Method and device for coin diameter discrimination

A coin diameter discriminating device comprising:

• a coin transporting member having a notch for holding a coin of unknown diameter in a fixed relationship with respect to said transporting member;
• a motor for moving said coin transporting member to displace the coin at an accurately controlled velocity along a predetermined path;
• means for detecting the arrival of an edge of the coin at a predetermined point along said path while the coin is being held in the notch of the transporting member;
• and
• means responsive to said detecting means for providing an output signal in accordance with the diameter of the coin, said output signal providing means comprising means for providing an output signal in accordance with the angular orientation of said coin transporting member when said detecting means detects the arrival of said edge of the coin.

A coin diameter discriminating device comprising:

• a rotary transport member having a notch adapted for receiving a coin deposited in through a coin insert slot;
• a motor for rotating said transport member to carry said coin at a substantially constant velocity along a predetermined arcuate path;
• an optical sensor disposed along said arcuate path to provide a signal in response to an edge of said coin passing said sensor while said coin is being carried in said notch of said rotary transport member;
• and
• a timer responsive to said optical sensor and a signal from a predetermined event for providing an elapsed time count corresponding to the diameter of said coin.

A coin diameter discriminating device comprising:

• a light transmissive disk having a notch adapted to receive a coin of unknown diameter;
• first and second stationary plates disposed on opposite sides of said disk, said first plate having at least one light emitter and said second plate having at least one photodetector aligned to receive light from said emitter and provide an output signal in accordance therewith;
• a stepper motor with a speed reducer coupled to said disk to provide accurately regulated rotation of said disk between said first and second plates to carry said coin at an accurately regulated velocity in an arcuate path between said at least one light emitter and said at least one photodetector;
• a counter initiated by a change in state of said photodetector in response to said coin passing between said light emitter and said photodetector;
• and
• means for stopping said counter at a predetermined angular orientation of said disk to produce a count in accordance with the diameter of said coin.

A method of discriminating the diameter of a coin, comprising the steps of:

• receiving the coin of unknown diameter in a notch of a coin transport member;
• moving the coin transport member to carry the coin at an accurately controlled velocity along a predetermined path;
• providing a sensor signal when an edge of the coin arrives at a predetermined point along the path while the coin is being moved by the transport member;
• and
• meansuring elapsed time between an occurrence of said sensor signal and a reference event;
• providing a signal corresponding to the diameter of the coin in response to said elapsed time.