U.S. patent number 3,788,334 [Application Number 05/169,266] was granted by the patent office on 1974-01-29 for rotary disk coin dispenser with spring tabs.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The National Cash Register Company. Invention is credited to Ignatius B. Saraceno, Gary R. Wegmiller.
United States Patent |
3,788,334 |
Saraceno , et al. |
January 29, 1974 |
ROTARY DISK COIN DISPENSER WITH SPRING TABS
Abstract
A coin dispenser which includes a rotating disc for transporting
coins from the supply area to a stacking chute. The rotating disc
includes a plurality of spring tabs which function to engage and
hold the coins loosely on a ledge portion located on the rotating
disc. As the coins are transported by the tabs to the stacking
chute, the coins will roll off the ledge into the stacking chute.
If the stacking chute is full, the coins upon engaging the coins in
the chute, will deflect the tabs, thus releasing the coins so that
they will fall back into the supply area. Thus the disc can be
constantly rotated while the stacking chute is full.
Inventors: |
Saraceno; Ignatius B.
(Cambridge, OH), Wegmiller; Gary R. (New Concord, OH) |
Assignee: |
The National Cash Register
Company (Dayton, OH)
|
Family
ID: |
22614920 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/169,266 |
Filed: |
August 5, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
453/57;
221/182 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07D
9/008 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G07D
9/00 (20060101); G07d 001/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;221/182
;133/2,4R,3R,3A,3B,3C,3D,3E,3G,3H,8R,8A,8B,8D,8E ;194/9R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Scherbel; David A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cavender; J. T. Hawk, Jr.; Wilbert
Lavin; Richard W.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A coin dispensing apparatus comprising
a. a coin hopper for storing coins deposited therein;
b. a coin chute for receiving and accumulating a predetermined
number of coins thereby establishing a full condition;
c. means for transporting coins from said hopper to said coin chute
including a disc member rotatably mounted in a slanted direction
adjacent said coin hopper and the entrance of said coin chute, said
disc member having a supporting surface and a plurality of spaced
apertures located adjacent said supporting surface;
d. a plurality of resilient support members each mounted on the
underside of said disc member and adjacent one of said apertures,
each of said support members having a bent over end portion
extending through one of said apertures to a coin supporting
position with the upper surface of the disc member and said
supporting surface;
e. and drive means engaging said disc member for continuously
rotating said disc member through said coin hopper whereby coins
deposited on the upper surface of the disc member are engaged and
freely supported on the disc member by the bent over end portion of
said support member and said supporting surface, the coins being
transported by the disc member from the coin hopper to said coin
chute, said bent over end portion being deflected into its
associated aperture by the supported coin upon engagement of the
supported coin with the last coin in the coin chute when the coin
chute is in a full condition, the supported coin being deflected
from said supporting surface to the coin hopper by the end of the
bent over end portion as it moves past the supported coin.
2. The coin dispensing apparatus of claim 1 in which said resilient
support members each comprise a spring-mounted tab member whose
bent over end portion is of a width sufficient to fully support a
coin.
3. The coin dispensing apparatus of claim 2 in which said coin
chute is positioned in an inclined plane whereby coins deposited in
said coin chute by said disc member will move through the coin
chute by gravity, and which includes a rotatably mounted gate
member positioned at the end of said coin chute for normally
blocking coins in said coin chute, said gate member adapted, when
operated, to release a coin from said coin chute thereby allowing a
coin transported by said disc member to be deposited in said coin
chute.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Change dispensers found in the prior art are usually of a complex
construction and, therefore, very costly. One of the reasons for
this complex construction is the result of providing a mechanism in
which the coins will not jam during its operation. This jamming of
coins usually occurs when the coin chute is full and the transport
mechanism continues to feed coins into the chute. In order to
eliminate this problem, elaborate and costly sensing means are
provided to sense when the coin chute is full and to then stop the
operation of the transport means. An example of this construction
is the U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,760 issued to L. G. Simjian on June 8,
1965.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a coin
dispenser whose construction will prevent mis-operation due to
jamming of the coins in the coin chute by the transport means. It
is another object of this invention to provide a coin dispenser
having a coin reservoir which is easily accessible for replenishing
when empty. It is a further object of this invention to provide a
coin dispenser which is simple in operation and construction and,
therefore, low in cost. In order to carry out these objects, there
is provided a coin dispenser which includes an inclined rotating
disc member having a plurality of spring-actuated support members
for transporting coins to a coin chute and which also includes a
ledge portion located on the rotating disc for supporting the coins
that are being transported to the coin chute. Upon engaging a coin
in the coin chute, the spring-actuated support member will be
actuated to release the coins which then fall off the ledge portion
back into the coin reservoir.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
FIG. 1 is an exploded oblique view of the coin dispenser.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the coin dispenser with a portion of the
coin hopper broken away.
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the coin dispenser.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the coin dispenser taken on lines
4--4 of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an exploded view of one of a
number of coin dispensers which make up the change dispenser. Each
coin dispenser unit will dispense a coin of one denomination. Since
each coin dispenser is of the same construction, only one will be
disclosed herein. Included in each of the coin dispensers is a disc
member 20 rotatably supported within a hub portion 21 of a support
plate 22 by means of a screw 23. The disc 20 has a center extension
portion 24 (FIG. 4) which is rotatably supported by a back wall
portion 25 of a coin hopper 26 secured to a chute member 27. The
disc 20 is positioned within a cut-out proportion 28 of the chute
member 27 to which is also secured the support plate 22. Thus the
disc 20 is enclosed by the coin hopper 26 on one side and the
support member 22 on the other.
Secured to one side of the disc 20 is a plurality of gear teeth 30
which is engaged by a drive gear (not shown) for rotating the disc
20. On the opposite side of the disc 20, there is a raised lip
portion 31 (FIGS. 3 and 4) which, as will be described more fully
hereinafter, functions as a ledge which supports coins during the
operation of the dispenser. Mounted on studs 32 (FIG. 1), secured
to the disc 20, are two sets of spring tabs 33 having a lip
extension 34 which is positioned within a slot 35 located in the
disc 20. The lip extension 34 protrudes through the slot 35 and out
of the other side of the disc. There are a set of four tabs
positioned along the outer perimeter of the disc and a set of three
tabs around the inner perimeter of the disc. As will be described
more fully hereinafter, the inner tabs 33 are utilized to aggitate
the coins in a coin hopper while the outer tabs 33 are used for
transporting coins from the coin hopper to the coin chute.
As shown in FIG. 1, located in the chute member 27 is a coin chute
36 at the bottom of which is located a gate 37, which, in turn, is
rotatively mounted by means of studs 38 within slots 40 located in
the member 27. A solenoid 41 mounted on the support plate 22 has an
armature 42 which engages an arm portion 43 of the gate 37.
Energizing of the solenoid 41 will result in the rotation of the
gate 37, thereby allowing the coins in a coin chute 36 to drop into
a receptacle (not shown).
In the operation of the coin dispenser, coins will be loaded into
the coin hopper 26 and the disc 20 will be rotated in a clockwise
direction (FIG. 2) by the drive gear (not shown) which engages the
gear teeth 30. Since the bottom of the coin hopper 26 is open to
the bottom portion of the disc 20, coins deposited in the hopper
will pile against the disc 20. As the disc rotates, the lip
extensions 34 of the outer tabs 33 extending through the slots 35
in the disc 20 will engage and support a coin as it moves through
the coin hopper. At this time, the coins will be supported by the
extensions 34 and the disc 20 due to the fact that the disc 20 is
positioned 15 degrees from its vertical position (FIG. 4). As the
extensions 34 approach the top of their rotation, gravity will roll
the coin against the lip 31 and the coin will then be supported by
the extensions 34 and the lip 31 as it is transported into the coin
chute 36. When the coin chute is full of coins, the next coin being
transported by the tab extension 34 will engage the last coin in
the chute. When this occurs, the coin will be halted, thus
depressing the tab extension 34 through the slot 35 as the disc 20
continues its rotation. As the disc and the depressed tab extension
move past the stopped coin, the end of the tab extension, being
spring urged, will move from the slot 35 and knock off the coin
from the lip 31 back into the hopper. As each succeeding coin being
transported by a tab extension 34 engages the last coin in the
chute 36, the coins will be displaced from the lip 31 and fall back
into the hopper. It will be seen from this construction that
despite the fact that the coin chute is full, the disc 20 can
continue its rotation without the danger of jamming the coins in a
coin chute.
The tab extensions 34 of the tabs 33, located on the inner
circumference of the disc 20, will agitate the coins in the hopper,
thus conditioning coins for engagement by the outer tab extensions
34 as they move through the coin hopper. Whenever a coin is to be
dispensed, the solenoid 41 (FIG. 3) will be energized, thus
rotating the gate 37 which allows coins to drop from the chute 36.
Depending on the number of coins to be dispensed, the solenoid will
be re-energized until the required number of coins are dispensed.
As the coins drop from the coin chute, new coins will be delivered
to the coin chute by the tab extension 34 of the disc 2. It will
thus be seen that the coin chute will always be supplied with coins
as long as there are coins in the hopper. This construction also
eliminates any possibility of the jamming of the coins in the coin
chute.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with
reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood
by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in
the form and detail may be made therein without departing from the
sphere and scope of the invention.
* * * * *