Coin acceptor having resistivity and permeability detector

Claim 2

In a coin acceptor: structure for receiving a coin to be tested for continuous movement of the coin through a test station; means communicating with said station and defining an accept path for the coin and a reject path therefor; an electrical bridge network provided with a plurality of arms and having an output, one of said arms including a variable impedance component at said station whose impedance is influenced by a characteristic property of the coin as it travels through the station, said component being operable to vary the state of the network at the output thereof between a balanced condition and an unbalanced condition and, if the coin traveling through said station is valid, having an impedance in the presence of said coin that causes the network to assume one of said conditions; shiftable coin control means downstream from said station for controlling movement of said coin into said paths after passage through said station; and means operably coupling said control means with the output of said network to cause the coin to enter the accept path when the network assumes said one condition, and to enter the reject path when the network fails to assume said one condition as the coin passes through said station.

Claim 3

In a coin acceptor as claimed in claim 1, said structure presenting a coin-receiving channel, said component including an inductor for producing a magnetic field having lines of force crossing said channel at generally right angles to the opposed faces of a coin under test in said station.

Claim 4

In a coin acceptor as claimed in claim 1, said coin control means being normally disposed to cause the coin to enter the reject path after passage through said station, said coupling means including an electrically responsive actuator for shifting the coin control means to cause the coin to enter the accept path after leaving said station, and a control circuit coupled with said actuator for operating the latter in response to said network assuming said one condition thereof.

Claim 5

In a coin acceptor as claimed in claim 1, said coin control means being normally disposed to cause the coin to enter the reject path after passage through said station; means at said station for sensing the presence of said coin; and electrical delay means coupled with said sensing means and having a predetermined signal output condition assumed after a time period following sensing of the presence of said coin and during which period said network is in continuous operation, said coupling means including an electrically responsive actuator for shifting the coin control means to cause the coin to enter the accept path after leaving said station, and a control circuit coupled with Said actuator, said network, and said delay means and responsive to said output conditions of the network and the delay means, said circuit effecting operation of the actuator to accept the coin if said network is in its one, validity-indicating condition and remains therein until said delay means assumes said predetermined signal output condition thereof at the expiration of said time period.

Claim 6

In a coin acceptor having a channel for receiving a coin for movement to a test station, an accept path for the coin and a reject path therefor downstream from said station and a communicating with said channel, and means for controlling movement of the coin from said station into said paths, the improvement comprising: an inductor at said station for producing a magnetic field having lines of force crossing said channel at generally right angles to the opposed faces of a coin under test in said station; and circuitry coupled with said inductor and responsive to a change in the inductance thereof caused by the presence of said coin under test, said circuitry being operably coupled with said coin-controlling means to cause the coin under test to enter the accept path when said inductance is of a valve indicative of coin validity, and to enter the reject path when the inductor fails to have said value of inductance in the presence of the coin under test. said inductor including a pair of spaced, aligned coils disposed with said channel extending therebetween, and means interconnecting said coils in series-aiding field relationship with said lines of force bridging said coils, each of said coils being flat and having multiple turns wound one inside the other in a common plane, the planes of respective coils being disposed in substantial parallelism with said channel extending between said planes.

Claim 7

In a coin acceptor having a channel for receiving a coin for movement to a test station, an accept path for the coin and a reject path therefor downstream from said station and a communicating with said channel, and means for controlling movement of the coin from said station into said paths, the improvement comprising: an inductor at said station for producing a magnetic field having lines of force crossing said channel at generally right angles to the opposed faces of a coin under test in said station; and circuitry coupled with said inductor and responsive to a change in the inductance thereof caused by the presence of said coin under test, said circuitry being operably coupled with said coin-controlling means to cause the coin under test to enter the accept path when said inductance is of a valve indicative of coin validity, and to enter the reject path when the inductor fails to have said value of inductance in the presence of the coin under test. said inductor including a pair of spaced, aligned coils disposed with said channel extending therebetween, and means interconnecting said coils in series-aiding field relationship with said lines of force bridging said coils, each of said coils being flat and having multiple turns wound one inside the other in a common plane, the planes of respective coils being disposed in substantial parallelism with said channel extending between said planes.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 5, said coils being oblong and extending longitudinally in the direction of movement of a coin traversing said channel, whereby to increase the time a coin in motion is subjected to the lines of force to facilitate the testing of coins while in motion.

Claim 9

In a coin acceptor: structure for receiving a coin to be tested for movement of the coin to a test station; means communicating with said station for receiving said coin for movement therefrom and defining an accept path for the coin and a reject path therefor; shiftable coin control means downstream from said station and normally disposed to cause said coin to enter the reject path after passage from said station; means at said station for sensing the presence of said coin; coin-testing means having a component at said station for detecting a characteristic property of the coin when the latter is at the station, and having a signal output condition, if the coin is valid, indicative of validity of the coin; electrical delay means coupled with said sensing means and having a predetermined signal output condition assumed after a time period following sensing of the presence of said coin and during which period said coin-testing means is in continuous operation; an electrically responsive actuator coupled with said coin control means for shifting the latter to cause the coin to enter the accept path after leaving said station; and a control circuit coupled with said actuator, said coin-testing means, and said delay means and responsive to said output conditions, said circuit effecting operation of the actuator to accept the coin if said coin-testing means is in its validity-indicating output condition and remains therein until said delay means assumes said predetermined signal output condition thereof at the expiration of said time period.

Claim 10

In a coin acceptor: structure for receiving a coin to be tested for movement of the coin to a test station; means communicating with said station for receiving said coin for movement therefrom and defining an accept path for the coin and a reject path therefor; shiftable coin control means downstream from said station and normally disposed to cause said coin to enter the reject path after passage from said station; means at said station for sensing the presence of said coin; coin-testing means having a component at said station for detecting a characteristic property of the coin when the latter is at the station, and having a signal output condition, if the coin is valid, indicative of validity of the coin; electrical delay means coupled with said sensing means and having a predetermined signal output condition assumed after a time period following sensing of the presence of said coin and during which period said coin-testing means is in continuous operation; an electrically responsive actuator coupled with said coin control means for shifting the latter to cause the coin to enter the accept path after leaving said station; and a control circuit coupled with said actuator, said coin-testing means, and said delay means and responsive to said output conditions, said circuit effecting operation of the actuator to accept the coin if said coin-testing means is in its validity-indicating output condition and remains therein until said delay means assumes said predetermined signal output condition thereof at the expiration of said time period.

Claim 11

In a coin acceptor as claimed in claim 2, said control circuit including a normally circuit-interrupting, electrically responsive switching device and a silicon-controlled rectifier in series with said actuator, said rectifier having a gate; means coupling said sensinG means with said gate for delivering a momentary pulse to the gate at the beginning of said time period, said coin-testing means being connected with said rectifier for maintaining the latter in conduction after delivery of said pulse if the coin-testing means is in its validity-indicating output condition and remains therein during said time period, said delay means being connected with said switching device for operating the latter when the delay means assumes said predetermined signal output condition thereof at the expiration of said time period.

Claim 12

In a coin acceptor as claimed in claim 2, said inductor including a pair of spaced, aligned coils disposed with said channel extending therebetween, and means interconnecting said coils in series-aiding field relationship with said lines of force bridging said coils, each of said coils being flat and having multiple turns wound one inside the other in a common plane, the planes of respective coils being disposed in substantial parallelism with said channel extending between said planes.