Coin sorting and counting machine

Claim 2

A coin sorting and counting machine comprising wall means for forming a housing, a cylindrically shaped shell positioned within said housing and forming an upwardly extending coin receptacle, a horizontally arranged rotatable disc mounted within said housing and forming the base of said coin receptacle, means forming a horizontally extending sorting channel extending angularly outwardly from the periphery of said disc said shell having an opening therein for admitting coins from said disc to said sorting channel, said means forming said sorting channel including elongated side members defining the sides of said member and forming a coin track, said channel being adjustable to the diameter and thickness of the coin to be counted, a counting device mounted in said channel at a position spaced from said rotatable disc said means forming said sorting channel defining in the bottom of said channel a drop out opening located adjacent said disc upstream from said counting device for receiving coins of a size smaller than the adjusted lateral dimension of said channel, a cover pivotally secured to said housing for covering at least a longitudinally extending portion of said sorting channel and the periphery of said disc adjacent the entrance to said sorting channel, a conveyor means secured to the underside of said cover for pivotal movement therewith and positioned above said disc and sorting channel and extending in the axial direction of said channel and chordally of said disc for urging the coins from the periphery of said disc into and through said channel and past said counting device, means counted in said cover for adjusting the height of said conveying means above said disc and sorting channel to a distance which is less than the thickness dimension of the coin arranged to be passed through the coin track formed by said sorting channel to said counting device, means for driving said conveyor means comprising a drive member stationarily mounted in said housing, and a transmission member extending between said drive member at said conveyor means and movably displaceable with said conveyor means when said conveyor means is pivoted with said cover away from said disc and sorting channel so that in the operating position said conveyor means is protected by said cover and when said cover is pivoted upwardly away from said housing said conveyor means is still connected to its said drive means.

Claim 3

A coin sorting and counting machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said side members of said sorting channel comprise a stationary side member positioned tangentially to said cylindrically shaped shell and extending outwardly therefrom and defining one side of the opening in said shell for passing coins from the outer surface of said disc along said stationary side member into said sorting channel, and an adjustable side member being displaceable laterally relative to said stationary side member and disposed in parallel relationship therewith, a support ledge provided on each of said stationary side member and adjustable side member extending inwardly into said sorting channel above said drop out opening therefrom for supporting the coins to be counted as they pass through said channel across the drop out opening whereby coins of a smaller size than the spacing between said support ledges fall downwardly into said drop out opening.

Claim 4

A coin sorting and counting machine, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said adjustable side member comprises a first leg including said inwardly extending support ledge extending in parallel relationship with said stationary side member, and a second leg extending obliquely from said first leg at a point of juncture adjacent said cylindrically shaped receptacle and extending outwardly away from the periphery Of said disc within said housing, and means mounted within said housing for displacing said second leg whereby said first leg is positioned laterally and in parallel relationship with said stationary side member for accommodating therebetween coins of a selected diametrical dimension.

Claim 5

A coin sorting and counting machine, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means for conveying coins from said disc into said sorting channel comprises an endless conveyor belt extending in substantially parallel relationship with said stationary side member of said sorting channel and positioned closely spaced above said disc and extending chordally from said disc into said sorting channel for feeding coins from said disc through said sorting channel to said counting device within said sorting channel, in the operating position of said conveyor means with said cover pivoted downwardly on said housing and said conveyor means located above said sorting channel said conveyor means comprises a first pulley positioned in said cover above said disc and the axis thereof being disposed in a plane extending through the center of said disc and the point of junction between said stationary said member and said cylindrically shaped receptacle, a second pulley spaced longitudinally from said first pulley and located above said counting device in said sorting channel, said conveyor belt travels over said first and second pulleys having a lower run an upper run with the lower run thereof being closely spaced above said disc, means for adjusting the vertical spacing of said belt above said disc comprising an adjusting screw mounted in said cover and extending downwardly into contact with said housing for adjustably positioning said conveyor belt relative to said disc.

Claim 6

A coin sorting and counting machine, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said drive member and transmission member for driving said conveyor belt are arranged to move said conveyor belt over said disc at a speed of 1.3 to 1.5 times greater than the circumferential speed of said disc whereby the coins disposed between said disc and said conveyor belt are urged along in the direction of said sorting channel by said belt for effecting a separation of the coins as they enter said sorting channel for affording proper passage either into said drop out opening or through said sorting channel for movement passed said counting device.

Claim 7

A coin sorting and counting machine comprising wall means for forming a housing containing a generally vertically extending coin receptacle, a rotatable disc mounted within said housing and forming the base of said coin receptacle, means forming a horizontally extending sorting channel being arranged extending angularly outwardly from the periphery of said disc, said means forming said sorting channel including side members defining the sides of said channel and said channel being adjustable to the diameter and thickness of the coin to be counted, a counting device mounted in said channel at a position spaced from said rotatable disc said means forming the sorting channel forming a dropout opening from said sorting channel for receiving coins of a size not compatible with the lateral and height dimensions of the channel, and conveyor means positioned above said disc and sorting channel and extending in a direction of said channel for urging the coins from the periphery of said disc into said channel and past said counting device, means for adjusting the height of said conveying means above said disc to a distance above said disc which is less than the thickness dimension of the coin arranged to be passed through the sorting channel to said counting device, said side members of said sorting channel comprising a stationary side member, and an adjustable side member displaceable laterally relative to said stationary side member and being in parallel relationship therewith, said adjustable side member comprises a first leg extending in parallel relationship with said stationary side member and a seconD leg extending obliquely from said first leg at a point of juncture adjacent said cylindrical receptacle and extending outwardly away from said disc within said housing, and means mounted within said housing for displacing said second leg whereby said first leg is positioned laterally and in parallel relationship from said stationary guide member for accommodating therebetween coins of a selected diameter, said means for adjusting said adjustable side member comprises a longitudinally extending gear formed in said second leg at a position remote from said disc, a pinion mounted within said housing and arranged to displace said second leg and thereby said first leg, and a control cam positioned on the opposite end of said second leg for adjusting the thickness or height of said sorting channel corresponding to the diameter dimension of the coin to be counted.

Claim 8

A coin sorting and counting machine comprising wall means for forming a housing containing a generally vertically extending coin receptacle, a rotatable disc mounted within said housing and forming the base of said coin receptacle, means forming a horizontally extending sorting channel being arranged extending angularly outwardly from the periphery of said disc, said means forming said sorting channel including side members defining the sides of said channel and said channel being adjustable to the diameter and thickness of the coin to be counted, a counting device mounted in said channel at a position spaced from said rotatable disc said means forming the sorting channel forming a dropout opening from said sorting channel for receiving coins of a size not compatible with the lateral and height dimensions of the channel, and conveyor means positioned above said disc and sorting channel and extending in a direction of said channel for urging the coins from the periphery of said disc into said channel and past said counting device, means for adjusting the height of said conveying means above said disc to a distance above said disc which is less than the thickness dimension of the coin arranged to be passed through the sorting channel to said counting device, said side members of said sorting channel comprising a stationary side member, and an adjustable side member displaceable laterally relative to said stationary side member and being in parallel relationship therewith, said adjustable side member comprises a first leg extending in parallel relationship with said stationary side member and a seconD leg extending obliquely from said first leg at a point of juncture adjacent said cylindrical receptacle and extending outwardly away from said disc within said housing, and means mounted within said housing for displacing said second leg whereby said first leg is positioned laterally and in parallel relationship from said stationary guide member for accommodating therebetween coins of a selected diameter, said means for adjusting said adjustable side member comprises a longitudinally extending gear formed in said second leg at a position remote from said disc, a pinion mounted within said housing and arranged to displace said second leg and thereby said first leg, and a control cam positioned on the opposite end of said second leg for adjusting the thickness or height of said sorting channel corresponding to the diameter dimension of the coin to be counted.

Claim 9

A coin sorting and counting machine, as set forth in claim 6, wherein an arm is mounted at one end within said housing and extends along the movable side member of said sorting channel and is positioned chordally across said receptacle at a spaced position above said disc said arm being operatively engaged by said cam on said second leg of said adjustable side member for varying the spacing between said arm and said disc for accommodating coins of a particular thickness dimension therebetween.

Claim 10

A coin sorting and counting machine, as set forth in claim 6, wherein a disc member having slots formed in the periphery thereof is mounted on said pinion for positioning said second leg whereby said first leg is laterally displaced in parallel relationship relative to said stationary side member, and spring means mounted in said housing for engagement in said grooves in said disc for selectively positioning said disc and said pinion for determining the proper lateral spacing between said first leg and said stationary side member.

Claim 11

A coin sorting and counting machine comprising wall means for forming a housing containing a generally vertically extending coin receptacle, a rotatable disc mounted within said housing and forming the base of said coin receptacle, means forming a horizontally extending sorting channel being arranged extending angularly outwardly from the periphery of said disc said means forming said sorting channel including side members defining the sides of said channel and said channel being adjustable to the diameter and thickness of the coin to be counted, a counting device mounted in said channel at a position spaced from said rotatable disc said means forming the sorting channel forming a drop out opening from said sorting channel for receiving coins of a size not compatible with the lateral and height dimensions of the channel, and conveyor means positioned above said disc and sorting channel and extending in a direction of said channel for urging the coins from the periphery of said disc into said channel and past said counting device, means for adjusting the height of said conveying means above said disc to a distance above said disc which is less than the thickness dimension of the coin arranged to be passed through the sorting channel to said counting device, said side members of said sorting channel comprising a stationary side member, and an adjustable side member displaceable laterally relative to said stationary side member and being in parallel relationship therewith, said coin receptacle has a cylindrical shell, said stationary side member being positioned tangentially to said cylindrical shell and extending outwardly therefrom and defining one side of an opening in said cylindrical shell for passing coins from the outer surface of said disc along said stationary side member into said sorting channel, a support ledge is provided on each of said stationary side member and adjustable side member extending inwardly into said sorting channel above said drop out opening for supporting and coins to be counted in the channel across the drop out opening whereby coins of a smaller diamEter than the spacing between said supports fall downwardly into said drop out opening, said means for conveying coins from said disc into said sorting passage comprises an endless conveyor belt extending in substantially parallel relationship with said stationary side member of said sorting channel and positioned closely spaced above said disc and extending from said disc into said sorting channel for feeding coins from said disc through said sorting channel to said counting device within said sorting channel, a first pulley is positioned on said housing aligned above said disc and the axis thereof being disposed in a plane extending between the center of said disc and the point of junction between said stationary side member and said cylindrical receptacle, a second pulley being spaced longitudinally from said first pulley and being located above the counting device in said sorting channel, and said conveyor belt traveling over said first and second pulleys having a lower run and an upper run with the lower run thereof being closely spaced above said disc and means for adjusting the vertical spacing of said belt above said disc a cover member is pivotally mounted on said housing, said first and second pulleys and said conveyor belt being fixed within said cover member and said cover member being arranged to be pivoted upwardly away from said housing for access to said conveyor belt and to said sorting passage, said adjusting means for said conveyor belt comprising an adjusting screw mounted in said cover and extending downwardly into contact with said housing for adjustably positioning said conveyor belt relative to said disc, a roller member is mounted within said cover and positioned in contact with the upper surface of said conveyor belt in its lower run over said pulleys, and means for urging said roller against said conveyor belt, said roller being positioned above the drop out opening from said sorting passage whereby the downward force provided by said roller against said conveyor belt acts to displace coins into said drop out opening which are not supported on the support ledges on said side members of said sorting passage.

Claim 12

A coin sorting and counting machine comprising wall means for forming a housing containing a generally vertically extending coin receptacle, a rotatable disc mounted within said housing and forming the base of said coin receptacle, means forming a horizontally extending sorting channel being arranged extending angularly outwardly from the periphery of said disc said means forming said sorting channel including side members defining the sides of said channel and said channel being adjustable to the diameter and thickness of the coin to be counted, a counting device mounted in said channel at a position spaced from said rotatable disc said means forming the sorting channel forming a drop out opening from said sorting channel for receiving coins of a size not compatible with the lateral and height dimensions of the channel, and conveyor means positioned above said disc and sorting channel and extending in a direction of said channel for urging the coins from the periphery of said disc into said channel and past said counting device, means for adjusting the height of said conveying means above said disc to a distance above said disc which is less than the thickness dimension of the coin arranged to be passed through the sorting channel to said counting device, said side members of said sorting channel comprising a stationary side member, and an adjustable side member displaceable laterally relative to said stationary side member and being in parallel relationship therewith, said coin receptacle has a cylindrical shell, said stationary side member being positioned tangentially to said cylindrical shell and extending outwardly therefrom and defining one side of an opening in said cylindrical shell for passing coins from the outer surface of said disc along said stationary side member into said sorting channel, a support ledge is provided on each of said stationary side member and adjustable side member extending inwardly into said sorting channel above said drop out opening for supporting and coins to be counted in the channel across the drop out opening whereby coins of a smaller diamEter than the spacing between said supports fall downwardly into said drop out opening, said means for conveying coins from said disc into said sorting passage comprises an endless conveyor belt extending in substantially parallel relationship with said stationary side member of said sorting channel and positioned closely spaced above said disc and extending from said disc into said sorting channel for feeding coins from said disc through said sorting channel to said counting device within said sorting channel, a first pulley is positioned on said housing aligned above said disc and the axis thereof being disposed in a plane extending between the center of said disc and the point of junction between said stationary side member and said cylindrical receptacle, a second pulley being spaced longitudinally from said first pulley and being located above the counting device in said sorting channel, and said conveyor belt traveling over said first and second pulleys having a lower run and an upper run with the lower run thereof being closely spaced above said disc and means for adjusting the vertical spacing of said belt above said disc a cover member is pivotally mounted on said housing, said first and second pulleys and said conveyor belt being fixed within said cover member and said cover member being arranged to be pivoted upwardly away from said housing for access to said conveyor belt and to said sorting passage, said adjusting means for said conveyor belt comprising an adjusting screw mounted in said cover and extending downwardly into contact with said housing for adjustably positioning said conveyor belt relative to said disc, a roller member is mounted within said cover and positioned in contact with the upper surface of said conveyor belt in its lower run over said pulleys, and means for urging said roller against said conveyor belt, said roller being positioned above the drop out opening from said sorting passage whereby the downward force provided by said roller against said conveyor belt acts to displace coins into said drop out opening which are not supported on the support ledges on said side members of said sorting passage.

Claim 13

A coin sorting and counting machine, as set forth in claim 9, wherein said means for adjusting said roller comprises a lever member comprising a pair of angularly disposed legs, one of said legs supporting said roller and a spring member being mounted on the other said leg and being disposed in contact with the adjacent surface of said cover, and means for positioning said lever for urging said roller in a downward direction above said drop out opening.

Claim 14

A coin sorting and counting machine comprising wall means for forming a housing containing a generally vertically extending coin receptacle, a rotatable disc mounted within said housing and forming the base of said coin receptacle, means forming a horizontally extending sorting channel being arranged extending angularly outwardly from the periphery of said disc, said means forming said sorting channel including side members defining the sides of said channel and said channel being adjustable to the diameter and thickness of the coin to be counted, a counting device mounted in said channel at a position spaced from said rotatable disc said means forming the sorting channel forming a drop out opening from said sorting channel for receiving coins of a size not compatible with the lateral and height dimensions of the channel, and conveyor means positioned above said disc and sorting channel and extending in a direction of said channel for urging the coins from the periphery of said disc into said channel and past said counting device, means for adjusting the height of said conveying means above said disc to a distance above said disc which is less than the thickness dimension of the coin arranged to be passed through the sorting channel to said counting device, said side members of said sorting channel comprising a stationary side member, and an adjustable side member displaceablE laterally relative to said stationary side member and being in parallel relationship therewith, said coin receptacle has a cylindrical shell, said stationary side member being positioned tangentially to said cylindrical shell and extending outwardly therefrom and defining one side of an opening in said cylindrical shell for passing coins from the outer surface of said disc along said stationary side member into said sorting channel, a support ledge is provided on each of said stationary side member and adjustable side member extending inwardly into said sorting channel above said drop out opening for supporting the coins to be counted in the channel across the drop out opening whereby coins of a smaller diameter than the spacing between said supports fall downwardly into said drop out opening, said means for conveying coins from said disc into said sorting passage comprises as endless conveyor belt extending in substantially parallel relationship with said stationary side member of said sorting channel and positioned closely spaced above said disc and extending from said disc into said sorting channel for feeding coins from said disc through said sorting channel to said counting device within said sorting channel, a first pulley is positioned on said housing aligned above said disc and the axis thereof being disposed in a plane extending between the center of said disc and the point of junction between said stationary side member and said cylindrical receptacle, a second pulley being spaced longitudinally from said first pulley and being located above the counting device in said sorting channel, and said conveyor belt traveling over said first and second pulleys having a lower run and an upper run with the lower run thereof being closely spaced above said disc, and means for adjusting the vertical spacing of said belt above said disc, a cover member is pivotally mounted on said housing, said first and second pulleys and said conveyor belt being fixed within said cover member and said cover member being arranged to be pivoted upwardly away from said housing for access to said conveyor belt and to said sorting passage, a third belt pulley is mounted in said housing, a fourth belt pulley arranged to be coaxially mounted with said first belt pulley in the plane extending from the center of said disc through the point of tangential junction between said stationary side member and said cylindrical receptacle, and a belt arranged to extend between said third belt pulley and said fourth belt pulley for driving said conveyor belt, a guide roller is mounted within said housing for rotation and for axial displacement in the vertical direction of said machine, said guide roller being in contact with said belt extending between said third pulley to said fourth pulley, whereby said guide roller protects said belt during the pivotal movement of said cover relative to said housing.

Claim 15

A coin sorting and counting machine comprising wall means for forming a housing containing a generally vertically extending coin receptacle, a rotatable disc mounted within said housing and forming the base of said coin receptacle, means forming a horizontally extending sorting channel being arranged extending angularly outwardly from the periphery of said disc, said means forming said sorting channel including side members defining the sides of said channel and said channel being adjustable to the diameter and thickness of the coin to be counted, a counting device mounted in said channel at a position spaced from said rotatable disc said means forming the sorting channel forming a drop out opening from said sorting channel for receiving coins of a size not compatible with the lateral and height dimensions of the channel, and conveyor means positioned above said disc and sorting channel and extending in a direction of said channel for urging the coins from the periphery of said disc into said channel and past said counting device, means for adjusting the height of said conveying means above said disc to a distance above said disc which is less than the thickness dimension of the coin arranged to be passed through the sorting channel to said counting device, said side members of said sorting channel comprising a stationary side member, and an adjustable side member displaceablE laterally relative to said stationary side member and being in parallel relationship therewith, said coin receptacle has a cylindrical shell, said stationary side member being positioned tangentially to said cylindrical shell and extending outwardly therefrom and defining one side of an opening in said cylindrical shell for passing coins from the outer surface of said disc along said stationary side member into said sorting channel, a support ledge is provided on each of said stationary side member and adjustable side member extending inwardly into said sorting channel above said drop out opening for supporting the coins to be counted in the channel across the drop out opening whereby coins of a smaller diameter than the spacing between said supports fall downwardly into said drop out opening, said means for conveying coins from said disc into said sorting passage comprises as endless conveyor belt extending in substantially parallel relationship with said stationary side member of said sorting channel and positioned closely spaced above said disc and extending from said disc into said sorting channel for feeding coins from said disc through said sorting channel to said counting device within said sorting channel, a first pulley is positioned on said housing aligned above said disc and the axis thereof being disposed in a plane extending between the center of said disc and the point of junction between said stationary side member and said cylindrical receptacle, a second pulley being spaced longitudinally from said first pulley and being located above the counting device in said sorting channel, and said conveyor belt traveling over said first and second pulleys having a lower run and an upper run with the lower run thereof being closely spaced above said disc, and means for adjusting the vertical spacing of said belt above said disc, a cover member is pivotally mounted on said housing, said first and second pulleys and said conveyor belt being fixed within said cover member and said cover member being arranged to be pivoted upwardly away from said housing for access to said conveyor belt and to said sorting passage, a third belt pulley is mounted in said housing, a fourth belt pulley arranged to be coaxially mounted with said first belt pulley in the plane extending from the center of said disc through the point of tangential junction between said stationary side member and said cylindrical receptacle, and a belt arranged to extend between said third belt pulley and said fourth belt pulley for driving said conveyor belt, a guide roller is mounted within said housing for rotation and for axial displacement in the vertical direction of said machine, said guide roller being in contact with said belt extending between said third pulley to said fourth pulley, whereby said guide roller protects said belt during the pivotal movement of said cover relative to said housing.