Patent ID: 7438172

Claim:
A coin processing system, comprising: a coin input area for receiving coins from a user, the coins being mixed with at least one foreign object; and a coin processing module for receiving and counting the coins from said coin input area, said coin processing module including a rotatable disk having an upper surface, a sort head having a plurality of coin sorting channels, said sort head being located such that it forms a gap with said upper surface rotatable disk, the coins entering the coin sorting channels through said gap, a coin hopper for receiving the coins from said coin input area, said coin hopper being defined by said rotatable disk on its bottom surface and by a peripheral wall surrounding a central area of said sort head, said coin sorting channels being formed outside said peripheral wall, and a foreign object removal system being located at least partially within said coin hopper for removing said foreign object located in said central area within said peripheral wall of said coin hopper, said foreign object being removed from said coin hopper only after all the coins have been removed from said central area within said peripheral wall, said foreign object being elevated above said rotatable disk and removed from within said coin hopper along a path directing said foreign object from said upper surface of said rotatable disk to a rejection outlet that is located above said gap formed between said sort head and said rotatable disk.