Coin-handling device

Claim 2

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.

Claim 3

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.

Claim 4

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.

Claim 5

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.

Claim 6

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

Claim 7

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.

Claim 8

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.

Claim 9

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.

Claim 10

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.

Claim 11

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.

Claim 12

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

Claim 13

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.

Claim 14

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

Claim 15

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

Claim 16

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.

Claim 17

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.

Claim 18

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.

Claim 19

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),

Claim 20

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.

Claim 21

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.

Claim 22

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

Claim 23

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

Claim 24

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

Claim 25

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.

Claim 26

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.

Claim 27

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.

Claim 28

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.

Claim 29

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.

Claim 30

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.

Claim 31

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.

Claim 32

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.

Claim 33

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.

Claim 34

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.

Claim 35

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.

Claim 36

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.

Claim 37

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.

Claim 38

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

Claim 39

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.

Claim 40

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.

Claim 41

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.

Claim 42

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.

Claim 43

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.

Claim 44

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.

Claim 45

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

Claim 46

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.