Patent GB-1255492-A (GB)
Title: Coin testing and accepting or rejecting devices
Inventor: DOLMAN HENRY JAMES
IPC: G07D3/14
Filed: 1968-02-29
Abstract: 1,255,492. Coin testing and accepting/rejecting devices. BRECKNELL, DOLMAN & ROGERS Ltd. 4 Feb., 1969 [29 Feb., 1968], No. 9777/68. Headings G4V and G4X. A coin testing and accepting/rejecting device tests a plurality of physical characteristics (diameter, thickness, milled edge, electromagnetic characteristics and apertures) of each of a number of coins 18 of mixed denominations as they pass along a common path through the device, the coin being accepted only if all the tests are passed. The coins are subsequently sorted into denominations. If the coin is acceptable, each test produces an electrical signal which is fed to AND gates 170, 171, 172 (one corresponding to each coin denomination) which control the solenoid 116 of an accept/ reject means and a coin totalizer 182 controlling the solenoid 191 of a change giver (not shown) and the solenoid 187 of a ticket issuing or vending device (not shown). Coins 18 of mixed denominations (e.g. sixpence, shilling and two shillings) are fed via a shoot 26 on to the inclined face of a rotated disc 10 having lands 12 and a central boss 16 together defining coin holding areas 14, the disc 10 being enclosed by a housing 17 and a solenoidoperated cover 22 hinged at 21, 21 thereto. An electromagnet (not shown) picks ferromagnetic coins from the disc 10. Aperture testing.-A hole 8 is provided in the disc 10 at each coin holding area 14 and is arranged to pass between a lamp 7 and a photo transistor 15 which gives an output signal whenever it is not illuminated, i.e. a coin with a hole in it (or no coin at all) produces no signal. Diameter testing.-A bifurcated feeler plate 46, 47 is moved by contact with a coin 18 and is pivoted to a crank 50 provided with an arcuate toothed rack 53 engaging a pinion 54 fixed to a mask 55, so that movement of the feeler plate 46, 47 moves a reference aperture 56 in the mask 55 between three illuminated apertures and three photo transistors 57, 58, 59 in pre-set positions corresponding to the diameters of the three denominations of coins. The transistor 57, 58 or 59 which is illuminated passes an electrical pulse to the corresponding AND gate 170, 171 or 172.  Polygonal coins are tested by providing two illuminated apertures for each coin denomination.  Milled edge testing.-A knife-edge feeler 60 is urged by a spring 61 to project from the feeler 46, 47 by an amount limited by a pivoted arm 62 and slot 65. A projection 64 on the feeler 60 is disposed near a magnet 71 forming the core of a coil 70, so that a passing milled edge coin (which is prevented from rotating by a finger 13 on the land 12) will vibrate the feeler 60 and hence provide an electrical pulse fed to each of the AND gates 170, 171 and 172.  Thickness testing.-A cam plate 81 carried by a tube 78 is lifted by a passing coin and rotates a pivoted lever 76 which rotates the pivoted mask 85 so that a reference aperture 86 therein moves between three illuminated holes 87, 88, 89 and three photo-diodes 91, 92, 93 in pre-set positions. The photo-diode which is illuminated passes an electrical pulse to the corresponding AND gate 170, 171 or 172. Electromagnetic testing.-A detector coil 100 is disposed within the tube 78 and is connected to a bridge circuit 102 comprising two resistors and another similar coil and a further resistor across the similar coil, such that the bridge is only balanced when a coin of acceptable electromagnetic characteristics is adjacent the coil 100 increasing the losses in the coil 100. The bridge is fed from an oscillator and the output fed to an amplifier and discriminator circuit 104 to provide an output signal only when the bridge is balanced, the signal passing to each of the AND gates 170, 171 and 172.  Synchronizing testing circuits.-To prevent spurious signals from triggering the AND gates before the true signals have been passed to them, the milling detector 60 delays its output signal until the various testing circuits are giving their true signals (e.g. the diameter testing circuit will produce three signals in succession for a 2s. coin since the reference aperture 56 passes over the three illuminated apertures). If unmilled coins are used, an additional timer is used comprising a lamp 24 and photo transistor 38 arranged on opposite sides of the disc 10 aligned with holes 25 therein, and supplying a signal to each of the AND gates 170, 171 and 172. Coin accept/reject mechanism.-The solenoid 116 is energized by a signal from one of the AND gates 170-172 to lift a cam 112 which normally rests on the disc 10 in the coin reject position, so that the accepted coin passes to a coin shoot 110. A detector coil 123 has a metal core connected to the cam 112 so that a signal indicating that a coin has been accepted is passed to AND gates 177, 178 and 179 controlling the totalizer 182 &c.  Coin sorting.-The inclined back plate 130 of the coin shoot 110 has apertures 131 and 132 so that 6d. coins fall through aperture 131 into hopper 125, 1s. coins through aperture 132 into hopper 126, and 2s. coins continue into hopper 127. Coin totalizing and change giving.-Counters 183, 184 and 185 add the individual outputs from the AND gates 177, 178 and 179 and their outputs pass to the totalizer 182 which maintains a running total of coin value. When a pre-set coin value is reached, signals are passed to the solenoid 187 of the ticket (or goods) issuing device and to the solenoid 140 which via linkage moves the floors 135, 136 and 137 of the hoppers 125, 126 and 127 to one side on their common shaft 138 to discharge the accumulated accepted coins of the transaction to a collection area of the machine. The accumulated accepted coins are instead discharged to a reject tray (not shown), by movement of the floors 135, 136 and 137 in the other direction if insufficient coins are inserted within a time controlled by an overall timer (153), Fig. IV (not shown).  Operation.-Initially the disc 10 is stationary and the cover 22 is raised about hinge axis 20 from the disc housing 17, the hopper floors 135, 136 and 137 are deflected to communicate the hoppers with the reject tray, and no coins are present. When a coin is inserted through the shoot 26, coils 27 around the shoot are affected and cause oscillations in an oscillator which operates the timer 153 to energize all the circuits, to switch on the motor rotating the disc 10, to actuate the solenoid of the cover 22 to close it, and to move the hopper floors 135, 136 and 137 to a central coin-supporting position. The coin is then subjected to the electromagnet, tested, accepted or rejected, and then discharged into the machine or rejected. Preventing jamming.-Coins jammed together in the areas 14 are dislodged from the disc 10. by a biased arm disposed in the path of the outermost coin.