US3251369A - Change-giving devices for automatic prepayment distributors - Google Patents

Description

May 17, 1966 M. J. H. STAAR 3,251,369

CHANGE-GIVING DEVICES FOR AUTOMATIC PREPAYMENT DISTRIBUTORS Filed April 17, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 17, 1966 M. J. H. STAAR CHANGE-GIVING DEVICES FOR AUTOMATIC PREPAYMENT DISTRIBUTORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 17, 1963 May 17, 1966 M. J. H. STAAR CHANGE-GIVING DEVICES FOR AUTOMATIC PREPAYMENT DISTRIBUTORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 17, 1963 A mm May 17, 1966 STAAR 3,251,369

CHANGE-GIVING DEVICES FOR AUTOMATIC PREPAYMENT DISTRIBUTORS Filed April 17, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 rie.7.

United States Patent O Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 26, 1962,-

28,817/ 62; Belgium, Apr. 25, 1962, 616,870

' 6 Claims. (Cl. 1334) This invention relates to change-giving devices of the kind fitted to automatic prepayment distributors in order that the same may make sales at a predetermined but variable price below the value of the coinage inserted to operate the distributor.

In devices of this kind, a number of tubes each adapted to contain a stack of coins are fixedly mounted on a usually stationary plate, and means are provided which, when an article is distributed, move one or more coins in each tube, such coins being supported while the apparatus is inoperative, into a position for removal by a distributing slider reciprocable between the top stationary tube removal apertures.

The filling or absence of filling of the various coin tubes determines the change given at each distributing operation and thus makes it possible to provide some flexibility in the sale price of the goods delivered by the apparatus.

However, the range of change is limited by the number and kind of tubes used in the apparatus; for instance, in an apparatus having only one tube for 1 franc coins, one tube for 50 centime coins and 2 tubes for 20 centime .coins, change of 20 centimes, 40 centimes, 50 centimes,

70 centimes, 90 centimes, 1 franc, 1.20 francs, 1.40 francs, 1.50 francs, 1.70 francs and 1.90 francs can be given at each operation.

This scale, although wide, does not cover all the varieties in price of the articles which a single distributor may be required to distribute.

Of course, further coin tubes could be provided to cover a wider range of conditions, but increasing the number of tubes would increase the space required in a way which is nearly always unsatisfactory and would also increase the cost of the apparatus needlessly. The practice has therefore been to provide distributors with a change-giving device best suited to its initial use, with the disadvantage that the change-giving device must be resupport plate and a bottom stationary plate formed with 3,251,369 Patented May 17, 1966 "ice Another object of the invention to enable the cointubes to be positioned and removed without manipulation of anything but the coin tubes.

In apparatus according to the invention, each coin tube bears a connecting plate providing a connection to the top tube support plate, the connecting plate comprising a bayonet device so devised that the coin tube is maintained in a position perpendicular to the plane of the top plate after the tube and connecting plate assembly have been turned through a few degrees, in co-operation with top studs or knobs on the top stationary tube support plate, thus helping to prevent the coin tube from being lifted.

In a practical embodiment of the invention, the bayonet connection comprises a recessed part formed with a locking notch in which the knob or the like on the top stationary tube support plate can be maintained and secured by means of a resilient strip formed on the edge of the connecting plate by a slit or cut having a curvature substantially parallel with a peripheral curvature of of the connecting plate.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference may now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the whole device;

FIGS. 2 and 2a illustrate some details of the subject matter of this invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the system whereby each coin tube can be secured releasably, FIG. 3 being a plan view and FIG. 4 being a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 5a, 6 and 6a show some details of the subject matter of the invention, and

FIGS. '7 and 8 illustrate an alternative embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, a distributing wheel 1 has peripheral teeth 2 engaging with a small toothed wheel which placed by another and more complicated change-giving device in cases where the scale of change which can be given is not wide enough. Consequently, the makers of apparatus of this kind who export their products to different countries have to produce change-giving devices which not only differ for each application in each country but which must be individually designed for the currency of each country concerned, with the result of multiple tooling, large stocks, difficulties in delivery and, notwithstanding all these disadvantages, reduced adaptability in operation. g

It is an object of this invention to obviate these disvantages and to provide a co-operation between the tube support plate and the coin tubes leading to ready and can be formed by two discs 3 interconnected by spindles 4. The small toothed Wheel can rotate around a spindle S borne by a vertical plate 6. Wheel 1 is provided with apertures 6 for the passage of articles, such as bottles, which are removed individually when the wheel 1 has rotated through a predetermined angle pursuant to the introduction of a coin. Tubes 7 each adapted to contain a stack of coins rest on a horizontal plate 8 formed with apertures 9. A stationary plate 10, provided with apertures 11, is below the plate 8, and a slider 12 with apertures 13 can slide reciprocatingly between the plates 8 and 10. .'In the example illustrated, the slider 12 is moved by the wheel 3 through the agency of a lever 14 which pivots around a pivot 15 borne by the plate 6 and which terminates in a rod 16 engaging in a slot 17 in the slider 12. The lever 14 is moved by means of an eccentric stud 18 on the wheel 3, the stud l8 engaging in a slot 19 in an arm 20 of the lever 14, the arm 20 being connected to the lever 14 by way of a bent part 21.

When the apparatus is in the inoperative state, the bottom coin of a stack in any tube 7 is engaged in an aperture 13 in the slider 12. but is supported by the bottom stationary plate 10 because the apertures 11 therein are offset sufl'iciently from the apertures 9 in the plate 8 to prevent the bottom coin of the stack from dropping. When a coin has been introduced into the device and the wheel 1 is rotated by the amount required to-distribute an article, the wheel 3 is also driven and thus the lever 14 is rocked, with the result that the slider 12 moves by an amount such that the bottom coins which were in a position 22 in FIGS. 5 and 6 in tubes 7 are each moved above an aperture 11 in the plate and are therefore removed as denoted by reference 22 (FIGS. 5a and 6a).

The tubes 7 are formed with longitudinal slots 23 through which the coins stacked in them are visible.

According to the invention, the tubes 7 are releasable and accordingly each comprise at the bottom a connecting plate 24 which is formed with stud-holes 25 terminating in circular notches 26 and engaging with knobs 27 or the like secured to the top tube support plate 8 to form a bayonet connection therewith. Each connecting plate 24 has on its periphery a bent part 28 through which extends a rod 29 having a top 30, the rod 29 terminating in a shank 31 engaging in a aperture 32 in the top tube support plate 8. Between the bent part 28 and the plate 8, a spring 34 which bears against a collar 35 of the rod 29 engages around the same, the rod 29 being slidable in a bush 33 rigidly secured to the bent part 28.

In the normal position, the connecting plate 24 and therefore the tubes 7 are rigidly secured to the top stationary tube support plate 8. If the top of the rod 21 is gripped and the rod 29 is pulled upwards, the shank 31 is disengaged from the aperture 32 .and the assembly formed by the tube 7 and connecting plate 24 is released from the plate 8, and so the coin tube 7 can be removed by the assembly 7, 24 being rotated until the aperture 26 registers with the knob 27. 'The assemblies formed by the elements 7, 24 can be replaced just as easily, and the connection between plate 24. and plate 8 can be restored by engaging the knobs 27 in the apertures 26 and turning the assembly 7, 24 slightly; the shank 31 engages automatically in the aperture 32 and locks the assembly. It will be readily apparent that the apertures 11 must be of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the largest-- diameter coins to be used. Also, the thickness of the slider 12 must correspond to the thickness of the thinnest coin, to ensure that there is no chance of any ejection during the sliding preparatory to ejection. This state is clearly shown in FIGS. 5, 5a, 6 and 6a. Another feature of the invention is that each tube 7 has at the bottom below the connecting plate 24 a tubular projection 36 of a height such that, when the slider 12 slides, the penultimate coin P, which is disposed above the last coin in the stack, is not carried along with the coin to be ejected and similarly that the ante-penultimate coin is not carried along in the case where two coins are distributed.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an alternative simplified embodiment in which the bayonet connection comprises a recessed part 26 formed with a locking notch 25 in which the knob 27 can be maintained by means of a resilient tongue 36 formed on the edge of the plate 24 by a slot or cut 37 which extends substantially parallel with the periphery of the plate and which is so connected to the locking notch 25 that the tongue 36 can have a clamping efiect on the knob 27 when the same is engaged in the locking notch 25 Assuming that the plate 24 and the tube 7 are rigidly connected to the plate 8 as illustrated in FIG. 7, it will be apparent that by exerting sufficient manual strength to overcome the resilience of the tongue 36, the assembly 7, 24 can be turned until the recessed part 26 registers with the knob 27 so that the tube 7 and plate 24 can be removed. The assemblies 7, 24 can be replaced and the connection can be restored by engaging the knobs 27 in the recessed part 26 and by rotating the assembly 7, 24 slightly in the opposite direction so that the knob 27 can engage in the locking notch 25 and be retained therein by the resilience of the tongue 36.

In all of the embodiments, the presence of the connecting plate 24 and of the bayonet system devised and constructed as herein before described means that the coin tube 7 can be positioned and removed without manipulation of any other element of the automatic device, with the advantage that there is no lifting of the coin tube 7 when the same is secured. The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 uses very simple means which help to reduce the cost considerably.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic change supply device for use with an automatic prepayment distributor for enabling the same to make sales at a predetermined but variable price below the value of the inserted coinage, said change supply device comprising a top fixed plate horizontally arranged and provided with a plurality of apertures, a plurality of tubes each adapted to contain a stack of coins, said tubes being detachably mounted on said top stationary plate in alignment with the apertures in said plate, a bottom stationary plate below the said top plate and provided with apertures, a distributing slider also provided with apertures and supported between the said top stationary plate and said bottom stationary plate for reciprocal movement, between a first position for dispensing coins and a second position in which the coins are blocked from being dispensed, means for displacing said slider between said positions for the selective dispensing of coins from the tubes when the distributor has been activated by inserted coinage, said apertures in the bottom stationary plate being in partial registry but offset from the apertures in the top fixed plate, said slider in said second position engaging the lowermost coin of the stack in each tube in the apertures in the slider, the lowermost coins resting on the bottom stationary plate, the apertures in the bottom plate being offset sufficiently from the apertures in the top plate to prevent the lowermost coins of the stacks from dropping, the slider in said first position being positioned with the apertures in said slider in alignment with the apertures in the bottom plate such that as the slider is moved to said first position the lowermost coin in each stack is moved with said slider to a position in alignment with a corresponding aperture in the bottom plate whereupon the lowermost coins from each stack are free to be dispensed, each coin tube including a connecting plate and connection means between said top plate and said connecting plate for the detachable connection of the latter of said plates, one of said latter plates having a notch therein, the other of said plates having locking means operative in a normal position to rigidly secure the connecting plate and the tube to the top plate, the locking means having a disengaged position in which the tube and connecting plate are released from the top plate and are adapted to be rotated a few degrees to a position where the said tube and connecting plate are adapted to be removed from the top plate and be replaced.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said notch is provided in the connecting plate of each tube, said notch having a recessed portion and a locking portion, the lock ing means comprising a locking member on the top plate extending into said notch, said connecting plate having a slot extending into the locking portion of the notch to define an elastic tongue bounding the locking portion of the notch such that with the locking member in the locking portion of the notch the tongue engages the locking member to hold the collecting plate and the top plate together, said locking member having a portion above the connecting plate with a dimension exceeding the locking portion of the notch to prevent separation between the connecting plate and tube and the top plate.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein each said connecting plate has a curved outline adjacent the locking portion of the notch therein, said slot having a curvature parallel to the curvature of the outline of the connecting plate.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apertures in the bottom stationary plate have a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the largest diameter coins to be used.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the recipro- References Cited by the Examiner cable slider has a thicliness which is less than the thickness UNITED STATES PATENTS Or the com of least thrckness.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each coin 626,528 6/1899 DePremand 133-4 tube has at the bottom below the connecting plate a tubu- 5 2,690,828 10/1954 Stalger 1334 lar projection of suflicient height such that, when the re- 2877776 3/1959 Hoke 133-4 ciprocable slider moves, the penultimate coin contained FOREIGN PATENTS in the coin tube is restrained from moving with the coin 636,941 2/1962 Canada to be e ected, whereby the penultnnate COlII 1s not drs- 745 2 2/1933 France.

pensed when a single coin is to be distributed from each 10 tuba EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN AUTOMATIC CHANGE SUPPLY DEVICE FOR USE WITH AN AUTOMATIC PREPAYMENT DISTRIBUTOR FOR ENABLING THE SAME TO MAKE SALES AT A PREDETERMINED BUT VARIABLE PRICE BELOW THE VALUE OF THE INSERTED COINAGE, SAID CHANGE SUPPLY DEVICE COMPRISING A TOP FIXED PLATE HORIZONTALLY ARRANGED AND PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF APERTURES, A PLURALITY OF TUBES EACH ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A STACK OF COINS, SAID TUBES BEING DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TOP STATIONARY PLATES IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE APERTURES IN SAID PLATE, A BOTTOM STATIONARY PLATE BELOW THE SAID TOP PLATE AND PROVIDED WITH APERTURES, A DISTRIBUTING SLIDER ALSO PROVIDED WITH APERTURES AND SUPPORTED BETWEEN THE SAID TOP STATIONARY PLATE AND SAID BOTTOM STATIONARY PLATE FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT, BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION FOR DISPENSING COINS AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH THE COINS ARE BLOCKED FROM BEING DISPENSED, MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAID SLIDER BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS FOR THE SELECTIVELY DISPENSING OF COINS FROM THE TUBES WHEN THE DISTRIBUTOR HAS BEEN ACTIVATED BY INSERTED COINAGE, SAID APERTURES IN THE BOTTOM STATIONARY PLATE BEING IN PARTIAL REGISTRY BUT OFFSET FROM THE APERTURES IN THE TOP FIXED PLATE, SAID SLIDER IN SAID SECOND POSITION ENGAGING THE LOWERMOST COIN OF THE STACK IN ECH TUBE IN THE APERTURES IN THE SLIDER, THE LOWERMOST COINS RESTING ON THE BOTTOM STATIONARY PLATE, THE APERTURES IN THE BOTTOM PLATE BEING OFFSET SUFFICIENTLY FROM THE APERTURES IN THE TOP PLATE TO PREVENT THE LOWERMOST COINS OF THE STACKS FROM DROPPING, THE SLIDER IN SAID FIRST POSITION BEING POSITIONED WITH THE APERTURES IN SAID SLIDER IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE APERTURES IN THE BOTTOM PLATE SUCH THAT AS THE SLIDER IS MOVED TO SAID FIRST POSITION THE LOWERMOST COIN IN EACH STACK IS MOVED WITH SAID SAID SLIDER TO A POSITION IN ALIGNMENT WITH A CORRESPONDING APERTURE IN THE BOTTOM PLATE WHEREUPON THE LOWERMOST COINS FROM EACH STACK ARE FREE TO BE DISPENSED, EACH COIN TUBE INCLUDING A CONNECTING PLATE AND CONNECTION MEANS BETWEEN SAID TOP PLATE AND SAID CONNECTING PLATE FOR THE DETACHABLE CONNECTION OF THE LATTER OF SAID PLATES, ONE OF SAID LATTER PLATES HAVING A NOTCH THEREIN, THE OTHER OF SAID PLATES HAVING LOCKING MEANS OPERATIVE IN A NORMAL POSITION TO RIGIDLY SECURE THE CONNECTING PLATE AND THE TUBE TO THE TOP PLATE, THE LOCKING MEANS HAVING A DISENGAGED POSITION IN WHICH THE TUBE AND CONNECTING PLATE ARE RELEASED FROM THE TOP PLATE AND ARE ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED FOR A FEW DEGREES TO A POSITION WHERE THE SAID TUBE AND CONNECTING PLATE ARE ADAPTED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE TOP PLATE AND BE REPLACED.

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