GB1486519A - Machine for identifying and counting coins tokens and like articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1486519 Identifying and counting coins NGZ GELDZAHLMASCHINEN GmbH & CO FERTIGUNGS-KG 9 April 1975 [19 April 1974] 14551/75 Headings G4V G4X and G4D Apparatus for identifying and counting coins comprises an optical signal transmitter controlling a counter in which the signal transmitter is formed by an optico-electronic image converter past which the coins are adapted to be guided and which supplies signals representative of the respective coin surfaces, the said signals being fed to a comparator which in its turn feeds the counter with signals associated with the coins. Coins are fed from a trough 13 to a rail 15 by conveyer 14. A rocker member 16 permits coins to pass to rail 18 when in a closed position but when open coins fall on to conveyer 17 and are passed back to the trough. Coins passing along the rail pass image converter 19 consisting of four solar cells 20. A light source 21 projects rays through a condenser 22 to the solar cells. From the rail coins pass through shoot 23 into distributor shoot 24 and thence into through one of passages 27 into a container 29. Shoot 24 is positioned by a step-by-step mechanism 26. Fig. 2 shows how rocker member 16 is rotated to an open position by magnet 38 when it receives a signal from photo-electric cell unit 36 via store 37, that a coin has passed. The member 16 is closed when the counting operation in respect of a coin is completed. When a coin passes image converter 19 there is a decrease in the output voltage of a summation or adding unit 39. If the value is below an adjustable reference level comparator 41 prepares for an evaluation instruction. This occurs when the solar cells 20c and 20d are covered by equally large amounts which causes zero-pasage discriminator 42 to pass from a low level to a high level position. After delivery of the evaluation instruction store 37 is returned to its initial position. Also by means of an eight-channel analogue comparator 43 and a coder 44, a channel number is fed into an intermediate store 45 when there is voltage parity between the output voltage of summation unit 39 and a reference level adjusted by reference level adjusting unit 31. The reference levels correspond to the normal dimensions of the coins of a coinage system. The channel numbers are supplied to a counter 46 which has a valuation stage, an adding mechanism 48, a store 49 and an indicating means 50. A metal senser 51 prevents the use of counterfeit coins. For coin sorting, the difference between a channel number which is stored in an intermediate store 45 and the counter content of a forward and backward counter 54 is determined in a comparator stage 53. Depending on the difference an instruction is given to control means 55 of mechanism 26.