Patent ID: 7992699

Claim:
A coin recycling machine for receiving coins, for sorting coins into a plurality of denominations and for automatically dispensing coins as a plurality of sorted denominations to an individual receptacle associated with a respective user and having compartments for receiving and holding respective denominations, the machine comprising: a housing; an intake area on the housing configured for receiving batches of unsorted coins which are dumped into the machine by the user from the individual receptacle having compartments for holding respective denominations; a sorting mechanism for receiving the batches of coins loaded into the machine and sorting the coins into a plurality of denominations; a plurality of dispensing hoppers for holding the coins by denomination in unstacked piles by denomination, the dispensing hoppers having respective exits positioned for dispensing to an individual receptacle having compartments for receiving and holding respective denominations; a plurality of bulk coin storage receptacles positioned for receiving the coins from the sorting mechanism and holding the coins in unstacked piles by denomination for transfer to the dispensing hoppers; coin transfer mechanisms for transferring coins from the bulk coin storage receptacle to the dispensing hoppers; an input device for transferring inputs from a user to associate the user with a batch of coins being loaded into the machine from the individual receptacle and to associate the user with coins being dispensed to the user in an individual receptacle having compartments for holding respective denominations; and a controller electronically connected to the input device and to the sorting mechanism for calculating first totals for amounts of coins received through the intake area and associated with the user, the controller also being electrically connected to the dispensing hoppers for automatically dispensing coins to the individual receptacle associated with the user and having compartments for receiving and holding respective denominations and accumulating second totals for coins being dispensed, and for making available the first and second totals associated with the user for comparison; and wherein the controller associates inputs from a plurality of users with cash balances of coins dispensed and received for respective users during their respective work shifts.