IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ASSORTING COIN
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ASSORTING COIN." A communi-
cation from abroad by Aron Bernstein, of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia,
Editor.
Scaled the 9th September 1876, and dated the 29th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th March 1876.
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
ASSORTING COIN."
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of mechanism for separating coins
of standard weight and size from light or false coins of the same nominal value in
a rapid and efficient manner. To this end suppose the apparatus to he made for
assorting sovereigns, an inclined passage provided with a gauged entrance is used
to pass down that coin when made of standard gold; the gauge will, however,
reject any coin of undue thickness. The coins as they leave this inclined guide
roll on to the raised end of a counterweighted rocking frame or table, and meet a
switch, which directs them into one of two receiving chambers provided the one
to receive the coins of standard weight and the other those of light weight.
When the coin is of full weight it will depress the rocking frame, but when light
the counterweight will maintain the frame in its elevated position..
The switch which guides the coins into their respective receptacles is carried by
a vertical spindle, which is so connected to the rocking frame that when that frame
is depressed the switch will be turned so as to direct the coin into the receptacle
for full weighted sovereigns. When, however, a light sovereign is received on to
the rocking frame no motion of the frame or switch will take place, and the coin
will therefore pass to the receptacle for light sovereigns.
Instead of connecting the switch with the rocking frame or table by means of
rods and levers, the like result may be attained by the employment of electro-
magnetism, the fall of the frame closing an electric circuit and causing an electro-
magnet to move the switch in the desired direction. On the frame being relieved
of the weight of the coin it will be raised by its counterweight, and the circuit
being broken the switch will return to its normal position, opening the passage for
the coin to the receptacle for light sovereigns.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
September 1876.
"
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman. IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
ASSORTING COIN." A communication from abroad by Aron Bernstein, of Berlin, in
the Kingdom of Prussia, Editor.
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of mechanism for separating coins
of standard weight and size from light or false coins of the same nominal value in
a rapid and efficient manner. To this end suppose the apparatus to be made for
assorting sovereigns, an inclined passage provided with a gauged entrance is used to
pass down that coin when made of standard gold; the gauge will, however, reject
any coin of undue thickness. The coins, as they leave this inclined guide, roll on
to the raised end of a counterweighted rocking frame or table and meet a switch,
which directs them into one of two receiving chambers provided the one to receive
the coins of standard weight and the other those of light weight.
When the coin is of full weight it will depress the rocking frame, but when light
the counterweight will maintain the frame in its elevated position.
The switch which guides the coins into their respective receptacles is carried by
a vertical spindle, which is so connected to the rocking frame that when that framé
is depressed the switch will be turned so as to direct the coin into the receptacle for
full-weighted sovereigns. When, however, a light sovereign is received on to the
rocking frame, no motion of the frame or switch will take place, and the coin will
therefore pass to the receptacle for light sovereigns.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of the assorting
apparatus; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1 ; and
Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section, taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 1. In these
Figures A is an external case enclosing the apparatus, and provided with a trans-
verse partition A¹, on one side of which the assorting apparatus is situate, the space
on the other side being intended for the reception of the assorted coins.
a is a framing of cast metal made fast to the bottom of the box A, and carrying
on its upper surface steel supports for a counterweighted rocking frame b, fitted
Jike the beam of a balance with V or knife edges on which to rock.
The counterweight of this frame may be made adjustable to suit coins of
different denomination, and the vibration of the frame is limited by means of stops
on an adjusting screw b² (see Fig. 3), which screw passes through the weighted end
of the rocking frame, and is supported in brackets affixed to the side of the box A.
c is an inclined guide made fast to the framing a, and set at right angles to and
terminating in the plane of the free or front end of the rocking frame. The upper
end of this guide c forms or is fitted with a gauge, which will allow a coin of the
standard size to pass through it edgewise, but will prevent the passage of any of
larger dimensions.
The coin which has passed the gauge will roll down the inclined guide, and on
leaving the guide will be received on to the rocking frame b, and rolling across
that frame it will meet a vane-shaped switch d, the object of which is to direct its
course into one or other of two receptacles e and y, the former of which receives the
sterling coin of full weight, and the latter the light and the spurious coin. This
switch is mounted on a vertical spindle d', which has its bearings in the framing a.
At the lower end of this vertical spindle is a short arm d, which is connected by a
horizontal rod d³ with an arm d keyed to and pendent from a b³ rod mast fast to
the rocking frame b.
When the coin that reaches the rocking frame is of full weight it will depress
that frame, and the switch, by reason of its connection with the frame b, will be
moved to the dotted position of Fig. 1. The coin will, therefore, in passing off the
frame be directed into the receiver e; but if the coin is of light weight it will fail
to depress the counterweighted frame b, and as no motion will be communicated to

page_text: the switch, the switch will by retaining its normal position direct the course of the
coin into the receiver f.
To ensure this assorting action the receiver c is brought into communication with
the rocking frame by means of a fixed guide y, through the centre of which tho
switch spindle d projects. In rear of this spindle is a curved guide h, which
communicates with the receiver f, and it is along this guide that the light
and spurious coins after passing the switch & roll to reach their proper receptacle.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improved Apparatus for
Assorting Coin," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim the arrangement of apparatus for
gauging the size and testing the weight of coins, as and for the purpose above
described.
In witness, whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)