Change Dispensing Apparatus

Prior change dispensing apparatuses have been of the type in which coins are ejected from the bottom of coin channels into a coin receptacle which of necessity is positioned below the discharge area of the coin channels since the coins are normally delivered thereto by means of gravity. With the development of modern checkout counters, the change dispensing apparatus has been required to be mounted within the counter together with other mechanisms associated with the checkout operation. When the dispensing apparatus is mounted in this position, the coins are required to be delivered to the top of the checkout counter in order for the customer to collect the change. Therefore, the coin receptacle is required to be mounted above the change dispensing mechanism. Prior arrangements designed to solve this problem have resulted in transporting dispensed coins from the discharge portion of the dispensing mechanism to the coin receptacle by means of a conveyor belt system. This arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,563 issued to R. C. Simmerman et al. and assigned to the assignee of the present application. While the arrangement shown in such patent operates satisfactorily, the cost of the installation is high since the transporting mechanism is required in addition to the dispensing mechanism. Another type of dispensing mechanism is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,702, which discloses a change dispenser wherein the coins are ejected from the top of a coin channel and are delivered by gravity into a coin receptacle located at the bottom of the dispensing apparatus. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a change dispensing apparatus in which coins are deliverd into a receptacle positioned on top of the dispensing apparatus. It is a further object of this invention to provide a change dispensing apparatus in which the coin ejector mechanisms are easily accessible for repair or replacement. It is another object of this invention to provide a low cost change dispensing apparatus which can be readily mounted within a checkout counter or on top of the counter if desired. It is an additional object of this invention to provide a coin magazine construction for use in a change dispenser in which the coins are inserted into the top of the magazine and effectively held in the magazine so as to allow the magazine to be stored in a horizontal position.

In order to carry out these objects, there is provided a change dispensing apparatus which includes an open ended housing member within which is mounted a coin magazine consisting of a plurality of coin channels orientated in a vertical direction, each coin channel having a discharge end located at the top of the magazine and positioned around the rim of a coin receptacle mounted at the top of the housing. A cover member hinged to the top of the housing is positioned over the top of the coin channels, the cover member supporting a plurality of ejector mechanism each of which is associated with one of the coin channels to eject the uppermost coin of the coin channel into the coin receptacle when operated. Means are provided to hold the coins in the coin channel and to allow coins to be inserted into the coin channel from the top of the magazine. Other means are provided to urge the coins in the coin channel in a upward direction. The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the dispensing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention showing the cover assembly in a closed position on the housing surrounding the coin receptacle.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the dispensing apparatus in cross section taken through the cover assembly showing details of the ejecting mechanism with a portion removing showing further details of the top surface of the coin magazine.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken on lines 3--3 of FIG. 2 showing details of the coin channel construction and the associated ejector mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view taken on lines 4--4 of FIG. 2 showing details of the coin stop member.

FIG. 5 is a view taken on lines 5--5 of FIG. 2 showing details of the coin ejector yoke member.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 3 showing the ejector mechanism in an actuated or coin-ejecting position.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, there is shown an oblique view of the novel change dispensing apparatus indicated generally by the reference character 20 comprising an open topped housing member 22 preferably having a continuous outer wall member including front 24 and side wall portions 26. In addition, the continuous wall member includes a rear wall portion 28 (FIG. 3). The top of the wall member terminates in a rib portion 29 having a top supporting surface 30. Hinged to the supporting surface 30 adjacent the front wall portion 24 of the housing member 22 by means of hinge members 34 (FIG. 2) is a U-shaped cover assembly 32 adapted for movement between an open and closed position (FIG. 1) with respect to the top of the housing 22.

In accordance with the invention, there is positioned within the housing 22, slightly below the supporting surface 30 of the rib portion 29 and adjacent the front wall portion 24, a coin receptacle 36 (FIGS. 1-3 inclusive for receiving coins as a result of the operation of the dispensing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, the rib portion 29 is partially recessed adjacent the front wall portion 24 of the housing member 22 to facilitate the retrieval of the coins deposited in the coin receptacle 36. As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, the coin receptacle 36 employed in the present embodiment is formed as part of a vertically extending inner wall portion 38 of the housing member 22, the forward portion of the receptacle being secured to the front wall portion 24 of the member 22 by any suitable means. It is obvious that the coin receptacle 36 can be separately attached to the wall portion 38 if that is desired. The housing member 22 and the cover assembly 32 of the present embodiment together with all of their structural elements are preferably molded of any well known high impact plastic material, such as styrene, in order to reduce the cost of the dispensing apparatus to a minimum. If the structural framework is made of metal, the parts thereof may be assembled by any well known acceptable method such as screws or welding. As shown in FIG. 1, the cover assembly 3 includes a top surface portion 40, an inner side wall portion 42 and an outer side wall portion 44. When the cover assembly 32 is in a closed position (as illustrated in FIG. 1), the inner side wall portion 42 provides a generally vertical upper wall extension to the coin receptacle 36.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, the housing member 22, in addition to the inner wall portion 38, includes a second inner wall portion 46 which together with the wall portion 38 forms a channel which supports therein a coin magazine generally indicated as 48 (see also FIG. 2). The coin magazine 48 is preferably fabricated as a unitary structure which may be insertable within the channel formed by the wall portions 38, 46 of the housing member 22. Both the coin magazine 48 and the wall portions 38, 46 are constructed in a generally U-shaped configuration, which is similar to the cover member 32, and which extends around the peripheral edge of the coin receptacle 36 (FIG. 2).

Formed as part of the coin magazine 48 are a plurality of coin receiving channels 50 (FIG. 2), each extending in a generally vertical direction (FIG. 3) when the magazine is mounted within the housing member 22. Each coin channel 50 will accommodate a stack of coins 52 of a specific denomination which is to be dispensed as change. As shown in FIG. 2, the present embodiment includes a coin magazine 48 having 10 coin channels 50 of varying denominations. It is obvious that any number of coin magazines 48 can be constructed, each with a different number of coin channels 50 to accommodate different denominations in accordance with business requirements. Each coin magazine 48 is easily mounted in the housing by lowering the magazine into the channel formed by the wall portions 38 and 46. The coin magazine 48 has a top surface portion 47 including a front 54 and rear 56 overhang portion which function to support the coin magazine on the wall portions 38 and 46 of the housing member 22 as shown in FIG. 3.

As clearly seen in FIGS. 2, formed in the top surface portion 47 of the coin magazine 48 and extending transversely between the inner and outer edges of the coin magazines at each coin channel 50 in a pair of chutes 58 and 60. The chute 58 extends between the coin channel 50 and the outer edge of the rib portion 29 of the housing member 22 while the chute 60 extends between the coin channel 50 and the front edge of the overhang portion 54 of the coin magazine 48 thereby forming an opening 62 (FIG. 3) in the overhang portion 54 adjacent each coin channel 50. As will be described more fully hereafter, the chute 58 accommodates a coin ejector for ejecting coins 52 from the coin channel 50 while the chute 60 allows the ejected coins to be deposited into the coin receptacle 36.

In order to retain the coins 52 within the coin channel 50, there is slidably mounted within a slot 63 (FIGS. 2 and 3) located in the top surface portion 47 of the magazine 48 and extending between adjacent coin channels 50, a coin stop member 64 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4). Each stop member 64 includes a pair of opposed chamfered edges 66 (FIGs. 2 and 4) which project over the edge of adjacent coin channels 50. Also formed in the top surface of the stop member 64 is a slot 68 which communicates with a second larger slot 70 located in the lower surface of the stop member (FIG. 4). The stop member 64 is assembled on a screw member 72 secured to the coin magazine 48, such screw member 72 extending upwardly through the slots 68 and 70 to a point adjacent the side walls of the slot 68. A pair of spring members 74, 76 located between the screw member 72 and the outer edge of the slot 70 position the stop member 64 normally centrally on the screw member 72. It will be seen from this construction that when a coin 52 is inserted downwardly into the coin channel 50, the edges of the coin will engage the chamfered edges 66 of adjacent stop members 64, thereby camming the stop members away from the coin channel against the action of the springs 74, 76 allowing the coin to be inserted into the coin channel. After the coin has been positioned within the coin channel 50, the springs 74, 76 will again move the stop member 64 to its normal position above the edges of the coins 52 in the coin channel as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4.

As seen in FIG. 3, the coins 52 in each of the coin channel 50 are urged in an upward direction against the under surface of the stop members 64 (FIG. 4) by a pair of piston members 78, 80, each in turn being urged in an upward direction by a pair of spring members 82, one of which is shown in FIG. 3. Two such pistons are used in the present embodiment to prevent over stress of a single spring member 82 of great length which would be required to effectively move the lowermost coins in the coin channel to the top of such channel 50. While the dual piston-spring arrangement shown in FIG. 3 will provide the necessary force to move the lowermost coin in the coin channel to the uppermost position, it is of course obvious that other spring arrangements can be provided to accomplish the same result. One such arrangement could have the piston 78 actuated by a spring member mounted outside the coin magazine 48, extending between the top surface portion 47 of the coin magazine and the piston 78. In such arrangement only one piston would be required. One advantage of the present dual piston-spring construction is that the force required to eject the uppermost coin from the coin channel 50 can remain appropriately constant irrespective of the number of coins 52 in the channel.

As described previously, a novel feature of the invention disclosed herein is the mounting of the coin ejector mechanisms in the cover assembly 32 (FIG. 1). As shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, secured to the bottom edge of the side wall portions 42, 44 of the cover assembly 32 by means of screws 84 (FIG. 3) or other suitable fastening means is a support plate 86 to which is mounted in any suitable manner a plurality of solenoids 88. As shown in FIG. 2, there is provided a solenoid 88 for each coin channel 50 in the coin magazine 48, each solenoid 88 being orientated on the support plate 86 to overlie the chute 60 located adjacent its associated coin channel 50 when the cover assembly 32 is in a closed position on the housing member 22. Slidably mounted within the solenoid 88 and operated thereby in a manner well known in the art is a plunger 90, the end of which slidably supports in a vertical orientation a shaft 92 positioned within a slot (not shown) located in the outer end of the plunger 90. A compression spring 94 engages the plunger 90 between the solenoid 88 and the shaft 92 and normally urges the plunger 90 leftwardly to its outermost position as viewed in FIG. 3.

Associated with the shaft 92 in a supporting relationship is a U-shaped yoke member 96 (FIGS. 2 and 5) rotatably mounted on a shaft 98 secured to the support plate 86. As clearly shown in FIG. 5, the yoke member 96 includes a pair of laterally extending arm portions 100 and 102, each of which supports the shaft 92 for movement within an arcuate slot 104 (FIGS. 2 and 3) located in the support plate 86. Such slot 104 allows the shaft 92 to follow the movement of the plunger 90 as the plunger is retracted by energizing of the solenoid 88 as will be described more fully hereinafter.

With reference to FIGS. 2-6 inclusive, the present invention further contemplates the provision of means associated with the shaft 92 for ejecting coins 52 from the coin channel 50 to the coin receptacle 36. As seen in FIG. 3, secured to the upper portion of the shaft 92 is a washer member 106 which supports a compression spring 108 mounted on the shaft 92 and which engages the underside of the arm portion 100 of the yoke 96. The action of the spring 108 on the washer member 106 normally urges the shaft 92 in a downward direction. The shaft 92 extends through the slot 104 located in the support plate 86 to a position within the chute 58 located in the top surface portion 47 of the coin magazine 48 when the cover assembly 3 is in closed position on the housing member 22.

Secured to the bottom of the shaft 92 is a second washer member 112 and an ejector member 114. The washer member 112, due to its diameter, extends over a portion of the coins 52 in the coin channel 50. As a result of the action of the compression spring 108, the downward movement of the shaft 92 will move the washer member 112 into engagement with the uppermost coin 52 in the coin channel 50, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, against the action of the pistons 78, 80 and springs 82. The coin ejector member 114 may be a washer of suitable diameter or any other shaped abutment member which will be positioned adjacent the uppermost coin 52 in the coin channel in an edge engaging relationship. The action of the spring 108 in moving the shaft 92 and the washer member 112 downwardly into engagement with the uppermost coin in the coin channel 50 insures that the ejector member 114 will be positioned to engage and eject the uppermost coin 52 in the coin channel 50 when actuated.

In the operation of the dispensing apparatus 20, energizing a selected solenoid 88 will move its plunger 90 (FIGS. 2 and 3) inwardly against the action of the compression spring 94 (FIG. 6) resulting in the shaft 92 and the ejector member 114 moving likewise inwardly in a coin ejecting direction. This movement of the shaft 92 is supported by the yoke member 96, thus insuring proper alignment of the ejector member 114 with respect to the coins 52 in the coin channel 50 during its coins ejecting movement. The ejector member 114 will kick out the uppermost coin 52 in the coin channel 50 through the chute 60 in the coin magazine and through the opening 62 into the coin receptacle 36 where the coins will be retrieved by the customer (FIG. 6).

The inward movement of the plunger 90 during an ejecting operation will of course compress the spring 94. Upon deenergizing of the solenoid 88, the spring 94 will thus return the plunger 90, the shaft 92 and the ejector member 114 outwardly to their home position as shown in FIG. 3. When this has occurred, the coins 52 in the coin channel 50 will be moved up under the action of the pistons 78 and 80 springs 82 until the uppermost coin engages the under edges of its associate stop members 64. In addition, the washer member 112 will again press down against the uppermost coin in the coin channel 50, thereby locating the ejecting member 114 adjacent the coin for ejection during the next operation of the solenoid 88.

It will be apparent that by mounting the coin ejecting mechanisms in the cover assembly, repair or replacement of all or any part thereof is relatively simple. In addition, the use of the coin stop member 64 in the construction of the coin magazine 48 allows such magazine to be stored in either a horizontal or vertical position without the danger of spilling coins therefrom.

It will further be apparent in light of the foregoing description and drawings that the present invention has provided an improved low cost coin dispenser which may be readily mounted both within and outside a checkout counter installation, and which will position the coin receptacle to allow the customer to conveniently retrieve the change.

While the principles of the invention have been made clear in the illustrated embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications of the structure, arrangements, elements and components can be made which are particularly adapted for specific environments and operating requirements without departing from these principles. The appended claims intend to cover any such modification within the limits only of the true spirit and scope of the invention.