Abstract:
A box opening machine adapted to opening a pre-packaged box containing coin rolls and emptying the coin rolls into a coin roll cassette. The invention provides a platform with a box slicer. The box is pushed over a platform work surface whereby the box bottom is sliced opened. The sliced box is then slid over a loading hopper wherein the box contents are emptied. The coin rolls from the box are then channeled into a coin roll cassette. The empty box is discarded.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional application 60/175,250, filed Jan. 10, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a coin dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to a system for loading coin rolls into cassettes used within such apparatus. 
     Coin change is generally distributed in wrapped form. The wrapping can be either in paper or plastic film. The coin rolls are usually pre-packed in cardboard boxes of a known value. For example, U.S. quarter coins (25¢) are usually packed in boxes to a value of $500.00. 
     The business of counting, wrapping, boxing and distributing coins is a labor intensive process. While specialized labor and machines are available for the pre-packaging of coins, users of the coins are not specialists and the distribution process is quite burdensome. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the physical labor and cost of distributing coin rolls, especially in connection with the operation of coin roll dispensing machines, such as disclosed in Applicants&#39; co-pending application, Ser. No. 09/084,159, riled May. 23,1998, “Coin Dispensing Apparatus”, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,369, and incorporated herein by reference. 
     The present invention meets this purpose by providing a box opening machine which opens a pre-packaged box containing coin rolls and empties the coin rolls into a coin roll cassette. The invention provides a platform with a box slicer. The box is pushed over a platform work surface whereby the box bottom is sliced opened. The sliced box is then slid over a loading hopper wherein the box contents are emptied. The coin rolls from the box are then channeled into a coin roll cassette. The empty box is discarded. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the box opening apparatus. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of the cassette loader in conjunction with the box opening apparatus of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the cassette loader. 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of the cassette loader of FIG. 4 in conjunction with the box opening apparatus. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like elements are indicated by like numerals, there is shown a coin box cassette loading system  1  comprised of two major subsystems, a box opening apparatus  10  and a cassette loader  30 . 
     The box opening apparatus  10  has a front  11 , rear  12 , left side  13 , right side  14 , top  15  and bottom  16 . The top  15  and bottom  16  are generally horizontal, planar platforms interconnected by it vertical support structure  17 . The vertical support structure  17  may be height adjustable. The top platform  15  has an elongated rectangular housing  18  mounted along the platform rear  12  said housing  18  covering a nominal rear portion  19  of the top platform  15 . 
     The box opening apparatus  10  is further comprised of a circular slitting blade  20  attached to a shaft element  21  driven by a motor  22 . The shaft element  21  is attached to the top platform rear portion  19  and positioned vertically so that the motor  22  is positioned below the top platform  15  and the slitting blade  20  positioned above the top platform  15 . The shaft element  21  is further positioned in the top platform rear portion  19  so that a front portion  23  of the slitting blade  20  protrudes just out of the top platform rear portion  19  toward the apparatus front  11 . The housing  18  covers most of the slitting blade  20 . The housing  18  has a front opening  24  through which the slitting blade front portion  23  protrudes. 
     Coin roll boxes  4  have generally rectangular shapes and generally have flaps  5  along each of the short sides  6  and a bottom  9  attached along each long side  7 . The coin rolls  2  are packaged within the box  4  so that each roll  2  is parallel with the short sides  6  and bottom  9 . In operation a coin roll box  4  loaded with coin rolls  2   5 s placed on the box opening apparatus top platform  15 , with a box long side  7  against the housing  18 . The box  4  is positioned onto the top platform  15  from the right side  14  and pushed toward the left side  13 . A box junction comprised of a bottom  9  and a long side  7  engages the slitting blade front blade portion  23 , thereby cutting the bottom  9  from the box  4 . 
     The cassette loader  30  is a generally rectangular, hollow container having a top  31 , bottom  32 , right side  33 , left side  34 , open front  35 , closed rear  36  and an interior  37  defined by said top  31 , bottom  32 , sides  33 ,  34 , front  35  and rear  36 . The cassette loader sides  33 ,  34  define a loader longitudinal axis. A wedge-shaped platform  38  is positioned within the loader interior  35 , said platform  38  having a width equal to the width of the sides  33 ,  34  and beginning at the left side  34  near to the top  31  and extending downward to a junction formed by the bottom  32  and right side  33 . 
     Mounted on the loader top  30  is a coin roll holding area, i.e., a loading hopper  40 , defined by a left side flange  41  and a right side flange  42 . The separation between the flanges  41 ,  42  is slightly larger than the longitudinal length of a box  4  of coin rolls  2 . The cassette loader top  31  has an opening  43  to the interior  37  adjacent the left side  34 . A horizontal roller  39  is attached to the loader rear  36 , said roller extending to the front  35  and being parallel to the bottom  32  and sides  33 ,  34  and being perpendicular to the rear  36 . The roller  39  is positioned near to the top  31  adjacent to and on the right side of the opening  43 . A loader throat  44  is formed by the opening  43  and a space between the roller  39  and the left side  34 . 
     Each coin roll cassette  50  is loaded from an open end  51 . Each cassette  50  has spring-loaded pusher  52  providing relatively mild resistance to the coin rolls  2  being inserted into the cassette open end  51 . For the loading process, a cassette  50  is positioned on the wedge platform  38  with the cassette open end  51  adjacent the throat  44 . The throat  44  may have a curved element  45  attached to the eft side  34  above the platform  38  to smooth out the flow of coin rolls  2  from the loading hopper  40  through the throat  44  into the cassette open end  51 . 
     In an alternate embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cassette loader  30  is elongated to accommodate a pivoting lever  60 , which is used to gauge the number of coin rolls relative to a full cassette  50 . The pivoting lever  60  will work for any coin diameter since the cassette length is always constant. The cassette loader  30  position relative to the box opening apparatus  10  is changed to the box opening apparatus front  11  and not the side  13  as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. The loading hopper  40  and cassette loader  30  remain essentially the same. 
     The pivoting Sever  60  is comprised of an elongated, flat element  61  with two upwardly turned ends, a right end  62  and a left end  63  , said ends defining the longitudinal axis of the lever  60 , said longitudinal axis generally coincident with the longitudinal axis of the cassette loader  30 . The pivoting lever  60  has a pivot point  64  at a selected positioned along the longitudinal axis of the elongated element  61 . Said pivoting lever elongated element  61  pivotally joined to a pivot element  65  at said pivot point  64 . The pivot element  65  is fixedly joined to the cassette loader rear  36  in the loader interior  37  near to the loader top  31 . Two open, parallel slits are formed in the loader top  31 , a left slit  66  and a right slit  67 , each said slit having longitudinal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the loader  30 . The pivoting lever ends  62 ,  63  are adapted to fit through the slits  66 ,  67 . 
     In operation, a box  4  with a slit junction bottom  9  and long side  7  is slid from the box opening apparatus top platform  15  into the cassette loader loading hopper  40 . When the box  4  is lifted clear the coin rolls  2  remain in the hopper  40 . The box flaps lift clear when the box  4  is removed from the hopper  40 . If a portion of the box  4  remains under the coin rolls  2 , it can be removed later. The coin rolls  2  from the box enter the loader throat  44  and into the cassette  50 . A retaining stick (not shown) is then pushed through an aperture (not shown) in the cassette  50  to retain the coin rolls  2  and allow a full cassette  50  to be removed and allow an empty cassette  50  to be inserted into the cassette loader  30 . The operation is then repeated on a continuous basis. 
     In the embodiment of the invention with a pivoting lever  60 , the elongated element left end  63  protrudes through the left slit  66 . Before any coin rolls reach the opening  43 , the protruding left end  63  halts the flow of coin rolls to the opening  43 . The pivoting lever  60  is then activated, either manually of automatically, to pivot bringing the elongated element right end  62  protrudes through the right slit  67 . This causes the left end  63  to recede through the left slit  66 , thereby releasing the coin rolls  2  to the opening  43 . The protruding right end  62  halts the flow of additional coin rolls to the opening  43 . The pivoting lever  60  thereby gauges the number of coin rolls  2  needed to fill a cassette  50 . 
     It is understood that the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative of the application. Other embodiments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the Invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.