Patent GB-958381-A (GB)
Title: Coin apparatus
IPC: G07F5/20
Filed: 1960-10-27
Abstract: 958,381. Coin-freed apparatus. UNIVERSAL MATCH CORPORATION. Oct. 27, 1960 [Nov. 2, 1959], No. 37009/60. Heading G4V. Coin apparatus for controlling a vending machine or the time of operation of an appliance such as a laundry drier comprises a totaliser 11, Fig. 1, registering the value of coins deposited in the apparatus for effecting an operation and having a member 9 which is movable, upon the insertion of one or more coins, from a biased retracted position to an advanced position and so co-operates with a feeler 19 that in only one position does it allow the latter to carry out a working movement as, for example, that necessary to cause or permit the dispensing mechanism to be operated, or stop the dispensing of articles when the number paid for has been delivered, or stop the operation of a timecontrolled apparatus after the time paid for has elapsed. As shown in Fig. 1 for controlling a vending machine, the totaliser 11 consists of a ratchet disc 59 mounted with the disc-shaped member 9 on a shaft 17 and arranged to be advanced one step upon the insertion of each coin in a slot C by the action of the coin upon a finger 47 projecting from a disc 45 which is rotatable on the shaft 17 and carries a pawl 63 co-operating with the ratchet; a pawl 69 holds the ratchet in the advanced position. The disc 9 is initially so positioned that, when the correct number of coins for the operation of the machine has been inserted, its degree of rotation will be such as to position a notch 15 in its periphery opposite a projection 29 on the pivoted feeler lever 19, and it is only at this stage that pressure upon a push button 3 to initiate a dispensing operation will effect the necessary inward swing of the feeler, against the action of a spring 23, to close a switch 33 and energize a motor 35. A cam 39 driven by the motor then operates successively to close a hold switch 1 and actuate through a lever 101, a link 95 which retracts the feeler if it has not previously been retracted by release of the push button and swings a reset lever 83 to release the pawls 63, 69, for return of the ratchet 59 and disc 9 by a spring 77 to initial position. The motor 35 may drive the dispensing mechanism or the switch 1 may act either to complete a circuit through a separate motor driving the dispensing mechanism or to release a latch in a manual vending machine. This apparatus may be adapted for multiple-coin transactions by adding slots for coins of different denominations and for multiple-price transactions by providing separate push buttons, feelers and discs 9 for the different transactions, all the discs being mounted on the shaft 17 and set to require appropriate advances from their zero positions. In the modified apparatus shown in Fig. 2 for controlling the time of operation of an appliance 173, the initial operation of the totaliser is similar to that described above except that the disc 9a starts with its notch 15a opposite a projection 153 on the feeler 149, and it is also arranged for the first coin inserted in the slot to actuate a second finger 123 to close a switch 121 which energizes the appliance 173 and a motor 175 driving a cam 179 and is held in switch-closing position by a pivoted latch 129 engaging the finger. During each rotation the cam 179 operates through a lever 189 to cause the reset lever 83, which in this case not only controls the pawls 63, 69 but has a finger 187 coacting with an escapement 185 associated with the ratchet 59, to allow the ratchet and disc 9a to return one step; at the same time, the cam is effective upon a spring- urged lever 157 at the lower end of the feeler. Until the notch 15a of the disc 9a is returned to a position opposite the projection 153 on the feeler, the disc blocks inward movement of the feeler and so the cam merely swings the lever 157 relatively to the feeler, but when the notch registers with the projection the feeler is free to be swung inwardly for its working stroke in which it acts through a link 147 and trip 133 to retract the latch 129 from the finger 123. Upward movement of the finger by its spring is prevented at this stage by a stop 145 on the trip and only when the latter is withdrawn by the release action of the cam does the finger rise to open the switch 121 to stop the cycle. This apparatus may be modified to control a vending operation by arranging for the motor to drive dispensing mechanism effecting one vending cycle for each operation of the cam 179 or, if desired, a first vending cycle followed by successive change-dispensing cycles. A modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 to control a manual vending machine consists in replacing the finger 123 and switch 121 by a finger 201, Fig. 5, operating a depending latch 207 controlling the manual pull-out rod 209 of the dispensing mechanism. After insertion of the necessary coins, with corresponding actuation of the totaliser and release by the first coin of the latch 207, each withdrawal of the rod 209 and return by its spring 215 results in the cam 179 being rotated through one revolution through gearing 217, 221 to perform the same operations as described above. When the finger 201 is released at the end of the operation, the latch 207 is lowered to block further actuation of the rod 209. Specification 886,865 is referred to.