Coin sorter with expanded capability

In a coin sorter including a hopper, an inclined rotatable pickup plate disposed within said hopper and having notches about its periphery each adapted to carry a single coin upwardly to a coin opening adjacent the apex of said plate, a rotatable sorting core having a plurality of sorting slots of diminishing width receiving coins passing through said coin opening, each slot having a series of projections each of which is adapted to retain a coin of a respective denomination whereby each denomination of coins which can pass through said coin opening is carried at a different level within said slots, stationary counting means disposed at each level and each adapted to be actuated by a passing coin at the level, the improvement therein comprising:

• an exit chute adapted to receive coins of a size larger than can pass through said coin opening, said exit chute extending through a side of the hopper and having an entrance positioned near the surface of the pickup plate at a position beyond its apex and in the path of travel of coins carried in the notches;
• a plow disposed beyond the periphery of the pickup plate and in front of the entrance, said plow extending above the surface of the pickup plate to raise coins carried by the notches and direct them into the entrance;
• and
• a switch having an actuator arm positioned between the apex of the pickup plate and the entrance of the exit chute and adapted to be contacted by coins in the notches which do not pass through said coin opening.

In a coin sorter including a shell having its axis inclined from vertical, a rotatable sorting core in said shell and having a plurality of sorting slots which diminish in width to accept given denominations of coins, each slot including means to retain a coin of a particular denomination at a respective level within said slot as the core rotates within said shell, a coin hopper extending from the front face of the shell and including a ring which encircles the shell, a stationary sorting plate within said shell above said core, a rotatable pickup plate coaxial with said core above said sorting plate and having notches at its periphery each adapted to carry a single coin upwardly and over the sorting plate to a coin opening extending along the apex of the sorting plate, the coin opening having a radial width which passes coins of said given denominations and which does not pass larger coins, the improvement therein comprising:

• an exit chute adapted to receive coins of another denomination whose size is larger than said coin opening, said exit chute extending through said ring and having an entrance positioned beyond the apex and a trailing edge of said coin opening, said entrance being in the path of travel of coins carried in the notches;
• and
• a plow projecting above the surface of the pickup plate beyond the periphery thereof at a point in front of the entrance and at said trailing edge of said coin opening to raise coins carried by the notches and deflect them into said entrance.

A coin sorter conversion kit having component parts capable of being assembled to a coin sorter to increase the capacity thereof, which coin sorter includes a shell having its axis inclined from vertical, a rotatable sorting core in the shell and having a plurality of sorting slots which diminish in width to accept given denominations of coins, each slot including shelf means to retain a coin of a particular denomination at a respective level within said slot as the core rotates within said shell, a coin hopper extending from the front face of the shell and including a ring which encircles the shell, a stationary sorting plate within the shell above the core, a rotatable pickup plate coaxial with the core above the sorting plate and having notches at its periphery each adapted to carry a single coin over the surface of the sorting plate upwardly to a coin opening extending along the apex of the sorting plate, the coin opening having a radial width which passes coins of said given denominations and which does not pass larger coins, the kit comprising:

• an exit chute adapted to receive coins of another denomination whose size is larger than said coin opening, said exit chute adapted to be mounted on said ring and extending through a cutout provided in said ring, said exit chute having an entrance positioned beyond the apex and a trailing edge of the coin opening so that the entrance is in the path of coins carried in the notches;
• a plow adapted to be mounted to the sorter plate and to be positioned at a point in front of the entrance and at the trailing edge of the coin opening, said plow including a ramp surface which extends outwardly from the level of the surface of the pickup plate to raise coins carried by the notches and direct them into said entrance;
• a replacement sorter plate adapted to be mounted in the sorter in place of the original sorter plate, said replacement sorter plate having a coin opening whose radial width is less than the size of the largest size of coin for which the sorting slots are designed;
• and
• a projection for each sorting slot and adapted to be mounted in a sorting slot to define a new shelf to reduce the width of the largest portion of the slot,
• whereby the sorter will additionally sort coins of a size next smaller than the largest size for which the coin sorter was designed.