Coin guiding device

Abstract: A coin guiding device, more particularly for raising a stream of coins from a coin collecting location to a delivery location, comprising an elongated supporting/guiding base with two sidewall portions extending therefrom and mutual spaced to substantially correspond with the diameter of a coin, said sidewall portions forming together with said supporting/guiding base a coin raising channel, resilient means being provided to keep the coins moving through the channel pressed onto the supporting/guiding base. The yielding press means are formed by a package of flexible elements which extend from a carrier, the free ends of said flexible elements extending through the slot space between the two sidewall portions into the lifting channel.

Description: The invention relates to a coin elevating and guiding device as defined in the first part of claim 1. A device of this type, which is making part e.g. of a coin dispensing device in e.g. a gambling machine or the like, is known from WO 97/05581. The resilient press means provided in this type of device serve to prevent the coins from getting in overlapping positions like roof tiles and thereby from getting jammed within the conveying channel, even when moving through curves between channel portions of different angles of inclination. Furthermore the resilient press means enable the handling of coins that are bent or distorted otherwise. The resilient press means in the well-known device are formed by a series of balls which are arranged according to the longitudinal direction of the conveying channel and are slidably held in bushings that extend from the elongated plate towards the elongated base plate. Coil springs within the bushings urge the individual balls towards the base plate into contact with the coins therein. The spacing between adjacent balls is slightly smaller than the diameter of a coin. The combined resistive force exerted by the balls is rather considerable and means quite an additional amount of energy that is required to push the stream of coins upwardly through the conveying channel. The present invention aims at removing the drawbacks of the well-known device by simple and effective means, which contribute to an undisturbed coin conveyance and requires less additional pushing energy. According to the invention this aim is achieved by the features which are mentioned in the second part of claim 1. In each point of the trajectory covered by the package of flexible elements the coins are engaged by the free ends of the flexible elements and thereby smoothly pressed onto the base. Differences in space between the coin engagement point and the supporting/guiding wall, which are the result of differences in coin thickness, the occurrence of distorted coins or the presence of a relatively sharp transitional curve in the lifting channel, are smoothly compensated due to the fact that the free ends of the flexible elements will bend either more or less according to said difference in space being larger or smaller. In fact the device of the present invention is suitable for treating coin types of different thicknesses. The combined resistance of the flexible elements against coin conveyance in the upward direction will be kept low. It is to be noted that document US 3,752,168 discloses a coin handling device, in which coins are randomly dropped from a coin collecting reservoir on a series of ramps, which are positioned zig zag above one another and take slightly upwardly inclined positions as seen in the desired zig zag conveying direction towards a dispensing chute. To cause the coins to move in the desired direction, the ramps are vibrated and covered with a mohair fabric, the piles of which are obliquely directed in the conveying direction. The coins are thereby pressed into the fabric to singularise the coins and have the coins form a stream of coins. In a preferred embodiment the flexible elements are positioned as indicated in claim 2. Such a position has the advantage that the resistance to coin movement in the upward direction is very low, whereas the resistance to movement in the opposite (returning) direction is relatively high, because in that direction the elements will act as a sort of bearded arrow; this prevents undesired return movements, e.g. in case of a stagnating coin supply from the coin collecting location. Practical embodiments of the invention have the features of claims 3 to 6. The invention will hereinafter be further explained by way of example with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a front perspective view of a coin collecting and dispensing device, provided with the coin elevating device according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows the cover plate with the flexible bristle-like elements extending therefrom, by means of which the elevating channel of the coin elevating device of Fig. 1 may be closed on the front/upper side and Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view through a section of the elevating channel of the coin elevating device. Part A of the device shown in Fig. 1 is of a well-known type. It comprises a housing 1 with a sloping wall 2, on which the bottom 3 of a coin collecting reservoir (not further shown) is mounted. On top of a fixed bottom plate (not shown) a disc 4 provided with coin receiving openings is mounted to be driven in the arrow direction by means of a drive mechanism provided within the housing 1. In use, while the disc 4 is rotating, coins passing and dropping through the openings of the disc onto the fixed bottom plate are engaged by projections (not shown) provided on the lower face of the disc 4 and taken along in the direction of rotation of the disc. The coins move along a guiding edge extending from the bottom plate, which edge guides the coins towards a coin outlet 5 that is directed tangentially outwardly and obliquely upwardly. Adjacent the coin outlet 5 abutment and guide means are provided on the bottom plate below the disc 4 which cause the coins to move one by one through the outlet 5 outwardly. Moreover the passing coins are counted. The coin outlet 5 is confined by a supporting/guiding wall or base 6 in the plane of the fixed bottom plate and two upstanding sidewall portions 7. The sidewall portions 7 extend from a circumferential wall portion 8 that delimits a coin collecting space above the disc 4. The spacing between the sidewall portions 7 is adapted to the largest occurring coin diameter (N.B. Each time the right disc will have to be mounted, i.e. a disc provided with passage openings of a diameter that is adapted to the coins to be handled. So far the device is, in fact, of a well-known construction. B designates the coin elevating device of the present invention which connects to the coin outlet 5. This guiding device comprises an elongated base plate 10 and two upstanding sidewall plates 11 extending at the longitudinal edges of said base plate. An elevating channel in register with the coin outlet 5 is obtained herewith. Said channel extends initially at the same elevational angle as the coin outlet 5, but changes through a curve into a more vertical position, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. For adjustment to coin diameters which are smaller than the largest diameter, a transversally adjustable guiding rib 12 is provided on the base plate 10. Thus the elevating channel is confined between the left sidewall plate 11 and the rib 12. In use the rotating disc 4 and the means provided on the lower surface thereof are urged "edge to edge" through the coin outlet 5 and the connecting raising channel upwardly, towards the delivery location C. To make sure that the edge contact between the coins moving upwardly through the elevating channel is also taking place in the curve of the elevating channel and is kept under all circumstances the elevating channel is covered at its front side by the element shown in fig. 2 which is in the form of an elongated cover plate 13, one side of which is provided with brush bristles 14 implanted therein. The longitudinal edges 15 of the cover plate 13 are formed to slidingly fit in corresponding longitudinal grooves 16 in the opposed faces of the sidewall plates 11 and in the grooves 9 in the sidewall portions 7 of the coin outlet 5 positioned in register therewith. The cover plate 13 can be simply inserted into the grooves 16 from above, at C. The cover plate 13, which is flat in untensioned state, has the necessary flexibility that allows the plate 13, while it is being inserted, to adapt itself to the curve in the elevating channel. The lower terminal end of the cover plate 13 is formed by a terminal edge 17 that takes an oblique position relative to the longitudinal axis and is adapted to the circumferential wall portion 8. In the cross-sectional view of fig. 3 it is shown that the bristles 14 are directed obliquely in the upward conveying direction and that the yielding brush bristles urge the coins onto the supporting/guiding base 10. It will be understood that the pressure exerted by the bristles will be larger or smaller according to the stiffness of the selected brush bristles being larger or smaller. Implanting the brush bristles in an oblique position as seen in the raising direction has the advantage that the resistance to displacement in the raising direction will be relatively low, whereas the bristles will have a blocking effect in the opposite direction. Fig. 3 also shows that in the inoperative state of the bristles there is a slight space between the bristles and the base plate, which is smaller than the smallest coin thickness. It will be clear that the coin elevating device B of the invention may also be applied with any type of coin collecting device, that is provided with a coin outlet similar to the device A described hereinabove.

Claims: A coin elevating and guiding device, preferably for elevating coins from a collecting reservoir through an outlet (5) thereof and into and through a coin conveying channel to a delivery location, including means which push coins serially and in edge-to-edge contact into and through a coin conveying channel (B), said coin conveying channel comprising an elongate base (10) and a pair of sidewall portions (11) which are spaced by a distance which substantially corresponds to the diameter of a coin; a covering carrier (13) disposed opposite to said base (10) and carrying resilient press means(14) which extend into the slot space between said sidewall portions (11) to engage the coins within said channel (B) and thereby keep the coins in resilient sliding contact with said base (10); characterized in that said resilient press means are a package of flexible elements (14), the individual elements of which project into the channel and directly contact coins contained therein during operation, the free ends of the elements flexing in the conveying direction. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible elements (14) are obliquely directed in the coin conveyance direction. A device according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the flexible elements (14) are formed by the bristles of a brush. A device according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the flexible elements (14) are implanted in said cover carrier (13), which is elongated and which is supported by the sidewall plates (11). A device according to claim 4, characterized in that said elongated cover carrier (13) is slidingly received with its longitudinal edges in corresponding grooves in the opposed faces of said sidewall portions (11). A device according to claim 5, wherein one or more curves connect conveying channel portions of different angles of inclination, characterized in that said elongated cover carrier (13) is a flexible plate that is capable of flexing from a flat tension-free state according to the curved shape of the conveying channel when sliding said plate through said grooves into position.

Inventors: SUVEREIN CORNELIS MARTINUS, SUVEREIN LEONARDUS ALBERTUS PA, SUVEREIN, CORNELIS MARTINUS, SUVEREIN, LEONARDUS ALBERTUS PATRICK
Applicants: SUZO INTERNAT NL B V, SUZO INTERNATIONAL (NL) B.V.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G07D9
IPC codes: G07D9