that loosely secures that element to the gate 30. A centering pin 136 in the form of a cone is carried by the free end of the element 132, and that pin is in register with the opening 130 in the center wall of the frame 20. The pin 136 extends through an opening 137 in the gate 30, and that opening is large enough to permit the free end of the element 132 to move vertically a slight distance. When the gate 30 is spaced from the center wall of the frame 20, the free end of the element 132 will move downwardly under the influence of gravity until the shoulder that surrounds the pin 136 rests on the bottom edge of the opening 137. At this time, the pin 136 will still be in register with the opening 130 in the center wall of the frame 20, but the point of the pin 136 will not be precisely in register with the geometric center of the opening 130. As the gate 30 moves toward the center wall of the frame 20, the conical face on the pin 136 will coact with the edge of the opening 130 to raise the free end of the element 132 and thus place the upper surface of that element in precisely spaced relation to the stationary coin-intercepting element 128. Variations in the position of the free edge of the gate 30, due to manufacturing tolerances and wear, will be less than the centering made possible by the opening 137, the pin 136 and the opening 130. As a result, the coin-intercepting element 132 will always be restored to a precisely spaced relationship with the coin-intercepting element 128 whenever the gate 30 is parallel to and adjacent the center wall of the frame 20.

The gate 30 is provided with an inclined chute 31 at the upper edge thereof, and that inclined portion coacts with the center wall of frame 20 and with two spaced guides 19 and 21 on that center wall to define an entrance for coins. This entrance is in register with the coin-intercepting surfaces of the first coin-sizing gauge 56, and each coin introduced through the coin entrance 250 will trip microswitch actuating tongue 424 and will then be sensed by the novel coin-sensing element 300 of this invention and finally, will pass toward the gauge 56. This gauge is dimensioned to intercept and hold all United States or Canadian 25-cent coins (quarters) and coins or slugs of that or larger size which have passed the tests provided by coin treadles 402, 414 and by the sense magnet 376 and which are small enough to pass between the spaced guides 19 and 21. Since all coins passing the serrated edge test will fall starting at zero velocity from the coin-engaging projections 430 and 434 to gauge 56, if such coins are of the proper size and weight, they will cause the gauge 56 to rotate in a clockwise direction and to transfer the coins to the runway 50. Unduly thick coins will be too thick to pass between the movable wall 38 and the center wall of the frame 20. and thus they will be kept from passing to the accepted coin chute A partition 204 is spaced from the lower portion of the frame to define two coin passageways. One of the coin passageways is for coins which are intercepted and sized by the first coin-sizing gauge 56 The other of the passageways is for coins intercepted and sized by the second coin-sizing gauge 168. The partition 204 has an opening 200 therein. This opening is slightly above and slightly to the left of the geometric center of the partition 204, and an inclined projection 206 extends through opening 200 and rests in a channel 207 in the frame 20. This inclined projection 206 acts as an inclined plane and will intercept and deflect rejected coins out of the passageways defined by the partition 204 and the frame 20.

A notch 210 is provided in the upper edge of the partition 204, and that notch is located generally to the left of the opening 200 in the partition. The notch is V-shaped in configuration and has the apex thereof spaced inwardly from the upper edge of partition 204. A pivot at 212 is secured to the partition 204 and a bifurcated gate 214 is rotatably mounted on that pivot. Coin-engaging projections 216 are formed on the ends of the arms of the gate 214, and these projections extend into the passageway defined by the partition 204 and the frame 20. The projections 216 are spaced apart to define a coin-receiving opening for the gate 214 which is large enough to receive and pass the coins which are intercepted and sized by the second gauge 168, but which is too small to receive and pass the coins which are intercepted and sized by the first gauge 56. It also receives smooth-edged slugs which are rejected by coin treadle 402, 414. The coins that do leave through the opening in the gate 214 do so freely and without the interception and momentary holding provided by the coin-testing gauges 56 and 168. The left-hand edge of the notch 210 will act as the upper stop for the gate 214 and the bottom of the opening 200 will also act as the lower stop for the gate 214. These stops will act to define the bounds of the virtual opening provided by the gate 214. The gate 214 will normally rest against the lower stop but it will be able to rotate upwardly with rapidity and ease.

An anvil 218 is secured between the partition 204 and the frame 20 and it is disposed below and to the right of the lower end of the runway 52. This anvil will cause those coins moving through runway 52 to rebound to the left towards gate 214. if the coins happen to follow a path which enables the coins to pass between the coin-receiving projections 216 of gate 214, those coins will then follow the accepted coin duct and will be directed to the accepted coin chute. However, if the coins are authentic but follow a path which does not take them neatly between the coin-engaging projections 216 and the gate 214, those coins will strike the projections and force the bifurcated gate 214 to rotate until those coins can pass between the projections 216 of that gate. Thereafter, those coins will enter the accepted coin duct and be directed to the accepted coin chute. The slight variations in weight, thickness and resilience of coins of the same type is great enough to cause those coins to rebound from the anvil 218 at slightly different angles. Accordingly, if the gate 214 were held stationary or if the entrance to the accepted coin duct was made just slightly larger than the diameter of the coins intercepted and held by the gauge 168, many authentic coins would be unable to enter that duct but instead would be reflected backwardly from that duct. Such backwardly reflected coins will fall downwardly against the inclined projection 206 and be directed towards the rejected coin duct 208 and thus led to the rejected coin chute. Accordingly, to receive and pass substantially all authentic coins, it is necessary that the gate 214 rotate and that it rotate freely enough that the coins can move that gate into coin-accepting position. This is done by making the gate 214 of bifurcated form and pivoting it loosely on the pivot 212. Moreover, by having the stops for that gate so spaced that the gate is close to the average path followed by authentic coins, the gate does not have to move far to accommodate all authentic coins. The bifurcated gate 214 also serves to reflect nickel slugs and quarter slugs to fall downwardly against the inclined projection 206 and thus be directed to the rejected coin chute.

A second partition 230 is spaced behind the frame 20 so that the partition 204 and the partition 230 are oppositely disposed of the frame 20 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The partition 230 and the frame 20 define a passageway for coins whichare tested by a gauge 232 disposed on the rear wall of frame 20. The coins would successfully pass between the projections or fingers of the gauges 56 and 168 without causing those gauges to rotate and would then be directed through an opening 126 in the frame 20 to a gauge 234 on a movable wall 236 mounted on the frame 20. Thereafter, the coins wouldbe suitably tested and directed to the duct between partition 230 and frame 20.

A wall 238 is disposed rearwardly of the partition 230 so that partition 230 is disposed between the frame 20 and the wall 238. The wall 238 and the partition 230 define an accepted coin chute for coins which are intercepted and sized by the coin-sizing gauge 56. Those coins will be delivered by the gauge 56 to the runway 50 and will fall downwardly towards the momentum-absorbing lever 224 which extends through an opening 222 in the frame 20 and through an opening 220 in the partition 204. This lever spans the passageway between the partition 204 and the frame 20 and coins falling from the runway 50 will strike that lever. The lever may be provided with a weight and the momentum of the coins which strike the lever is absorbed to some extent by the raising of the weight. Thereafter, the coins will, if they are authentic coins, fall downwardly and strike an inclined surface 237 which is formed on the partition 204, This inclined surface extends through an opening 226 which is formed in the frame 20 and it directs coins through that. opening. Any such coins will pass through and be guided by the accepted coin chute between the partition 230 and the wall 234. if the coins which strike the lever 224 are not authentic, they will bounce to the left and will fall against the inclined plane 206 and be directed to the rejected coin chute 208.

Slugs or spurious coins which are intercepted and held by the projections on the gauge 56 roll along the runway 50 and may strike anvil 123 and rebound to the left past the lever 224. Whether the coins rebound from the anvil 123 or from the lever 224, those coins would pass through a portion of the passageway through which coins gauged by the coin testing gauge 168 must pass. in fact, the coins which rebound from the anvil 123 or the lever 224 can move sufficiently far to the left in that passageway as to attempt to enter the accepted coin duct 90. If those coins were to enter that duct, they could not pass completely through that duct because its width is smaller than the diameter of such coins. Instead, those coins would lodge in that passageway and interfere with proper operation of the coin separator. it is to keep such coins out of the accepted coin duct that the bifurcated gate 214 is provided. The coin rebounds from the anvil 123 or from the momentum-absorbing lever 224. if the coin rebounds from the anvil 123 or from the momentum-absorbing lever 224 and attempts to enter the accepted coin duct, that coin will engage and be held by the projections 216 on the gate 214 because those projections define an opening which is smaller than the diameter of such slugs or coins. in fact, the opening defined by the projections 216 on the gate 214 is so small that the slugs or coins cannot enter that opening sufficiently to lodge within it. instead, they can enter only part way and must then fall backwardly toward the inclined plane 206. This plane will then direct the slugs or coins to the rejected coin duct 208.

A United States or Canadian IO-cent coin (dime), and coins of comparable size, which have passed the tests provided by coin treadles 402, 414 and by the sense magnet 376, will fall through the space between the fingers 174 and 176 of the second coin-sizing gauge 168. Accordingly, those coins are deflected toward the upper end of the coin-intercepting element 132. As those coins reach the upper end of element 132, they will be in register with the opening 126; they will also be in engagement with the rear leg of the deflector 84. The deflector 84 will urge those coins toward the opening 126. If they are no larger than a dime." they will fall through that opening. Any coins which are larger than a dime" will be unable to pass through the opening 126 because the distance between the upper lefthand portion of that opening and the upper surface of the element 132 is carefully gauged to be just larger than the diameter of a United States or Canadian dime."

United States or Canadian l-cent (pennies), and coins of the same size, will fall between the fingers 174 and 176 of the second coin-sizing gauge 168 and will strike the finger 176. The weight of such coins is less than that of the nickel, and the diameter of such coins is less than that of a nickel, and, therefore, the cradle 168 is not rotated far enough to move the wire 190 out of the coin passageway. Consequently, the wire 190 deflects those coins to the left, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, until those coins engage the element 128 and will be gauged by those two elements. If the coins are slightly larger in diameter than a penny, they will be intercepted by the elements 128 and 132. Those coins can be freed from those elements by pressing on the pressure plate 114, thus causing the gate 30 to move away from the center wall of the frame 20 and laterally separate the surfaces 128 and 132. Thereupon, the coins will be insufficiently supported and will fall directly downwardly to the reject coin chute (not shown) below and in register with the elements 128 and 132. If the coins are not oversized, they will roll between the elements 128 and 132 and will fall downwardly until they strike the deflector 84. Since they are heavier in weight than a dime," they will be deflected less, and will be directed to the reject coin chute.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it is seen that the power to drive the electric motor 312 is derived from a pair of batteries 280, suitably connected as by brackets 282 to the framework of the coin-segregating device 300 of this invention. The cointesting gauge shown generally as 232 includes a movable base wall 236, upon which is mounted for pivotal movement a feeler wire 246 by means of a retainer plate 248. At one end of the feeler wire 248 is a counterweight 250, and the other end of the wire extends through a slot 252 in the movable plate 236 and into the slot 235 formed in base plate 20. The pivotally movable wall 236 is pivoted on pivot shaft 240 and is retained in position by a pivoted holddown plate 242, biased in a holddown position by means of spring 241. Feeler wire 246 senses the surface of the coin to detect any apertures or unusual surface configurations on the coin. If the coin is, in fact, not spurious, it will pass the feeler wire 246 and strike deflecting anvil 258 and is urged past reject wire 351 in a manner to be described hereinafter. Coins which pass reject wire 351 which projects through slot 229 in plate 230 are urged into contact with a second momentum-absorbing lever 260 which is pivotally mounted at 262 on a plate 264. Such coins are directed to an accepted coin chute.

Any coins lodged therein are scavenged by means of movement of the coin-scavenging mechanism previously described. Thus, downward motion on lever 120 causes primary scavenger arm 278 to move secondary scavenger arm 272 whose motion is transmitted by a scavenging link 274 to a pivoted wiper blade 276. Motion of the secondary scavenger arm 272 causes the camming surface 270 to contact roller 268 which serves to raise pivoted movable wall 236.

FIG. 14 shows the arrangement of cams and levers on the cam shaft according to another aspect of this invention. It is noted that the cam shaft and cam in FIG. 14 includes cams 322, 324, 326, 328, 330 and 332 shown in FIG. 3, and levers 344, 346, 348, 350, 358, 360 and 336 also shown in FIG. 3. In addition, however, there is a third coin reject wire 3511 secured to lever arm 3501 actuated by a cam 327 secured to the cam shaft 318 for the purpose of accepting or rejecting nickels.

At the beginning of the cycle, cam 330 is in its down" position and engages arm 346 to lock treadles 402 and 414. Also, the cam 332 is in its up" position and engages arm 344 to maintain the treadles 402 and 414 in locked position. When a coin is inserted, it first engages tongue 424 which is urged downwardly, thereby unlatching switch-actuating arm 386 from latch 384. This, in turn, closes the microswitch 390 which starts motor 312 and causes cam shaft 318 to start rotating. Immediately, after cam shaft 318 starts to rotate, cam 322 is disengaged from treadle arm 336, thereby allowing treadle arm 336 to be retracted by the action of spring 337.

Then, the first lobe 323 of the sense magnet cam 324 engages cam follower 368 to advance the sense magnet 376 into contact with the coin. At the same time, cam 322 engages treadle 336 to return the treadle, and consequently, the tongue 424 across the access passageway 250. This prevents a second coin from being inserted before the tests on the first coin have been completed.

The first coin is' 'now resting on coin treadles 402, 414, which are locked in their first condition by arm 346. At this time, all coins are retained between terminal portions 430, 434. Continued rotation of the cam shaft causes cam 330 to be disengaged from arm 346 to place the coin treadles 402, 414 in sensing position. At the same time, cam 327 engages arm 353 to cause S-cent coin wire 355 to start retracting. The coin treadles 402, 414 being unlocked, there is no longer any engagement between edges 4302 and 4342 with the periphery of smooth periphery coins, which therefore would tend to urge coin treadles 402, 414 apart and be rejected. However, since the coins are in face-to-face contact with the magnet 376, all magnetic or magnetizable coins and/or slugs will be retained on the coin treadles. All nonmagnetic or nonmagnetizable smooth-edged coins and/or slugs will, however, slip through between freely pivotally movable coin treadles 402, 414 and be either accepted or rejected according to further tests to be conducted thereon. All serrated-edged coins and/or slugs will be retained on the coin treadles 402, 414 by engagement of the edges 4302, 4342 on the serrations.

Continued rotation of cam shaft 318 causes the first lobe 323 of cam 324 to be disengaged from cam follower 368 to permit spring 366 to apply sensing tension to arms 358, 360 and hence to the magnet 376. At this instant, paramagnetic, imprinted smooth-edged coins will be displaced from the magnet 376 and since they can now slip between freely pivotal coin treadles 402, 414, will be accepted. All ferromagnetic and smooth-faced paramagnetic coins and/or slugs remain on the magnet 376.

Continued rotation of the cam shaft 318 now causes the second lobe 325 of the cam 324 to engage cam follower 368 for a second time to urge the magnet 376 into contact with the coins resting in the coin treadles 402, 414. At this time, cam 327 disengages arm 353 and coin reject wire 355 begins to return. Then, on further rotation of the cam shaft 318, cam 328 engages arm 348 to cause 25 cent coin reject wire 349 to move outwardly. Then, on still further rotation of the cam shaft 318, cam 326 engages arm 350 to start 10 coin reject wire 351 to retract. On continued rotation of the cam shaft 318,, cam 332 disengages arm 344 which allows spring plate 347 to urge treadles 402, 414 to the open position. At this instant, nonmagnetic or nonmagnetizable serrated-edged coins start through the chute, and may be accepted or rejected as desired. Magnetic or magnetizable coins and/or slugs are held by the magnet 376.

Continued rotation of the cam shaft 318 causes the second lobe 325 of cam 324 to disengage cam follower 368, allowing sensing magnet spring 366 again to apply tension to cause magnet 376 to retract to release paramagnetic imprinted serrated-edged coins and/or slugs of 10 cent or 25 cent value. All other serrated smooth-faced paramagnetic and all ferromagnetic coins and/or slugs are still held by magnet 376.

Continued rotation of the cam shaft 318 causes the first lobe 323 of cam 324 to engage the magnet kickoff lug 362, which causes the release of all smooth-faced paramagnetic and all ferromagnetic coins and/or slugs from magnet 376. At the same time,,cam 328, and a short time later cam 326, are caused to disengage arms 348 and 350 respectively. This causes the 25 cent coin reject wire 349 and the i coin reject wire 351 to return to the reject position. Dime or quarter slugs are. therefore, rejected.

Then, on further rotation of the cam shaft 318. cam 332 is urged upwardly to disengage arm 344 and cam 330 is caused to engage arm 346 to lock the coin treadles 402, 414. Then, on still further rotation of the cam shaft 318. cam 322 disengages treadle arm 336 to permit spring 337 to retract the treadle. This permits switch-actuating arm 386 to be latched on latch 384 which turns microswitch 390 off. The cycle is now completed on one full rotation of the cam shaft 318.

As will be seen from the above description. the addition of the coin-handling device of the present invention to a conventional coin separator, which segregates coins in accordance with their density, and their thickness, modifies the operation of these latter devices in order to provide additional tests as to the authenticity of the coins. Thus, the coin treadle arms 402 and 414 with their attendant engaging and retaining surfaces 430, 434 and sharp edges 4302, 4342 enables the coin-handling device of this invention to differentiate between coins having a plurality of serrations along the face of the rim, on the one hand, and coins and slugs having smooth such rim faces, on the other hand. This differentiation is due, as described hereinabove, to the presence of the sharp edges 4302, 4342 upon which the peripheral serration of the coins would rest when the treadle arms were unlocked, so as to hold the serrated-edged coins and to allow the smooth-edged coins to pivot the treadles 402, 414, and be discharged. Thus, it is possible to differentiate between Canadian 25 cent coins (quarters) and Canadian lO-cent coins (dimes) on the one hand, from Canadian cent coins (nickels) and Canadian 1 cent coins (pennies) and smooth-edged industrial stamping slugs, on the other hand. By an embodiment of this invention, it is also possible to sense and accept genuine 5 cent coins, while rejecting other similar sized unserrated periphery coins and/or slugs. These slugs represent over 90 percent of all false vends using conventional coin separators. The nonserrated periphery coins and slugs are passed to a reject chute. Such coins and slugs may then be subjected to tests by conventional testing devices to determine whether they are genuine coins or slugs by comparison with genuine coin characteristics, e.g., weight, diameter, thickness and the presence of an aperture therethrough.

The sense magnet 376, on the other hand, is adapted to engage the face of authentic coins or slugs which have been provided with a serrated rim, and also, by an embodiment of this invention, smooth-edged 5 cent coins. The sensing magnet first determines whether the coin or slug is formed of nonmagnetic or nonmagnetizable or of magnetic or magnetizable material. If it is made of nonmagnetic or nonmagnetizable material, it may be a genuine old dime or quarter or it may be a slug. Consequently, it may then either be rejected immediately or it may be subjected to tests by conventional testing devices to determine whether it is a genuine coin or a slug by comparison with genuine coin characteristics, e.g., weight, diameter, thickness and the presence of an aperture therethrough.

If it is formed of magnetic or magnetizable material, the sense magnet will determine firstly whether it is formed of medium magnetic permeability material or of high magnetic permeability material. This is accomplished by using a reciprocally movable magnet spring-biased so that it will hold all high magnetic permeability materials but will release certain medium magnetic permeability materials. The attractive force of a ferromagnetic material or a paramagnetic material to a magnet is set forth by the formula 2) (A). wherein p. is the magnetic permeability of the material, and A is the surface area in actual contact with the end face of the magnet. The magnet is spring-biased so that it will retain only those coins whose (a) (A) is greater than a certain value. Thus, when the magnet is sensing, all ferromagnetic materials and those paramagnetic materials having a smooth face will have a value of t) (A) greater than the force of the spring and so will be retained by the magnet. On the other hand, those paramagnetic materials having an imprinted face will have a value of (u) (A) less than the force of the spring and so will be released by the magnet. Since, therefore, the magnet support is springloaded. when the magnet is sensing, it will release only medium magnetic permeability materials which have an imprinted surface, but will retain smooth-surfaced medium magnetic permeability materials. Consequently, when the magnet is sensing, in addition to it rejecting all high magnetic permeability materials, it will also reject smooth-surfaced medium magnetic permeability materials and will only accept imprinted medium magnetic permeability materials.

The manner in which the coin segregation of an aspect of this invention operates may be summarized briefly by the following table:

4th Test 2d 3d Test Test 1st Test Coin Genuine penny- Penny slug. Genuine nickel. Nickel slug Genuine 01d dime. 01d" dime slug "Old dime slug serrated edge Genuine new dime. T do Pass. Pass. Pass. New dime slug:

(a) high t Fail (b) medium is do (c) serrated edge high it Pass Pass. Fail....

(d) serrated edge medium p. ..do do ...do

(e) serrated edge imprinted high p. d0 .do. .d0 (t) serrated edge imprinted medium u do .d o.- Pass" Pass. Genuine old uarter 1 do. Fail. "01(1 quarter 5 ug l Old quarter slug serrat Pass- Fa Genuine new" uarter. ..do- Pass Faltl (e) serrated edge high t. i sSsITi as s: Ii -11111 (d) serrated edge medium a ..do do Pass- Fall. (e) serrated edge imprinted high p.-. do do Fal (f) serrated edge imprinted medium a .d0 -do. Pass.. Pass.

The high degree of accuracy of the coin segregator of an aspect of this invention is clearly evident from the above table. It will be seen that the coin segregator will accept only genuine new dimes and genuine new quarters, as well as dime slugs which are formed of medium magnetic permeability material and also are edge-serrated and imprinted, and quarter slugs which are formed of medium magnetic permeability material and also are edge-serrated and are imprinted. The coin separator provided by the present invention will test four United States and/or Canadian coins, namely pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters as well as slugs of each. Each coin will be tested according tothe four tests described as well as for size, weight and thickness and the presence of apertures therethrough. By these sequences of tests, only genuine nickels, dimes and quarters will be accepted since the two dime and quarter slugs passing the four tests described will fail one or more of the size, weight and thickness tests.

Turning now to FIG. 15, the coin chute there shown comprises a main frame 600 provided with a pair of lateral guide channels 602, and a central depression providing a medium guide channel 604. Disposed in, and guided by, channels 602 and 604 is a coin-conveying slide 606 including a handle 607 and a coin-accepting aperture 609. Adjacent the coin-accepting aperture 609 and upstream thereof along the central longitudinal axis is a depressed portion providing a median guide flange 608, including an inclined plane 610, whose purpose will be described hereinafter.

Disposed beyond the transverse partition 61] is a support plate 612 including an upstanding flange 614 provided by a struck-out portion 616. A sensing figure 620 is pivotally mounted on the upstanding flange 614 by means of a pin 618, and is urged downwardly into slot 622 in support plate 612 through slotted channel 624 and into median guide channel 604 by means of a tension spring 619. The plate 612 is attached to the main frame 600 by means of plate-attaching

Claims (41)

1. In a coin-handling device in which genuine coins may be separated from spurious coins or slugs, the improvement comprising: a. a coin passageway; b. magnet means disposed adjacent said coin passageway to provide a magnetic field in the path of coins moving in said passageway, said magnet and said coin being relatively movable to place said coin and said magnet in face-to-face contact, whereby all magnetic or magnetizable coins and/or slugs are retained in said passageway by said magnet means for a predetermined period of time; and c. means, positively actuated during the passage of said predetermined period of time, for urging said magnet and said coin out of face-to-face contact, said urging means being such that only those magnetic or magnetizable coins having less than a predetermined magnetic attraction are urged away from said magnet and are thereby released and pass to a coin-accepting chute, while those magnetic or magnetizable coIns having more than said predetermined magnetic attraction are retained in face-to-face contact with said magnet against the force of the urging means; and d. means for releasing those magnetic or magnetizable coins having more than said predetermined magnetic attraction which have been retained in face-to-face contact with said magnet against the force of the urging means.

2. The coin-handling device of claim 1 wherein said magnet means is a permanent magnet, wherein said magnet is reciprocally movable into, and out of, the plane of said passageway for coming into face-to-face contact with coins moving in said passageway, and including means for withdrawing said magnet from face-to-face contact with the coin after the passage of said predetermined period of time.

3. The coin-handling device of claim 2 wherein said magnet means are spring-biased to cause said magnet means to retain smooth-faced coins formed of medium magnetic permeability material and all coins formed of high magnetic permeability material, but to release surface imprinted coins formed of medium magnetic permeability material.

4. The coin-handling device of claim 2 wherein said magnet means is mounted on an oscillatable arm, oscillation of the arm causing reciprocation of the magnet means.

5. The coin-handling device of claim 4 wherein said arm is oscillated by engagement with a cam.

6. An adapter for attachment to a coin chute wherein coins are sorted and separated from one another and from spurious coins and/or slugs, said adapter comprising: a. a coin passageway; b. means, in said coin passageway for intercepting and stopping the movement of coins through said a passageway, said means being first: i. positively biased to retain all coins, then ii. movable, during a first predetermined period of time to release smooth periphery coins while engaging and retaining serrated periphery coins, and finally; iii. positively biased to release all retained coins after a second predetermined period of time; c. magnet means, said magnet means and said coin being relatively movable to place said coin and said magnet means in face-to-face contact, whereby magnetic or magnetizable coins and/or slugs are retained by said magnet means for said first predetermined period of time, while nonmagnetic or nonmagnetizable coins and/or slugs are released, to be retained or released by means (b) depending on whether said coins and/or slugs have a serrated periphery or not; d. means positively actuated after the passage of said first predetermined period of time for urging said magnet and said coins out of face-to-face contact, said urging means being such that only those medium magnetic permeability coins having an imprinted surface are released, to be retained or released by means (b) depending on whether said coins and/or slugs have a serrated periphery or not, while simultaneously retaining high magnetic permeability coins; and e. means, actuatable after said second period of time to release all coins retained by said magnet; whereby all smooth periphery coins and/or slugs are passed to a rejected coin chute, all smooth face coins and/or slugs are passed to the same or different rejected coin chute, and all medium magnetic permeability imprinted face, serrated edge coins are passed to an accepted coin chute.

7. The adapter of claim 6 wherein said means (b) comprises a coin treadle including a pair of spaced apart pivotally mounted hangers each having means for engaging the periphery of a coin.

8. The adapter of claim 7 including positively actuated means for increasing the space between selected portions of said hangers, thereby releasing coins previously retained by said hangers.

9. The adapter of claim 8 wherein said actuating means comprises a cam-operated arm adapted to engage said spaced apart hangers to pivot said hangers in opposite directions.

10. The adapter of claim 6 wherein said magnet means is a permanEnt magnet.

11. The adapter of claim 10 wherein said permanent magnet is reciprocally mounted to move from a first position in which it is adapted to be in face-to-face contact with a coin, and a second position in which it is adapted to be spaced from the face of said coin.

12. The adapter of claim 11 wherein the magnet is secured to a pivotally mounted cam-operated arm.

13. The adapter of claim 11 wherein the magnet is spring-biased to said second position.

14. The adapter of claim 13 wherein the strength of the spring is less than a predetermined value of ( Mu ) (A), wherein Mu is the magnetic permeability and A is the area of the coin in direct face-to-face contact with the magnet, whereby the magnet is urged away from paramagnetic coins having an imprinted face, and whereby the magnet is retained by smooth-faced paramagnetic coins and/or slugs and by all ferromagnetic coins and/or slugs.

15. A coin-sensing attachment for a coin-handling device, said attachment comprising: a. base means defining on one face a coin passageway; b. a U-shaped treadle having the legs thereof pivotally mounted on said other face of the base means for movement towards, and away from, the base means; c. magnet means reciprocally movable into, and out of, the plane of said one face from said other face towards said one face; d. a coin treadle including a pair of spaced apart hangers on said one face of the base, mounted for oscillation in a plane parallel to the plane of said base means; e. means, on said other face of said base, for positively restraining the oscillation of said hangers; f. means, on said other face of the base means, for positively causing the oscillation of said hangers; and g. means, initiated by the entry of a coin into said coin passageway for causing the operation of said treadle (b), said magnet means (c), said means (e), and said means (f), according to a predetermined sequence.

16. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 15 including a motor for rotating a cam shaft having cams thereon for operating the treadle (b), the magnet means (c), the means (e), and the means (f),

17. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 16 wherein said means (g) comprises a tongue interceptable by the entry of the coin into the coin chute and movable to initiate operation of said motor.

18. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 17 wherein said tongue includes a transverse bar which is attached to the crossmember of said U-shaped treadle.

19. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 18 wherein said transverse bar includes a latch engageable with a motor switch operating arm.

20. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 16 wherein said magnet means comprises a permanent magnet.

21. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 20 wherein said magnet is secured between a pair of pivotally mounted arms.

22. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 21 including a cam follower associated with said pivotally mounted arms, said cam follower being operated by a cam for reciprocating said magnet.

23. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 22 including stop means for limiting the movement of said magnet out of the plane of said base means, and spring means for urging said arms against said stop means when said cam is inoperative.

24. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 23 wherein said cam has one lobe for engagement with said cam follower, whereby the magnet is urged into face-to-face contact with the coin once per cycle.

25. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 23 wherein said cam has two lobes for engagement with said cam follower, whereby the magnet is urged into face-to-face contact with the coin twice per cycle.

26. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 23 including magnet kickoff means, actuatable by said cam for positively releasing a magnetic coin held by said magnet.

27. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 15 wherein each said hanger includes: i. a coin peRiphery engaging terminal portion extending outwardly from the plane of said one face of said base means, said terminal portion being, in cross section, less than cylindrical, thereby to provide coin-periphery engaging sharp edges; ii. an intermediate leg portion extending upwardly in a plane parallel to the plane of said one face of said base; iii. a shaft portion extending from said one face of said base means to said other face of said base means; and iv. a terminal actuating portion extending in an inturned direction.

28. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 27 wherein the shaft portion of each of said hangers is mounted in a bushing upstanding from said other surface of said base means.

29. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 27 including: a first tongue adapted to contact a first face of said terminal actuating portion of said hangers, a shaft pivotally securing first tongue for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft portion of said hangers, a camming surface projecting from one end of said shaft, and means for operating said camming surface for moving said first tongue to cause said hangers to rotate in opposite directions; and a second tongue adapted to contact an opposite face of said terminal actuating portion of said hangers, a shaft pivotally securing said second tongue for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft portion of said hangers, a camming surface projecting from one end of said shaft, and means for operating said camming surface to cause said tongue to inhibit the aforesaid rotation of said hangers in opposite directions.

30. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 29 wherein the shaft of said first tongue terminates in an arm extending perpendicular to the shaft wherein a pivotally mounted arm is adapted periodically to engage said arm, and wherein a cam is adapted to operate said pivotally mounted arm.

31. The coin-sensing attachment of claim 29 wherein the shaft of said second tongue terminates in an arm extending perpendicular to said shaft, wherein a pivotally mounted arm is adapted periodically to engage said arm, and wherein a cam is adapted to operate said pivotally mounted arm.

32. In a coin chute in which a coin is separated from a spurious coin and/or a slug by virtue of the magnetic properties thereof, the improvement comprising: a. a coin channel bifurcated into a coin-accepting chute and a coin-rejecting chute; b. magnet means comprising a horseshoe magnet, the open legs thereof facing said fork for drawing a magnetic or magnetizable coin and/or slug towards said coin-rejecting chute; and c. means comprising a spring pressure plate disposed between said legs of said magnet disposed adjacent to, and upstream of, said fork and adapted to sense whether said coin has an imprinted surface and, in response to said sensing, for urging a genuine coin, which has initially been drawn towards said coin-rejecting chute, towards said coin-accepting chute.

33. The coin chute of claim 32 wherein said sprung pressure plate applies, to said coin being sensed, sufficient force to disengage said magnet from a genuine paramagnetic coin, but in sufficient force to disengage either a ferromagnetic slog or a smooth-surfaced paramagnetic slug from said magnet.

34. The coin chute of claim 32 including means disposed in said coin-accepting channel for intercepting and restraining nonmagnetic coins.

35. The coin chute of claim 32 wherein said means comprises a spring-biased finger, and wherein only paramagnetic imprinted coins are urged downwardly on said finger for urging said finger out of said coin-accepting channel.

36. In a coin-handling device in which genuine coins may be segregated according to their denomination and in which genuine coins may be separated from spurious coins or slugs, the improvement comprising: a. a coin passageway; b. gate means comprising a coin treadle including a pair of spaced apart pivotally mouNted hangers disposed in said coin passageway in the path of coins moving in said passageway, said gate means sensing the presence of serrations on the edge of said coin and retaining said coin by engagement with said serrations for a predetermined period of time; and c. means comprising an arm operated by cam-actuated lever means adapted to engage said spaced apart hangers to pivot said hangers in opposite directions, thereby increasing the space between a selected portion of said hangers, and operative after the passage of said predetermined period of time for operating said gate means to disengage said gate means from the serrations on the edge of said coin, thereby permitting said coin to complete its passage through said passageway.

37. The coin-handling device of claim 36 including second gate means, actuatable after said predetermined period of time, to direct said coin to a preselected accepted coin chute.

38. The coin-handling device of claim 37 wherein said second gate means comprises a coin treadle including a pair of spaced apart pivotally mounted hangers.

39. The coin-handling device of claim 38 wherein said means (c) comprises an arm adapted to engage said spaced apart hangers to pivot said hangers in opposite directions, thereby increasing the space between a selected portion of said hangers.

40. The coin-handling device of claim 39 wherein said arm is operated by a cam-actuated lever.

41. The coin-handling device of claim 40 wherein said cam is mounted on a cam shaft, and wherein said cam shaft includes a second cam for actuating said second gate means.

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