Back to results
US 4,359,148 AGranted
Coin acceptor or rejector
AssigneeThird Wave Electronics Company, Inc.
InventorRonald C. Davies
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeThird Wave Electronics Company, Inc.
InventorRonald C. Davies
Estimating the term…
The present invention relates to an apparatus for accepting or rejecting a single type of coin, which is designed and constructed only to accept genuine coins of a particular value or denomination, and to reject spurious coins or slugs which may have the same dimensions. The present invention also provides an auxiliary coin acceptor-rejector component or device which may readily be fitted into already existing coin operated devices so as to discriminate more accurately between genuine coins and spurious coins or slugs. In such apparatus a sensing coil is provided for discriminating between genuine and non-genuine coins by suitable circuitry to actuate an accept solenoid to receive a genuine coin in an accept slot and to direct all other non-genuine coins to a reject slot. To discriminate between genuine and non-genuine coins two parameters are utilized. The first parameter provides discrimination by means of the current being proportional to voltage drop and the second parameter provides discrimination by a frequency shift, - both of such discrimination being detectable when the coin passes through the sensing coil.
A coin acceptor or rejector apparatus for use in coin-operated machines and the like, comprising a coin chute having a slot for receiving a coin, said chute having a coin acceptance portion and a coin rejection portion, a flapper controlling the direction of movement of coins to one or the other of said portions, an oscillator circuit adapted to oscillate at a substantially constant amplitude, a sensing coil surrounding the chute at its upper end adjacent said slot and actuated by a coin passing therethrough, said sensing coil upon receipt of a coin having its Q substantially decreased and having energy losses caused by eddy currents being dissipated by the coin and by the magnetic hysteresis of the coin whereby the effective resistance of the oscillator circuit is reduced and the current flow therethrough is increased, comparative circuitry constituting a first parameter for discriminating the change in current and resulting voltage within predetermined limits, a second parameter for discriminating by change in frequency in the oscillator circuit, and a solenoid energized by the coincidence of the predetermined limits of the first and second parameters prescribed for a genuine coin which moves the flapper to coin acceptance position.
A coin acceptor or rejector apparatus for use in coin-operated machines and the like, comprising a coin chute having a slot for receiving a coin, said chute having a coin acceptance portion and a coin rejection portion, a flapper controlling the direction of movement of coins to one or the other of said portions, a sensing coil surrounding the chute at its upper end adjacent said slot and actuatable by a coin passing therethrough, a solenoid for moving the flapper to coin acceptance position, and electrical circuitry connecting said sensing coil and said solenoid and arranged to discriminate between genuine and non-genuine coins according to two parameters, the first said parameter circuit including oscillator means adapted to oscillate at a substantially constant amplitude and to provide a current proportional to voltage drop when a coin is passed through the sensing coil, and the second parameter circuit including means for effecting a frequency shift when a coin is passed through the sensing coil, the effective changes in said parameters controlling the operation of said solenoid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.