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US 5,311,975 AGranted
Coin slide extension
AssigneeHof Service Company, Inc.
InventorJohn C. Hiortdahl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coin slide extension for a coin chute assembly. A pivotal lever is connected to a mounting bracket secured to the end of an extension plate. The lever pivots over a starting mechanism upon inward movement of the coin slide, and operatively engages the starting mechanism upon outward movement. The lever abuts a stop during outward movement to prevent the lever from pivoting over the starting mechanism. In an alternative embodiment, an extension plate has two spaced apart contact legs between which a reciprocating lever of a ratchet mechanism is disposed. One leg moves the reciprocating lever to a ready position and the other moves it to an activation position.
Claims26
A slide extension for a coin control unit having a housing, a starting mechanism disposed within the housing, and a coin slide mounted in and extending outwardly from the housing and being movable inwardly and outwardly for reciprocation between an outermost position and an innermost position, the slide extension comprising:
- engaging means for operatively engaging the starting mechanism during outward movement of the coin slide after inward movement of the coin slide to a predetermined position, said engaging means including a pivotal lever normally oriented in a substantially vertical position by gravity, and a stop located to abut against said pivotal lever during outward movement of the coin slide and after said pivotal lever engages the starting mechanism which pivots said pivotal lever from its normal vertical position to a nonvertical position before activating the starting mechanism;
- and
- means for connecting the engaging means to the coin slide for movement therewith.
A coin control unit comprising:
- a housing;
- a starting mechanism disposed within said housing;
- a coin slide mounted in and extending outwardly from said housing and being movable inwardly and outwardly for reciprocation between an outermost position and an innermost position to activate said starting mechanism in a single reciprocation of said coin slide, said coin slide having coin actuated blocking dogs movable from a blocking position to a non-blocking position and a coin discharge;
- engaging means for operatively engaging said starting mechanism during outward movement of said coin slide to activate said starting mechanism after a single inward movement of said coin slide to a predetermined position, said engaging means including
- a first contact surface facing in the direction of outward movement of said coin slide for engaging said starting mechanism during a predetermined length of outward movement of a single reciprocation of said coin slide to activate said starting mechanism, said first contact surface being positioned relative to said starting mechanism and said blocking dogs to activate said starting mechanism after said predetermined length of outward movement of said coin slide causes said blocking dogs to move into the blocking position preventing further inward movement of said coin slide, and
- a second contact surface facing in the direction of inward movement of said coin slide for engaging said starting mechanism during a predetermined length of inward movement of a single reciprocation of said coin slide without activating said starting mechanism, said second contact surface being positioned relative to said starting mechanism and said coin discharge of said coin slide to permit said first contact surface to activate said starting mechanism during said predetermined length of outward movement only after said predetermined length of inward movement of said coin slide causes the coin to discharge from it initial position in said coin slide to a position preventing removal of the coin during subsequent outward movement of said coin slide;
- and
- means for connecting said engaging means to said coin slide for movement therewith, and for positioning said first contact surface and said second contact surface relative to the starting mechanism.
5 more elements
A slide extension assembly adapted to be coupled to a coin slide for movement therewith, comprising:
- engaging means for operatively engaging a starting mechanism in a control unit during outward movement of the coin slide after inward movement of the coin slide to a predetermined position, said engaging means including a pivotally mounted lever with a substantially normal vertical position for inoperatively engaging the starting mechanism during inward movement of the coin slide to pivot said lever in a first direction from its vertical position, and operatively engaging the starting mechanism during outward movement of the coin slide only after outward movement of the coin slide to a predetermined position causes said lever to pivot in a second direction from its vertical position to a nonvertical position before moving the starting mechanism, said lever having
- a first contact surface facing in the direction of outward movement of the coin slide when coupled to the coin slide for operatively engaging the starting mechanism, and
- a second contact surface facing in the direction of inward movement of the coin slide when coupled thereto;
- and
- coupling means for connecting said engaging means to the coin slide for movement therewith.
2 more elements
A coin control unit comprising:
- a housing;
- a starting mechanism disposed within said housing;
- a coin slide mounted in and extending outwardly from said housing and being movable inwardly and outwardly for reciprocation between an outermost position and an innermost position;
- engaging means for operatively engaging said starting mechanism during outward movement of said coin slide after inward movement of said coin slide to a predetermined position, said engaging means including a pivotally mounted lever normally oriented in a substantially vertical position by gravity, and a stop positioned to abut against said pivotal lever during outward movement of the coin slide only after said pivotal lever engages said starting mechanism which pivots said pivotal lever from its normal vertical position to a nonvertical position before activating said starting mechanism;
- and
- means for connecting said engaging means to said coin slide for movement therewith.
3 more elements
A method of operating a coin operated device with a starting mechanism in a single reciprocation of a coin slide, comprising the steps of
- inserting at least one coin into the coin slide of a coin chute assembly having a slide extension assembly, a coin discharge and coin actuated blocking dogs movable from a blocking position to a non-blocking position,
- moving the coin slide with the coin therein inwardly to an inner position causing a first contact surface of the slide extension to engage the starting mechanism and the coin to move from its initial position to a discharge position preventing removal of the coin by subsequent outward movement of the coin slide;
- and
- moving the coin slide and the slide extension assembly outwardly to an outer position causing a second contact surface of the slide extension to operatively engage the starting mechanism and to move a lever of the starting mechanism to activate the starting mechanism in a single reciprocation of the coin slide after the blocking dogs of the coin chute assembly move into the blocking position preventing further inward movement of the coin slide.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.