GB2221332A

GB2221332A - Coin checking apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2221332A
Application number: GB8914519A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond John Drinkwater; Nigel Mcloughlin; Anthony Marsh
Original assignee: ACE COIN EQUIP
Current assignee: ACE COIN EQUIP
Priority date: 1988-06-23
Filing date: 1989-06-23
Publication date: 1990-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 2009-06-23
Also published as: GB8814980D0; GB8914519D0; GB2221332B

Abstract

Coin checking apparatus has a coin fall path, a timer 21 which is enabled in response to passage of the coin past a first point 31 in said path and disabled in response to passage of the coin past a second point 22 in said path. A validation signal is generated in response to a predetermined count of said timer when disabled. An alarm may be sounded if a different count is achieved. The apparatus may be used in conjunction with conventional coin validating unit 12 and is useful to sense a coin fall which is slower than a free fall, due to the attachment of an extracting cord to the coin. The timer 21 is an inductive oscillator operating at low frequency, passage of a coin affecting the inductance of the oscillator and its operating frequency. A counting circuit (23, Fig.2) counts the beats of the oscillator and compares it with a reference frequency. The passage 26 between the validating unit 12 and the storage channels 14, 15 may be provided with a shutter to prevent a coin on a thread being pulled out again, or with a guillotine to cut any thread present. <IMAGE>

Description

COIN CHECKING DEVICE This invention relates to coin checking devices. Coin operated machines need such devices to check that the body inserted is a coin of the correct value, before delivering the goods or services to be purchased by the coin.

The conventional coin checking device allows the coin to pass through a chute and makes certain measurements cf its physical parameters. According to the measurements made the coin is either deflected to a ccin reject channel or is directed to one of several coin storage channels. Gne form of fraud is to insert a valid coin into the validation unit, but with the coin attached either to a thread by which the coin can be withdrawn out of the coin entry port after validation or to a thread previously threaded through the validation device between the coin entry port and the coin reject output port by v-alidation.

In & , attempt to overcome these frauds, the present invention provides a coin checking device as set out in Claim 1. The validation signal can be used to enable the device to provide the desired gcods or services; otherwise, the device is not enabled and an alarm niay be sounded.

The fall of the coin will be delayed if the coin is attached to a thread, so that this form of fraud will cause the time delay to be greater than the certain values allowed. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a guillotine or other shutter in the coin storage channel to cut any thread, or prevent a coin being lifted out of the channel after entry.

An ex & ple of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagram of a coin cliecking device, and Figure 2 is a block diagram of some of the components of Figure 1.

The device shown in the figure comprises a coin insertion slot 11, from which the cob-i passes through a conventional coin validation unit 12. This unit makes certain measurements of the physical parameters of the coin and accordingly deflects the coin either to a coin reject channel 113 or to one of several coin storage channels 14, 15, under the control of an electromagnetic deflecting device 16. So far the device is conventional.

The device further comprises a timing device 21, in the form of an inductive oscillator, operating at low frequency. The oscillator is responsive to the passage of a coin through a first point 31 in the validation unit 12 on its way to one of the coin storage channels 14, 15, passage of the coin affecting the inductance of the oscillator and thus changing its operating frequency to a new value which is held for a predetermined period. Coin sensors 22 are provided at second points in the neck of each coin storage channel 14, 15.A counting circuit 23 counts the beats of the oscillator with a reference frequency (which is the frequency of the oscillator when no coin has affected the inductance) untIl 'one of the coin sensors 22 responds to the passage of a coin into the storage channel 14 or 15. The timer output is applied to a comparator circuit 24, which provides a validating signal if the count is within a predetermined range. It may also cause an alarm 25 to be sounded if the count is not within this range. The passage 26 between the validating unit and the storage channels may be provided with a shutter which closes after the coin has passed through, to preverlt a coin on a thread being pulled out again, or with a guillotine to cut any such thread. The validating signal is used to cause the associated nlachine to provide the goods or services.

The coin sensors 22 reset the oscillator to its 'r.o-netal' frequency after the timer courlt has been used to provide the validation signal or operate the alarm.

The timing circuit 21 operates in addition to the validation device 12 which detects that the coin is of the correct value. In this embodiment the circuit 21 times the ccin for a period which includes its passage to the sensor 22 in an individual coin storage channel 14 or 15 from the point 31 of device 12.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Coin checking apparatus comprising means defining a path through which a coin may fall, a timer, means to enable the timer in response to passage of the coin past a first point in said path, means to disable the timer in response to passage of the coin past a second point in said path, and means to provide aJvalidation signal in response to a predetermined count of said timer when disabled.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 comprising an alarm responsive to a count of said timer other than said predetermined count.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 comprising means to block said path at a point after passage of the coin past that point.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 comprising means to mowe a blade across the path.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 te 4 comprising means to measure a physical parameter of the coin, said timer enabling means being responsive to said measuring means.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein said timer comprises an oscillator whose frequency is responsive to a physical property of the coin, a reference oscillator and means to count cycles of the beat frequency of the two oscillators.

7. Coin checking apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.