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US 5,326,312 AGranted
Coin/token dispensing unit
AssigneesBoardwalk Regency Corporation, Anthony Patroni
InventorAnthony F. Patroni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coin dispenser is disclosed which provides an agitator in the form of a rotatable plate having a surrounding ring which is used to agitate the coins so that the coins are constantly agitated as coins are being dispensed. A unique exit construction to minimize the dispensing of double coins and the jamming of coins at the exit location is also provided. A floating intermediate member is provided between the rotatable plate and reservoir which can move during dispenser operation to help prevent coin jamming at the reservoir/rotatable plate interface. The flow of coins to the rotatable plate may be controlled by a coin/token weight actuated pivoting reservoir.
Claims39
A coin/token dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a reservoir for receiving coins/tokens to be dispensed;
- a coin/token transport mechanism for transporting a coin/token delivered from said reservoir to a coin/token exit, said transport mechanism comprising:
- a stationary backplate and a rotatable coin/token driving plate mounted coaxially with and overlying said backplate, said driving plate receiving coins/tokens delivered from said reservoir and containing a plurality of coin/token engaging holes spaced substantially equidistant from a center of said driving plate and arranged about the periphery thereof;
- an agitating ring connected to and surrounding said driving plate and extending from said driving plate in a direction away from said backing plate, said driving plate facing an interior of said reservoir to receive coins/tokens and guiding them into the holes of said driving plate, whereby the holes of said driving plate, when the latter is rotated, catch and transport coins to said exit while they are being supported by said stationary backplate;
- means for rotating said driving plate to transport coins/tokens;
- and,
- means for supporting said backplate and driving plate at an incline from a vertical orientation so that coins are transported upwardly by the holes of said driving plate during its rotation, said exit being located at an upper portion of said backplate and being formed by a recess in said backplate, said recess being provided with an inclined exit ramp for receiving and guiding an edge of a coin/token, said ramp including a curb portion along a side of said ramp closest to said driving plate for preventing a coin transported on said ramp from side slipping off said ramp.
4 more elements
A coin/token dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a reservoir for receiving coins/tokens to be dispensed;
- a coin/token transport mechanism for transporting a coin/token delivered from said reservoir to a coin/token exit, said transport mechanism comprising:
- a rotatable coin/token driving plate, said driving plate receiving coins/tokens delivered from said reservoir and containing a plurality of coin/token engaging areas spaced substantially equidistant from a center of said driving plate, said areas catching and transporting coins to said exit while they are being supported by said stationary backplate;
- and
- means for rotating said driving plate to transport coins/tokens;
- said exit being provided with an inclined exit ramp for receiving and guiding an edge of a coin/token, said rotatable driving plate delivering a coin/token to said ramp, said ramp including a curb portion along a side of said ramp closest to said driving plate for preventing a coin transported on said ramp from side slipping off said ramp.
3 more elements
A coin/token dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a reservoir for receiving coins/tokens to be dispensed;
- a coin/token transport mechanism for transporting a coin/token delivered from said reservoir to a coin/token exit, said transport mechanism comprising:
- a rotatable coin/token driving plate, said driving plate receiving coins/tokens delivered from said reservoir and containing a plurality of coin/token engaging areas spaced substantially equidistant from a center of said driving plate, said areas of said driving plate, when the latter is rotated, catching and transporting coins to said exit;
- means for rotating said driving plate to transport coins/tokens;
- and
- an intermediate member located between said driving plate and said reservoir for guiding coins/tokens from said reservoir to said driving plate, said intermediate member being resiliently mounted to a stationary support so as to be movable within a limited range relative to said driving plate to thereby accommodate different coin/token loading conditions existing between said reservoir and driving plate.
3 more elements
A coin/token dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a reservoir for receiving coins/tokens to be dispensed;
- a coin/token transport mechanism for transporting said coins/tokens from said reservoir to a coin/token exit, said transport mechanism including:
- a backplate;
- a rotatable coin/token driving plate for receiving said coins/tokens from said reservoir, said driving plate including a plurality of coin/token engaging areas for catching said coins/tokens and for transporting said coins/tokens to said coin/token exit while said coins/tokens are supported by said backplate;
- and
- a ramp member having a top ramp surface for receiving and guiding said coins/tokens, wherein said ramp member includes a scalloped surface for allowing some of said coins/tokens transported by said engaging areas to fall downwardly away from said exit, said scalloped surface having a front edge and a top edge, said scalloped surface being contiguous with said ramp surface along said top edge.
3 more elements
A coin/token dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a pivotable reservoir for receiving coins/tokens to be dispensed;
- a coin/token transport mechanism for transporting a coin/token delivered by said reservoir to a coin/token exit, said transport mechanism comprising:
- a rotatable coin/token driving plate, said driving plate receiving coins/tokens delivered from said reservoir and containing a plurality of coin/token engaging areas spaced substantially equidistant from a center of said driving plate and arranged about the periphery thereof, said areas catching and transporting coins received from said reservoir and delivering them to an exit location;
- means for rotating said driving plate to transport coins/tokens;
- and
- means for biasing said reservoir such that when the amount of coins/tokens in said reservoir diminishes a degree of incline of said reservoir increases;
- and
- said apparatus further comprising an intermediate member located between said driving plate and said reservoir for guiding coins/tokens from said reservoir to said driving plate, said intermediate member being resiliently mounted to a stationary support so as to be movable within a limited range relative to said driving plate to thereby accommodate different coin/token loading conditions existing between said reservoir and driving plate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.