Coin Acceptors, Inc.

Kristen H Dietz

Robert N Walters

A coin separator assembly for a coin-selecting device in which a separator member is hingedly mounted to a gate for swinging movement relative to a coin chute defined by the gate and a main plate. The main plate includes vertically spaced abutments, and the separator member includes a coin spaced from the hinge axis and a rail disposed below the cam. The separator member is biased from a position, in which a coin of predetermined diameter is held against sideways movement by the action of the cam and the spaced abutments and against downward movement by the rail, to a position in which a diametrically undersized coin is tilted by the cam and the rail is moved out of the path of the coin to permit continued downward movement thereof. The rail is of a width such that engagement of the cam by an underthick coin moves the separator member into a position in which the rail is out of the path of the coin to permit continued downward movement thereof.

Coin separator assembly

A gate assembly for a coin selecting and separating device in which a first gate is hingedly connected to a main plate and is movable selectively between an open position away from the main plate and a closed position adjacent to the main plate, and in which a second gate is hingedly connected to the main plate and is located between the first gate and the main plate, the second gate being movable selectively between an open position away from the main plate and a closed position adjacent the main plate. A spring disposed between the gates tends to urge the gates apart. A latch on the main plate selectively holds the first gate in its closed position, while the spring holds the second gate in its closed position. A release mechanism engages and moves the second gate selectively away from the main plate and toward the first gate against the loading of the spring to release a coin trapped in a coin passage provided between the second gate and main plate. The latch includes a pin having a keeper shoulder, the first gate having a catch shoulder engageable with the pin keeper shoulder in the closed position of the first gate, and the spring urging the catch and keeper shoulders together to maintain the first gate in the closed position. The pin is resilient so that the keeper shoulder snaps into overlapping engagement with the catch shoulder when the first gate is moved to the closed position.

Gate assembly for a coin selecting and separating device

A gate assembly for a coin selecting and separating device in which a first gate has a pin inserted into a first hinge socket on a main plate and another pin aligned with but operatively disconnected from the first hinge socket in an open position of the gate relative to the main plate. A key on the first gate precludes angular movement of the first gate from the open position. A second gate includes a pin disposed in a second hinge socket on the first gate. The first and second gates are shiftable as a unit to operatively disengage the key and to insert the aligned pin of the first gate into the first hinge socket for hingedly connecting the first gate for angular movement of the gates to a closed position relative to the main plate. A stop member on the second gate precludes angular movement of the second gate from an open position relative to the main plate until the first gate is hingedly connected. An abutment is provided on the main plate that engages the second gate to preclude removal of the second gate pin from its associated second hinge socket when the first gate is hingedly connected. The stop member of the second gate engages the main plate when the second gate is moved from its open position to preclude shifting of the first and second gates as a unit to disconnect the first gate hingedly from the first hinge socket.

Growing community of inventors

Florissant, MO, United States of America

Kristen H Dietz