U.S. patent number 3,752,168 [Application Number 05/025,527] was granted by the patent office on 1973-08-14 for coin orienting, sorting and dispensing apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Ardac/USA Incorporated. Invention is credited to Jack E. Bayha.
United States Patent |
3,752,168 |
Bayha |
August 14, 1973 |
COIN ORIENTING, SORTING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS
Abstract
Randomly oriented coins are moved along a series of upwardly
inclined ramps to orient the coins in a single plane and to
separate stacked coins. The ramps are covered with a mohair fabric
which has been treated so as to make it resistive of deformation in
one direction and compliant in another direction. The ramps are
vibrated to move the coins along the fabric. Non-jambing gates and
bars are provided to assure that none of the coins are stacked on
one another. The oriented coins are directed from the end of the
last ramp into a chute in which they are held in a vertical plane.
In one embodiment, retractable stops are provided for holding and
dispensing a predetermined number of coins from the chute. In a
second embodiment, the chute is provided with sized slots for
sorting the coins by denominations. A limit switch is provided to
stop the vibrator and, thus, the feeding of coins to the chute when
the chute is filled.
Inventors: |
Bayha; Jack E. (Chesterland,
OH) |
Assignee: |
Ardac/USA Incorporated
(Chesterland, OH)
|
Family
ID: |
21826597 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/025,527 |
Filed: |
April 3, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
453/9; 453/55;
453/37 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07D
3/04 (20130101); G07D 9/008 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G07D
3/00 (20060101); G07D 9/00 (20060101); G07D
3/04 (20060101); G07d 003/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;133/8,3D,3R,3B,3E,3H
;198/22A,22B ;46/1C ;221/156 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Shannon, Jr.; John P.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A coin handling device, comprising:
a feed hopper;
a housing having side walls and end walls;
a plurality of ramps in vertically spaced relation to one another,
each of the ramps being connected to the side walls, the lowermost
ramp being connected to one of the end walls and extending through
an opening in the opposite end wall, alternate ones of the ramps
being connected to opposite ones of the end walls and inclined
upwardly therefrom at a shallow angle, each ramp except the
lowermost terminating short of the end wall adjacent the upper end
of the ramp, the uppermost ramp receiving coins from the hopper at
a point adjacent the lower end of the ramp, each ramp being covered
on its coin receiving surface with a fabric which is resistive to
deformation in a first direction and compliant in another
direction, the fabric being oriented so as to cause movement of the
coins upwardly along the ramps upon vibration of the ramps;
a gate member positioned above one of the ramps a distance less
than the thickness of two coins and movable to prevent jamming;
and
a vibrator connected to the housing.
2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said gate member
comprises a vertical plate pivotally connected at its upper end to
said side walls.
3. The device according to claim 1 wherein said gate member
comprises a horizontal plate extending across one of said ramps
parallel to the front wall, said plate being supported by pins
extending through said ramp and carrying biasing means to allow
said plate to move upwardly as a bent coin passes under said
plate.
4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the end of said third
ramp extending through said front wall is bent downwardly, the
fabric covering said ramp extending around the bent portion.
5. A coin orienting device, comprising:
a frame;
a housing carried by said frame and having side, front and rear
walls and a plurality of ramps in vertically spaced relation within
said walls, alternate ones of said ramps being inclined upward
toward said front and rear walls, respectively, the lowermost of
said ramps extending through an opening in said front wall and bent
downwardly to provide a rounded end portion short of the front or
rear wall adjacent the upper end of the ramp, each of said ramps
being covered with a fabric which is resistive to deformation in
one direction and ampliant in another, the fabric covering
extending around said end portion of said lowermost ramp, the
fabric on each ramp being mounted so as to cause movement of an
object resting thereon in the upwardly inclined direction of the
ramp;
a vibrator mounted on said frame and connected to said housing to
vibrate said housing in a front-to-rear direction; and
a feed hopper mounted above said housing for supplying coins to the
uppermost of said ramps.
6. The device according to claim 5 further including a coin
receiving chute having a receiving chamber surrounding said end
portion of said lowermost ramp, a lower portion extending from said
chamber for holding coins in single file vertical relation, and
dispensing means for releasing coins from said lower portion.
7. The device according to claim 6 wherein said dispensing means
comprises a plurality of slots in the bottom surface of said lower
portion, the one of said slots closest said chamber being of
dimensions greater than the thickness and diameter of the smallest
coin being handled but less than the thickness and diameter of the
next smallest coin, successive ones of said slots accepting
successively larger coins.
8. The device according to claim 6 wherein said dispensing means
comprises first and second pins extending into said lower portion
to obstruct the passage of a coin therethrough, said pins being
separated from one another by a distance equal to the sum of the
diameters of a predetermined number of coins, and means for
normally holding said first pin in said lower portion and said
second pin retracted from said lower portion and for retracting
said first pin while simultaneously inserting said second pin into
said lower portion.
9. The device according to claim 8 wherein said means comprises a
bar pivotally mounted at its midpoint and mounting said first and
second pins at opposite ends thereof.
10. The device according to claim 9 further including a solenoid
for moving said bar from its first to second position upon receipt
of a vend signal and biasing means to return said bar to its first
position upon termination of the operation of said solenoid.
11. The device according to claim 8 further including a switch
responsive to the number of coins in said lower portion of said
chute, said switch interrupting the operation of said vibrator when
said chute has received a predetermined number of coins.
Description
In the handling and sorting of large quantities of coins, the
considerations of accuracy, labor costs, and time dictate that the
sorting of the coins be accomplished automatically. Various
arrangements have been proposed and are used for accomplishing the
automatic aligning and sorting of coins. The prior devices however,
have generally been of complex construction. As a result, such
devices are subject to frequent mechanical breakdowns. The
complexity of the prior devices also contributes to their costs and
makes them unsuitable for intermittent use or for the sorting of
small quantities of coins. Many of the prior art devices are also
subject to jambing when a misoriented or bent coin attempts to pass
through the apparatus.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a
device which is capable of orienting and sorting coins which is of
simple and trouble-free construction. It is also an object of the
invention to provide a coin sorting device which may be
intermittently operated to sort small quantities of coins. A
further object of the present invention is the provision of a coin
orienting and sorting device which is not subject to jambing. It is
also an object of the present invention to provide such a device
which may be employed to sort and dispense a predetermined quantity
of coins upon receipt of a vend signal.
The above objectives are accomplished in accordance with the
principles of the invention set out herein by providing a coin
orienting device which orients the coins in a non-stacked condition
in a horizontal plane and by the provision of a coin receiving
chute in connection with the orienting device. The orienting device
employs inclined ramps or trays covered with a mohair fabric which
has been treated so as to make it resistive to deformation in one
direction and compliant in another and is driven by a simple
vibrator unit. The coin receiving chute holds the coins in
non-overlapping vertical relation and may be provided with
cooperating retractable stops for dispensing a predetermined
quantity of coins from the chute.
For a more complete understanding of the invention reference should
be had to the following specification and the accompanying drawing
wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.
In the drawing:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the coin orienting and
dispensing device of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a framgnetary sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of
FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken
along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of
FIG. 2,
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 2 and
showing the coin receiving chute;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of
FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 8--8 of
FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 is a schematic showing of the control circuitry employed in
the coin orienting and sorting apparatus of the present invention;
and
FIG. 10 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 6 but showing a
modified form of the coin receiving chute.
The apparatus of the present invention consists essentially of a
coin receiving hopper 10, a coin orienting device 12, and a coin
dispensing chute 14. The coin receiving hopper 10 has end walls 16,
side walls 18, and sloping bottom walls 20. An opening 22 is
provided at the bottom of the hopper 10 for permitting coins to
drop into the orienting apparatus 12.
The orienting apparatus, illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2-5, has a
base 24 and a pair of spaced vertical side members 26 which are
mounted on the base 24. The upper ends of the side members 26 also
serve to support the feed hopper 10. Slidably mounted between the
side plates 26 is an open topped box-like housing 28 having side
walls 30, end walls 32 and 34, a floor 36, and intermediate ramps
or trays 38 and 40. The upper tray 40 is inclined slightly upwardly
toward the left and terminates short of the end wall 34 providing
an opening 42. The intermediate ramp 38 is inclined slightly
upwardly toward the right and terminates short of the end wall 32
providing an opening 44. The bottom ramp or floor 36 is inclined
upwardly to the left and extends through an opening 46 in the lower
portion of the end wall 34. The end portion of the floor 36
terminates in a rounded portion 48. The box-like housing 28 is
supported by compliant rubber mounts 50 fastened to brackets 51 at
the lower ends of the side walls 30 and to the base 24. The end
wall 28 is connected to a reciprocating vibrator 52 which is
mounted on the base 24 by a suitable bracket 54. This vibrator
imparts vibratory motion to the box-like housing 28 causing the
housing to vibrate back and forth supported by the compliant mounts
50. The upper surface of the floor 36 and the ramps 38 and 40 are
covered with a treated mohair fabric 56-58 respectively. This
fabric is of a commercially available type such as made by Collins
& Aikman of Roxboro, N. Carolina and is so treated by slanting
its pile as to be resistant to deformation in one direction and
compliant in the opposite direction. This characteristic of the
treated fabric may be employed to cause relatively light objects to
move across the fabric when the fabric is subjected to vibrations.
This can be seen in FIG. 4 where the pile 56a of the fabric 56 is
slanted toward the left. When the fabric 56 moves toward the left
the pile 56a is resistive to relative motion between fabric and the
object resting on the fabric, and as a result, the object is moved
along with the fabric. When the fabric moves in the opposite
direction the fibers are compliant and tend to move relative to the
object resting on the fabric. As a result, the object remains
stationary while the fabric moves beneath it. The fabric layers
56-60 are all mounted so that motion of an object resting thereon
occurs in the upwardly inclined direction of the respective ramp.
Thus, the fabric layers 56 and 60 are mounted so as to move a coin
toward the left and the fabric layer 58 is mounted to move a coin
to the right, when viewed as in FIG. 2.
Adjacent the opening 42 at the end of the upper intermediate ramp
40 there is provided a gate 62 which is hinged on a pin 64
supported by the side walls 30. The gate 62 depends downwardly
toward the fabric covering 60 of the tray 40. An opening 66 is
provided between the lower end of the gate 62 and the tray 40.
Closely adjacent the curved end portion 48 of the floor 36 there is
provided a horizontal plate 68 which is supported by bolts 70
extending downwardly through the floor 36 and having nuts 72 and
coil springs 74 for holding the plate 68 in position. The leading
edge 76 of the plate 68 is curved slightly upwardly and the plate
normally rides a short distance 78 above the surface of the fabric
56 covering the floor 36.
The operation of the coin orienting device 12 will now be
described. The hopper 10 contains a quantity of coins which are
randomly oriented. These coins drop through the opening 22 onto the
fabric covering 60 of the upper most ramp 40. While most of the
coins will rest flat on the ramp 40, they may be in stacked
relation. Assuming that the vibrator 52 is energized, the box-like
enclosure 28 will be vibrating as will the ramp 38 and 40. As
described above, the fabric 60 is positioned so that vibration will
tend to move an object resting on the surface of the fabric 60
toward the left, when viewed as in FIG. 2. As a result, coins will
be gradually moved from beneath the opening 22 toward the gap 42 at
the upper end of the ramp 40. The slight upward inclination of the
ramp 40 tends to cause only the lower most coins to move, these
coins sliding out from beneath the coins stacked above them. As the
coins continue moving along the ramp 40, they pass through the
opening 66 between the tray and the hinged gate 62. This gate
serves to restrain the upper coins of any stacked coin pairs which
may be traveling along the ramp 40. Thus, the gate 62 serves to
separate the coins of stacked pairs. If a bent coin moves toward
the opening 66, the gate 62 will serve to permit the coin to pass
rather than allowing it to jam. As the coins reach the edge of the
ramp 40 they drop through the opening 42 onto the lower end of the
second ramp 38. Should any stacked pairs of coins move to the end
of the ramp 40, they are likely to be separated at this point as
one or the other of the stacked coins will tend to fall first and
begin moving along the ramp 38 before the second coin falls. As
previously mentioned, the fabric covering 58 of the ramp 38 is
positioned to cause the coins to move toward the right, that is
toward the opening 44. As the coins reach the opening 44, they drop
onto the floor 36 of the box-like enclosure 28. The dropping of
coins through the opening 44 also serves to separate any stacked
pairs which may have traveled through the previous portions of the
apparatus. The fabric 56 is positioned so that coins tend to travel
toward the opening 46 at the upper end of the floor 36. As the
coins have traveled along the ramps 40 and 38 and the floor 36 they
are separated from one another as described above, and are also
spaced from one another. While, normally, no stacked coin pairs
will be present on the floor 36, the plate 68 serves as a guard to
assure that only single coins are delivered through the opening 46.
As shown in FIG. 4, the space 78 between the plate 68 and the upper
surface of the fabric 56 is slightly less than the thickness of one
coin so that as the coins travel under the plate 68 they are
pressed slightly into the fabric. Should a stacked pair of coins
approach the plate 68, the leading edge 76 while is bent upwardly
will strike and retain the top coin of the stacked pair while the
lower coin moves under the plate 68. In order to assure that no
jamming occurs, the plate 68 is biased by means of the springs 74
so that it can float upwardly should a bent coin attempt to pass
underneath. As the coins pass through the opening 46, they lie flat
on the fabric surface 56 and no stacked pairs of coins reach this
point. The downwardly curved end portion 48 of the floor 36 serves
to turn the coins so that they are oriented in a vertical
plane.
The coin sorting and dispensing portion 14 is illustrated in FIGS.
2, 6-8. This device has a vertical rear plate 80 which extends
downwardly from the opening 46 of the coin orienting assembly. A
front plate 82 is mounted on the plate 80 and spaced therefrom by
side members 84 and 86. The side members 84 and 86 and the plates
80 and 82 define a slot or chute 92 which is of a thickness only
slightly greater than the thickness of one coin and only slightly
wider than the width of one coin. The upper portion 88 of the front
plate 82 is bent outwardly to provide an enlarged coin receiving
chamber 90. These plates 80 and 82 are mounted so that the rounded
end portion 48 of the floor 36 of the coin orienting device 12
projects into the receiving chamber 90.
A pair of pins 94 and 96 project into the chute 92 through holes 98
and 100, respectively, in the rear plate 80. These pins are spaced
from one another by a distance sufficient to permit a given
quantity of coins to be held in the chute between the two pins. As
will be seen from FIG. 7, the pins 94 and 96 are mounted on
opposite ends of a bar 102 which pivots about a pin 104 supported
by suitable brackets 106 at the midpoint of the bar 102. A solenoid
108, mounted on a suitable support 110 is provided for pivoting the
bar and a coil spring 112 is provided for returning the bar to its
normal position when the solenoid is deenergized. A switch 114 is
mounted on the outer surface of the rear plate 82 and has its
operating lever 116 projecting into the chute 92 through an opening
118 in the plate 82. This switch is preferably of the type not
having a time delay feature so that the switch is responsive to the
mere passage of a coin over the opening 118 which causes the
vibrator to go on and off assisting in coin action.
The operation of the above-described embodiment of the dispensing
portion of the apparatus will now be described. As explained above,
the coins passing around the edge 48 of the floor 36 are turned
into a vertical plane as they pass this edge and no stacked pairs
of coins are present. The front to rear depth of the receiving
chamber 90 is sufficiently small that the coins are not able to
turn to a horizontal position but are directed downwardly into the
chute 92. As the coins move down the chute 92 they are stopped by
the lower pin 94. When a sufficient number of coins have
accumulated in the chute 92, one coin will rest over the slot 118
thus pressing down the actuating lever 116 and opening the switch
114. This will deactivate the vibrator 52, stopping the supply of
coins to the sorting and dispensing apparatus 14. As previously
described, the distance between the pins 94 and 96 is sufficient to
allow a predetermined number of coins to be held in this area. Such
an arrangement is particularly suited for use in a dispensing
apparatus such as a dollar bill changer where it is desired to
dispense a predetermined number of coins. Thus, for example, if the
unit is intended to dispense four quarters in change for one dollar
bill, the pins 94 and 96 will be separated sufficiently to permit
four quarters to be positioned between the two pins. It should be
noted that the pins 94 and 96 are located below the longitudinal
certerline of the chute 92 and in the region between two coins so
that it is not possible for a coin to interfere with the movement
of either pin, allowing the accidental discharge of an extra coin
or the jamming of the chute 92. Upon receipt of a vend signal from,
for example, a dollar bill validation device, the solenoid 108 will
operate rocking the arm 102 about the pivot and causing the pin 96
to move into the chute 92 while the pin 94 is withdrawn from the
chute. The coins in the chute below the pin 96 are now free to move
outwardly at the end of the chute and are thereby dispensed. The
pin 96 holds any other coins which may be in the chute 92 and
prevents there being dispensed. Upon completion of the vend cycle,
the solenoid 108 is deenergized and the spring 112 causes the arm
102 to rock back to its normal position bringing the pin 94 into
the chute and removing the pin 96 from the chute. Any coins which
have been retained above the pin 96 now roll downwardly to be
retained by the pin 94 and the switch 114 is again energized, in
turn energizing the vibrator 52 and supplying additional coins.
FIG. 10 illustrates a modified form of the coin receiving and
sorting assembly. In this embodiment there is provided a rear plate
122, a front plate (not shown), and side members 122 and 124 which
define a receiving chamber 126 and a chute 128. The lower side
member 122 is provided with a number of slots 130-136 at intervals
along the length of the chute 128 and these slots are arranged in
progressively increasing sizes. Where the device is to be used to
sort pennys, nickels, dimes and quarters, the slots are made of
such dimensions as to successively pass the smallest of the coins,
i.e. a dime, the next smallest and so on. Thus, the slot 130 is of
a size slightly greater than the thickness and diameter of a dime
but not as great as the thickness and diameter of a penny. Each of
the slots 130-136 leads to a magazine 138-144, respectively, in
which the sorted coins are stacked. Alimit switch 146 may be
provided for interrupting the operation of the vibrator in the
event the chute becomes filled with coins. Also, the lower end 148
of the chute may be open to permit rejected coins to be
discharged.
It should be understood that changes and/or additions may be made
in and to the described embodiments of the invention without
departing from the scope thereof. Thus, while in the described
embodiments the ramps are inclined upwardly, it is contemplated
that these ramps may be level or inclined slightly downwardly.
Reference should therefore be made to the appended claims in
determining the true scope of the invention.
* * * * *