Coin handling device

Abstract

Positioning surfaces and complementary surfaces on the walls and frame of a coin handling device partially restrain and position those walls. Positioning surfaces and complementary surfaces on a coin dispensing sub-assembly and on the frame partially restrain and position that sub-assembly. A gate adjacent the outlet of a passageway, which is defined by two of the walls, can hold a coin and selectively direct that coin toward a coin return chute or a cash box chute while simultaneously preventing the exiting of any further coins in that passageway. Subsequently, that gate can receive and hold the next of those further coins, and then selectively direct that coin to the coin return chute or to the cash box chute. Coin slides in the coin dispensing sub-assembly are confined for reciprocal movement; and they have gears adjacent them which are axially translatable into and out of engagement with those slides to drive those slides. Any desired gear can selectively engage and drive its slide while the other gears are permitted to remain out of engagement with their slides. A selector motor can select the gear which is to be translated to drive its slide. That selector motor also moves the gate relative to the passageway. A coin reservoir has an entrance adjacent the upper end thereof and an entrance adjacent the lower end thereof; and a deflector can be disposed in different fixed positions to cause coins to be directed toward the upper entrance or toward the lower entrance.