US 4,502,584 AGranted

Coin chute assembly operable by coins disposed in a vertical position

AssigneeKidde, Inc.

InventorChristos Lambiris

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Abstract

This disclosure is directed to a coin slide assembly having a coin slide disposed for accommodating up to eight coins in a vertical position. The assembly further includes sets of inter-engaging channels and post on the assembly housing and on the coin slide, respectively, to restrict access to the internal blocking dog components of the assembly by persons intent on damaging or interferring with the normal operation of the dogs. A gate is provided through which the coins pass upon inserted movement of the coin slide. The assembly further includes a coin sizing block having inverted V-shaped notches which cooperate with the blocking dogs to render the coin slide operative only when properly sized coins are carried by the slide. A protective bar restricts the movement of the blocking dogs beyond their non-blocking position to prevent distortion of the spring which biases the dogs to their normal blocking position. The assembly further includes a baffle to push the coins down through the slots in the coin slide upon inserted movement of the slide beyond the inner end of the guide track.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A coin chute assembly having a housing defining a guide track, and a coin slide reciprocably mounted in said guide track for inserted and retracted movement within said housing, said assembly comprising:

a first inter-engaging set of channels and posts, said posts riding in said channels as said coin slide rides in the guide track of said housing;
a second inter-engaging set of channels and posts positioned inward from said first set of channels and posts, said second set of channels and posts inter-engaging when said coin slide is in its fully inserted position;
a first set of longitudinal rails defining said first set of channels and a second set of longitudinal rails defining said second set of channels, said first and second sets of rails being substantially parallel to one another;
members of said second set of rails being laterally and longitudinally offset from members of said first set of rails;
members of said first set of channels being laterally and longitudinally offset from members of said second set of channels;
and
members of said first set of posts being laterally and longitudinally offset from members of said second set of posts;
said coin slide having a plurality of coin support slots adapted to hold a coin placed therein in a vertical plane, each of said slots being aligned over one of said first channels;
whereby movement of said coin slide in said guide track from a retracted position to an inserted position causes a coin in any one of said coin slots to first ride in a corresponding one of said first channels and then ride on a corresponding one of said second rails.

6 more elements

A coin chute assembly having a housing defining a guide track, and a coin slide reciprocally mounted in said guide track for inserted and retracted movement within said housing, said assembly comprising:

a set of coin support slots in said coin slide, each of said slots being adapted to hold a coin placed therein in a vertical plane;
a set of movable blocking dogs pivotally mounted along said guide track of said housing, each of said dogs being spring loaded into a normal blocking position in the path of travel of said coin slide and being movable between said blocking position and a displaced non-blocking position out of path of travel of said coin slide, any one of said dogs when in said blocking position preventing the full insertion of said coin slide;
said spring having a head portion and a set of comb-like fingers extending from said head portion, said spring being positioned with its said head portion engaging said housing and with each of its said fingers being aligned with and resiliently engaging a separate one of said blocking dogs to bias said set of blocking dogs to their blocking position;
each of said blocking dogs being aligned with a separate one of said coin support slots;
inserted movement of said slide in said guide track causing coins in any of said slots to ride on respective ones of said blocking dogs;
a sizing block positioned above said guide track, said sizing block having a plurality of inverted notches, each of said notches being aligned with a separate one of said coin support slots when said coin slide is inserted;
individual ones of said notches engaging the upper edge of individual ones of appropriate coins positioned in said coin support slots as said slide is inserted and forcing the coins so engaged down against the upper surface of individual ones of said blocking dogs to move the corresponding ones of said blocking dogs into said displaced position;
and
a protective bar connected to said housing and extending across said set of blocking dogs;
said bar being positioned in the path of movement of said blocking dogs to restrict further displaced movement of any one of said dogs beyond its said displaced non-blocking position to prevent distortion of the respective one of said fingers of said spring associated with said dog.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.