Coin diverter

Apparatus and methods for minimizing incorrect coin registration in a coin-operated telephone. The apparatus includes a coin diverter having a top plate, a coin hopper mounting bracket, and a coin impact plate attached to the top plate. The coin impact plate is positioned in a coin hopper entry path to alter the orientation of a coin entering the hopper. The methods include attaching a coin diverter to a coin hopper and diverting coins entering the coin hopper to prevent impacts on an edge of a trip lever.

BACKGROUND 
This invention relates to coin detection devices, and more particularly, to 
a coin diverter for use with pay telephone coin detector devices. 
In a typical coin operated telephone, a coin inserted in a coin slot 
travels from the coin slot to a coin validator via a coin chute. The coin 
validator determines the value and authenticity of acceptable coins, and 
rejects counterfeit or invalid coins and non-coin objects. Acceptable 
coins are directed to a coin box while rejected objects exit the phone 
through a return slot. 
After an acceptable coin departs the coin validator, it is directed to a 
coin hopper where it impacts a trip lever. The impact of the coin causes 
the trip lever to pivot from a nontriggered position to a triggered 
position. As the trip lever moves from the nontriggered position a space 
opens in the coin passageway enabling the coin to pass into the coin box. 
As the trip lever further moves toward the fully triggered position, 
electrical contact closure is caused by the displaced trip lever resulting 
in coin credit registration. 
Credit registration may fail if the impact of the coin with the trip lever 
imparts insufficient force to move the trip lever to the fully triggered 
position. This type of failure may occur when a small lightweight coin 
such as a dime impacts the trip lever, and the failure is particularly 
acute when the orientation of the dime results in a low-force impact 
between the edge of the dime and the edge of the lever. It has been 
observed that such an impact moves the trip lever sufficiently to allow 
the dime to pass into the coin box but not enough to cause coin 
registration contact closure. As a result, the user's coin is retained in 
the coin box, but the user is not credited for the deposited coin. 
Consequently, a need exists for a device to ensure that accurate credit 
registration occurs when lightweight coins are deposited in a pay 
telephone. 
SUMMARY 
In general, the invention features a coin diverter for a coin-operated 
telephone including a top plate, a mounting bracket connected to the top 
plate, and a diverter plate attached to the top plate. When the coin 
diverter is mounted the diverter plate is positioned in a coin hopper 
entry path to deflect coins to minimize edge impacts of coins with a trip 
lever. 
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. 
The coin diverter may be mounted on the coin hopper. The diverter plate 
may measure approximately 25 millimeters (mm) by 9.5 mm. The coin diverter 
may include a fraud prevention plate attached to the top plate. The fraud 
prevention plate may include multiple interconnected segments. The fraud 
prevention plate may be flexibly attached to the top plate. The fraud 
prevention plate may be positioned between the coin hopper and a coin 
telephone housing box when the coin diverter is mounted. 
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a method for 
minimizing incorrect coin registration in a coin operated telephone. The 
method includes attaching a coin diverter to a coin hopper and diverting 
coins to prevent impacts on an edge of a trip lever. 
Among the advantages of the invention are one or more of the following. The 
coin diverter may reduce coin credit registration failures, it may be 
retrofit to a conventional coin telephone coin hopper without substantial 
modifications, and it may include coin registration failure prevention and 
coin box tamper resistant features in a one piece unit. 
Other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from reading 
the specification and drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
FIG. 1A is a front view of a typical coin operated telephone 10 having a 
housing box 11. The upper face plate 12 of the pay phone 10 has a coin 
slot 14, a coin return lever 16, a handset 18 and cord 19, and a keypad 
20. The lower portion of the pay phone has a coin return receptacle 22 and 
a vault door 24 which protects a coin box (not shown). 
FIG. 1B is a front view of the coin operated telephone 10 of FIG. 1A with 
the face plate of the housing box 11 removed to show a coin validator 110. 
The housing box 11 typically contains an electromechanical apparatus 120 
for the operation of the telephone. The apparatus 120 may have, for 
example, copper line termination functions, signal generation functions, 
call origination functions, coin credit accumulation functions, and other 
pay telephone functionality. Additionally, the housing box 11 contains a 
coin return relay unit that is generally located in the lower portion of 
the housing box. 
To operate the pay phone 10, a customer removes the handset 18 from its 
cradle and inserts coins into the coin slot 14. The inserted coins travel 
from the coin slot 14 through a coin passageway to the coin validator 110 
where the coin is analyzed by detection and validation circuitry. After 
analysis, unacceptable coins and non-coin objects are directed through 
coin passageway 125 to the coin return receptacle 22 while acceptable 
coins are directed through coin chute 112 to a coin hopper 150. 
FIG. 2A is a top view and FIG. 2B is a side schematic view of a coin hopper 
150. A coin 201 is shown in both FIGS. 2A and 2B as it enters a coin 
hopper 150. In FIG. 2B, the coin is shown in three locations, 201A as it 
enters the coin hopper, 201B as the coin encounters a trip lever 202, and 
201C as the coin moves past the trip lever 202. 
Referring to FIG. 2B, as a valid coin 201 exits coin chute 112 it enters a 
coin hopper 150. As the coin moves from position 201A to position 201B it 
will engage trip lever 202 within the coin hopper 150, causing the trip 
lever 202 to move from a nontriggered position along horizontal axis 203 
toward its maximum triggered position along axis 205. As the trip lever 
moves from its initial position (along axis 203) the coin will pass 
through the coin hopper 150 and into the pay telephone coin box. When the 
trip lever approaches its fully pivoted position (along axis 205), contact 
elements 206 close resulting in credit registration for the deposited 
coin. The trip lever 202 is subsequently reset to its nontriggered 
position along axis 203 by trip lever reset mechanism 207. Trip levers and 
their associated contact closure and reset mechanisms are more fully 
described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,064. 
A portion of the trip lever 202 is positioned within coin hopper 150 and is 
impacted by a coin entering the coin hopper. In FIG. 2A, the coin is shown 
ready to impact the trip lever 202 along axis 204 which will reliably 
result in pivotal movement of the trip lever 202, causing closure of coin 
detection contacts 206. Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, however, if a dime 
or other small coin 301A enters the coin hopper 150 oriented along, for 
example, axis 303, the coin may glance off an edge 305 of the trip lever. 
Such an impact will impart less motion to trip lever 202 than would an 
impact along a non-edge region. Edge impacts may cause trip lever movement 
to an intermediate position between the fully triggered 205 and 
non-triggered 203 axis. Movement of the trip lever to an intermediate 
position, such as along axis 304 in FIG. 3B, may allow coin 301C passage, 
while not causing trip lever contact 206 closure. In such a case, the coin 
is directed to the pay phone coin box without crediting the user for the 
deposited coin. Such coin edge impacts have been observed to occur in, for 
example, the Western Electric model "1A" and "1AAA" coin detection 
mechanisms. 
FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are side, top and front views of a coin diverter 400 
for preventing trip lever edge impacts. The coin diverter 400 has a sloped 
coin diverter plate 401, (also referred to as a coin impact plate) a 
generally U-shaped mounting bracket 402 and a top plate 403. The mounting 
bracket 402 is designed to retrofit the coin diverter 400 to coin 
mechanisms such as the Western Electric "1A" and "1AAA" mechanisms It 
should be understood that other mounting bracket designs may be required 
for other models or for attachment to coin mechanisms from other 
manufacturers. The coin diverter 400 may be fashioned from, for example, 
stainless steel, other metals, plastic, ceramic, or a composite material. 
In addition, the coin diverter 400 may be manufactured as an integral unit 
or separate components connected together. 
In an exemplary coin diverter designed to retrofit a Western Electric "1A" 
or "1AAA" coin mechanism, the coin diverter is constructed of stainless 
steel having a thickness of 0.6 mm. The diverter plate 401 has 
measurements "B", and "C" as illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4C. Length 
measurement "B" is approximately 9.5 millimeters (mm) (FIG. 4A) and width 
measurement "C" is approximately 25 mm (FIG. 4C). The mounting bracket 402 
has a measurement "A" of approximately 10.0 mm (FIG. 4A). 
FIGS. 5A and 5B show a coin 501 entering a coin hopper with an installed 
coin diverter 400. A coin 501 is shown in both FIGS. 5A and 5B as it 
enters a coin hopper 150. In FIG. 5B, the coin is shown in two locations, 
501A as it enters the coin hopper, 501B as the coin is deflected by the 
coin diverter deflection plate 401. The coin diverter is mounted directly 
upon the coin hopper 150 by use of the integral mounting bracket 402. The 
diverter plate 401 is positioned within coin hopper 150, and directs the 
orientation of coins entering the coin hopper 150 so that dimes and other 
coins are prevented from impacting the trip lever edge 305. By so 
restricting coin alignment, low pivotal force impacts between the coin and 
trip lever edge are eliminated. As a result, incidents of insufficient 
trip lever movement are substantially eliminated so that coin passage 
credit failures are minimized and virtually eliminated. 
FIG. 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate an alternative embodiment of a coin diverter 
600. The coin diverter 600 is fashioned with a sloped coin diverter plate 
601, a generally U-shaped mounting bracket 602, a top plate 603, and a 
fraud prevention plate 604. Coin diverter plate 601, mounting bracket 602 
and fraud prevention plate 604 are each connected to top plate 603. The 
fraud prevention plate 604 has a shape enabling it to be positioned 
between the coin hopper 150 and coin telephone housing box 11 when the 
coin diverter 600 is mounted to the coin hopper 150. This positioning of 
fraud prevention plate 604 is illustrated in FIG. 8. Fraud prevention 
plate 604 is made of metal or other strong, durable material, and may be 
secured at a single connecting edge to top plate 603. Such a connector 
allows bending, or "play", of the plate along the connecting edge when a 
foreign object contacts the plate in an attempt to defraud the payphone, 
as explained below. 
In an exemplary coin diverter 600 designed to retrofit a Western Electric 
"1A" or "1AAA" coin mechanism, the coin diverter is constructed of 
stainless steel with a thickness of 0.6 mm. The exemplary coin diverter 
has a fraud prevention plate 604 with segments 605, 606, and 607 (FIGS. 6A 
and 6C). Segment 605 has a length measurement "D" of approximately 24.1 mm 
and a width measurement "G" of approximately 19.0 mm, segment 606 has a 
length measurement "E" of approximately 17.5 mm and a width measurement 
"G" of approximately 19.0 mm, and segment 607 has a length measurement "F" 
of approximately 12.7 mm and a width measurement "J" of approximately 55 
mm. Segments 605-607 thus form a fraud prevention plate having a total 
length measurement of approximately 54.3 mm. Segments 605, 606, and 607 
are interconnected at joining angles "H" and "I" that may be, for example, 
approximately 139 degrees. The dimensions of the diverter plate 601 and 
mounting bracket 602 may correspond to those of the diverter plate 401 and 
mounting bracket 402 of a coin diverter 400 (FIGS. 4A-4C) designed to 
retrofit a Western Electric "1A" or "1AAA" coin mechanism. It should be 
understood that the fraud prevention plate 604 may be of alternative 
shapes having, for example, a greater or lesser number of interconnected 
segments, or may be smoothly curved. 
The fraud prevention plate 604 is designed to prevent unlawful tampering 
with the trip lever 202. Such tampering may be used to cause coin credit 
registration without a coin being deposited. This type of fraud is 
referred to as initial rate fraud or local call fraud. Referring to FIGS. 
7A and 7B, initial rate fraud may be committed using a high-speed twist 
drill bit to pierce through the outside wall of the telephone unit housing 
box 11 along drill axis 701. After removing the drill bit, a thin 
elongated pin 702 is inserted along the drill axis through the drilled 
openings 703. The inserted pin is then used to move the trip lever 202 to 
the triggered position so as to cause fraudulent coin credit registration. 
In FIG. 8, a coin diverter 600 with fraud prevention plate 604 is shown 
mounted on a coin hopper 150. The fraud prevention plate 604 is positioned 
between the coin hopper 150 and the pay phone housing box 11. When a 
vandal attempts to drill in the housing box 11 along, for example, axis 
701 in FIG. 7A, the drill bit will contact the fraud prevention plate 604 
and will displace it from its resting position toward the coin hopper 150. 
This movement of plate 604 decreases the effective "bite" of the drill 
bit, thereby increasing the difficulty of gaining access to the coin 
hopper trip lever. Furthermore, because the plate 604 moves to a displaced 
position when in contact with the drill, and then returns toward its 
original position when the drill is removed, the axis of the holes drilled 
through the phone housing 11 and the coin hopper 150 will be displaced 
from the hole through the fraud prevention plate 604 when the plate 604 
returns toward its normal position. This hole axis misalignment is a 
further barrier to effective probe pin insertion, thereby making trigger 
level manipulation more difficult. 
It should be understood that the illustrated drilling axis is not be the 
only applicable fraud drilling axis and that the fraud prevention plate 
604 may be used to prevent fraud by a vandal drilling along alternate 
axes. 
The foregoing are illustrative examples of the present invention. Many 
changes may be made to the disclosed coin diverters including, for 
example, changes in mounting mechanisms, changes in shape, changes in 
device proportions, and in the materials used. The scope of this invention 
should be limited only as set forth in the following claims.