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US3667485A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fare box with belt conveyor and coin size detector

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-10-21
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Granted: 1972-06-06
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Expires: 1989-10-21
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Abstract

Abstract Fare box in which belt conveyors transport coins and dollar bills past an inspection window to a vault. The coins are sized, indicated audibly, and registered. Both sides of dollar bills may be inspected by transillumination or by automatic reversal of the bills in transit. The coin size detector comprises a multiplecontact switch employing an actuator arm driven in a first direction by the coins and in the opposite direction by a spring, the length of the stroke of the actuator arm in the first direction determining which contacts are transferred when the arm moves in the reverse direction.

Inventors

  • 👤 William J Sesko

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 09:23
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07B; G07B15/00; G07B15/06; G07B15/066; G07D; G07D5/00; G07D5/02

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim 163 words
Apparatus for transporting money articles such as coins, and the like comprising a panel, a resilient belt having an exterior surface thereof at one side juxtaposed with a mating surface of said panel, means for admitting said articles between said belt and said panel at a first location, means for receiving said articles from between said belt and said panel at a second location spaced from the first, means for driving said belt in a direction to move said articles from said first location to said second location, and means located along said belt between said locations for sizing said articles, said sizing means comprising a pair of abutments located adjacent to opposite edges of said belt in the path of the articles carried by said belt, one of said abutments having means for moving it away from the other transversely of the belt in response to the admission of an article between said abutments as the article is transported by said belt.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 163 words
Apparatus for transporting money articles such as coins, and the like comprising a panel, a resilient belt having an exterior surface thereof at one side juxtaposed with a mating surface of said panel, means for admitting said articles between said belt and said panel at a first location, means for receiving said articles from between said belt and said panel at a second location spaced from the first, means for driving said belt in a direction to move said articles from said first location to said second location, and means located along said belt between said locations for sizing said articles, said sizing means comprising a pair of abutments located adjacent to opposite edges of said belt in the path of the articles carried by said belt, one of said abutments having means for moving it away from the other transversely of the belt in response to the admission of an article between said abutments as the article is transported by said belt.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, there being a lever carrying said one abutmeNt, said lever being spring-biased toward the other abutment and carrying switch actuator means for selectively transferring switch contacts depending upon the size of the article.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 34 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, said switch actuator means comprising a resilient leaf carried by said lever adjacent to one end thereof, the other end of said lever being supp0rted for pivotal movement.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 75 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 3, there being a group of fixed contacts adapted to engage corresponding contacts of a group of movable contacts selectively actuated by said actuator leaf, said movable contacts comprising resilient contact leaves, and said actuator leaf having a projection adapted to ride over free ends of said contact leaves in one direction and to pull a particular contact leaf into engagement with the corresponding fixed contact in the opposite direction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 27 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, further comprising means for moving said actuator leaf out of engagement with the ends of said contact leaves upon said engagement.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the other abutment comprises a wheel adapted to be in rotary engagement with the articles.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 15 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 6, said wheel being driven by engagement with said belt.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 23 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, said means for driving said belt having a control switch actuated by articles admitted to said belt.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 135 words
Apparatus for transporting money articles and exposing said articles for inspection, comprising a transparent panel, a resilient belt having an exterior surface thereof at one side juxtaposed with a mating surface of said panel, means for admitting said articles between said belt and said panel at a first location, means for receiving said articles from between said belt and said panel at a second location spaced from the first means for driving said belt in a direction to move said articles from said first location to said second location, and means for illuminating said articles for inspection through said panel, said articles being bills and said illuminating means comprising means for transmitting light through said bills from the side thereof remote from said panel, whereby indicia on both sides of said bills may be viewed.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 135 words
Apparatus for transporting money articles and exposing said articles for inspection, comprising a transparent panel, a resilient belt having an exterior surface thereof at one side juxtaposed with a mating surface of said panel, means for admitting said articles between said belt and said panel at a first location, means for receiving said articles from between said belt and said panel at a second location spaced from the first means for driving said belt in a direction to move said articles from said first location to said second location, and means for illuminating said articles for inspection through said panel, said articles being bills and said illuminating means comprising means for transmitting light through said bills from the side thereof remote from said panel, whereby indicia on both sides of said bills may be viewed.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 35 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 9, said means for driving said belt having a control switch located between said locations and actuated by articles carried by the belt for interrupting the movement of said belt.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 25 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means engaging said belt at the side thereof opposite to the first-mentioned side for supporting the belt.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 19 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 9, said belt having two parallel sections spaced apart and bridged by said articles.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 19 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, said belt comprising a layer having a plurality of protuberances extending outwardly therefrom.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 13 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 13, said protuberances being stiff and generally conical.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 26 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 9, said belt comprising a layer having a plurality of protuberances extending outwardly therefrom, there being a multiplicity of flexible protuberances.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 12 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 15, said belt having longitudinal stiffening ribs.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 11 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 13, said protuberances comprising transverse ribs.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 23 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for producing an audible indication of the size of articles transported by said belt.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 16 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for counting articles carried by said belt.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 108 words
Apparatus for transporting money articles and exposing said articles for inspection, comprising a transparent panel, a resilient belt having an exterior surface thereof at one side juxtaposed with a mating surface of said panel, means for admitting said articles between said belt and said panel at a first location, means for receivinG said articles from between said belt and said panel at a second location spaced from the first, means for driving said belt in a direction to move said articles from said first location to said second location, and means for reversing articles transported between said locations so that both sides of the articles may be viewed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 108 words
Apparatus for transporting money articles and exposing said articles for inspection, comprising a transparent panel, a resilient belt having an exterior surface thereof at one side juxtaposed with a mating surface of said panel, means for admitting said articles between said belt and said panel at a first location, means for receivinG said articles from between said belt and said panel at a second location spaced from the first, means for driving said belt in a direction to move said articles from said first location to said second location, and means for reversing articles transported between said locations so that both sides of the articles may be viewed.
Claim 24
Independent Claim 86 words
A apparatus for detecting the maximum excursion of a reciprocating actuator, comprising a switch having a plurality of contact elements with extremities arranged in a row, said actuator being disposed for reciprocating movement along said row of contact elements, and means for causing said actuator to slide upon said extremities of said contact elements while moving in one direction to any one of a plurality of excursions without actuating said contact elements and for thereafter actuating a selected contact element by movement in the reverse direction.
Claim 25
Independent Claim 86 words
A apparatus for detecting the maximum excursion of a reciprocating actuator, comprising a switch having a plurality of contact elements with extremities arranged in a row, said actuator being disposed for reciprocating movement along said row of contact elements, and means for causing said actuator to slide upon said extremities of said contact elements while moving in one direction to any one of a plurality of excursions without actuating said contact elements and for thereafter actuating a selected contact element by movement in the reverse direction.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 47 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 21, wherein said actuator carries a member which slips past said contact elements while moving in said one direction but which engages an adjacent contact element when the direction of movement is reversed, whereupon said actuator is held against continued reverse movement.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 15 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 22, wherein said member is spring-biased toward said contact elements.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 51 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 22, further comprising means for disengaging said member from said contact elements in response to the actuation of the selected contact element, to permit reverse movement of said actuator, and wherein said actuator is spring-biased for movement in said reverse direction when said member is disengaged.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 13 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 24, wherein the last-mentioned means is a solenoid.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 37 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 22, wherein said contact elements are associated in pairs, with one contact element of each pair being movable relative to the associated contact element thereof in said reverse direction by said member.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 41 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 26, wherein said movable contact elements are resilient leaves, said leaves being free to move in said reverse direction from a rest position but having means for preventing movement in said one direction from said position.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 20 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 21, wherein said actuator is carried by a lever normally biased in said opposite direction.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 48 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 28, wherein said lever has an article sizing abutment located in opposition to another sizing abutment, and further comprising means for carrying articles to be sized between said abutments to cause the abutment of said lever to move away from said other abutment.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 13 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 29, wherein said other abutment comprises a wheel.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 23 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 30, wherein the abutment of said lever has a sloping surface adapted to engage articles to be sized.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 16 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 29, wherein said article-carrying means comprises means for driving said wheel.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 58 words
Apparatus for conveying and reversing a bill or the like, comprising a belt, a panel juxtaposed with said belt, means for admitting a bill between said belt and said panel at a first location, means for receiving said bill from said belt at a second location, and means intermediate said locations for reversing said bill end to end.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim 58 words
Apparatus for conveying and reversing a bill or the like, comprising a belt, a panel juxtaposed with said belt, means for admitting a bill between said belt and said panel at a first location, means for receiving said bill from said belt at a second location, and means intermediate said locations for reversing said bill end to end.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim 70 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 33, said reversing means comprising means defining a notch in the path of a bill carried by said belt for receiving and holding the leading portion of the bill and for permitting the trailing portion of said bill to form a loop which overtakes the leading portion and then draws the leading portion from the slot to become the new trailing portion of the bill.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim 31 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 34, wherein said notch-defining means comprises a bar extending transversely of the belt and having a portion thereof spaced from the panel to define said notch.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim 115 words
Apparatus for transporting bills and the like comprising a conveyor for moving said bills along a predetermined path, said conveyor having electric motor drive means, control means for said drive means including a pair of switches spaced apart laterally adjacent to the beginning of said path so as to be actuated by opposite edge portions of said bills, and both of which must be actuated concurrently to energize said drive means, a bill counter, and means including at least one of said switches and an additional switch spaced along said path from the first-mentioned switches a distance slightly less than the length of a bill for actuating said counter when a bill spans said distance.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim 115 words
Apparatus for transporting bills and the like comprising a conveyor for moving said bills along a predetermined path, said conveyor having electric motor drive means, control means for said drive means including a pair of switches spaced apart laterally adjacent to the beginning of said path so as to be actuated by opposite edge portions of said bills, and both of which must be actuated concurrently to energize said drive means, a bill counter, and means including at least one of said switches and an additional switch spaced along said path from the first-mentioned switches a distance slightly less than the length of a bill for actuating said counter when a bill spans said distance.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2848158A Cited
GB191228655A Cited
US2286077A Cited
US2902549A Cited
US3153483A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1975-06-06 1975-12-06 1976-06-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1979-06-06 1979-12-06 1980-06-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1983-06-06 1983-12-06 1984-06-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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