[0001] The present invention relates to a coin conveyor such as a coin escalator or the
like for successively transporting coins dispensed or delivered from a coin payout
hopper in an automatic bending machine, automatic payout machine, coin exchanger,
game machine or the like.
[0002] Hitherto, there is a coin payout hopper as described in US Patent No. 4,437,478 and
as shown in Fig. 1 comprising a hopper 1 for storing coins A in bulk, and a coin feeding
rotary disc 2 rotatably mounted within the hopper at an angle to the horizontal. The
rotary disc 2 has a central shelf 3 and a plurality of delivery pins 4 spaced in the
peripheral direction of the rotary disc and extended from the surface of the rotary
disc to define a plurality of coin pockets for picking up a coin from the hopper lower
portion and feeding the coin to an upper delivery portion by the respective coin pocket
upon rotation of the rotary disc. The coin payout hopper further comprises an outlet
chute 5 for receiving coins discharged from the upper delivery portion and for dispensing
coins one at a time by a pushing force of the delivery pin or a coin counting switch
actuating roller B.
[0003] Some coin payout hoppers of the type mentioned above are provided with an outlet
device as shown in Fig. 1 comprising an escalator 6 connected to the upper end of
the outlet chute 5 at the lower end thereof and upwardly extended from the outlet
chute 5 for transporting coins to a coin tray (not shown) which is elevated from the
hopper mounted on a bottom plate in for example a coin changer, game machine or the
like.
[0004] The coin escalator 6 is an example of a coin conveyor in the form of an elongated
trough composed of front and back side plates 7 and 8 and a pair of edge plates 9
interposed between the side edges of the side plates, respectively, for spacing the
side plate by a distance corresponding to a thickness of the coin to be transferred
to define a coin passage 10.
[0005] As mentioned above, the coin escalator 6 is connected to the upper end of the outlet
chute 5 which receives coins delivered from the upper delivery portion of the rotary
disc which is inclined at an angle to the horizontal in the coin payout hopper. Thus,
the coin escalator 6 may be upwardly extended at an angle from the upper end of the
outlet chute 5 up to a height of more than two meters in case of a game machine. In
such a case, the coin escalator may be bent from the inclined lower end portion 6a
to the vertically extending portion 6b through a curved portion 6c in order to decrease
a space depth required for the coin escalator.
[0006] When the escalator 6 is provided with a curved portion 6c to change the direction
of transferring coin, if the curved portion 6c has a large radius of curvature as
shown in Fig. 2, the distance between the front and back side plates 7 and 8 in the
curved portion 6c can be 0.2 to 0.5 mm more than a thickness of the coin to be transferred
similar to that in the straight portions 6a and 6b in order to pass the coin through
the curved portion 6c without dragging of coins and/or jamming, but a large space
as shown by a dimension D-1 is required for changing of direction, in particular when
the transferring direction of the coin transporting duct or the like is changed by
a right angle.
[0007] On the other hand, if the curved portion 6c is bent with a small radius of curvature
as shown in Fig. 3 because of a limited space, the distance between the front and
back side plates 7 and 8 in the curved portion 6c must be incleased as shown by "d"
so as to easily pass coins through the curved portion. As a result, one of the successive
coins A and B can overlap on the other to be dragged and/or jammed in the curved portion
6c.
[0008] Hitherto, a leaf spring 11 has been used to urge a coin against the side plate 7
in the curved portion 6c as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Such a leaf spring however could
not completely prevent coins from overlapping in the coin passage 10.
[0009] An object of the invention is to provide a coin conveyor adapted for smoothly guiding
and retaining coins in curved portions as well as straight portions so as to be transported
without coin dragging or jamming regardless of dimensions of radius of curvature of
the curved portion.
[0010] According to the present invention, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a coin conveyor comprises
an elongated back plate 8 and a plurality of tapered guide rollers 12 arranged along
respective opposite side edge portions 8a and 8a of the back plate 8 so as to guide
and retain coins transported on the back plate 8.
[0011] The back plate may be a curved elongated plate or a straight elongated plate.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment, each of the tapered guide rollers 12 is rotatably supported
on a spring loaded roller shaft 15 which is perpendicularly extended through the back
plate 8 and has an inverted conical surface 13 opposed to the front surface 8b of
the back plate 8, whereby engaging with the coin edge to resiliently retain the transporting
coin on the back plate as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7, a spring 17 is interposed between
the rear surface 8c of the back plate 8 and an extended end 15a of the roller shaft
15, so that the tapered guide roller 12 is resiliently movable in a direction of the
axis of the roller shaft 15 on the side of the front surface of the back plate 8.
[0014] In another embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8 a tension spring 22 is interposed between
the extended ends of roller shafts 15, 15 of a pair of opposed tapered guide rollers
12 and 12. The roller shafts of the opposed tapered guide rollers are movable in a
lateral direction in respective slots 20, 20 formed in the base plate 8, so that the
tapered guide rollers 12, 12 are resiliently movable toward and away from each other.
[0015] The tapered surface of the guide roller may be semipherical surface.
[0016] According to the aforementioned arrangement of the present invention, when coins
are successively transported on the back plate by pushing force of the coin feeding
pins on the rotary disc rotating in the payout hopper, each coin passes between a
pair of left and right opposed tapered guide rollers against spring force of springs
17, 17 or 22 so that the downward tapered surfaces of the opposed guide rollers resiliently
engage the peripheral edge of the coin to retain the coin on the front surface of
the back plate while the coin non-frictionally contacts with the tapered guide rollers
so that coin is easily and smoothly transported on the back plate.
[0017] Moreover, when the payout hopper is stopped and the coins in the coin escalator are
not subjected to any push up force applied by following coins, the coins in the coin
escalator are retained on the back plate by the spring force acting on the tapered
guide rollers.
[0018] Furthermore, when the coin passage is jammed by a deformed coin or deposited dust,
such a deformed coin or deposited dust can be easily removed by simply detaching one
or two tapered guide rollers from the back plate. On the other hand, the conventional
coin conveyor composed of a back plate, side edge plates and front plates is required
to disassemble at least one of the long front plates and remove some of coins from
the coin passage in order to remove the deformed coin or deposited dust.
Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a conventional coin payout hopper
provided with a coin escalator;
Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional coin escalator having a curved
portion of a large radius of curvature;
Fig. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional coin escalator having a curved
portion of a small radius of curvature;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a curved portion of the conventional
coin escalator shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is a front view of a portion of an embodiment of a escalator according to the
present invention;
Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the escalator taken along line 6-6 in Fig.
5;
Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of the escalator taken along line 7-7 in Fig. 5;
Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the escalator according
to the present invention;
Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the present
invention;
Fig. 10 is a front view of a curved portion of the cain conveyor shown in Fig. 9;
Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of Fig. 10; and
Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the present
invention.
[0019] The present invention will now be more fully described with reference to Figs. 5
- 12.
[0020] Referring to Figs. 5 - 7 illustrating one embodiment of a coin escalator according
to the present invention having an inclined lower end portion 6a having a coin passage
10 which is conventionally defined by a portion of an elongated back plate 8, a pair
of opposed edge plates 9 and front plates 7; a curved portion 6b which is composed
of a portion of the elongated back plate 8 and a plurality of tapered guide rollers
12 loaded by respective springs 17 and arranged along respective opposite side edges
8a, 8a of the back plate 8 so as to guide and retain coins transported in the coin
passage 10 on the back plate 8; and a vertically extending portion 6b which is also
conventionally composed by a portion of the elongated back plate 8, a pair of opposed
edge plate 9 and front plates 7.
[0021] In this embodiment, the tapered guide rollers are arranged only in the curved portion
6c, but may be also arranged in the inclined lower end portion 6a and the vertically
extending portion 6b in place of the front and edge plates as shown in Figs. 9 - 11.
[0022] The tapered guide roller 12, as shown in Fig. 7, has an inverted conical surface
13 and a central through hole 14 through which is extended a roller shaft 15 so that
the tapered guide roller 12 is rotatably supported on the roller shaft 15. The roller
shaft 15 is extended through a hole 16 formed in the back plate 8. A spiral spring
17 is interposed between the rear surface of the back plate 8 and a spring sear 18
secured to the extended end of the roller shaft 15.
[0023] With the aforementioned arrangement of the spring loaded tapered guide rollers 12,
a coin A pushed up to the curved portion 6c of the coin escalator 6 by the following
coins enters between a pair of the left and right tapered guide rollers 12 as shown
in Fig. 7 against the spring force of the spiral springs 17 and engages with the downward
faced inverted conical surface 13 at the peripheral edge of the coin A to be urged
to the front surface of the back plate 8. Thus the coin transported in the curved
portion 6c is resiliently retained on the front surface of the back plate 8.
[0024] Fig. 8 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment,
the roller shafts 15 and 15 of a pair of opposed tapered guide rollers 12 and 13 are
extended through respective slots 20 and 20 formed in the back plate 8 and are secured
at the extended ends to respective slide plates 21 and 21 which are connected by a
tension spring 22 so that the opposed tapered guide rollers 12 and 12 can be moved
toward and away from each other in the lateral direction, that is in a direction of
width of the back plate 8 when a coin passes between the opposed tapered guide rollers.
In this embodiment, when a coin enters between the tapered guide rollers at the opposited
side edge portions, the coin also is subjected to a downward urging force so as to
be resiliently retained on the front surface of the back plate by the action of the
tapered surfaces.
[0025] Referring to Figs. 9 - 11 illustrating another embodiment of the invention, a plurality
of tapered guide rollers 12 are arranged in both the side edge portions of the back
plate 8 and spaced to each other along the side edge over the whole length thereof.
[0026] Referring to Fig. 12 illustrating further embodiment of the invention; a plurality
of tapered guide rollers 12 are arranged in one side edge portion of the back plate
8 and spaced to each other along the side edge over the whole length thereof. In the
other side edge portion there is a guide groove 30 formed by an edge plate 9 and a
front plate 7 for guiding a half portion of a coin.
1. A coin conveyor for successively transporting coins comprising an elongated back plate
(8) and a plurality of tapered guide rollers (12) arranged at respective opposite
side edge portions (8a, 8a) of the back plate so as to guide and retain coins transported
on the back plate.
2. The coin conveyor claimed in claim 1, wherein the back plate (8) is a curved elongated
plate.
3. The coin conveyor claimed in claim 1, wherein the back plate (8) is a straight elongated
plate.
4. The coin conveyor claimed in claim 1, wherein the tapered guide roller (12) is rotatably
supported on a spring loaded roller shaft (15) which is perpendicularly extended through
the back plate (8) and has an inverted conical surface (13) opposed to the front surface
(8b) of the back plate (8), whereby engaging with the coin edge to resiliently retain
the transporting coin on the back plate.
5. The coin conveyor claimed in claim 4, wherein a spring (17) is interposed between
the rear surface (8c) of the back plate (8) and an extended end (15a) of the roller
shaft (15), so that the tapered guide roller (12) is resiliently movable in a direction
of the axis of the roller shaft (15) against spring force.
6. The coin conveyor claimed in claim 4, wherein a tension spring (22) is interposed
between extended ends (15a, 15a) of roller shafts (15, 15) of a pair of opposed tapered
guide rollers (12, 12) and the roller shafts are movable in a lateral direction in
respective slots (20, 20) in the back plate (8), so that the tapered guide rollers
(12, 12) are resiliently movable toward and away from each other against spring force.
7. The coin conveyor claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of tapered guide rollers
(12) are arranged in one of side edge portions of the back plate (8) and the other
side edge portion is provided with a groove (30) for guiding a half side portion of
a coin.