Electronic coin-counting control

An electronic coil accumulator, comprising

• means for providing an input electric signal in response to deposit of a coin,
• a resettable counter having a plurality of output terminals providing a parallel binary coded register output for counting said electric signals,
• means for comparing said output with a pre-set number to provide a control signal when said output at least equals said number, comprising a conductor, a plurality of manually settable switches corresponding to the respective digits of the binary coded output, and a plurality of diodes corresponding to said plurality of switches, each respective switch and a respective diode being connected in series between said conductor and a respective terminal of the register parallel output,
• means for resetting said register output to zero after provision of said control signal, said means comprising a latching relay having a set coil for operating and latching the relay, and a relay contact which provides a resetting signal for said register, arranged such that said counter is enabled to count only after said relay is unlatched,
• means, responsive to said electric signal, for preventing counting for a predetermined period of time, whereby rapidly repeated electric signals do not generate a false count, and
• an energy storage capacitor for supplying electrical energy to said counter sufficient to maintain a binary count in the register output upon interruption of a supply of power to the device for a period of at least 15 seconds.

An electronic coin accumulator, comprising

• a mechanically operated electric switch having open and closed conditions, arranged to switch from one of said conditions to the other condition upon deposit of a coin, said switching having a normally closed pair of contacts connected to said register so as to provide a "zero " signal while said contacts are closed, said contacts being opened in response to deposit of a coin, said switch further comprising an electric circuit for providing an electric signal in response to switching to said other condition,
• a resettable register having a parallel binary coded output for counting said electric signals,
• means for comparing said output with a pre-set number to provide a control signal when said output at least equals said number, comprising a conductor, a plurality of manually settable switches corresponding to the respective digits of the binary coded output, and a plurality of diodes corresponding to said plurality of switches, each respective switch and a respective diode being connected in series between said conductor and a respective terminal of the register parallel output,
• means for resetting said register output to zero after provision of said control signals, comprising a latching relay having a set coil for operating and latching the relay, and a relay contact which provides a signal for said register, arranged such that said register does not count any electric signals provided while said relay is latched,
• a time delay circuit connected to said switch, arranged to inhibit provision of an electric signal to said register for a predetermined period of time after switching to said other condition, resulting from contact bounce of said switch a resistor and a capacitor arranged such that, upon opening of said switch contacts, said capacitor is charged via said resistor;
• and upon momentary closing of said switch, said capacitor is discharged;
• said time delay circuit having a time constant selected such that said electric signal rises sufficiently rapidly to be counted by said register in a period of time substantially less than the period for which said contacts are closed during normal deposit of a coin, and
• an energy storage capacitor for supplying electrical energy to said counter sufficient to maintain a binary count in the register output upon interruption of a supply of power to the device for a period of at least 15 seconds.

A device for determining occurrence of a selected number of events spaced in time by a minimum interval comprising:

• means for providing an electric event signal in response to the occurrence of an event,
• a counter having a counting signal input, a reset input and a plurality of output terminals providing a parallel binary coded register output representing a count of the number of counting signals input to said counter;
• means for comparing said register output with a pre-set number to provide a control signal when said register output at least equals said number, comprising a plurality of manually settable switches corresponding to the respective digits of the binary coded output, a conductor, and a plurality of diodes corresponding to said plurality of switches, each respective switch and a respective diode being connected in series between said conductor and a respective terminal of the register parallel output,
• means for resetting said register output to zero after provision of said control signal, said means including latching means which is set upon provision of said one control signal and which is unlatched only upon occurrence of a predetermined condition, and while latched, said latching means disables the counter from counting, and a delay circuit responsive to an output of said latching means and feeding the reset input of said counter such that said counter is enabled only after a predetermined period of time after said latching means is unlatched and,
• means responsive to said event signal for providing counting signals to said counter in response to those of said event signals which are spaced in time at least said minimum interval whereby false event signals do not generate a false count.