Claims
- 1. A mechanism comprising:
- a cover plate having first and second coin slots,
- a carrier wheel having first and second coin recesses in alignment with the coin slots when the carrier wheel is in a home position, wherein each of the first and second coin recesses are sized to accept a coin into each coin recess,
- rotating means for rotating the carrier wheel engaged to gear means for actuating a dispensing wheel,
- means for preventing rotation of the rotating means in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the mechanism, and
- means for preventing rotation of the rotating means substantially beyond the home position unless a coin of the correct size is deposited into each coin recess, including a first detent mounted in supporting connection with the cover plate adjacent to the first coin slot in the direction of rotation and a second detent mounted in supporting connection with the cover plate adjacent to the second coin slot in the direction of rotation, the detents cooperating with a notched wheel operatively connected to the rotating means to arrest rotation thereof,
- wherein the notched wheel is operatively connected with front and rear portions each having at least one notch, the first detent being positioned so as to cooperate with the notch in the front portion and the second detent being positioned so as to cooperate with the notch in the rear portion.
- 2. The coin mechanism of claim 1 in which the front and rear portions of the notched wheel are formed as separate pieces.
- 3. The coin mechanism of claim 1 in which the front and rear portions of the notched wheel are formed as a single piece.
- 4. The coin mechanism of claim 3 in which the notched wheel is attached to or integral with a front face of the carrier wheel.
- 5. The coin mechanism of claim 1 in which the detents are each provided with a leading arm and a trailing arm, and the front and rear portions of the notched wheel each include two notches.
- 6. The coin mechanism of claim 1 in which the coin slots are formed in the cover plate generally symmetrically about a vertical plane extending through an axis of rotation of the mechanism.
- 7. A coin mechanism comprising:
- a cover plate having first and second coin slots,
- a carrier wheel having first and second coin recesses in alignment with the coin slots when the carrier wheel is in a home position, wherein in the home position the carrier wheel is adapted to receive a coin into each coin recess,
- a rotatable member operatively connected to the carrier wheel, wherein the rotatable member is movable relative to the cover plate and is operative to rotate the carrier wheel wherein rotation of the carrier wheel is adapted to actuate a dispensing mechanism,
- a rotation preventing device operatively connected between the cover plate and the rotatable member, wherein the rotation preventing device is operative to generally prevent rotation of the rotatable member unless proper coins have been deposited into the coin slots,
- a movable stop member in operative connection with the rotatable member and positioned adjacent the second coin slot, wherein the stop member moves to generally block access to the second coin slot when the first coin recess is in generally aligned relation with the second coin slot.
- 8. The coin mechanism of claim 7 wherein the stop member extends in an opening adjacent to the second coin slot and extends from the opening when the first coin recess is generally in alignment with the second coin slot.
- 9. The coin mechanism of claim 7 wherein the movable stop member comprises a bar having a blade mounted adjacent to an opening in the cover plate adjacent to the second coin slot, the bar being actuated by a cam in operative connection with the rotatable member wherein when the first coin recess approaches the second coin slot the cam is operative to move the blade in the opening in the cover plate to generally block access to the second coin slot whereby removal of the coin in the first coin recess through the second coin slot is prevented.
- 10. The coin mechanism of claim 9 including a reverse rotation device operatively connected between the cover plate and rotatable member wherein the reverse rotation device is operative to prevent rotation of the rotatable member in an opposite direction opposite to an operating direction of rotation of the coin mechanism.
- 11. The coin mechanism of claim 10 wherein the reverse rotation device comprises a ratchet wheel and a pawl, wherein the cam is positioned adjacent a front face of the ratchet wheel and wherein the cam comprises an elongated projection having gently sloping ends.
- 12. The coin mechanism of claim 8 wherein the stop member includes a stem from which a blade projects, the stem being bent along a longitudinal direction.
- 13. The coin mechanism of claim 9 wherein the bar includes a stem from which the blade projects, the stem being bent along a longitudinal direction.
- 14. The coin mechanism of claim 8 wherein the rotatable member extends along an axis of rotation and the stop member includes a ring portion which extends in generally surrounding relation of the rotating member.
- 15. The coin mechanism of claim 9 wherein the rotatable member extends along an axis of rotation and the bar includes a ring portion in generally surrounding relation of the rotatable member.
- 16. The coin mechanism of claim 7 wherein the carrier wheel is retained against the cover plate by a retaining plate secured to the cover plate, the retaining plate being provided with a rearwardly extending finger adjacent to an ejection ramp formed in the cover plate, for prying a coin laterally out of a coin recess.
- 17. A coin mechanism, comprising:
- a cover plate including separate, angularly disposed, generally co-planar first and second coin slots,
- a carrier wheel having first and second coin recesses in alignment with the coin slots when the carrier wheel is in a home position, wherein in the home position a coin may be accepted into each coin recess,
- a rotatable member in movable supporting connection with the cover plate, wherein the rotatable member is operatively connected to the carrier wheel and wherein rotation of the rotatable member in an operating direction is operative to rotate the carrier wheel generally about an axis, wherein rotation of the carrier wheel is adapted to move a dispensing mechanism,
- a ratchet device operatively extending between the cover plate and the rotatable member, wherein the ratchet device is operative to prevent rotation of the rotatable member in an opposed direction opposite to the operating direction, and
- a rotation preventing device operatively extending between the cover plate and the rotatable member, wherein the rotation preventing device is operative to prevent rotation of the rotatable member in the operative direction substantially beyond the home position unless a coin of the correct size is deposited into each coin recess, the rotation preventing device including a first detent adjacent to the first coin slot and in the operating direction therefrom and a second detent adjacent to the second coin slot and in the operative direction therefrom, wherein the second detent is disposed from said first detent in a direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the carrier wheel.
- 18. The coin mechanism of claim 17 and further comprising a cam in operative connection with the rotatable a rocker bar in operative connection with the cam, and wherein the cover plate includes a slot extending adjacent to the second coin slot, and wherein the rocker bar is in operative connection with a blocking portion, wherein blocking portion is operative to extend in the slot generally blocking access to the second coin slot when the rotatable shaft is moved from the home position.
- 19. The coin mechanism of claim 18 in which the cam is attached to or forms part of a front face of a ratchet-wheel cooperating with a pawl to prevent rotation of the rotatable shaft in the opposite direction.
- 20. The coin mechanism of claim 19 in which the cam comprises an elongated projection having gently sloping ends.
- 21. The coin mechanism of claim 17 wherein the carrier wheel is retained against the cover plate by a retaining plate secured to the cover plate, the retaining plate being provided with a rearwardly extending finger adjacent to an ejection ramp formed in the cover plate, for prying a coin laterally out of a coin recess.
- 22. The coin mechanism of claim 17 wherein the rotation preventing device includes first and second notch portions operatively engageable respectively with the first and second detents, wherein the first and second notch portions are in operative connection with the rotatable member and wherein rotation thereof in the operating direction is prevented unless a coin of a correct size is deposited in each coin recess.
- 23. The coin mechanism of claim 22 and further comprising a notch wheel in operative connection with the member, wherein the notch wheel includes the first and second notch portions.
- 24. The coin mechanism of claim 23 wherein the notch wheel includes front and rear portions in supporting connection respectively with the first and second notch portions, the first detent being positioned so as to cooperate with the first notch portion in supporting connection with the front portion of the notch wheel, and the second detent being positioned so as to cooperate with the second notch portion in supporting connection with the rear portion of the notch wheel.
Parent Case Info
This application is a divisional application Ser. No. 08/574,503 filed on Dec. 19, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,848 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/237,529 filed on May 3, 1994 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
155396 |
Feb 1954 |
AUX |
1018661 |
Oct 1957 |
DEX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
574503 |
Dec 1995 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
237529 |
May 1994 |
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