Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
340 words
A coin dispensing apparatus comprising a hopper for holding a supply of coins, a rotary disc in said hopper that is inclined to the horizontal and has coin engaging means on an upper face thereof, said rotary disc being rotatable in one direction to carry coins upward from near the bottom of the hopper, a delivery knife near the top of the disc to which coins are delivered by the rotary disc for guidance to a delivery chute and which has a substantially upwardly facing surface that the coins engage edgewise, a counter roller having a periphery edgewise engageable by coins, mounting means whereby the counter roller is carried for free rotation about its axis and for bodily motion transversely to its axis downwardly towards and upwardly away from a defined position in which the counter roller is spaced from said surface by a distance less than the diameter of a coin of predetermined denomination, said counter roller being biased downwardly to be moved upward from said position by passage along said surface of a coin of said denomination, and electrical switch means responsive to movement of said counter roller out of said position for counting each coin that passes the counter roller, said coin dispensing apparatus being characterized by: (A) said switch means comprising a pair of elements between which there is a slot that opens in a pair of opposite directions and which cooperate to produce an output upon entry into said slot of an actuating member; and (B) an actuating member connected with said mounting means to be moved in one of said opposite directions by upward movement of the counter roller and in the other of said opposite directions by downward movement of the counter roller, said actuating member being arranged to enter said slot upon movement of the counter roller out of said position and to move freely in said slot in said one direction so that the counter roller can be passed by coins substantially larger in diameter than said coin of predetermined denomination.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
340 words
A coin dispensing apparatus comprising a hopper for holding a supply of coins, a rotary disc in said hopper that is inclined to the horizontal and has coin engaging means on an upper face thereof, said rotary disc being rotatable in one direction to carry coins upward from near the bottom of the hopper, a delivery knife near the top of the disc to which coins are delivered by the rotary disc for guidance to a delivery chute and which has a substantially upwardly facing surface that the coins engage edgewise, a counter roller having a periphery edgewise engageable by coins, mounting means whereby the counter roller is carried for free rotation about its axis and for bodily motion transversely to its axis downwardly towards and upwardly away from a defined position in which the counter roller is spaced from said surface by a distance less than the diameter of a coin of predetermined denomination, said counter roller being biased downwardly to be moved upward from said position by passage along said surface of a coin of said denomination, and electrical switch means responsive to movement of said counter roller out of said position for counting each coin that passes the counter roller, said coin dispensing apparatus being characterized by: (A) said switch means comprising a pair of elements between which there is a slot that opens in a pair of opposite directions and which cooperate to produce an output upon entry into said slot of an actuating member; and (B) an actuating member connected with said mounting means to be moved in one of said opposite directions by upward movement of the counter roller and in the other of said opposite directions by downward movement of the counter roller, said actuating member being arranged to enter said slot upon movement of the counter roller out of said position and to move freely in said slot in said one direction so that the counter roller can be passed by coins substantially larger in diameter than said coin of predetermined denomination.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
The coin dispensing apparatus of claim 1, further characterized by: (C) said counter roller having a readily detachable connection with said mounting means so that said counter roller can be replaced by any one of a plurality of counter rollers of different diameters, each intended for cooperation with coins of a different predetermined denomination.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The coin dispensing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said rotary disc and said mounting means are supported by a stationary base, further characterized by: (D) cooperating abutment means on said stationary base and on said mounting means whereby said position of the counter means is defined, one of said abutment means being adjustable up and down.