Claims
- 1. In a coin chute assembly having a top housing containing a coin sizing mechanism, said coin sizing mechanism having an outer surface and an inner surface, said assembly further having a substantially vertical flange formed with coin slot openings to permit the passage of coins therethrough, said coin chute flange having an outer surface and an inner surface, said assembly further having a coin slide disposed for reciprocal movement for carrying vertically oriented coins positioned in said slide outboard of the outer surface of said coin chute flange through the coin slot openings of said flange, the presence of proper coins permitting said coin slide to be moved inwardly of said assembly for carrying the coins past the inner surface of said coin sizing mechanism and permit continued inward movement of said coin slide to an operate position, and an abutment surface positioned within said assembly, the presence of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by said coin slide being detected by said assembly and carried into engagement with said abutment surface to restrict continued inward movement of said coin slide, wherein the improvement comprises:
- said abutment surface being located inboard of said coin chute flange by an amount which is no greater than the distance between the inner surface of said flange and the outer surface of said coin sizing mechanism;
- a magnet located inboard of the outer surface of said coin chute flange and outboard of said top housing, said magnet having an outer surface, an inner surface, and opposed end edges;
- a substantially vertical cover plate having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface of said plate being mounted to the inner surface of said coin chute flange;
- said magnet being mounted to said cover plate and positioned above a zone of the coin slot openings of said coin chute flange through which the coins pass, inward movement of said coin slide causing any coins carried by said slide to pass under said magnet;
- inward movement of said coin slide placing an edge of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by said slide under said magnet causing the slug to be raised up against said magnet; and
- continued inward movement of said coin slide with the raised slug causing the slug to abut against said abutment surface to restrict entry of the slug into said housing and prevent passage thereof through said coin sizing mechanism to thereby prevent further movement of said coin slide to its operate position inwardly of said assembly.
- 2. The coin chute assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one projection on the inner surface of said cover plate, the inner surface of said magnet abutting said projection when said magnet is mounted to said cover plate.
- 3. The coin chute assembly of claim 1, further comprising notch means in said cover plate, said notch means having opposed notched edges providing an interference fit relation between the opposed end edges of said magnet and said opposed notched edges for securely holding said magnet in place.
- 4. The coin chute assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of said coin chute flange has a recessed portion, said cover plate being configured to be received in the recessed portion of said flange.
- 5. The coin chute assembly of claim 1, wherein said magnet is positioned above and extends across the zone of all the coin slot openings of said coin chute flange through which the coins pass.
- 6. In a coin chute assembly having a substantially vertical flange formed with coin slot openings to permit the passage of coins therethrough, said coin chute flange having an outer surface and an inner surface, said assembly further having a coin slide disposed for reciprocal movement for carrying vertically oriented coins positioned in said slide outboard of the outer surface of said coin chute flange through the coin slot openings of said flange, the presence of proper coins permitting said coin slide to be moved inwardly of said assembly to an operate position, and said assembly further having an internal abutment surface, the presence of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by said coin slide being detected by said assembly and carried into engagement with said abutment surface to restrict continued inward movement of said coin slide, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a magnet located inboard of the outer surface of said coin chute flange and positioned above the coin slot openings of said flange, said magnet having an outer surface, an inner surface, and opposed end edges;
- the inner surface of said coin chute flange having a recessed portion;
- a substantially vertical cover plate having an outer surface and an inner surface, said cover plate being configured to be received in the recessed portion of said coin chute flange with the outer surface of said cover plate mounted to the inner surface of said coin chute flange;
- said cover plate having a cut-out portion defined by an upper edge and opposed side edges, the juncture where the upper edge meets with the side edges of said cut-out portion defining opposed notched edges;
- the opposed end edges of said magnet being fitted within the opposed notched edges of said cut-out portion so as to be carried by said cover plate;
- a projection on each one of the side edges of said cut-out portion positioned adjacent each one of said opposed notched edges;
- the inner surface of said magnet abutting said projections when said magnet is mounted to said cover plate; and
- fastener means for removably mounting said cover plate within the recessed portion of said coin chute flange;
- inward movement of said coin slide placing an edge of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by said slide under said magnet causing the slug to be raised up against said magnet;
- whereby continued inward movement of said coin slide causes the raised slug to abut against said abutment surface to prevent further movement of said coin slide to its operate position inwardly of said assembly.
- 7. In a coin chute assembly having a substantially vertical flange formed with coin slot openings to permit the passage of coins therethrough, said coin chute flange having an outer surface and an inner surface, said assembly further having a coin slide disposed for reciprocal movement for carrying vertically oriented coins positioned in said slide outboard of the outer surface of said coin chute flange through the coin slot openings of said flange, the presence of proper coins permitting said coin slide to be moved inwardly of said assembly to an operate position, and said assembly further having an abutment surface, the presence of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by said coin slide being detected by said assembly and carried into engagement with said abutment surface to restrict continued inward movement of said coin slide, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a magnet located inboard of the outer surface of said coin chute flange and positioned above the coin slot openings of said flange, said magnet having an outer surface, an inner surface, and opposed end edges;
- a substantially vertical cover plate having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface of said plate being mounted to the inner surface of said coin chute flange;
- said cover plate having opposed notched edges for receiving the opposed end edges of said magnet;
- said cover plate further having a plurality of projections on the inner surface thereof, at least one of said projections positioned adjacent each one of said opposed notched edges; and
- said magnet being mounted to said cover plate with the inner surface of said magnet abutting said projections;
- inward movement of said coin slide placing an edge of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by said slide under said magnet causing the slug to be raised up against said magnet;
- whereby continued inward movement of said coin slide causes the raised slug to abut against said abutment surface to prevent further movement of said coin slide to its operate position inwardly of said assembly.
- 8. In a coin chute assembly having a substantially vertical flange formed with coin slot openings to permit the passage of coins therethrough, said coin chute flange having an outer surface and an inner surface, said assembly further having a coin slide disposed for reciprocal movement for carrying vertically oriented coins positioned in said slide outboard of the outer surface of said coin chute flange through the coin slot openings of said flange, the presence of proper coins permitting said coin slide to be moved inwardly of said assembly to an operate position, and said assembly further having an abutment surface, the presence of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by said coin slide being detected by said assembly and carried into engagement with said abutment surface to restrict continued inward movement of said coin slide, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a magnet located inboard of the outer surface of said coin chute flange and positioned above the coin slot openings of said flange, said magnet having an outer surface, an inner surface, and opposed end edges;
- a substantially vertical cover plate having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface of said plate being mounted to the inner surface of said coin chute flange;
- said cover plate having a cut-out portion defined by an upper edge and opposed side edges, the juncture where the upper edge meets with the side edges of said cut-out portion defining opposed notched edges;
- the opposed end edges of said magnet being fitted within the opposed notched edges of said cut-out portion so as to be mounted to said cover plate; and
- a projection on each one of the side edges of said cut-out portion positioned adjacent each one of said opposed notched edges, the inner surface of said magnet abutting said projections;
- inward movement of said coin slide placing an edge of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by said slide under said magnet causing the slug to be raised up against said magnet;
- whereby continued inward movement of said coin side causes the raised slug to abut against said abutment surface to prevent further movement of said coin slide to its operate position inwardly of said assembly.
- 9. In a coin chute assembly having a substantially vertical flange formed with coin slot openings to permit the passage of coins therethrough, said coin chute flange having an outer surface and an inner surface, said assembly further having a coin slide disposed for reciprocal movement for carrying vertically oriented coins positioned in said slide outboard of the outer surface of said coin chute flange through the coin slot openings of said flange, the presence of proper coins permitting said coin slide to be moved inwardly of said assembly to an operate position, and said assembly further having an abutment surface, the presence of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by said coin slide being detected by said assembly and carried into engagement with said abutment surface to restrict continued inward movement of said coin slide, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a magnet located inboard of the outer surface of said coin chute flange and positioned above the coin slot openings of said flange, said magnet having an outer surface, an inner surface, and opposed end edges;
- a substantially vertical cover plate having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface of said plate being mounted to the inner surface of said coin chute flange;
- said cover plate having a cut-out portion defined by an upper edge and opposed side edges, the juncture where the upper edge meets with the side edges of said cut-out portion defining opposed notched edges;
- the opposed end edges of said magnet being fitted within the opposed notched edges of said cut-out portion so as to be mounted to said cover plate; and
- the side edges of said cut-out portion adjacent said notched edges being crimped to provide an interference fit relation between the opposed end edges of said magnet and said opposed notched edges for securely holding said magnet in place;
- inward movement of said coin slide placing an edge of a ferro-magnetic slug carried by said slide under said magnet causing the slug to be raised up against said magnet;
- whereby continued inward movement of said coin slide causes the raised slug to abut against said abutment surface to prevent further movement of said coin slide to its operate position inwardly of said assembly.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/938,710 filed Sep. 1, 1992, which issued into U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,519 on Nov. 16, 1993.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
938710 |
Sep 1992 |
|