Change-giving apparatus

Claim 1

SENSING APPARATUS COMPRISING A ROTATABLE DISC HAVING AROUND ITS PERIPHERY A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF NOTCHES OR PROJECTIONS, A MOTOR CONNECTED TO DRIVE THE DISC, PLURALITY OF RELAYS PROVIDING AT LEAST ONE RELAY FOR EACH VALUE OF MONEY FOR WHICH ARTICLES ARE TO BE DISPENSED, EACH RELAY BEING ADAPTED TO BE ENERGISED WHEN A COIN OF THE RESPECTIVE VALUE IS RECEIVED BY THE APPARATUS, A HOLDING SWITCH ON EACH RELAY, A FIRST NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH ASSOCIATED WTIH AN OPERABLE BY EACH RELAY, THE FIRST NORMALLY OPEN SWITCHES OF ALL THE RELAYS BEING CONNECTED IN PARALLEL WITH EACH OTHER AND IN SERIES WITH THE MOTOR, A SECOND NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH ASSOCIATED WITH AND OPERABLE BY EACH RELAY AND CONNECTED IN ONE OF A NUMBER OF DISPENSING CIRCUITS, A NORMALLY CLOSED STOPPING SWITCH ADJACENT THE DISC WHICH IS MOMENTARILY OPENED EACH TIME A NOTCH OR PROJECTION PASSES, THE STOPPING SWITCH BEING CONNECTED IN PARALLEL WITH THE FIRST NORMALLY OPENED SWITCH ON THE RELAYS, A NORMALLY OPEN SIGNALLING SWITCH CONNECTED TO THE DISPENSING CIRCUITS AND POSITIONED ADJACENT THE DISC, THE SIGNALLING SWITCH BEING MOMENTARILY CLOSED EACH TIME A NOTCH OR PROJECTION PASSES, AND A NUMBER OF NORMALLY CLOSED FURTHER SWITCHES, EQUAL IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF RELAYS AND ASSOCIATED ONE WITH EACH RELAY, DISPOSED AT INTERVALS AROUND THE DISC AND POSITIONED TO BE MOMENTARILY OPENED EACH TIME A NOTCH OR PROJECTION PASSES, EACH FURTHER SWITCH BEING CONNECTED IN THE HOLDING CIRCUIT OF ITS ASSOCIATED RELAY AND ARRANGED SO THAT UPON THE RECEIPT BY THE SENSING APPARATUS OF A COIN OF THE RESPECTIVE VALUE THE CORRESPONDING RELAY IS MOMENTARILY ENERGISED SO THAT ITS HOLDING SWITCH IS CLOSED, THE FIRST NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH OF THE ENERGISED RELAY CLOSED TO START THE MOTOR, THE SECOND NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH OF THE ENERGISED RELAY CLOSED TO SELECT A DISPENSING CIRCUIT, THE REPEATED CLOSURE OF THE SIGNALLING SWITCH BY THE PASSAGE OF THE NOTCHES OR PROJECTIONS PRODUCING A SERIES OF PULSES IN THE SELECTED DISPENSER CIRCUIT, THE FURTHER SWITCH IN THE HOLDING CIRCUIT OF THE ENERGISED RELAY BEING SO SPACED FROM THE SIGNALLING SWITCH THAT AFTER THE CORRECT NUMBER OF PULSES HAS HEEN APPLIED TO THE SELECTED DISPENSER CIRCUIT THE RESPECTIVE FURTHER SWITCH IS MOMENTARILY OPENED BY A NOTCH OR PROJECTION SO THAT THE RELAY IS DE-ENERGISED AND RELEASED, WHEREBY THE DISPENSER CIRCUIT IS BROKEN, THE CURRENT SUPPLIED TO THE MOTOR BEING MAINTAINED BY THE STOPPING SWITCH UNTIL THE FIRST NOTCH OR PROJECTION REACHES THE STOPPING SWITCH AND ALLOWS IT TO OPEN, WHEREUPON THE MOTOR IS STOPPED.