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US4072156A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Coin sorting device

Assignee: Glory Ltd
•
Filing: 1976-07-20
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Granted: 1978-02-07
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Expires: 1996-07-20
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Abstract

Abstract A coin sorting device has a coin passage with a floor and a lateral perimeter defining structure on one lateral side (or each of the lateral sides) of the passage, the floor having holes for successively larger coins disposed successively along the passage at positions respectively contiguous to the perimeter defining structure, and the lower span of an endless propelling belt for pressing on the upper faces of the coins and propelling the same is caused by the varying of the travel path of the coins by the perimeter defining structure to be elastically twisted or laterally deflected at parts thereof where the travel path is thus varied and thereby to acquire a reactive restoring force which urges the coins against the corresponding parts of the perimeter defining structure and thereby causes them to be accurately alined in a lateral direction for dropping into their respectively correct sorting holes.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masahiro Abe

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 00:23
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07D; G07D3/00; G07D3/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S209/00; Y10S209/917

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 379 words
A coin sorting device for use in a coin sorting machine wherein a mixture of several kinds of coins are sorted and classified, said coin sorting device comprising a coin passage having a floor and upstream and downstream ends for aligning the coins fed thereinto in a row; at least one coin propelling belt having large elasticity and a frictional surface for engaging the coins and propelling them along said coin passage from the upstream end to the downstream end thereof; said coin passage floor having sorting hole defining means defining sorting holes at intervals along said coin passage which holes have successively larger dimensions transversely of the coin passage through which coins of different diameters can pass as said coins are propelled past sorting holes with lateral dimensions corresponding to the diameters of the coins; a coin passage lateral perimeter defining means projecting laterally into the coin passage at each sorting hole to a point just short of the edge of the corresponding sorting hole for engaging the peripheral edges of the coins being propelled along the coin passage and displacing said coins in a direction transverse to the coin propelling direction, thereby to cause elastic lateral deformation of the coin propelling belt and to position said coins at positions for passing through corresponding sorting holes; belt holding members on opposite sides of each sorting hole in the direction of the length of the belt for holding the coin propelling belt against displacement laterally from the normal position at last between the sorting holes; and belt pressing members provided at points along the coin passage between said belt members and adjacent said sorting holes for pressing said belt downward at respective positions of the sorting holes; whereby the coin propelling belt is deformed when the coins are displaced laterally by the perimeter defining means due to the friction between the coin propelling belt and the coins and the restoration force generated in the coin propelling belt due to the deformation urges said coins toward said perimeter defining means and said coins are forcedly urged through the corresponding sorting hole by the force of the coin propelling belt on the coins urging the coins against the bottom of the coin passage by the action of the belt pressing members.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 379 words
A coin sorting device for use in a coin sorting machine wherein a mixture of several kinds of coins are sorted and classified, said coin sorting device comprising a coin passage having a floor and upstream and downstream ends for aligning the coins fed thereinto in a row; at least one coin propelling belt having large elasticity and a frictional surface for engaging the coins and propelling them along said coin passage from the upstream end to the downstream end thereof; said coin passage floor having sorting hole defining means defining sorting holes at intervals along said coin passage which holes have successively larger dimensions transversely of the coin passage through which coins of different diameters can pass as said coins are propelled past sorting holes with lateral dimensions corresponding to the diameters of the coins; a coin passage lateral perimeter defining means projecting laterally into the coin passage at each sorting hole to a point just short of the edge of the corresponding sorting hole for engaging the peripheral edges of the coins being propelled along the coin passage and displacing said coins in a direction transverse to the coin propelling direction, thereby to cause elastic lateral deformation of the coin propelling belt and to position said coins at positions for passing through corresponding sorting holes; belt holding members on opposite sides of each sorting hole in the direction of the length of the belt for holding the coin propelling belt against displacement laterally from the normal position at last between the sorting holes; and belt pressing members provided at points along the coin passage between said belt members and adjacent said sorting holes for pressing said belt downward at respective positions of the sorting holes; whereby the coin propelling belt is deformed when the coins are displaced laterally by the perimeter defining means due to the friction between the coin propelling belt and the coins and the restoration force generated in the coin propelling belt due to the deformation urges said coins toward said perimeter defining means and said coins are forcedly urged through the corresponding sorting hole by the force of the coin propelling belt on the coins urging the coins against the bottom of the coin passage by the action of the belt pressing members.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 49 words
The coin sorting device as claimed in claim 1, in which said perimeter defining means comprises a plurality of freely rotatable circular plates, one positioned adjacent each sorting hole, and which are rotated by and synchronously with the coins being propelled along said coin passage by the propelling belt.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 44 words
The coin sorting device as claimed in claim 1, in which the coin propelling belt has a circular cross-section for being twisted or deformed when a coin beneath and being propelled by said coin propelling belt is laterally shifted by the perimeter defining means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 50 words
The coin sorting device as claimed in claim 3, in which the coin propelling belt is tubular for being deformed in a direction for pressing downward on the coins being propelled, whereby the restoration force caused by said deformation urges the coins to pass positively through the corresponding sorting holes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 72 words
The coin sorting device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a centrifugal turntable for feeding coins of different sizes one by one into the coin passage, and a feed-in roller provided above the upstream end of the coin passage for engaging and advancing the coins fed from said centrifugal turntable toward a position below the propelling belt, peripheral velocity of said feed-in roller being slower than that of the propelling belt.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 78 words
The coin sorting device as claimed in claim 1, in which said sorting hole defining means has an inwardly projecting rim part at the rim of the sorting hole at a position toward the upstream end of the coin passage and on the side remote from the corresponding perimeter member, whereby only after the edge of the coin passes said rim part said coin is the coin forcibly urged through said sorting hole by the coin propelling belt.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 334 words
A coin sorting device comprising: a coin passage structure defining a coin passage with upstream and downstream ends and having a floor structure having formed therein, in spaced-apart sequence, a plurality of sorting holes for respectively permitting passage therethrough of coins having different diameters and propelled along said coin passage, and further having first and second passage side walls disposed on opposite lateral sides of said floor structure for defining lateral reference perimeters of the coin passage, each sorting hole having two opposite lateral rims spaced a specific distance for passing coins of a specific diameter corresponding to that sorting hole, said sorting holes being disposed successively along the coin passage floor structure from the upstream end in the order of progressively increasing size from a sorting hole for coins of the smallest diameter to a sorting hole for coins of the largest diameter and being positioned in a staggered arrangement wherein the sorting holes are alternately offset in opposite lateral directions and are alternately contiguous to said passage side walls; a propelling belt having great elasticity and having a span substantially parallel to and spaced from the coin passage floor structure a distance less than the thickness of the thinnest of the coins to be sorted; guide roller sheaves engaged with said propelling belt for guiding the belt in a zigzag path the alternate bends of which closely adjacent to the opposite passage side walls at the positions of the sorting holes respectively contiguous thereto, whereby the coins are propelled in a zigzag path closely corresponding to said path of the propelling belt thereby to strike alternately against the opposite side walls, parts of the propelling belt propelling the coins being elastically twisted when the coin engage the side walls for producing in the propelling belt a reactive, restoring torque urging the coins laterally against the side walls against which they have engaged, whereby the edges of the coins are accurately and positively positioned relative to the lateral rims of the sorting holes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 334 words
A coin sorting device comprising: a coin passage structure defining a coin passage with upstream and downstream ends and having a floor structure having formed therein, in spaced-apart sequence, a plurality of sorting holes for respectively permitting passage therethrough of coins having different diameters and propelled along said coin passage, and further having first and second passage side walls disposed on opposite lateral sides of said floor structure for defining lateral reference perimeters of the coin passage, each sorting hole having two opposite lateral rims spaced a specific distance for passing coins of a specific diameter corresponding to that sorting hole, said sorting holes being disposed successively along the coin passage floor structure from the upstream end in the order of progressively increasing size from a sorting hole for coins of the smallest diameter to a sorting hole for coins of the largest diameter and being positioned in a staggered arrangement wherein the sorting holes are alternately offset in opposite lateral directions and are alternately contiguous to said passage side walls; a propelling belt having great elasticity and having a span substantially parallel to and spaced from the coin passage floor structure a distance less than the thickness of the thinnest of the coins to be sorted; guide roller sheaves engaged with said propelling belt for guiding the belt in a zigzag path the alternate bends of which closely adjacent to the opposite passage side walls at the positions of the sorting holes respectively contiguous thereto, whereby the coins are propelled in a zigzag path closely corresponding to said path of the propelling belt thereby to strike alternately against the opposite side walls, parts of the propelling belt propelling the coins being elastically twisted when the coin engage the side walls for producing in the propelling belt a reactive, restoring torque urging the coins laterally against the side walls against which they have engaged, whereby the edges of the coins are accurately and positively positioned relative to the lateral rims of the sorting holes.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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US2101513A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1981-02-06 1981-08-08 1982-02-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1985-02-06 1985-08-08 1986-02-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1989-02-06 1989-08-08 1990-02-07 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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