Apparatus for ejecting circular plate bodies

Abstract: This invention has been developed from the purpose that the position of the roller which composes an ejector member is not changed, even if the size of the coin to be elevated and sent out is changed. This invention has been concretely developed from the purpose that 50 yen coins with small diameter can be applied and also 10 yen coins with big diameter can be applied to, without changing the roller position of an equipment which sends out by elevating 100 yen coins. The invention is an apparatus for lifting circular plate bodies comprising at least: passage means to arrange a plurality of circular plate bodies one by one like a band plate and to push up these circular plate bodies; shaft means being provided on the central axis line of this passage means, being movable vertically, and having a gear part; rack means which engages this gear part; roller means being provided on said shaft means and becoming contact-able with said circle plate body and having a one-way clutch function; and elasticity means to pull said shaft means into the direction of said passage means.

Description: This invention relates to an apparatus for ejecting circular plate bodies according to the preamble of claim 1. This invention is concretely concerned with an apparatus for ejecting circular plate bodies by continuously lifting circular plate bodies to the upper direction such as coins with a circular disc form which are coins or medals used for games, etc. This invention more concretely relates to an apparatus for ejecting circular plate bodies which is used for a vending machine, a current money changing machine, a game machine and so on. As a conventional apparatus for ejecting circular plate bodies, for example, there is the coin handling apparatus which was mentioned in the specification of United States Patent Number 4,518,001, or the apparatus disclosed in EP 0 729 119 A which forms the preamble of claim 1. In outline the apparatus disclosed in the U.S. Patent contains a coin payout assembly using a hopper and also contains a long duct which has back and front panels and first and second edge panels. The apparatus further contains a channel to accept coins which are arranged in a single edge-to-edge line between the lower inlet end and the upper outlet end. Also, the outlet end of the channel communicates with the payout chute of the said hopper, and in the first edge panel at the outlet end there is a single outlet slot. The coin handling apparatus comprises a coin ejector assembly and the assembly includes an ejector member for forcibly ejecting coins through said outlet slot. Further, the ejector member comprises a roller. The roller extends into said channel adjacent the outlet end thereof and is rotatable about an axis substantially normal to said front and back panels and is movable between a first position closer to said second edge panel than said first edge panel and off-center relative to the width of said channel in a direction away from said outlet slot and a second position further away from said outlet slot than said first position. In addition, the ejector member comprises biasing means for urging said ejector member towards said first position whereby said ejector member urges said coins toward said outlet slot and forcibly ejects them therethrough. However, in the conventional handling apparatus, the ejector member for forcibly ejecting coins must be provided with the roller which is movable between the first position closer to said second edge panel than said first edge panel and off-center relative to the width of said channel in the direction away from said outlet slot and the second position further away from said outlet slot than said first position. In other words, in the above-mentioned prior apparatus, the position of the roller which composes an ejector member must be always further in the distance than the radius of the coin which is pushed up relative to the position of the coin ejecting outlet. This invention has been developed for the purpose that the position of the roller which composes the ejector member should not depend on the radius of the pushed coin. In other words, this invention has been developed for the purpose that the position of the roller which composes an ejector member is not changed, even if the size of the coin to be elevated and sent out is changed. This invention has been concretely developed for the purpose that it can be used with 50 yen coins with small diameter and also 10 yen coins with big diameter without changing the roller position of the equipment which transports 100 yen coins. This object is achieved by an apparatus for ejecting circular plate bodies according to claim 1. Further developments of the invention arc given in the dependent claims. This invention is explained below, referring to attached drawings with regard to an embodiment thereof. Figure 1 is a roughly perspective view which shows the object portion of one embodiment according to this invention. Figure 2 is a roughly perspective view which shows the inside of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view which saw Figure 1 from the left side thereof. Figures 4 to 6 are diagrams which saw Figure 1 from the front thereof. Figure 7 is a diagram which saw another embodiment of this invention from the front thereof. A long big rectangular board which is shown in Figure 1 is a back plate 11 and composes a part of passage 12 for the circular plate bodies. Along this passage 12, as shown in Figure 1, pass circular plate bodies 1, 2, 3 with the same form which are pushed up, being aligned in one line in the same posture from the lower end thereof. A pair of elongate plates which are arranged in parallel to the back plate 11 are edge plates 13 and also compose a part of the passage 12 for the circular plate bodies. Moreover, between the back plate 11 and edge plates 13, a pair of slender space plates 15 are provided and compose a part of the passage 12. The interval between back plate 11 and edge plates 13 is equivalent to approximately the thickness of one circular plate body 1 - 3. Also, the interval between the pair of space plate 15 is equivalent to approximately one diameter of one circular plate body 1 - 3. The upper edges of space plates 15 are formed lower than the edges of plates 13, and a big slender hole 14 is formed between the pair of edge plates 13. Also, the back plate 11 extends higher than the edge plates 13, as shown in the illustration. As clear from the above, the back plate 11, the pair of edge plates 13, and the pair space plates 15 compose passage means forming the passage 12 for circular plate bodies 1 - 3. A short big rectangular plate shown in figure 2 is an installation plate 17, and the lower part of installation plate 17 is bent and a bended piece 16 is formed. Further, the installation plate 17 as shown in Figure 1 is fixed on the back of the upper part of back plate 11. That is to say, it is fixed at the upper edge part thereof through one pair of collars 18 and at the lower edge part thereof through the bended piece 16. In the approximate centre of the upper part of back plate 11, an oval hole 20 is formed, and in the same way, an oval hole 19 is oppositely formed in the approximate center of installation plate 17. The directions of length in the oval holes 19, 20 are aligned according to the central axis line of passage 12 for circular plate bodies 1, 2, etc. In other words, lengthwise lines bisecting the oval holes 19, 20 are collinear with the line which links each central point of the circular plate bodies 1, 2, etc. A shaft 21 is pierced into the one pair of oval holes 19, 20 and the shaft 21 is movable vertically and slidably. Further, at the rough center of shaft 21, a gear part 22 with a big diameter is formed. Also, on the projected portion of shaft 21 which pierces the back plate 11, a slightly big roller 23 is secured. Further more, as not shown, a one-way clutch is installed within the roller 23. The prismatic form which is shown at the center of Figure 2 is a rack body 24 and is fixed on the installation plate 17 to mesh with the gear part 22. A horizontal plate 25 shown at the lower portion of Figure 1 is built over the upper parts of the pair of edge plates 13 and is fixed thereon, and at the center of the horizontal plate 25, a stud 26 is implanted. A pipe-shaped spring 27 is spanned between this stud 26 and the projected portion of shaft 21. Also, as shown in Figure 3, a stud 28 is implanted into the rough center of the lower part of the outside of installation plate 17. Between this stud 28 and the projected portion of shaft 21, a pipe-shaped spring 29 is spanned similarity. The pair of springs 27, 29 pull the shaft 21 stably toward the pair of studs 26, 28. In this embodiment which consists of the above-mentioned composition, the circular plate bodies 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. are pushed up into the passage 12 by a sending-out equipment ( not shown ) for the circular plate bodies such as a well known hopper equipment for medals. Thus, the upper edge of circular plate body 1 which is in top most position touches the roller 23 as shown in Figures 1 and 4. Moreover, when the circular plate body 1 is pushed up, the roller 23 is raised in opposition to the elasticity of the pair of springs 27, 29. The shaft 21 is raised at the same time so that the gear part 22 engages the rack body 24 and therefore also rises and hence rotates. In other words, the shaft 21 rises while being turned in the clockwise direction as shown in Figure 4. That is to say, the roller 23, which is provided with a one-way clutch, rises while being turned in the clockwise direction. As a result, the circular plate body 1 is forcibly ejected toward the left side on the illustration as shown in Figure 5. When the circular plate body 1 is forcibly ejected toward the left side, the elasticity force of the pair of springs 27, 29 works momentarily and then the shaft 21 descends. The descending shaft 21 is turned counterclockwise by the meshing of rack body 24 and gear part 22 ( refer to Figure 6 ). At this time, even if the descending roller 23 touches the circular plate body 1, the function of one-way clutch works. Accordingly, the roller 23 turns clockwise and therefore never prevents the ejection of circular plate body 1. As a result, the ejection of circular plate body 1 is smoothly done. In Figure 7, an embodiment is shown in which the circular plate bodies 1, 2, 3, etc, are ejected to the right side of the drawing. In this case the rack body 24 must be fixed on the left side of oval hole 20 and the roller 23 with one-way clutch must be mounted reversely. That is to say, the roller 23 turns counterclockwise when rising and, when the roller 23 descends, the one-way clutch mechanism works. As mentioned above, when the roller 23, which is provided with a one-way clutch, rises, it is turned. As a result, the circular plate body 1 is compulsorily ejected to the side direction. In addition, the function of one-way clutch works when the roller 23 descends. Therefore, the roller 23 is turned even if it touches the circular plate body 1. Accordingly, the sending-out of circular plate body 1 is never prevented and is smoothly performed. In other words, as shown by the chain line of Figure 4, the size of circular plate body 1 can be changed without the need to change the position of roller 23. Supposing that the circular plate body 1 is a 100 yen coin for example, it became clear experimentally that a 50 yen coin 50 with a small diameter could be ejected and also a 10 yen coin 10 with a big diameter could be ejected without changing the position of roller 22. In this invention as above mentioned, there is a big effect that the position of the roller which composes an ejector member becomes independent of the radius of pushed coin by adding simple composition elements. This invention concretely has the great advantage that it can be applied to 50 yen coins with small diameter and also 10 yen coins with big diameter without changing the roller position of an apparatus for sending out (ejecting) 100 yen coins.

Claims: An apparatus for ejecting circular plate bodies, comprising at least passage means (11 - 15) having a passage (12) for arranging a plurality of the circular plate bodies ( 1 - 4) one by one like a narrow flat strip, an inlet at a first end of the passage (12) for allowing circular plate bodies to enter the passage (12), and an outlet at a second end of the passage (12) for allowing circular plate bodies to exit the passage, for guiding these circular plate bodies pushed along the passage (12), shaft means (19 - 22) provided movable along a line, roller means (23) provided on the shaft means (19 - 22), being contactable with the periphery of the circular plate body closest to the outlet to eject the closest plate body from the outlet, and elasticity means (27, 29) for pulling the shaft means (19 - 22) so as to contact the closest plate body, characterized by the shaft means (19 - 22), which is provided on a central axis line of the passage (11 - 15), is movable along the central axis line, and has a gear part (22), the roller means (23), which is connected with the shaft means via a one-way clutch function for rotation in a direction such as to eject the closest plate body from the outlet, the elasticity means (27, 29), which pulls the shaft means (19 - 22) along the central axis line opposite to the direction of pushing the circular plate bodies, and rack means (24) engaging the gear part (22), so as to cause the shaft means (19 - 22) to rotate in the ejection direction when the shaft means is moved in the direction of pushing. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the central axis line is arranged vertically. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the circular plate bodies (1 - 4) are pushed up along the passage (12), and the shaft means (19 - 22) is provided above the passage (12).

Inventors: ABE HIROSHI, FURUKAWA TETSUO, ABE, HIROSHI, FURUKAWA, TETSUO
Applicants: ASAHI SEIKO CO LTD, ASAHI SEIKO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1998
Main classification: G07D1
IPC codes: G07D9, G07D1