Claims
- 1. A sorter for sorting coin-like objects as a function of diameter comprising:
- a. a plurality of elongated, side-by-side, V-shaped troughs, each formed of a pair of side walls;
- b. said side-by-side troughs being positioned on a slope, having an upper end region and a lower end region;
- c. an elongated divider in each said trough between a pair of said walls and generally bisecting said pair of walls to form two object paths with an edge of a said object riding along a said divider and a face of said object riding along a said wall, wherein layered said objects tend to separate;
- d. an object separator in said upper region, including tapered surfaces urging said objects toward one or the other of said walls;
- e. said troughs in said lower region of said troughs transitioning to include a discrete lower edge object support of a discrete length adjoining each said wall; and
- f. a series of object diverters arranged coextensive with said object support, each diverter of a said series having an upper object engaging region which engages an upper region of a said object and diverts and removes it from a said object support and wall, and a said region of a said diverter of a said series of diverters being progressively closer to a said object support as a direct function of object travel on a said object support.
- 2. A sorter as set forth in claim 1 wherein there is an opening between said object supports, and being betweeen opposite walls of a said trough, through which diverted coins pass downward.
- 3. A sorter as set forth in claim 2, wherein there is a plurality of said plurality of said troughs.
- 4. A sorter as set forth in claim 3 including a plurality of receptacles, each being configured and positioned to receive objects from selected said openings passing only one diameter of object, and being from a plurality of said plurality of troughs.
- 5. A sorter as set forth in claim 4 wherein a said receptacle comprises:
- a. an upper object receiving region;
- b. a lower region;
- c. said upper region of a selected said receptacle coupled to receive objects from a plurality of said selected openings, each of said selected openings passing objects of a selected one diameter;
- d. a first electrically operated valve responsive to a first electrical signal for coupling object flow from at least one of said openings providing objects of a said selected one diameter to said upper region of said receptacle and responsive to a second electrical signal for coupling said objects of said one diameter to, and including, a selected sorter exit;
- e. a second electrically-operated valve having an input for receiving objects from said lower region of said receptacle and responsive to a third electrical signal for maintaining said second electrically operated valve closed and responsive to a forth electrical signal for operating said second electrically-operated valve open, enabling objects to exit said receptacle and said sorter;
- f. a plurality of sensors positioned to sense and provide a discrete electrical state each time a said object is diverted and thus there is provided a count electrical state each time an object of a particular, said one, diameter is diverted;
- g. computational means responsive to the occurrence of a selected number of said count electrical states from selected said sensors, arising out of a selected number of occurrence of diversion of objects of a particular, said one, diameter, for providing said first, second, third, and forth electrical signals to a discrete said electrically operated valve, being of a selected one of said electrically operated valves of a said receptacle.
- 6. A sorter as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a generally vertical side-wall extending from an upper edge of a said wall of a said trough, wherein objects are prevented from jumping from one trough to another.
- 7. A sorter as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sorter includes an object feeder which in turn includes;
- a. a generally planar surface receiving said objects and generally extending to, and including, a feeder exit; and
- b. an object spreader proximate to said planar surface and from which spread coins are fed to said feeder exit and
- then to, and across, said upper region of said troughs.
- 8. A sorter as set forth in claim 7 wherein said object feeder includes a hopper into which said objects are placed and wherefrom said objects are supplied to said generally planar surface.
- 9. A sorter as set forth in claim 7 wherein said object spreader is a spreader which spreads said objects generally transverse to the direction of progress of an object to said feeder exit, and wherefrom said objects flow to all of said upper regions of said plurality of said plurality of side-by-side troughs.
- 10. A sorter as set forth in claim 7 wherein said spreader includes a reduced in thickness object passageway through which said objects progress, and wherein and whereby layering of objects is reduced.
- 11. A sorter as set forth in claim 7 wherein said object spreader includes a vibrational drive connected to said planar surface and applying a vibrational force on said planer surface.
- 12. A sorter as set forth in claim 11 wherein said direction of vibrational force is normal to the general direction of movement of said object progress to exit.
- 13. A object sorter as set forth in claim 7 wherein said spreader includes an obstructive member positioned above said objects on said planar surface and engages any upper layer of said objects wherein objects are generally reduced to a single layer of objects.
- 14. A sorter as set forth in claim 13 wherein said obstructive member is a rotary assembly including a rotating surface and wherein said rotating surface rotates in a direction opposing the direction of movement of said objects toward said exit.
- 15. A sorter as set forth in claim 1 including an elongated member positioned above said upper regions of said side-by-side troughs.
- 16. A sorter as set forth in claim 15 wherein said elongated member is a generally cylindrical member.
- 17. An object sorter as set forth in claim 16 wherein there is a second elongated said cylindrical member coextensive with said elongated cylindrical member and said objects move between said cylindrical members.
- 18. An object sorter as set forth in claim 17 wherein said objects are directly engaged with at least one of said cylindrical members.
- 19. A sorter for sorting coin-like objects as a function of diameter comprising:
- a. a plurality of elongated pairs of oppositely, and complimentarily sloped walls, at a first slope, each said wall having at least a region of wall at a discrete space from the other said wall, and said plurality of elongated pairs of walls, being positioned on a second slope, generally normal to the direction of slope of said first slope;
- b. a object path divider, having two generally vertical, horizonally spaced, surfaces, each said surface closely intersecting with a said wall in a lower region of a said wall, wherein a first coin-like object, having a face resting on one said wall, will also have an edge resting against one of said surfaces, whereby if there is a second coin-like object positioned upon said first coin-like object, the second said object will advance, to move in front of said first coin-like object to effect object separation as the objects advance downward, along said second slope;
- c. a said wall in a lower region of said second slope of said plurality of elongated pairs of walls accompanied by a discrete lower edge object support of a discrete length adjoining each said wall; and
- d. a series of object diverters arranged coextensive with said object support, each diverter of a said series having an upper object engaging region which engages an upper region of a said object and diverts and removes it from a said object support and wall, and a said region of a said diverter of a said series of diverters being progressively closer to a said object support as direct function of object travel on a said object support.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of prior application Ser. No. 08/951,681, filed Oct. 16, 1997, entitled "Coin Sorter" and filed by the same inventors as for the present application, the said prior application in turn claiming the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/050,976 filed Jun. 20, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
951681 |
Oct 1997 |
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