US2135710A - Coin chute - Google Patents

Description

NW @wxga E. C. GRM@ M3533@ COIN CHUTE Filed July 29, 1937 INVENTOR.

\ f BY HIS AQTQRNEY.

Patented Nov. 8, 1938 com CHUTE Bernhard C. Grunig, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 29, 1937, Serial No. 156,305

6 Claims.

This invention pertains to a coin chute and to of the embodiment hereinafter to be described fraud prevention means effective to prevent the operation of the slide by deposit therein of two or more tokens, the aggregate thickness of which is substantially equal to the thickness of a proper com.

More specically stated, it is an object of the invention to provide a coin chute of the type having a mounting plate on which is formed a lateral sleeve for the reception of a coin slide having a coin aperture therein, the bottom of the sleeve or guide providing a bottom for the coin aperture to permit transposition of a coin in the coin pocket from one side of the mounting plate to the other by movement ofthe slide, there being a discharge opening in the sleeve or guide portion with which the coin pocket or aperture registers when the slide reaches a predetermined position, thus permitting the coin to gravitate out of the coin aperture in the slide through the discharge opening in the frame.

A further object is the provision in a coin chute structure of the type just characterized in which body portions of the slide on the peripheral edge of the coin pocket therein are punched or eX- truded or crimped in a manner to provide projections into the coin aperture and which are adapted to permit a coin of predetermined thickness to rest in the pocket for free transport by the slide toward the discharge opening, and which are effective to raise the edge of the coin resting in the aperture a distance suicient to permit the proper coin to be transported as aforesaid; but when two thin tokens or shims are placed in the aperture, the arrangement is such that the edge of the uppermost token will project and bear against an abutment to prevent movement of the slide.

Yet another object is the provision in a coin chute of the class described of a thin coin slide having a substantially circular aperture cut therethrough and providing a coin pocket, said slide having marginal edge portions deformed to provide an inward projection dimensioned to permit a coin of predetermined thickness to rest in the pocket substantially Within the plane of the slide for free transport by the latter, the edge of the coin in the pocket, nevertheless, being tilted an amount adequate to cause the edge of a second coin or token placed upon the iirst to extend beyond the plane of the slide to bear against the chute structure in a manner to prevent operation of the slide. f

Other novel aspects of the invention reside in particular features of construction and operation and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the improved coin chute;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary Vertical section illustrating the operation of one form of the fraud preventive means;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. v3, but showing the operation of a modied form of slide;

Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the form of slide shown in Fig. 4; whileV Fig. 6 isa vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the slide operated by a pair of shims, there being no fraud preventive means.

One form of a coin chute illustrative of the invention is shown in Fig. l and includes a frame constituting a guide and comprising a vertical mounting plate I0 having a transverse sleeve portion including front and back sections II and I2. A slide I3 of substantially planar form is seated in the sleeve portion and is reciprocable therein for the purpose of positioning a coin pocket I4 therein on either side of the mounting plate I0 to transport a coin from the front section II to the back section I2. v

As seen in Fig. l, the slide I3 is in its normal coin depositing position, and the front sleeve secr" tion II is out away as at I5 to expose the pocket I4, the opposite inner surface ofthe entire sleeve formation constituting a bottom for the coin pocket I4 so that when a coin is deposited in the latter and the slide moved, the coin will be transported and will glide over said bottom portion.

As seen in Fig. 2, there is provided a dropout opening I 6 in the front sleeve section II in a position for registration with the coin pocket I4 in the slide when the latter is in its normal coin receiving position. The diameter of the drop-out opening I6 is slightly smaller than that of the coin pocket, so that a token or coin of less than a predetermined and necessary diameter to fit in the pocket I4, will drop through the opening I6.

The rearward sleeve section I2 has a substantially solid upper surface Il upon which is mounted a dog I8 by means of a pin I9 extending into an integral boss 20'; a coil spring is pivotally mounted between its ends on the pin I9 and has a bent free end portion 2| engageable with the dog I8 and an opposite end portion 22 bearing against the surface I'I of the rear section. There is provided an elongated slot 23 through which the nose portion of the dog I8 may pass under urgence of the spring 2I, and on the opposite or bottom surface of the rear section I2 there is provided an irregularly shaped opening 24 (see also Fig. 2) into which the nose of the dog I8 may pass under certain conditions.

Spaced rearwardly (to the right) of the irregular drop-out opening 24 on the bottom surface of section I2, is a discharge opening 25. The righthand portion of the upper wallor surface :I1 of the inner sleeve portion I2 is out laway/as at 26 to expose a portion of the discharge opening 25,

there being, however, an edge portion 2l of theA section I'I overlying the discharge opening 25 ffor purposes which will hereinafter appear. Mounted by suitable means such as thewasllrer-Z-and screw 29, threaded into the frame section .I2, is a horseshoe magnet 30 having yits poles '3| confronting the rearward edge 21 of the sleeve-portion Il and substantially overlyingthe discharge opening '25 so as'to attract a* para'magnetic coin element therein and prevent the sameffrom falling through the discharge opening.

Communicating between "the 'front andV -rear sections II and I2 through the mounting y.plate I is a small channel'32 in which rides a depending boss 33 stamped into the slide I3, andfthis channel'32 continues"intoboth 'f thedrop-out openings I6 and"24 (Fig. 2). p

Mounted on the rearward side of lthe vertical mountingv plate Il) between-.opposite vertically extensive mounting'bosses34'is a combination slide stop and reject apron having an vinclined portion 35 for the .purpose of 'directing rejected tokens passing through therear discharge opening'24, the apron also having a vertical portion 36 which fits flushagainst the inner surface of the mounting plate'IO and which is provided with an upwardly extending ear or lug 3l which projects into the channel32 vand provides an abutment against which the ,depending ear "33 on slide I3 may bear to limit'the Voutward movement of the slide.

It willbe observed inFig. YZ'that when the slide is in the normal position'there shown, the nose of the dog I8 rests upon the rearward upper surface portion of slide I3 adjacent the stopping lug .33, the dog'pbeing in raised position against the tension f the spring '2I. "There is provided in the slide "I3 an elongated slot'f38 extending radially awayV from the edge ofthe coin pocket I4 opposite the dog I8. n

Thus, when a token such as a washer having a central opening is deposited in ythe pocket I4 and the slide is, pushed in, spring'ZI will urge the nose of the dog into the perforate portion of the token or washer and prevent further rearward movement of the slide. Should the coin or token be a proper one, that'is not perforate, the slide may be moved inwardly its full stroke and when the left-hand edge of the coin in pocket I4 has passed the nose of dog I8, thelatter will be urged by its spring'ZI into the elongated slot 38, thus permitting lfull stroke movement of the slide so that the coin in pocket VvI4 will be positioned over the discharge opening`25 and gravitate through the latter to operate somedesired instrumentality.

There is a method by which slides of this-.type

Vmay be defrauded and which includes the `deor shims being Vsufficient to operate the instrumentality if it can be passed through the discharge opening 25. In practice these shims are frequently of paramagnetic material, and the object of using them is to permit the topmost one to be attractedvby the magnet 30 and held by the same while the lowermost token discharges through the opening 25 due to the fact that the magnetic flux at the poles of the magnet is inadequate to hold the same, since the magnetic circuit is substantially completed by the topmost ytoken'or shim.

In order to prevent suchfraudulent operation, the present invention provides means for tilting l-acoin of predetermined and proper size in the lthusassuring that the slide may be freely moved and that the tilted coin will freely pass into the guide 'sleeve' beneath the vertical mounting plate The aforesaid means in the embodiment shown includes a pair of spaced inwardly projecting crimps or fingers 4U extending radially inward from the edge 4ofthep'oclret I4 and preferably spaced on either side of the longitudinal center line throughthe pocket I4. These fingers or projections 40 may be provided by a number of methods, one of the simplest being thatV of crimping or stamping or pinching body portions of the slide at'the edge of the pocket I4 so as to cause the extrusion of some of the material in the manner set forth.

"It is'further Vdesirable to form the Vfingers 4D with'an Yangular surface 4I (Fig. 3), the inclination being'from the edge ofthe pocket I4 downwardly toward the center of the pocket, the average inclination being adequate to tilt a proper Acoin of predetermined thickness so that the Vright-hand edge portion thereof will be positioned close to the upper planar surface of the slide' I3 without, however, projecting beyondthis surface.

In Fig. 3 there vare 4shown in dotted lines two shims or fraudulent tokensv42 and 43 in position inthe pocket `I4, and it Will be observed that the right-hand upper edge "42' of the uppermost coin projects beyond the upper face ofthe slide I3 a'distance such that when the slide I3 is movedinwardly this edge portion 42 will abut against an edge 45 of' the vertical mounting plate AIIl an'diarrest the movement of'the `slide by virtue ofthe bearing 'engagement of the left-hand edge ofthe topmost coin 42 with 'theleft-hand inner surface portions Aof the pocket I4. In this manner any transportation of the shims Vbeyond the vertical `mountingplate Iis entirely defeated.

Fig, 6 illustrates what 'would happen if the shims 42 and 43 of Fig. 3 were'employed'without the safeguard `of the fraud preventive fingers or formations 4I. In such'a "case, the two shims would 'be carried to the rear section I2 and the topmost shim 442 would'be attracted and be held bythe magnet '30 while the lowermost shim 43 would fall through the .discharge opening 25 and fraudulently actuate the controlled instrumentality, theeld of themagnet beingbridged by the top token 42 .and being inadequate to hold thebottom token or being sufficiently weakened so-that jarring -will cause the lower shim to be dislodged. A modified .form of the fraud vpreventive p means is disclosed in Fig. l .wherein the inwardly projecting Lformations or ngers are Asituated 'on anopposite side ofthe coin pocket I4 Aand are provided by a pair of spaced punches 45 disposed on either side of the elongated dog channel 38. These punches M5, it will be observed, are made from the bottom surface of the slide i3 and are calculated to provide an angularly extending boss similar to the ngers il of Fig. 3 insofar as they serve to tilt a coin in the pocket, in the same general manner as described'in conjunction with Fig. 3. In this instance, however, the tilt is opposite to that of the structure of Fig. 3, with the result that when two shims are in the pocket M, inward movement of the slide will be prevented by the wedging action of the raised edge (now the left-hand upper edge instead of the right-hand edge as in the case of Fig. 3) of the topmost shim with the portion 45 of the guide or mounting plate lll.

It will thus be apparent that the invention provides a very simple structure which is nevertheless highly e'icient for its intended purpose, and it will further be apparent that the fraud preventive means in the form of the tilting ngers 56, as applied to the coin receiving pocket, may be applied to any coin slide of the planar type wherein a coin is normally disposed within the plane of the slide for movement in a guide member, the lingers being eiective to tilt an unauthorized coin or combination of coins or shims, so as to project the edge portion thereof out of the pocket and beyond the plane of the slide for abutment with some portion of the guide to prevent further movement of the slide. Moreover, it will be apparent that various changes in form and location may be made in the'particular construction described for purpose of illustration, and it is my intention that all equivalent constructions and all modications and rearrangements of parts or elements shall be included within the call of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A coin chute including a frame providing a sleeve, a substantially flat slide reciprocable in said sleeve and having a coin pocket adapted to hold a proper coin of predetermined thickness for transport in said sleeve by the slide said coin being of lesser thickness than said slide, and said pocket having spaced inwardly tilted projections adapted to tilt said coin therein without preventing movement of said slide in said sleeve, such movement being prevented, however, by engagement of the coin With the frame when the coin or' token in said pocket is of a thickness greater than that of said proper coin.

2. A coin chute including a sleeve-like guide, a thin slide reciprocable therein and having a hole therethrough constituting a coin pocket in which a coin may lie substantially in the plane of the slide, an underlying surface of said guide providing a bottom for said pocket and over which a cointherein moves When said slide is moved, said hole having means on the edge thereof for tilting a coin therein so as to project an edge portion of a coin of greater than predetermined thickness beyond the plane of the slide for engagement with said guide to block movement of said slide.

3. In a device of the class described, a coin slide of substantially planar form and having a coin pocket in Which a coin of predetermined thickness is adapted to lie within the plane of the slide and means projecting inwardly of the pocket to tilt said coin therein without projecting the same beyond the plane of the slide, coin elements of greater than predetermined thickness projecting out of said plane, and means in said device positioned along th'e path of movement of said slide and coin pocket and engaged by a projecting coin to prevent operative movement of the slide.

4. A coin slide of the type adapted to reciprocate in a guide sleeve, said slide having a coin pocket adapted to receive a coin of predetermined thickness and which will lie therein substantially within the plane of the slide, said pocket having a finger formation extending inwardly from an edge thereof and adapted to tilt said coin therein without exposing the same beyond the plane of said slide, but enough to expose an edge portion of a second coin or token placed in said pocket upon the first when the aggregate thickness of the two coins or tokens is greater than said predetermined thickness.

5. A coin slide of substantially planar form and having a coin pocket in which a coin of predetermined thickness is adapted to lie within the plane of the slide, and means projecting inwardly of the pocket and slanted toward the center of v the same to tilt said coin therein without projecting the same beyond the surface of said slide to interfere with the movement of the latter.

6. In a device of the class described, a stationary member constituting a mounting, a movable member carried on said mounting and operable to transport a coin from one position to another thereon, a pocket in said movable member and adapted to receive and position a proper coin of predetermined thickness so as to lie substantially within the plane of said movable member so as not to obstruct movement of the latter relative to said mounting, and means on said movable member for tilting coin elements in said pocket, coin elements of greater than predetermined thickness being in part projected thereby out of the plane of said slide, and means including a part on said mounting arranged to be engaged by the projected part of a coin element of greater than predetermined thickness to prevent eiective movement of said movable member.

BERNHARD C. GRUNIG.

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