Claims
- 1. A coin sorter comprising a stack of plates mounted for rotation within a peripheral housing about an axis inclined to the horizontal, the number of plates being at least equal to the number of different sizes of coins to be sorted, the plates each having a plurality of openings therein of a size slightly smaller than the size of the coins to be retained thereon, the openings in the plates increasing in size from the bottommost plate toward the topmost plate, a coin entry chute disposed above the uppermost plate for depositing a mixture of different sizes of coins thereon, pairs of cooperating projections arranged around each plate adjacent to the outer periphery thereof for catching a coin along the lower portion of the path of travel of said plate and for carrying the coin upwardly and past the highest portion of the path of travel of said plate, and a plurality of discharge openings respectively associated with said plates extending through said housing and disposed adjacent to the outer periphery of the associated plate just below the highest portion of the path of travel thereof to receive the coins carried by said cooperating pairs of projections one-by-one thereinto.
- 2. The coin sorter set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plates is essentially flat.
- 3. The coin sorter set forth in claim 1, wherein said axis of rotation is inclined to the horizontal at an angle from about 30.degree. to 75.degree..
- 4. The coin sorter set forth in claim 1, wherein said coin entry chute is disposed above the highest portion of the path of travel of said uppermost plate.
- 5. The coin sorter set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said cooperating projections is disposed radially inwardly with respect to the associated coin and the other cooperating projection is disposed against the trailing edge of the coin to support the sme, the cooperating projection engaging the trailing edge of the coin having a height slightly less than the height of a coin to be engaged thereby so as to engage only one coin at a time.
- 6. The coin sorter set forth in claim 1, and further comprising a plurality of discharge tracks extending into said openings for receiving coins therein.
- 7. The coin sorter set forth in claim 1, and further comprising a plurality of discharge tracks respectively associated with said discharge openings, each of said tracks being covered and having a height slightly greater than that of the coin to be received therein.
- 8. The coin sorter set forth in claim 1, wherein the periphery of said plates travels at a linear speed of about 160 to 320 feet per minute.
- 9. The coin sorter set forth in claim 1, and further comprising a foreign object discharge door in said housing in the part thereof disposed on the lower portion of the path of travel of said plates.
- 10. A coin sorter-counter comprising a stack of plates mounted for rotation within a peripheral housing about an axis inclined to the horizontal, the number of plates being at least equal to the number of different sizes of coins to be sorted, the plates each having a plurality of openings therein of a size slightly smaller than the size of the coins to be retained thereon, the openings in the plates increasing in size from the bottom-most plate toward the topmost plate, a coin entry chute disposed above the uppermost plate for depositing a mixture of different sizes of coins thereon, pairs of cooperating projections arranged around each plate adjacent to the outer periphery thereof for catching a coin along the lower portion of the path of travel of said plate and for carrying the coin upwardly and past the highest portion of the path of travel of said plate, a plurality of discharge openings respectively associated with said plates extending through said housing and disposed adjacent to the outer periphery of the associated plate just below the highest portion of the path of travel thereof to receive the coins carried by said cooperating pairs of projections one-by-one thereinto, and a plurality of coin sensors respectively associated with each of said openings and sensing and counting the coins as the coins pass through said openings.
- 11. The coin sorter-counter set forth in claim 10, and further comprising a plurality of tracks extending through associated ones of said openings for receiving coins therein, said sensors being respectively mounted in said tracks for sensing the coins as they are discharged through said tracks.
- 12. The coin sorter-counter set forth in claim 10, wherein said sensors are light emitting diodes.
Parent Case Info
This is a Division of Application Ser. No. 855,970, filed Nov. 30, 1977 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,801.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
412052 |
Jun 1934 |
GBX |
2034677 |
Jun 1980 |
GBX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
855970 |
Nov 1977 |
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