Change Dispenser Anti-Jam Device

This invention relates to a drive mechanism for use in operating a coin dispensing apparatus and more particularly to a drive mechanism having the capability of automatically relieving a jam-up of the dispensing apparatus.

Prior jam detecting devices for use in coin dispensing apparatus have been limited to the function of detecting the jam and stopping the operation of the dispensing apparatus thereby requiring the operator to open up the cover and remove the cause of the jam which may be a bent or mutilated or otherwise defective coins and associated foreign matter. This has required the change dispenser to be positioned on the check-out counter which is readily accessible to the operator. This condition has also required that the change dispensing apparatus be designed so that there is easy accessibility to the coin transport area of the apparatus which requirement also increases the cost of the apparatus. With today's shift to modular layout in checkout design, there is increasing pressure to position the change dispenser apparatus within the confines of the checkout counter which location prevents ready accessibility to the change dispenser in case a jam-up of the mechanism occurs.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a mechanism for use in a coin dispensing apparatus which atuomatically relieves a coin jam condition of the apparatus. It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a drive mechanism for a coin dispenser which functions to automatically eliminate a jam condition in the coin dispenser. In order to carry out these objects, there is provided a drive shaft having a cam member secured to one of its ends, a driven shaft member operating the change dispensing mechanism and having a support member secured to its end, the support member positioned adjacent the cam member, and a pair of arm members rotatably mounted on the support member and spring urged into engagement with the cam member to transmit the torque of the drive shaft to the driven shaft. Upon the stopping or slowing down of the driven shaft due to a jamming condition in the coin dispenser, the cam member will continue to rotate with respect to the support member which action will cam the arms about their pivot point on the support member until the arms are positioned on the cam member at an angle which allows the springs to snap back each of the arms into a home position on the cam member. This snap back movement constitutes a reverse torque movement to the support member and the driven shaft resulting in the rotation of the driven shaft in a reverse direction to relieve the jamming condition in the coin dispenser. If the driven shaft is still jammed after the first reverse movement, the cam member will be again rotated with respect to the support member to set up another reverse movement of the driven shaft. This reverse operation of the driven shaft will automatically continue until the jam condition is eliminated.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the coin sorter and dispenser embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed sectional side view of the coin sorter and dispenser showing the various coin dispensing mechanisms and the drive system for the dispensing mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a detailed sectional plan view of the reversing coupling showing the coupling at the start of its reversing operation.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 showing the coupling in its home position engaging the drive cam member.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the torque transmitted by the coupling mechanism.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of a coin sorter-changer apparatus 20 which utilizes the present invention. The sorter-changer includes an inclined coin input cup 21 and a coin output cup 22. Loose mixed coins deposited in the cup 21 will fall edgewise into an inclined chute 23 (FIG. 2) located within the sorter-changer apparatus 20. The coins will roll edgewise under the influence of gravity down the chute 23 where each coin denomination will be sorted by engaging one of a plurality of abutments 24 extending from the side of the chute 23. Each abutment 24 is positioned at a different height from the bottom of the chute 23 to engage a predetermined coin denomination in a manner that is well known in the art.

Each coin denomination deflected from the chute 23 will fall into an associated coin hopper 25 of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,334 issued to I. B. Saraceno et al. on Jan. 29, 1974 and assigned to the present assignee. As disclosed in this patent, rotatably mounted in each of the coin hoppers 25 is a transport disc 26 having a plurality of apertures (not shown) the size of which accommodate one of the coin denominations deposited in the hopper 25. Rotation of the disc will transport coins in the apertures from the bottom of the hopper 25 to the entrance of corresponding dispensing coin chute 27 for delivery to the coin output cup 22 by means of a coin chute extension 28 into which each of the coin chutes 27 are connected. As shown in FIG. 2, there are four coin hoppers 25 which accommodate four different size coins, i.e. pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.

Each of the transport discs 26 are secured to a driven shaft 30 journaled within the apparatus. Secured to the end of the driven shaft 30 is a support member 31 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) to which is mounted a pair of studs 32, 33. Positioned on the studs 32, 33 is a spring support member 34 having a pair of bent over flange portions 35. Mounted to each flange portion 35 is a stud 36 which functions to position a spring as will be described more fully hereinafter.

Rotatably positioned on the stud 32 is a rocker arm 37 while a similar rocker arm 38 is rotatably positioned on stud 33. Each of the rocker arms 37, 38 has a bent over flange portion 40 to which is mounted a stud 41. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, mounted between the flange portions 40 of the rocker arms 37, 38 and the flange portions 35 of the support member 34 are a pair of compression springs 42 which normally urges each of the rocker arms 37, 38 in a clockwise direction about the studs 32, 33.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the rocker arms 37, 38 has a second bent over flange portion 43 which is positioned adjacent a cam member 44 pinned to one end of a drive shaft 45. While the cam member 44 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has a pair of opposite flat elongated surfaces 46 and a pair of opposite circular surfaces 47, it is obvious that other types of cam configuration can be used in the practice of this invention to accomplish the intended purpose. Rotation of each of the rocker arms 37, 38 in a clockwise direction by the springs 42 will normally position the flange portions 43 of the rocker arms into engagement with the flat elongated surfaces 46 of the cam member 44 as shown in FIG. 4. Rotation of the cam member 44 by the drive shaft 45 will result in the rotation of the rocker arms, the support member 31 and the driven shaft 30 by the action of the springs 42 on the rocker arms.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drive shaft 45 is associated with a motor 48 mounted to the front portion of the change apparatus 20. In operation, the motor 48 will rotate the drive shaft 45 and the cam member 44 clockwise which movement is transmitted to the driven shaft 30 through the rocker arms 37, 38 and the springs 42. Upon the occurrence of a jam-up in one of the hoppers 25, the driven shaft 30 will stop or be retarded in its rotation. Stopping of the shaft 30 and the support member 31 will result in the rocker arms 37, 38 being rotated counter-clockwise about the studs 32, 33 against the action of the springs 42 by the rotation of the cam member 44. The compressing of the springs 42 by the movement of the rocker arms 37, 38 will build up energy in the springs until the cam members reach the position shown in FIG. 3 in which the center of the circular surface 47 is perpendicular to the flange portions 43. Further clockwise movement of the cam member 44 will position the flange portion 43 on the circular surface 44 of the cam member such that the force movement exerted on the rocker arms by the spring 42 will be greater than that exerted by the cam member 44 resulting in the attempted movement of the rocker arms 37, 38 in a clockwise direction. Since this clockwise movement of the rocker arm is restricted by the position of the cam member 44 with respect to the flange portions 43 of the rocker arm, this attempted clockwise movement of the rocker arms is transmitted to the support member 31 and the driver shaft 30 in the form of a reverse torque resulting in the counterclockwise rotation of the support member 31 and the shaft 30. This reverse movement of the shaft 30 will continue until the rocker arms have assumed the home position shown in FIG. 4.

The reverse rotation of the shaft 30 will be transmitted to the transport disc 26 in each of the hoppers 25 which movement acts to relieve the cause of the jam-up. If the first reverse movement of the shaft 30 fails to eliminate the cause of the jam-up, the cam member 44 will again be rotated in a clockwise direction with respect to the rocker arm 37, 38 and the support member 31 to set up another reverse rotation of the shaft 30. This sequence of reverse movements will automatically occur as long as the shaft 30 is restricted from moving with the cam member 44.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown diagrammatically the torque generated by the coupling during a jam-up condition. It will be seen that since the energy is stored in the springs 42 during an X distance of rotation of the cam member from its home position which is greater than 90.degree. but less than 180.degree. and is released during a Y distance of rotation which is less than 90.degree., the reverse torque peak value is considerably higher than the buildup torque, thus providing a greater chance of eliminating the cause of the jam-up during the first reverse movement of the shaft 31. It will thus be seen from this construction that the drive shaft 45 rotates continuously and that the reversing action is completely contained in the coupling which automatically resumes normal operation once the jam-up is eliminated by one or more torque reversing cycles of the coupling.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in the form and detail may be made therein without departing from the sphere and scope of the invention.