Coin acceptor

A coin acceptor for accepting or rejecting;

• testing the diameter, thickness, and mass of a coin and directing the same to adjacent accept and reject chutes comprising, in combination,
• an enclosed housing having a front and back plate,
• a coin insert slot in an upper portion of said housing,
• a coin path in open communication with said slot having a beveled track,
• a coin carrier rotatably mounted within the housing about an axis,
• a cam in the housing mounted with regard to the carrier and having a runway defining surface and coin path defined by a second beveled track,
• said runway defining surface being beveled inwardly and downwardly toward the back plate for a thin coin to drop into, thereby reducing its effective diameter,
• coin engaging means on the carrier,
• said cam opening the distance between its surface and the coin engaging means between the four o'clock and six o'clock positions, thereby dropping a low mass coin before the six o'clock position is reached but retaining a proper diameter and mass coin to pass the six o'clock position,
• a divider at a lower portion of the housing defining an accept and reject chute,
• and stop means for the carrier to terminate its rotation by a falling coin at a point where said coin is proximate the divider.

A coin acceptor having an anti-penny cheat mechanism comprising, in combination,

• a housing,
• a coin insert slot in an upper portion of said housing,
• a coin path in open communication with said slot,
• a coin carrier rotatably mounted within the housing about an axis,
• a cam in the housing mounted with regard to the carrier and having a runway defining surface and coin path,
• coin engaging means on the carrier,
• a divider at a lower portion of the housing defining an accept and reject chute,
• stop means on the carrier to terminate its rotation by a falling coin at a point where said coin is proximate the divider,
• a coin lever engaged by a backed up penny so that the end of the lever engages the stop on the carrier to prevent coin passage,
• and a pin extending from the carrier which, in the stopped position, blocks another backed up penny from entering the accept chute.