US2835260A - Coin sorting and counting machine - Google Patents

Description

May 20, 1958 A. R. BUCHHOLZ COIN SORTING AND COUNTING MACHINE Fiied Feb. 11, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet l a, & I/IVENTOR. BY

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COIN SORTING AND COUNTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 11, 1954 5 Sheets-$heet 2 c- I I V j i INVENTOR.

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- COIN SORTING AND COUNTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 11, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 y 2 1958 A. R. BUCHHOLZ 2,835,260

COIN SORTING AND COUNTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 11, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PS P R IN VEN TOR.

(Mex Bunezme BY kwr M 6 Him/5 United States Patent I COIN SORTING AND COUNTING MACHINE Arnold Richard Buchholz, Watertown, Brandt Automatic Cashier Company, a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 11, 1954, Serial No. 409,598 3 Claims. (Cl. 133-8) Wis., assignor to Water-town, Wis.,

The invention relates to coin sorting and counting machines and more particularly to that type of coin sorting machine in which the coins are fed from a hopper into side pockets of graduated Width formed in the peripheral portion of a drum rotatably mounted in an enclosing housing and usually driven by an electric motor which also rotates a scalloped or notched feeder plate disposed at the bottom of the hopper.

The main object of the present invention is to provide controls and mechanism whereby any predetermined number of coins of a particular denomination may be delivered to the discharge passage of the sorter for handling in bags or other receptacles. In this connection coin controlled means for controlling a counter drive are used instead of having the coins operate direct on the counter drive as shown, for instance, in my U. S. Patent No. 2,642,882, dated June 23, 1953. Also the same means that initiates the drive to a predetermined counter for any particular denomination of coin also initiates the drive to a regular counter for that coin denomination.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrically driven coin sorting and counting machine having a predetermined count mechanism associated therewith and in which at the end of a predetermined count the current to the drive motor is shut off and an electric operated brake is applied to the motor shaft to stop it as soon as the predetermined count is reached.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation View of a coin sorting and counting machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sorter drum and its core, other parts being omitted;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation view of the sorter drum and core;

Fig. 5 is a detailed horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2, parts being broken away;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig.7, showing the parts in a different position;

Fig. 9 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a wiring diagram;

Fig. 11 is a detailed front elevation view of a portion of the sorting drum.

The sorting mechanism is of known construction, and so much thereof as is necessary for an understanding of the improvements later described herein has been shown.

The machine includes a hopper 11 supported on the frame thereof at an angle so that the coins to be sorted may be carried upwardly in thenotches 12 of arotary bottom plate 13 and allowed to drop through into a feed i and 5 that some of the coin actuated finger A 2,835,260 Patented May 20, 1958 22 with apulley 23 on the drive shaft of an electric motor, 24.

The sorter is of the type in whichslots 15 form a series of radially disposedchannels 25 whose Width decreases from top to bottom, one side of these channels at spaced intervals having inclined shelf orledge portions 26 forming a series of graduated stops for arresting coins of dilferent denominations. Thus in Fig. 11 in which a portion of the drum is shown through an opening in the shell, thetop shelf 26 arrests a half dollar, the next a quarter, one of which is shown in dotted, the next a nickel, the next a penny, and the next or lower slot a dime. As the drum is revolved, coins fed through theslot 14 are free to drop down into theslots 15 of the drum as they pass this slot and in dropping are caught by one or theother shelves 26 depending upon their denomination and are carried around to an outlet. Each one of the tiers ofshelves 26 has a separate outlet with adeflector member 27 located at the outlet to push the sorted coin out of its pocket or slot in the drum and permit it to fall into boxes or bags (not shown). In the present instance just before a coin of any particular denomination is delivered from the sorting drum, its presence is recorded by the operation of a coin operated electric switch and its associated mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 6, each coin operated switch includes a 23 mounted on ashaft 29 journalled in atubular support 30 secured to the shell, the lower end of the shaft carrying acrank 31 which is operatively connected by alink 32 to aswitch operating lever 33 which is adapted to engage theoperating button 34 of apush button switch 35. It will be noted from Figs. 3, 4,cranks 31 act to pull thelinks 32 While others act to push their associated links to accommodate the opposite disposition of theswitches 35 relative to thelevers 33.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the operation of any one of theswitches 35 energizes asolenoid 36 whose plunger is operatively connected by alink 37 with one end of alever 38, pivoted at 39 intermediate its ends and engageable at its opposite end with aclutch lever 40.Lever 38 is normally held against astop pin 41 by aspring 42. Lever 4d has aslot 43 intermediate its ends, aclutch shoulder 44, and aspring 45 connected to its lower end normally acting to hold the lever against a fixedpivot pin 46 at the outer end of theslot 43. Whenlever 40 is engaged and moved bylever 33 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 7, itsshoulder 44 comes into the path of an eccentrically disposed pin 4-7 on acrank disk 48 mounted on a continuously rotatingshaft 49. As shown in Figs. 7 and 9, the bottom of the sorter drum carries agear 50 which meshes with apinion 51 on ashaft 52 that carries abevel gear 53 meshing with abevel gear 54 on theshaft 49.

When the lever 4-0 comes into clutching association with the pin 4'7, it is projected upwardly and guided by aguide roller 40a, it engages one arm of, and swings abell crank lever 55, pivoted at 56, clockwise. The other arm of thelever 55 works in a slot of adisk 57 loose on a supportingshaft 58a. Thedisk 57 is connected by alink 58 with a regular counter C and by alink 59 with a predetermined amount counter PC.

With the exception of thelinks 59 all of the described mechanism is duplicated for each denomination of coin 3 and may be duplicated in its entirety for such denominations, but in the present instance three of the denominations, twenty-five cents, ten cents, and five cents, are connected up with the predetermined counters PC.

Referring to Fig. 1, eachlink 58 is connected to a lever se pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine at 61 and operatively connected by alink 62 with acounter operating lever 63. A tension spring 64- anchored at one end on a frame part of the machine and connected at its other end withlever 60 serves to return thelinkage including disk 57 and lever 55 to its initial position. Eachlink 59 is operatively connected with acounter operating lever 66.

When, as described above, lever 55 swings clockwise as shown in Fig. 8, thedisk 57 turns counterclockwise exerting a pull on its associatedlinks 58 and 59, if used, to actuate its associated counter C and counter PC, if used.

Each of the predetermined counters PC may be of any standard make or suitable construction, and these counters are usually provided with an electric switch that can be used for controlling other devices at the end of a predetermined count so that a detailed showing of such counter and its switch is not considered necessary, and the counter controlled switch with an additional switch has been indicated in the diagram shown in Fig. 10.

Referring to Fig. 10, the numeral B designates an electromagnetic brake for the motor M receiving current from the rectifier RT. S designates the coil ofsolenoid 36, R a relay having switches normally open RS and normally closed RS, L a signal lamp, PS the switch controlled by the predetermined counter, FL the switch controlling the lamp L, and $55 the coin controlled switches.

The current supply line 67 connects through a hand switch 68 with either aconductor 69 or a conductor '70. The rectifier RT is connected across theconductor 70 and theother supply line 71.. The solenoids S with theircontrol switches 35 are connected across theconductor 69 and aconductor 72 connected withline 71. Conductor 76 connects with a conductor '73 with which one of the terminals of all the switches RS is connected. Aconductor 74 connects the other of the terminals of all the switches RS and one of the terminals of all the relay coils withconductor 69. The other terminal of each relay coil is connected by aconductor 75 with one of the terminals of switches PS. The switches RS are in aconductor 76 connecting theconductor 69 with one terminal of the motor M whose other terminal is connected to theline 71. Aconductor 77 connectsconductor 72 with a conductor '73 with which the other terminals of switches PS and one of the terminals of switches PL are connected. The other terminal of each switch PL is connected by aconductor 79 with a terminal of its associated lamp L. The other terminals of the lamps are connected to the conductor in.

With the above arrangement when the switch 68 connects withconductor 69, a circuit throughconductor 76, switches RS, motor M,line 71 is established so that the motor then drives the sortingdrum 16 through the drive connections including the worm andworm wheel 19, and theshaft 49 is also driven. Each time the sorter delivers a coin from its sorting channel one of theswitches 35 is closed so that a coil S is energized by current flowing fromconductor 69 through solenoid S,conductor 72 toline 71. Operation of any solenoid S operates its associated regular registering counter, and if used, the predetermined counter PC. When the counter PC reaches the end of its predetermined count, switches PS and PL controlled thereby are closed, and current then passes fromconductor 69 toconductor 74, the relay R associated with this counter,conductor 75, switch PS,conductor 78,conductors 77, '72 to theline 71. Also current may flow fromconductor 69 through lamp L and itsconductor 79 and closed switch PL toconductors 78, 77, 72 andline 71 to light the lamp to show which of the counters has finished its count. Energization of relay R opens switch RS, thereby opening the motor circuit, and closes switch RS of that relay so that current now flows fromconductor 69 toconductor 74, switch RS, conductors '73 and 70 through the rectifier RT to theline 71, thus energizing the brake B to bring the motor to a stop. If the hand switch 68 is moved by the operator into contact withconductor 70, the current then flows fromconductor 70 through the rectifier RT to theline 71 and energizes the brake to stop the machine when desired.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a coin sorting and counting machine including a rotatable sorting member and means for rotating said member, the combination of a counter, acontinuously rotating shaft having a drive connection, counter drive mechanism including an oscillatory member operatively connected to said counter, a lever for oscillating said last named member, and an oscillatory and reciprocable spring returned clutch member for operating said lever, and means for connecting said clutch member with the drive connection of said shaft for operation of said lever including a lever and a solenoid operatively connected to said last named lever, a current supply circuit for said solenoid including a switch, and means operable by a sorted coin for controlling said switch.

2. In a coin sorting and counting machine including a rotatable sorting member and means for rotating said member, the combination of a counter, a continuously rotating crank, counter drive mechanism including an oscillatory member operatively connected to said counter, a lever for oscillating said last named member, and a pivoted crank-engageable lever movable lengthwise relative to its pivot for operating said first named lever and adapted to engage said crank, said lever being spring biased to a return position and crank operated to its lever operating position; means including a solenoid for swinging said crank-engageable lever into position to be engaged by said crank, a current supply circuit for said solenoid including a switch, and means operable by a sorted coin for controlling said switch.

3. In a coin sorting and counting machine including a rotatable sorting member and an electric motor operatively connected to rotate said member, the combination of a predetermined counter having a switch operated thereby at the end of a predetermined count, drive mecha nism for said counter including a continuously rotating shaft, a clutch operatively connected to said counter, clutch shifting mechanism to connect said clutch to said shaft, electrically operated means for actuating said clutch.

shifting mechanism to connect said clutch to said shaft for operation of said counter, a control circuit for said means to cause its actuation including a switch operable by a sorted coin, an electrically operated brake for said motor, a current supply circuit for said motor and a current supply circuit for said brake including a relay having switches in said motor supply circuit and said brake supply circuit and a control circuit including said counter operated switch and said relay whereby the operation of said counter operated switch causes operation of said relay and its switches to open the motor circuit and close the brake operating circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,799,784 Donnellan Apr. 7, 1931 2,522,734 Wood Sept. 19, 1950 2,543,790 Maher Mar. 6, 1951 2,635,730 Seckula Apr. 21, 1953 2,642,882 Buchholz June 23, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 284,822 Great Britain of 1928

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