Claims
- 1. A coin sorting apparatus for receiving, counting and sorting mixed coins by denomination, said apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable disc having a resilient surface for receiving said coins and imparting rotational movement to said coins;
- a stationary guide plate having a contoured surface spaced slightly away from and generally parallel to said resilient surface of said rotatable disc, said stationary guide plate including a recess for guiding said coins on said rotatable disc into a single file of coins, and referencing means for guiding one edge of said coins in said single file along a prescribed path between the guide plate and the rotatable disc;
- means for counting said coins of a selected denomination as they are moved, and located completely, between the guide plate and the rotatable disc along said prescribed path;
- means for discharging coins of different denominations at different locations around the periphery of said stationary guide plate; and
- means, responsive to said means for counting, for interrupting the discharge of said coins.
- 2. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said means for interrupting includes a rigid element in at least one of the different discharge locations.
- 3. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 2, wherein said rigid element is retractable.
- 4. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said means for interrupting includes a retractable stop shoe circumferentially spaced from said counting means in the direction of coin movement.
- 5. A coin sorting apparatus for receiving, counting and sorting mixed coins by denomination, said apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable disc having a resilient surface for receiving said coins and imparting rotational movement to said coins;
- a stationary guide plate having a contoured surface spaced slightly away from and generally parallel to said resilient surface of said rotatable disc, said stationary guide plate including a recess for guiding said coins on said rotatable disc into a single file of coins, and referencing means for guiding one edge of said coins in said single file along a prescribed path between the guide plate and the rotatable disc;
- counting means, including a sensor, for counting said coins of a selected denomination as they are moved, and located completely, between the guide plate and the rotatable disc along said prescribed path;
- means for discharging coins of different denominations at different locations around the periphery of said stationary guide plate; and
- means, responsive to said counting means and being circumferentially spaced from said counting means in the direction of the coin movement, for interrupting the discharge of said coins after said coins are counted.
- 6. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 5, wherein said means for interrupting includes a rigid element in at least one of the different discharge locations.
- 7. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein said rigid element is retractable.
- 8. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 5, wherein said means for interrupting includes a retractable stop shoe which is lowered to prevent the discharging of the coins.
- 9. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 5, which includes
- means for selecting a prescribed number of coins of a selected denomination,
- means responsive to said counting means for generating an activating signal when said prescribed number is reached, and
- means responsive to said activating signal for activating said interrupting means to interrupt the discharge of coins of said selected denomination.
- 10. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 9, which includes a drive motor for driving said disc and controllable braking means associated with said motor, and motor control means for braking said motor in response to said activating signal.
- 11. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 9, wherein said means responsive to said activating signal includes time delay means for introducing a delay interval between the counting of said prescribed number of coins and the actuation of said interrupting means, to alloy the last coin in said prescribed number of coins to clear said interrupting means before the actuation thereof.
- 12. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 9, wherein said interrupting means includes a controllably movable element at least one of said discharge locations, said movable element having a retracted position which allows the discharge of coins at said location, and an advanced position which prevents the discharge of coins at said location.
- 13. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 12, wherein said interrupting means includes a solenoid for moving said movable element from said retracted position to said advanced position in response to said activating signal.
- 14. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 12, wherein said discharge locations comprise exit recesses formed in said guide plate, and said movable element is located within one of said exit recesses.
- 15. A coin sorting apparatus for receiving, counting and sorting mixed coins by denomination, said apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable disc having a resilient surface for receiving said mixed denomination coins and imparting rotational movement to said mixed denomination coins;
- means for rotating said disc;
- a stationary guide plate having a contoured surface spaced slightly away from and generally parallel to said resilient surface of said rotatable disc, said guide plate including means for queuing the coins on said disc into a single file of coins, and a guiding edge which engages selected edges of the coins in said single file and guides said coins along a prescribed path between the guide plate and the rotatable disc;
- counting means for counting said coins of at least one prescribed denomination as they are moved, and located completely, between the guide plate and the rotatable disc along said prescribed path;
- sorting means including
- discrimination means for discriminating among coins of different denominations so that coins of said different denominations are set apart from said prescribed path, and
- selection means for selecting coins of different denominations for discharge from said rotating disc at different locations around the periphery of said stationary guide plate;
- first and second coin paths spaced from said discrimination means in the direction of coin movement, at least one of said first and second paths defining a path of discharge for said selected coins of different denominations; and
- controllably actuatable routing means, associated with at least one of said different locations and responsive to said counting means, for re-routing the coins from said one to the other of said first and second paths.
- 16. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 15, wherein said other of said first and second paths includes a recycling path.
- 17. A coin sorting apparatus for receiving, counting and sorting mixed coins by denomination, said apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable disc having a resilient surface for receiving said mixed denomination coins and imparting rotational movement to said mixed denomination coins;
- means for rotating said disc;
- a stationary guide plate having a contoured surface spaced slightly away from and generally parallel to said resilient surface of said rotatable disc, said guide plate including means for gueuing the coins on said disc into a single file of coins, and a guiding edge which engages selected edges of the coins in said single file and guides said coins along a prescribed path between the guide plate and the rotatable disc;
- counting means for counting said coins of at least one prescribed denomination as they are moved between the guide plate and the rotatable disc along said prescribed path and as they are fully engaged and located completely between the guide plate and the rotatable disc;
- sorting means including
- discrimination means for discriminating among coins of different denominations so that coins of said different denominations are set apart from said prescribed path, and
- selection means for selecting coins of different denominations for discharge from said rotating disc at different locations around the periphery of said stationary guide plate;
- first and second coins paths, circumferentially spaced from said counting means in the direction of coin movement, along which selected ones of the coins move; and
- controllably actuatable routing means, associated with at least one of said different locations and responsive to said counting means, for re-routing the coins from one of the coin paths to the other of said first and second paths.
- 18. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 17, wherein one of said first and second coins paths includes a coin guiding edge for guiding the selected ones of the coins.
- 19. A coin sorting apparatus, according to claim 18, wherein said controllably actuatable routing means includes means for re-routing the coins over the coin guiding edge.
- 20. A coin sorting apparatus for receiving, counting and sorting mixed coins by denomination, said apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable disc having a resilient surface for receiving said coins and imparting rotational movement to said coins;
- a stationary guide plate having a contoured surface spaced slightly away from and generally parallel to said resilient surface of said rotatable disc, said stationary guide plate including a recess for guiding said coins on said rotatable disc into a single file of coins;
- means for discharging coins of different denominations at different locations around the periphery of said stationary guide plate; and
- means for counting said coins of a selected denomination while they are moved, and located completely, between said stationary guide plate and the resilient disc and before they are discharged.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 07/079,683, filed Jul. 30, 1987 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,570, and is related to copending application Ser. No. 07/455,603, filed Dec. 18, 1989, both of which are entitled COIN SORTING APPARATUS WITH ROTATING DISC.
US Referenced Citations (4)
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
79683 |
Jul 1987 |
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