US1813977A - Coin chute for vending machines - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1931. c. WEBER 1,813,977

COIN CHUTE FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Feb. 11, 1950 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES CHARLES WEBER, OF NEWARK, .NEW' JERSEY.

COIN GHUTE FOR VENDING MACHINES Application filed February 11, 1930: Serial No. 427,526.

This invention relates to vending machines, and more particularly to a coin chute for such machines provided with means for detecting the use of fraudulent coin substitutes.

I An object of the invention is to provide a coin chute for detecting and ejecting coin substitutes lighter in weight, paper discs or the like, than the coin for which the chute is de signed.

A further object is the provision of means in a coin chute for detecting and ejecting coin substitutes of non-magnetic material,

said coin substitutes being of substantially the same weight as the required coin and 15 having apertures therein.

A further object is to provide a coin chute having means for causing a coin to travel fiatwise, and having a contour whereby coins of the proper weight will acquire sufficient momentum to carry it through the chute.

A further object is to provide an exceedingly simple, efficient and inexpensive coin chute having means for detecting and ejecting fraudulent coin substitutes.

These and other objects are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, constituting a material part of this disclosure and in which:

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the device.

Figure 2 represents an elevational view of the device.

Figure 3 represents a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the chute is shown to include a base plate of non-magnetic material, having an upper arcuate portion 4, connected by a hump to an inclined and substantially straight lower portion 6.

The upper portion 4 is covered by a casing 7, which extends almost to the hump 5; while the lower portion 6 is provided with a similar casing 8, which extends over the hump 5 and engages the casing 7 at a short distance above its lower mouth.

The casings and base provide passages sub stantially rectangular in cross section, so that The upper portion and the casing 7, at their upper extremities are bent to provide a passage 10 slightly inclined from the horizontal and having a mouth 11 adapted to v receive coins of the proper size. Adjacent the mouth 11 is positioned a permanent magnet 12 for the purpose of deflecting coin substitutes of magnetic material through the opening 13 in the side wall ofcasing'l.

Further down the upper arcuatebase portion 4 is mounted a flat spring 14 projecting up through an aperture 15 in casing 7. This spring is of such strength that it will not interfere with coins of the proper weight; but when coin substitutes of less weight, such as a cardboard slug, are used, such substitutes will be deflected by the spring 14 upwardly through the aperture 15.

Between the hump 5 and thelower extremity of easing 7 is a bracket 16 attached to the under side of the base 4. Pivotally mounted on the bracket is a. lever having one arm provided with forks 17 and 18, and the other arm 19 weighted so that it will normally rest against a projection 20 on the bracket, as 75 shown in Figure 2.

When a coin substitute, such as a slug of non-magnetic material having a central aperture, reaches the fork 17, the latter is moved forwardly, causing the lever to ro- 89 tate and the fork 18 to enter the aperture in the slug, preventing the latter from traveling over thehump 5, and causing the slug to fall through an aperture 22 in the base.

In order to accelerate the return of the leverto its normal position, a spring 21, attached to the underside of base 4, engages weighted arm 19 upon each operation of the lever. When a proper coin is used in the chute, the forks 17 and 18 do not interfere with its passage; but assist in boosting the coin over the hump 5. so that it will notfall through the aperture 22.

The upper portion of the chute is initially vertical, to give the coin the proper momentum to carry it over the several impediments in its path designed to eject fraudulent substitutes. The upper portion of the chute then curves towards the horizontal so that the passage of articles over the spring 14 and AW forks 17 and 18 Will not be too rapid to prevent such impediments from functioning properly.

It Will be noted that the chute is rectangular in cross-section so that articles Will slide flatwise therethrough. The non-rolling and flatwise travel of articles through the chute enables the several fraud detecting devices to properly function at all times; and makes possible the positive detecting of light weight substitutes, or apertured substitutes Which may have been given an initial velocity in an attempt to avoid the coin substitute detectors.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a simple and inexpensive coin chute having reliable means for detecting and ejecting fraudulent coin substitutes of the common and well known types.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including modifications without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A coin chute having an upper portion and an offset lower portion, a hump at the en trance to the lower portion, said chute having an aperture in its base immediately preceding the hump, a forked lever projecting up into the chute and pivotally mounted on the base thereof at a point preceding the aperture, and resilient means engageable by the lever to assist in urging the latter to a predetermined position.

2. In a coin chute having an aperture in its base intermediate its length, a bracket attached to the underside of the base adjacent the aperture, a lever pivotally mounted on the bracket, said lever having a forked arm projecting into the chute, and a Weighted arm extending downward, a projection on the bracket to limit the movement of the lever in one direction, and a spring attached to the underside of the base of the chute and engageable by the lever When the latter has been moved in an opposite direction.

3. A coin chute having an upper portion and an offset lower portion, a hump at the entrance to the lower portion, said chute having an aperture in its base immediately pre ceding the hump, and a forked lever projecting up into the chute and pivotally mounted on the base thereon at a point preceding the aperture.

This specification signed this 22nd day of January, 1930.

CHARLES l/VEBER.

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