Coin receiving mechanism having foreign object release device

A coin receiving mechanism having a foreign object release device for use with a coin receiving machine, said mechanism comprising:

• (a) first and second chute walls having spaced apart inner surfaces which are substantially parallel to each other when said mechanism is in an unactivated state and wherein said inner surfaces define left and right walls of a coin chute path through which a coin travels, said first and second chute walls each further having an upper chute wall portion and a lower chute wall portion, wherein said upper chute wall portion is disposed adjacent an entrance to said coin chute path and wherein said lower chute wall portion is disposed adjacent to and in communicating relationship with an exit of the coin chute path;
• (b) a frame onto which said left and right chute walls are hingedly mounted;
• (c) an actuating lever having a first end pivotally mounted to said frame and a second end disposed opposite thereto;
• (d) a roller rotatably mounted on a roller bracket which is fixedly attached to said first coin chute wall, wherein said roller is disposed upon an upper actuating lever surface of said actuating lever, wherein when said actuating lever is not activated, said coin chute walls remain in said unactivated state, and wherein when said actuating lever is caused to pivot in a clockwise direction, with the second end of the actuating lever moving upward, said roller is caused to ride up on the upper actuating lever surface toward said second end of said actuating lever, and in turn said first coin chute wall is caused to pivot in said clockwise direction to an activated state;
• and
• (e) a first spring member disposed between said second chute wall and said frame, said first spring member causing said second chute wall to pivot in said clockwise direction with said first chute wall until, but not substantially further than, a position in which said lower chute portions of the first and second chute are no longer in communicating relationship with said exit of said coin chute path, and wherein said first coin chute wall may continue to move in said clockwise direction beyond said position in which said lower chute portions are no longer in communicating relationship with said exit so that the coin chute walls open to eject foreign objects caught between said coin chute walls and thereby clear said coin chute path while restricting said objects from falling into said exit.