US3547344A - Removable coin holding means - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Joseph M. Christensen One East Schiller, Chicago, Ill. 60610 Attorney-Mc Dougall, Hersh, Scott & Ladd m 8 69 91 11 ,5 M21 5 m 6 J 0. d N. m 0 Wen. Ha AFP ll] 25 224 [ll A removable coin holding means associated with a coin operated construction. The construction includes a permanent bracket and the coin holding means carries a fixture which is adapted to be slideably received by the bracket whereby the bracket will support the coin holding means. The bracket and fixture define aligned coin passages whereby coins deposited in the coin operated construction will be delivered to the coin holding means. A downturned lip is and the fixture defines a relieved portion whereby the fixture can clear the lip during insertion in the bracket and whereby the lip will thereafter serve as a blocking means to prevent insertion of any instrument fixture which could be used for purm a a a a a k r c w mm r T ...m mm M W mm f m a a S S M Wm B t e 80 A 0 bp 26 5 5225 260M 2 1 .1 H44 227% 4 2 3 0 2 UGQJD 2 21m u m m u m A u ""2 S m u E m WW1 T n m M m m m m m u NM U u u .l u w m Cs mm m 0 u E W 5 m T r w e H H 8 .b .I n 8 "mn mF flwm w m on m h e h C m mm R DLDT mm Wm 6382 u wm w A4 we Ullwl v s u "S .l l Mh EC 5 M %6 R! U IF a wfi 4468 l. 1 ill. 1 ll 4 2 0 6 80 6 U U N r H 22 1 REMOVABLE COIN HOLDING MEANS SPECIFICATION This invention relates to a coin holding lnieans which can be associated with a coin operated construction. The coin holding means is removable whereby it can be used for collecting coins for a specified period, and then replaced with a new holding means. 1 t

In view of the fact that coin operated machines are in wide use, it has been necessary to devise systematic means for the handling of the coinssln a typical operation, a coin box or coin bag is associated with each machine; Attendants periodically service the machines, and one of their functions is to handle the coins. In some operations, this may simply comprise removal of the coins from the receptacle.

Difficulties have occurred with respect'to coin operated machines due to a high incidence of pilfering. The collection of coins can be an extremely great source of temptation, particularly because it is difficult to monitor the machines. For various reasons, the actual revenue which a particular machine should obtain can vary considerably and, accordingly, if an attendant removes a portion of the coins when collecting, it is almost impossible to detect this.

For this reason, coin receptacles have been designed which substantially eliminate the possibility of surreptitious tampering. For example, Christensen US. Pat. Nos. 3,154,246 and 3,298,602 disclose in'coin receptacles which are designed to prevent removal of the'coins from thereceptacles except by authorized persons. The coins could, of course, be removed by breaking open the receptacles; however, it; is not possible to remove the coins without making it obvious that pilfering has occurred. i

In the case of the structures describedin the aforemen tioned patents, the coin receptacles are attached to brackets which form a permanent part of the coin operated machines. When an attendant removes a receptacle, hethen inserts an empty receptacle for purposes of future collection.-

It is a general object of this invention to provide. an improved coin holding means which is adapted to be removably associated with coin operated machines andwhich includes additional safeguards against tampering.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a coin holding means which prevents surreptitious pilferingby attendants, particularly pilfering which might be attempted by preventing coins from entering a coin receptacle where the receptacle is mounted on a bracket carried by a coin operated machine.

These and other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, specific embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a bracket and coin holding means of the type contemplated by this invention; v

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the bracket taken about the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the bracket taken about the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and I FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the bracket with the fixture of FIG. I in position.

In coin holding receptacles of thetype described in the aforementioned patents, the boxes or bags which receive the coins are provided with a fixture which provides for association of the receptacles with a bracket mounted in the coin operated machine. Once the coins have passed into the receptacles, it is virtually impossible to engage in undetected pilfer- It has specifically been found that even a very small opening provided between the top of the fixture andthe bottom sur face of the bracket will permit insertionof an instrument which' will block passage of coins into the receptacle; For-example'ginthe case of the aforementioned patents, a thin card could be inserted which would cause all coins to collect at the bottom of the bracket coin passage while preventing the coins from moving into the fixture coin passage. An attendant could then return to the machine and take the coins which had collected. By removing the card at thistime, additional .coins would then collect in the receptacle so that it would, be very difficult to determine that pilfering had taken place.

The construction of this invention represents an improvement over the coin receptacles previously patented in that pilfering of i the type referred to can be prevented. In the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a coin receptacle in the form of a bag 10. The bag has a rectangular-shaped block 12 attached thereto. The specific design illustrated is similar to the design shown in US. Pat. No. 3,298,602.

A bracket 14 is provided with a back wall 16 defining openings 18 whereby the bracket can be. secured to a coin operated machine. This bracket is fixed in place immediately beneath the coin chute of the machine so that all coins insertedin the machine will fall intov the funnel opening 20 defining the coin passage of the bracket.

The bracket also includes a pair of opposed channels 22. The inturned flanges of these channels a are adapted to be received in the slots 24 defined by the fixture 12. The shoulder portions 26 of the fixture are received in the channels whereby the fixture can slide into position with respect to the bracket.

An arm 28 is attached to the bracket, and this arm includes an angularly disposed end portion 30 and a bent-in portion 32. As the fixture l2 slides inwardly with respect to the bracket, the fixture will bear against the surface of the portion 30 and will bend the arm 28 outwardly. When the fixture has been moved into position, the inturned portion 32 will snap in to lock the fixture in place. The arm 28 therefore functions as a means which will indicate to an attendant that the fixture is properly aligned with respect to the bracket.

,As best shown in FIG. 4, the fixture 12 includes a coin passage 34 having a funnel shaped entrance 36. The opening to the coin passage of the fixture is substantially rectangular in shape defining two long sides andtwo relatively narrow sides. It will be noted that the fixture and bracket coin passages are in alignment when the fixture is in place so thatcoins inserted in the machine will pass through the coin chute of the machine through the respective passages, and then into the coin bag.

It will be noted that a slight gap 38 is defined between the underside of the bracket and the top surface of the trailing edge of the fixture. The presence of this gap in structures of the type described in the aforementioned patents provides an opening into which a thin card or sheet could be inserted. This will effectively block the opening to the coin passage of the fixture whereby coins inserted in the machine would collect in the coin passage of the bracket rather than falling into the coin receptacle.

The instant invention provides a downturned lip 40 formed as an integral part of the sheet or plate 42 .which defines a transversely extending portionas well as the channels for the bracket. This downturned lip effectively blocks insertion of any instrument such as a card or sheet into the coin passage.

- Even if a card could be forced beyond the point of contact of the fixture with the lip 40, then the card would be bent downwardly along the incline of the funnel opening 36 whereby it would not be effective to block'the passage.

In order to provide for insertion of the fixture in the bracket, relieved portion 44 is formed in the fixture. This relieved portion extends along the leading edge of the fixture, and it provides clearance for the lip as the fixture is inserted in the bracket. The modification of the fixture and bracket in the manner described provides an idealcombination which greatly improves the characteristics of the structures. It will be noted in this connection that the lip 40 serves an additional function as a stop means. Thus, the lip will cooperate with the ann 28 with respect to properly aligning the fixture relative to the bracket.

' It (will be v understood that various changes and modifications may be-made in the above described construction which provide the characteristics of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof particularly as defined inthe following claims.

I; In a removable coin holding means for association with a coin operated construction, said construction including a bracket having a plate defining a transversely extending portionand opposed channels extending downwardly from said transversely extendingportion, and said'coin holding means including a fixture formed of a'solid block of material with shoulders defined by the'fixture for receipt in saidchannels, for slide'llbly attaching the fixture to the bracket beneajth said transversely extending plate portion, said bracket defining a coinpassage with the lower end of said passage comprising an opening defined by said transversely lextending" plate portion,

and fixture defininga coin passage for the passage of coins'into said coin holding means, the upper end of said fixture' passage comprising a rectangular opening adapted to be aligned with the opening at the bottom of the bracketpas'sage when the fixture is attached to the bracket, the improvement comprising a downtumed lip formed in said transver'sely extendingplate portion at the edge thereof which defines the rear portion of said bracket opening, a relieved portion defined by saidfixture adjacent the forward edge of the fixture opening whereby said lip will be cleared by said fixture as the fixture slides into the bracket, said relieved portion extending completely across one longside of said, rectangular opening and wherein said lip is coextensive with the opposite long 'of said rectangular opening, and wherein said lip abuts against the trailing edgeofthe fixture opening when the fixtur'efis I .positiohedjn'jthe,bracketfsaidlip serving to block access to is the coin passage through the space defined between the

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