A multi-coin operated actuation mechanism for a vending machine, comprising:
- (a) a cover plate having a rear recessed cavity at a rear side thereof, with a central axis extending through said cavity, and at least one coin insertion slot defined through an upper portion of said cover plate and in communication with said cavity such that said coin insertion slot is disposed in spaced relation to and above said central axis;
- (b) a coin carrier wheel disposed in said cavity of said cover plate to undergo rotation relative to said cover plate and about said central axis in a given direction, said coin carrier wheel including
- (i) a body having a peripheral edge and front and rear sides,
- (ii) at least one coin receiving recess defined into said rear side of said body so as to have outer opposite leading and trailing ends in said given direction of rotation of said coin carrier wheel and forming therebetween in a side-by-side relationship at least one coin non-accepting region adjacent to a plurality of coin accepting regions which extend to and open at said peripheral edge of said body and are spaced from said axis such that said coin receiving recess is alignable with said coin insertion slot in said cover plate when said coin carrier wheel is disposed at a home position, said coin accepting regions of said coin receiving recess having a combined predetermined width such that when said coin carrier wheel is at said home position a set of a preselected number of multiple coins can be deposited through said coin insertion slot into said plurality of coin accepting regions of said coin receiving recess adjacent to said at least one coin non-accepting region of said coin receiving recess, and
- (iii) respective outer segments on said peripheral edge of said body disposed adjacent to said opposite leading and trailing ends of said coin receiving recess in said given direction of rotation of said coin carrier wheel, said outer segment adjacent to said trailing end of said coin receiving recess defining an abutment surface and a camming surface being correspondingly aligned with said plurality of coin accepting regions and said at least one coin non-accepting region adjacent to said plurality of coin accepting regions;
- (c) a coin retainer plate attached to said cover plate and extending across said rear recessed cavity of said cover plate so as to be stationarily disposed adjacent to said rear side of said coin carrier wheel such that said coin retainer plate retains the set of multiple coins in said coin receiving recess of said coin carrier wheel as said coin carrier wheel is rotated in said given direction from said home position to a discharge location;
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- (d) a coin diameter checking device including a set of multiple coin periphery sensing dogs pivotally mounted in a side-by-side position with respect to one another in said cavity of said cover plate and adjacent to said coin carrier wheel with said coin dogs having respective outer tip surfaces substantially identical in configuration with one another and matching in number and correspondingly aligned with and adapted to respectively engage said outer segment on said peripheral edge of said body of said coin carrier wheel defining said abutment surface and said camming surface at said outer trailing end of said coin receiving recess in said body of said coin carrier wheel, said coin dogs preventing said coin receiving recess to move past said coin dogs in said given direction in response to any of the multiple coins not being deposited into said coin accepting regions of said coin receiving recess by said coin dogs each being pivotal toward and away from said coin carrier wheel and into contact therewith, said outer tip surfaces of said coin dogs having said substantially identical configurations functioning as cam followers adapting each of said coin dogs to make contact with and ride over one of the multiple coins when deposited in said coin receiving recess and thus not engage with said corresponding abutment surface at said trailing end of said coin accepting regions of said coin receiving recess of said coin carrier wheel and to make contact with and ride over said corresponding camming surface at said trailing end of said at least one coin non-accepting region of said coin receiving recess of said coin carrier wheel adjacent to said plurality of coin accepting regions.