Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PAY TELEPHONE WITH LARGE CAPACITY COIN PATH
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to pay telephones and more particularly to a pay
telephone
capable of admitting and processing a large number of large coins.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pay telephones have evolved to have rather standard sizes, shapes, and
configurations.
For example, in the United States, pay telephones have a standard shape and
configuration in
which there is a generally L-shaped lower housing to which is mounted an upper
housing to form
a very secure box. In such a standard pay telephone arrangement, the size and
position of various
components thereof are predetermined and fixed. For example, the coin
acceptor/rejecter
(discriminator), coin receptacle, face plate, etc. are fitted in standard
positions within or on the
pay telephone. An example of such a standard pay telephone arrangement is
shown in U.S.
Patent 5,086,465 of .
The standard pay telephone arrangements used in the United States have been
designed
and configured to accept certain U.S. coins, namely dimes, nickels, and
quarters. Coins
substantially smaller than a dime or substantially larger than a quarter are
not suitable for use in
U.S.-style standard pay telephones. Thus, U.S.-style pay telephones will
accept coins as small
as about l7.Smm (roughly the size of a U.S. dime) and as large as about 24.Smm
(roughly the
size of a U.S. quarter). This yields a rather narrow dynamic range for the pay
telephone. In other
countries, pay telephone have assumed different configurations, with the
largest known coin
capacity being about 30 or 3lmm.
It would be desirable to accept coins larger than 25 or 30mm. Moreover, it
would be
desirable to develop a single "universal" pay telephone that could be used in
the United States
or overseas and accept coins as small as a dime or smaller and yet accept
coins larger than the
largest coins currently accepted in known pay telephones. Specifically, it
would be desirable to
provide a pay telephone which could accept coins as large as about 35mm or so
(some current
coinage is about 35mm, but is too large to be accepted in known pay telephone
arrangements).
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Heretofore the provision of a universal pay telephone arrangement which could
accept
coins as large as 35mm has proved elusive. This is so because one cannot
simply take the
existing coin path components (the coin input slot, the coin discriminator,
the coin escrow unit,
the coin return, etc.) and scale them up accordingly to handle larger coins.
This is so because
simply scaling everything up would ordinarily require making the pay telephone
housing
substantially larger, something which is unacceptable in the marketplace. For
example, in the
known prior art, it has been common to evaluate the size of the coin in a coin
discriminator using
an array of photosensors. For example, U.S. Patent 4,474,281 of Roberts, et al
relates to an
apparatus and method for coin diameter computation in which arrays of
photosensors are used
to detect the diameter of a coin. The greater the dynamic range (the greater
difference between
the maximum dimension and the minimum dimension of an accepted coin), the
greater the
number of photosensors required. This typically requires longer and longer
coin paths in order
to allow the array of photosensors to be positioned along the coin path to
effectively discriminate
different size coins. Unfortunately, increasing the length of the coin path in
the discriminator is
not a practical solution because there is only so much room inside the
standard pay telephone
housing and there simply isn't enough room to lengthen the coin path in the
discriminator
sufficiently to allow the maximum diameter of a detected coin to be increased
from 24.Smm to
35mm.
Thus, one can see that the coin discriminator cannot simply be "scaled up" in
order to
achieve a greater dynamic range. Rather, it is necessary to rethink and
redesign the coin
discriminator in order to achieve the desired increase in dynamic range, while
still maintaining
the overall dimensions of the discriminator in order to fit it within the
confines of a standard pay
telephone housing. Moreover, every part of the coin path from the input chute
to the coin return
must be similarly rethought in order to provide an increase in coin size
capacity while still fitting
within the interior of a standard pay telephone housing.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need yet remains for a pay telephone which
is generally
sized and configured like a standard pay telephone and yet which has the
capacity for handling
large diameter coins, in particular coins as large as about 35mm. It is to the
provision of such
a pay telephone that the present invention is primarily directed.
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Briefly described, the present invention comprises a coin operated pay
telephone which
is specially adapted to have a large capacity coin path capable of accepting
and processing coins
as large as about 35 mm. in diameter. The pay telephone comprises a coin
receptacle for
collecting coins and having means for admitting therein coins as large as 3 5
mm. The pay
telephone also includes a coin return device for returning coins and slugs as
large as 35 mm. to
a user of the pay telephone. The coin operated pay telephone also comprises a
coin validator for
evaluating coins as large as 35 mm. and for rejecting slugs and invalid coins
and accepting valid
coins. The coin operated pay telephone also includes a coin escrow device for
receiving accepted
coins from the coin validator in a hopper and having means for selectively
discharging coins
from the hopper to the coin receptacle and to the coin return device. The
means for selectively
discharging and the hopper are each sized and adapted for processing coins as
large as 35 mm.
Preferably, the coin validator comprises an electronic coin validator
including first photo
sensor means for evaluating the diameter of the coin, second photo sensor
means for evaluating
the thickness of the coin, and magnetic coil means for evaluating the material
composition of the
coin.
Also preferably, the means for admitting coins into the coin receptacle
comprises a coin
opening sized to admit coins at least as large as 35 mm. and a movable door
for uncovering and
covering said coin opening as the coin receptacle is placed in the phone and
removed therefrom.
Preferably, the coin escrow device comprises a large volume coin hopper and a
pivotal
door beneath the hopper. Pivotal support means are positioned beneath the
pivotal door for
supporting the door in an escrow position and selectively moving the door to a
coin acceptance
position and a coin return position.
The invention allows the use of coins as large as about 35 mm., which
represents a
substantial improvement over the known prior art. In this regard, each of the
major components
presented a formidable design challenge. It was not possible to simply take
the existing
individual components known in the art and to scale them up accordingly to
make larger coin
paths within each of them (while keeping the same operating principles) and
still make a coin
operated pay telephone that would work and fit within the standard enclosure.
For example, if
one were to take a Typical prior art coin escrow mechanism and simply make it
larger, it might
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be physically possible to make the escrow's coin hopper big enough to hold a
35 mm. coin.
However, these larger coins tend to be heavier as well, with the result being
that an enlarged prior
_art escrow probably would experience difficulty in discharging the larger,
heavier coins (typical
prior art escrows effect a small lifting of the coins prior to discharge).
Thus, the novel coin
operated pay telephone utilizes a unique escrow (among other unique
components) in order to
achieve the large capacity coin path, while providing a workable phone that
fits within existing
standard enclosures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a right side, elevational view of a pay telephone in accordance with
a preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a back, elevational view of the pay telephone of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3A is a block diagram representation of a control unit of the pay
telephone of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3B is a block diagram representation of a control unit of a pay telephone
in
accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4A is a perspective illustration of a coin validation apparatus according
to a
preferred form of the invention.
FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the coin validation apparatus of FIG. 4A,
shown with
some small components removed for clarity.
FIG. 4C is a sectional view of a portion of the coin validation apparatus of
FIG. 4A.
FIG. SA is a perspective illustration of a portion of the coin validation
apparatus of
FIG. 4A.
FIG. SB is a front elevation view of the coin validation apparatus portion of
FIG. SA.
FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a part of the apparatus of FIG. 4 and
the operation
thereof.
FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of operation of a part of the apparatus of
FIG. 4.
FIG. 8 is a perspective, partially exploded view of a coin escrow apparatus
according to
a preferred form of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a schematic, functional illustration of the coin escrow apparatus of
FIG. 8.
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FIG. 10 is a perspective illustration of a coin escrow apparatus according to
another
preferred form of the invention, shown with coin acceptance and coin rejection
adapters mounted
thereto.
FIG. 11 is a side view of the coin escrow apparatus of FIG. 10.
S FIG. 12 is a front, left perspective view of the coin escrow apparatus of
FIG. 10, shown
with the coin acceptance and coin rejection adapters removed for clarity.
FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the coin escrow apparatus of FIG. 10.
FIG. 14 is an exploded view of a portion of the coin escrow apparatus of FIG.
10.
FIG. 15 is a perspective, right, rear view of the coin escrow apparatus of
FIG. 10.
FIG. 1 SA is an elevation view of a portion of the coin escrow apparatus of
FIG. 10.
FIG. 16A is a sectional view of a portion of the coin escrow apparatus of FIG.
10.
FIG. 16B is a plan view of a portion of the coin escrow apparatus of FIG. 10.
FIG. I7 is a right side, elevational, schematic view of a coin return device
according to
a first preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 17A is a front, elevational view of the coin return device of FIG. 17.
FIG. 18 is a right side, elevational view of a tamper-resistant coin return
device,
according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing
the tamper-
resistant coin return device installed within a pay telephone.
FIG. 19 is an isolated, partially cut-away, right side, elevational view of
the tamper-
resistant coin return device of FIG. 18.
FIG. 20 is an isolated, partially cut-away, front, elevational view of the
tamper-resistant
coin return device of FIG. 18.
FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 19, showing a folding door
and a trap
door of the coin return device of FIG. 19.
FIG. 22 is a partial, right side, schematic view of the coin return device and
coin return
chute of FIG. 17, showing the components of the coin return device in a first
orientation.
FIG. 23 is a partial, right side, schematic view of the coin return device and
coin return
chute of FIG. 17, showing the components of the coin return device in a second
orientation.
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FIG. 24 is a partial, right side, schematic view of the coin return device and
coin return
chute of FIG. 17, showing the components of the coin return device in a
variant of the second
orientation.
FIG. 25 is a partial, right side, schematic view of the coin return device and
coin return
chute of FIG. 17, showing the components of the coin return device in a
variant of the second
orientation.
FIG. 26 is a front perspective view of a coin receptacle cover, according to a
preferred
embodiment of the present invention, attached to a coin receptacle box.
FIG. 27 is a top, plan view of the coin receptacle cover of FIG. 26.
FIG. 28 is a partial cut-away, top, plan view of the coin receptacle cover of
FIG. 26,
shown in an armed, ready-to-be-installed configuration.
FIG. 29 is a partial cut-away, top, plan view of the coin receptacle cover of
FIG. 26,
shown in a triggered, installed configuration.
FIG. 30 is a partial cut-away, top, plan view of the coin receptacle cover of
FIG. 26,
shown in a triggered and locked (removed) configuration.
FIG. 31 is a partial cut-away, top, plan view of the coin receptacle cover of
FIG. 26,
shown in an intermediate configuration.
FIG. 32 is a top, plan view of an actuator arm of the coin receptacle cover of
FiG. 26.
FIG. 33 is a top, plan view of a movable door of the coin receptacle cover of
FIG. 26.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawing figures, FIGS. 1 and 2 display a pay telephone
1000 with
a large capacity coin path according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention. The pay
telephone 1000 comprises a housing 1002 having a cavity 1004 therein. The pay
telephone 1000
further comprises an input chute 1006, a coin validator device 1008, a coin
escrow device 1010,
a coin receptacle 1012, and a coin return device 1014 which are connected to
the pay telephone's
housing 1002 within its cavity 1004. The input chute 1006 is mounted near the
top of cavity
1004 and receives coins from a user of the pay telephone 1000 through a slot
defined in the front
of the pay telephone's housing 1002. The input chute 1006 directs the received
coins) in a
generally downward and rearward direction into the coin validator device 1008
which is
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positioned beneath the input chute 1006. Note that the input chute's coin
receiving slot and
internal passages are sufficiently large in dimension so as to enable the
input chute 1006 to admit
large coins having a diameter, or maximum dimension, at least as large as 35
mm.
The coin validator device 1008, upon receiving a coin from the input chute
1006,
determines whether the coin should be accepted or rejected by the pay
telephone 1000. The coin
validator device 1008 makes this determination by analyzing and comparing,
while the coin
descends through the coin validator device 1008, the coin's material, maximum
dimension, and
thickness against known values of these same parameters for coins which have
been previously
determined to be acceptable to the pay telephone 1000. If the coin validator
device 1008, upon
such analysis, determines that the coin's material, maximum dimension, and
thickness render the
coin acceptable, the coin validator device 1008 directs the acceptable coin
into chute 1020 which
resides between and connects to the coin validator device 1008 and the coin
escrow device 1010.
After descending through chute 1020, the acceptable coin enters the coin
escrow device 1010
which is mounted beneath the chute 1020 and, hence, beneath the coin validator
device 1008.
If, alternatively, the coin validator device 1008 determines that the coin is
not acceptable, the
coin validator device 1008 directs the coin into reject chute 1022 which
descends, within cavity
1004 of the pay telephone's housing 1002, between the coin validator device
1008 and a coin
return chute 1024, described below. The coin path within the coin validation
device 1008 is large
enough to accept large coins having a maximum dimension of at least as great
as 35mm. As the
user of the pay telephone 1000 may insert multiple coins into the input chute
1006, the coin
validator device 1008 similarly handles each such coin.
The coin escrow device 1010 temporarily stores acceptable coins until, as
further
described below, either ( 1 ) the user's telephone call is successfully
completed and the acceptable
coins are directed toward the coin receptacle 1012 for storage until collected
by a representative
of the pay telephone's owner, or (2) the user's telephone call is not
successfully completed and
the user hangs up to cause the coin escrow device 1010 to release and direct
the acceptable coins
into the coin return chute 1024. The coin escrow device 1010, chutes 1020,
1022, 1024, and the
coin return device 1014 each provide a coin path large enough to accept large
coins having a
maximum dimension of at least as great as 35mm. The coin return chute 1024,
mounted within
the pay telephone's cavity 1004, couples to the coin escrow device 1010 and to
the reject chute
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1022. The coin return chute 1024 descends in a generally downward direction
and connects to
the coin return device 1014. The coin return device 1014 mounts to the pay
telephone's housing
_ 1002 near the bottom of cavity 1004 and enables the return of coins to the
pay telephone's user
via an indirect path which substantially prevents stuffing by thieves
attempting to steal money
S from the pay telephone 1000. A coin acceptance chute 1026 connects to the
coin escrow device
1010 and extends to a location above the coin receptacle 1012. The coin
receptacle 1012
comprises a cover 1030 which mounts atop a collection box 1032. Coins released
by the coin
escrow device 1 O 10 fall through the coin acceptance chute 1026 and into the
coin receptacle 1012
through an opening of the cover 1030.
Referring now to Figs. 3A and 3B, the pay telephone 1000, according to the
preferred
embodiment, further comprises a controller (also referred to as a "chassis")
1040 which connects
to a coin validator interface 1042 via bi-directional signal path 1044. The
coin validator interface
1042 connects to the coin validator device 1008 through bi-directional signal
path 1046. The
controller 1040 also connects to a coin escrow interface 1050 through bi-
directional signal path
1052. The coin escrow interface 1050 connects to the coin escrow device 1010
through bi-
directional signal path 1054. A telephone line interface 1056 connects to the
controller 1040 via
bi-directional signal path 1058 and connects to equipment at a telephone
company central office
via bi-directional signal path 1060.
In operation, the coin validator interface 1042 receives signals from the coin
validator
device 1008, via signal path 1046, which indicates the denominations of coins)
which are
rendered acceptable by the coin validator device 1008, and which are directed,
by the coin
validator device 1008, to the coin escrow device 1010 through chute 1020. The
coin validator
interface 1042 communicates this denomination information to the controller
1040 through signal
path 1044. The controller 1040 communicates information representative of the
denominations
to the telephone line interface 1056 via signal path 1058. The telephone line
interface 1056
communicates the representative information to the equipment at telephone
company's central
office through signal path 1060. Upon determining that the user of the pay
telephone 1000 has
deposited an appropriate amount of money in the pay telephone 1000, the
equipment at the
telephone company's central office establishes a communication link between
the pay telephone
1000 and the telephone company's central office in order to receive a
telephone number
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associated with a destination telephone of a party with whom the user of the
pay telephone 1000
wishes to communicate. Equipment at the telephone company's central office
then processes the
telephone number and attempts to establish a communication session between the
pay telephone
1000 and the destination telephone. If a successful communication session is
established
between the pay telephone 1000 and the destination telephone, the equipment at
the central office
enables the pay telephone's user to converse with the party. Upon termination
of the
communication session, the equipment at the central office signals the pay
telephone's controller
1040, via the telephone line interface 1056 and signal path 1058, 1060, to
accept for deposit the
acceptable coins) input to the pay telephone 1000 by the user. After receiving
such a signal, the
controller 1040 communicates an instructive signal to the coin escrow device
1010, through the
coin escrow interface 1050 and signal paths 1052, 1054, to instruct the coin
escrow device 1010
to direct the temporarily stored, acceptable coins) to the coin receptacle
1012 via coin
acceptance chute 1026. If, on the other hand, a communication session between
the pay
telephone 1000 and the destination telephone is not successfully established,
the equipment at
the telephone company's central office communicates a signal to the pay
telephone's controller
1040, via the telephone line interface 1056 and signal paths 1058, 1060, which
instructs the pay
telephone 1000 to return the coins) to the user. The controller 1040 then
communicates an
instructive signal to the coin escrow device 1010, via the coin escrow
interface 1050 and signal
paths 1052, 1054, which instructs the coin escrow device 1010 to direct the
temporarily stored,
acceptable coins) to the coin return device 1014 through the coin return chute
1024. Note that
coin{s) which were determined to be unacceptable by the coin validator device
1008, as described
above, also travel through the coin return chute 1024 and into the coin return
device 1014.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3B, the pay
telephone
1000 further comprises a controller 1040 which connects to a coin validator
interface 1042 via
bi-directional signal path 1044. The coin validator interface 1042 connects to
the coin validator
device 1008 of the pay telephone 1000 through bi-directional signal path 1046.
A coin escrow
interface 1050 connects to the controller 1040 through bi-directional signal
path 1052 and
connects to the coin escrow device 1010' through bi-directional signal path
1054. Operation of
the controller 1040, the coin validator interface 1042, and the coin escrow
interface 1050 is
substantially similar to the operation of their respective counterparts of the
preferred embodiment
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with the exception that the controller 1040 is an intelligent, or smart,
controller and does not
communicate with equipment at the telephone company's central office. Instead,
the controller
1040, itself, determines whether the user has deposited sufficient funds into
the pay telephone
1000 to allow placement of a telephone call. The controller 1040 also
determines, on its own,
5 whether to instruct the coin escrow device 1010 to accept temporarily stored
coins) for deposit
in the coin receptacle 1012 or to return the temporarily stored coins) to the
user through the coin
return device 1014.
Note that the coin validator device 1008, the coin escrow device 1010, the
coin receptacle
1012 (including cover 1032), and the coin return device 1014 include novel
features which
10 enable them to handle and process multiple large, coins having a diameter,
or maximum
dimension, measuring at least as large as 35 mm. Furthermore, these components
and the
passages through chutes 1006, 1020, 1022, 1024, 1026 def ne a large capacity
coin path
therethrough which is capable of handling many such Iarge coins.
The following subsections more fully describe the coin validator device 1008,
the coin
escrow device 1010, the coin receptacle 1012, and the coin return device 1014
with reference to
appropriate figures.
COIN VALIDATION DEVICE
FIGS. 4A-4C show a coin validation apparatus 1008 for use in a pay telephone
according
to a preferred form of the invention. In FIG. 4B, some of the small components
have been
removed in order to show other details that otherwise would be hidden from
view. The coin
validation apparatus 1008 consists of two large chassis pieces hinged to one
another. The
apparatus includes a large chassis piece 11 and a second large chassis piece
12 which is hinged
to the first chassis piece 11 by hinges indicated generally at 13 and 14. The
hinges allow the
second chassis piece 12 to pivot about hinge axis 16 in order to provide
access to the interior of
the coin validation apparatus. The hinges 13 and 14 include upper and lower
hinge halves 17 and
18 and 19 and 21. The hinges also include hinge pins, such as hinge pin 22,
which act as the
axles.
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Chassis piece 12 is molded from high-impact plastic and consists essentially
of three flat
sections including lower vertical section 26, upper vertical section 27, and
an inclined section
28 extending from the lower section 26 to the upper section 27.
Together, the chassis pieces 11 and 12 define an entry slot generally
indicated at 31 for
admitting coins into the coin validation apparatus 1008. The chassis piece 12
also includes
bosses 32 and 33 for receiving an entry sensor 34 and an exit sensor 35.
Furthermore, as will be
seen in subsequent figures, the first chassis piece 11 has correspondingly
placed bosses. The
entry sensor comprises an LED emitter and a photo detector. Likewise, the exit
sensor comprises
an LED emitter and a photo detector.
The second chassis piece 12 is molded to receive a diameter sensor in the area
generally
indicated by reference numeral 30. As shown in FIG. 4A, the diameter sensor 40
includes a half
cylindrical reflector 46. As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, included therein are
sockets 36 and 37
for receiving infrared LED emitters. An opening 38 extends from the outside
surface of the
chassis piece 12 all the way through the chassis piece 12 to the inside. The
reader will note that
as shown in FIGS. 4B-4C, the sockets shield the LEDs from directing their
output through the
aperture 38 directly. Rather, the light directed through the aperture 38 is
indirect and diffuse.
Indeed, there is a narrow, light-blocking isthmus 39, 41 between the sockets
36, 37 and the
aperture 38. The chassis piece 12 also includes four mounting holes, such as
mounting hole 42
for securing the reflector element 46 over the LEDs and the aperture.
A recessed socket 43 and an upstanding post 44 are provided in the chassis
piece 12 for
receiving a magnetic coil 47 (a second magnetic coil, unshown, is placed
parallel to and spaced
apart from coil 47).
Referring now to FIGS. SA and 5B, chassis piece 11 can be considered in
greater
detail. Chassis piece 11 defines a coin path generally beginning at the entry
slot 31 and
extending straight downwardly to a first inclined coin ramp 51. First coin
ramp 51 is oriented
at a 20 degree angle with respect to horizontal so that after a coin is
received through the coin
slot 31 and impinges on first coin ramp 51 at location Sla, it rolls
downwardly (to the right in
FIGS. SA and 5B) to the end Sle of the first coin ramp. With the chassis piece
being made
of high impact plastic, the first coin ramp 51 preferably comprises a metal
insert to better
absorb the shock and wear of metal coins impinging thereon and rolling
thereby.
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Water shed tracks generally indicated at 52 are positioned adjacent the end S
le of the
first coin ramp 51 for peeling excess moisture off of the coins and
transporting it away . Such
water shed tracks are well-known in the industry.
The water shed tracks are adjacent a second coin ramp 53. Like first coin ramp
51,
second coin ramp 53 includes a metal insert or wear plate for durability. Also
as in first coin
ramp 51, second coin ramp 53 is angled at 20 degrees relative to the
horizontal, although in
this instance the orientation is reversed such that the coins falling off the
end of the ramp S l a
and across the water shed tracks 52 now impinge the second coin ramp in the
vicinity of 53a
and descend downwardly (to the left in FIGS. SA and SB). Adjacent the distal
end 53e of the
second coin ramp 52 is positioned a short ramp extension 54, which is aligned
with and co-
extensive with second coin ramp 53. As will be described more fully below, the
ramp
extension 54 serves as part of a thickness sensor. In this regard, the ramp
extension 54
includes an opening or aperture 54a. After traversing ramp extension 54, the
coin falls
downwardly in the direction of direction arrow 56 toward third ramp 57. Like
the other two
ramps, third ramp 57 includes a metal insert for durability. Ramp 57 also is
inclined at a 20
degree angle relative to horizontal and is parallel to first ramp 51. At the
distal end 57e of
third ramp 57, the coin path continues downwardly in the direction of
direction arrow 58 (for
the coin return path).
Referring now again to the top of the aforedescribed coin path, a detector 64
is
positioned in the entry path and is directly opposite the LED emitter 34.
Together, the LED
emitter 34 and the detector 64 comprise an entry sensor to indicate when a
coin has crossed
through the entry slot 31 and has begun down the coin ramp 51. Likewise, a
detector 65 is
positioned near the exit and opposite the LED emitter 35 of the chassis piece
12. Together,
the LED 35 and sensor 65 make up an exit sensor to indicate that a coin has
been passed to the
coin box (unshown in the figures).
Intermediate the ends of the second ramp 53, an opening or aperture 61 is
formed in
the chassis piece 11 adjacent the coin path. The aperture 61 lies adjacent a
large area detector
62 and shrouds all but a narrow strip thereof. Together with the LEDs and the
half cylindrical
reflector positioned in the chassis piece 12, the aperture 61 and the wide
area detector 62 make
up a diameter sensor positioned along the coin path. Like the coin path, the
diameter sensor
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is adapted to accept coins up to 35 millimeters in diameter. That is to say,
measured
lengthwise, the wide area detector exceeds 35 millimeters in length.
Downstream of the diameter detector, a thickness sensor is positioned along
the coin
path and generally comprises a hooded light source generally indicated at 67
and a wide area
detector positioned beneath ramp extension 54. In this way, light shining from
the hooded
light source 67 across the coin path impinges upon the ramp extension 54 and
only a small
sliver of it extends through the aperture 54a and impinges upon the detector
element positioned
beneath the ramp extension 54. If desired, a grating or gridlines can be
provided between the
light source 67 and the detector beneath the ramp extension 54, with the
gridlines or grating
running parallel to the second ramp 53. With the grating or gridlines
extending parallel to the
ramp, they extend perpendicularly to the path of light from the light source
to the wide area
detector. This has the effect of minimizing "skimming" or reflecting light
that otherwise
would be reflected off the surface of the chassis piece 11. Also, by using the
slot-like aperture
54a, most stray light is prevented from reaching the wide area detector
beneath the ramp
extension 54 and essentially only light from the hooded light source 67
reaches the wide area
detector.
Positioned along third ramp 57 is a low-mass gate 71 which pivots about a
pivot axle
72. The gate normally is in a closed position wherein coins are shunted off to
a reject chute
in the direction of direction arrow 73 (coins actually fall on the other side
of the chassis piece
11, not on the side visible in FIGS. SA and SB). With the gate in its normally
closed position,
coins traveling down ramp 57 impinge on the gate 71 and bounce through reject
exit door 74.
The magnetic coils operate to sense the metallic signal out of the coins as
follows. The
coils are placed as close to the coin path as possible to allow the coins to
pass very close to the
magnetic field. To ensure consistent position and orientation, the coin path
is tilted. The coin
can roll or slide by the sensor and the output from the sensor is essentially
unaffected thereby.
The coils are operative for measuring the conductivity of the surface material
from the coins.
FIG 6 shows the general period of operation of the magnetic coils in blocked,
schematic form.
FIG. 7 shows the outputs measured from the coils in raw form, demodulated, and
after a low
pass filter. As the coin passes by the coil sensor, a change in the inductance
and in the "Q"
value occurs that is proportional to the surface current in the coin. Most
coins cause the value
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to decrease, but metallic objects that have magnetic properties exhibit an
increase in
inductance, making the signal actually increase. The circuit is tuned such
that the amplitude
of the signal coming out of the coil is in the sloped part of the reactance
curve; therefore,
changes in inductance cause a corresponding change in the amplitude of the
oscillator sine
wave when ran across the inductor. That is, the signal "E-out" is demodulated
with a diode
demodulator, then a low pass filter rolling off around 400 hz to keep the
effects of coin speed
to a minimum. The resulting signal is fed to analog-to-digital (AD) converter
for the main
controller to use with the diameter and thickness information for rejection of
improper coins
or slugs. This technique has the advantages of low cost, being independent of
coin speed and
acceleration, and is used only when needed, thereby lowering the power
requirements. It is
also very temperature tolerant and humidity resistant and is very repeatable
from one unit to
the next.
The coin validation apparatus is microprocessor controlled. In fact, two
microprocessors are used and located on the printed circuit board. The
smallest (least
1 S powerful and Least power consuming) microprocessor serves as an entry
detector. It receives
signals from the entry sensor and when it detects that a coin has entered the
coin validator, it
sends a signal to the larger microprocessor (the main controller). This causes
the main
controller to power up (it normally lies in a dormant state to conserve
power). Once the main
controller is powered, it begins gathering data electronically from the
sensors indicating the
material composition, the diameter, and the thickness of the coin. It then
analyzes the gathered
data from these tests to determine whether to accept the coin or reject it.
Thereafter, baseline
values are run using the same sensors without a coin present to calibrate the
sensors and
prepare them for the next coin. The main controller then powers down after the
coin exits the
scanner. The self calibration compensates for environmental changes, such as a
change in
temperature. This allows the scanner to adapt to its environment, even if its
environment goes
through large changes in temperature, humidity, etc.
The coin validation apparatus is a coin testing device used for accepting
authentic coins
and rejecting slugs. It performs a series of tests that gather data
electronically and compare
the data to pre-established criteria. The validation apparatus has the ability
to store up to 16
coin sets, of which 8 can be active at any one time. In operation, a coin
enters the coin
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validation apparatus through entry slot 31. Once the coin enters the coin
validation apparatus,
the entry detector detects the presence of the coin and sends a signal to
activate the large
microprocessor (the main controller). The coin next travels along a track
where three tests are
performed to verify that the coin is authentic. Firstly, test data is gathered
using the magnetic
coils to establish a metallic signature (metal composition) of the coin. This
is done using the
two coils, such as coil 47. These coils create a magnetic field and when the
coin passes
through the field, it creates a disturbance. The disturbance is analyzed and
compared with
known disturbance patterns for known, valid coins. (NOTE: If any parameter
does not match,
the unit then powers down and the coin is rejected by default.)
Secondly, information is gathered about the diameter of the coin and the
possibility of
a hole being in the coin. The coin passes the diameter sensor which uses the
light emitting
diodes and the half cylindrical reflector along with the wide area detector
(solar cell). The
solar cell collects the amount of infra-red light from the diodes as the coin
passes and is
compared with known data for established, valid coin types.
1 S The third test involves gathering information about the thickness of the
coin. Again,
infra-red light from the diode in the thickness sensor is collected by the
wide area detector.
Of course, the thicker the coin, the greater the amount of light that is
blocked. The amount
of light collected on the wide area detector is compared with stored criteria
for established
coins.
If the data gathered is within the range of pre-existing criteria, the coin is
accepted as
a valid coin. If so, the main controller sends a signal to the electromagnet
to open the gate 71.
The gate is then opened by the electromagnet to accept the coin. The coin then
passes the gate
and is detected by the exit detector. The exit detector generates a signal
that informs the main
controller that the coin has existed the scanner. The main controller then
calibrates the sensors
to establish a new baseline for the current, local conditions and then powers
down.
As the coin moves by the diameter detector, the light received by the large
area detector
is reduced in proportion. The maximum reduction represents the diameter of the
coin, as the
maximum reduction occurs when the coin's maximum diameter passes by the slot.
The
microprocessor controlling the system then can sense the minimum detector
output and store the
diameter of the coin.
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This module also allows the system to sense the presence of holes in coins.
The hole is
easily detected to allow the system to know the hole is present. This
information can be utilized
to reject all coins with holes, or the accept coins with holes in those
countries that have coins
with holes. As the coin passes over the detector aperture 19, the wide area
detector senses the
amount of light that is blocked, which is proportional to the thickness of the
coin. The
microprocessor reads the signal and saves the minimum value of the light
received, which is
proportional to the thickness of the coin. The microprocessor also controls
the light source and
can therefor calibrate the module before reading the thickness value of the
coin. This allows
compensation for any variations due to temperature, humidity, or aging of the
light source or
detector.
If the coin falls outside the established criteria, the coin is rejected by
simply allowing
the gate to remain in its closed position, and when the coin encounters the
gate, it is knocked
off track and rejected.
The coin validation apparatus is especially suitable for handling large coins.
The
maximum coin size of a commercial embodiment of the present invention is 35
millimeters in
diameter and 4 millimeters in thickness. Moreover, the coin validation
apparatus is
particularly adept at preventing coin jams. The three main features that
prevent coin jams are
a steeply angled track, one main track (as opposed to multiple possible
tracks), and only one
moving part (the gate). The steeply angled track reduces coin jams by
accelerating a coin at
a rate that reduces the chances of the coin stopping. The feature of having
only one main
track reduces coin jams by not diverting the coin into several different
tracks which could
result in a coin hanging up at such a juncture. The feature of one moving part
(the gate)
reduces coin jams by ralucing the number of moving parts that can possibly
obstruct the coin's
path.
COIN ESCROW DEVICE
FIGS. 8 and 9 show an escrow apparatus 1010 for use in the pay telephone
according fo
a first preferred form of the invention. The escrow apparatus 1010 includes a
housing 111,
which housing is made up of housing half portions 112 and 113. The housing
half portions 112
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and 113 are each made of molded plastic and are configured to snap together.
To hold the
housing halves together, snaps 116-119 and some additional unshown snaps are
provided.
The housing includes a lower door I21 positioned within the housing and which
defines
an upper coin hopper I22. The door is movable between an escrow position
(shown in FIG. 9),
a coin acceptance position, and a coin return position. The door 121 includes
a flat upper surface
123 and a cam track 124 at the underside thereof. The lower door also includes
elongate guide
pins I2b and 127 at the outer ends thereof.
A pivotal support member 131 is pivotally mounted to the housing 111 about a
pivot axle
132 which rides in a pivot bore 133. At an upper end of the pivotal support
member 131 a cam
portion 134 is formed and rides within the cam track 124 to translate pivotal
motion of the
pivotal support member 131 into pivotal motion of the lower door 121. The
pivotal support
member 131 also includes a crank pin 135 for engagement with an actuator (not
shown in FIG.
8 or FIG. 9). The crank pin 135 rides within an arcuate track 137 whose radius
of curvature is
matched to the distance of the crank pin 135 from the center of the pivot axle
132.
The guide pins 126 and 127 at the ends of the lower door 121 ride in pivot
tracks 141 and
142 and guide tracks I43 and 144. As can be seen from FIG. 9, the pivot tracks
141 and 142 are
much shorter and have a tighter curvature than the guide tracks I43 and 144.
The effect of this
difference is that as the pivotal support member 131 is moved in one direction
or the other, one
end or the other of the door 121 moves within its associated pivot track and
is ultimately limited
thereby, while the other end of the door swings about the first end within the
longer, less curved
guide track.
The housing half portion 113 of the housing 111 also includes fixed pivot
points 14b and
147 which also act as positive stops to limit upper movement of the door 121
as it is brought to
its escrow position of FIG. 9. As the door is pivoted one way or another by
movement of the
pivotal support member 131, the door 121 is pivoted about one or the other of
these fixed pivot
points and also slides thereby somewhat.
The housing 111 also includes coin chute surfaces, such as surfaces 148 and
149 which
help define a coin acceptance chute and coin return chute.
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The door can be operated to move between its escrow position (shown) and its
coin
acceptance and coin return positions by selective operation of a push-pull
solenoid (unshown).
A single solenoid can be used or, as shown in Fig. 10, two (2) solenoids can
be employed.
As the door moves from an escrow position to a coin return position, the guide
pins
attached to the ends of the door move in quite different paths, with one guide
pin moving only
within the small pivot track associated therewith, while the opposite guide
pin of the door swings
through the longer guide track opposite thereof. To return the door from the
coin return position
to the escrow position, the movement is simply reversed.
This construction has numerous advantages. For example, the inboard pivot
points allow
the door to be easily returned to its home position (the escrow position).
Also, the weight of the
coins atop the door assists the door in moving to a coin return or coin
acceptance position, rather
than retarding such movement as is typical in the prior art. Also, this
apparatus has very few
moving parts, increasing the reliability and ruggedness thereof. Furthermore,
because the pivotal
support arm 131 is vertical and perpendicular to the door 121 in the escrow
position, to move the
door to one of the other positions, the pivotal support arm does not have to
lift the door (and the
coins).
FIGS. 10 and 11 show another version of the coin escrow apparatus. The coin
escrow
apparatus lOlOA is shown as part of a larger assembly 200. The assembly 200
includes a
collector adapter 201 for delivering coins from the coin escrow apparatus l
OlOA to a collection
box (unshown). The assembly 200 also includes a coin reject adapter 1022 which
is attached to
and cooperates with a refund adapter 203. The assembly 200 also includes an
input adapter 204
for receiving coins from an upper part of the pay telephone and delivering
them to the coin
escrow apparatus l OlOA. The adapters 201-204 are each removably mounted to
housing 211 of
the escrow apparatus l OlOA. Thus, to provide an escrow assembly 200 to work
in a certain
different type of pay telephone, different style adapters are used. In this
way, one coin escrow
apparatus design can be made to work with pay telephones made by different
manufacturers.
The assembly 200 also includes a flag and micro switch arrangement, as is
conventional
in the prior art. Included therein is a flag axle or flag shaft 205, a flag
206, a flag reset tab 207,
a microswitch 208, and a microswitch actuator 209 attached to the flag shaft
205. A flag such
as this typically is used in existing phone configurations and it is provided
in the illustrative
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embodiment to show how the escrow unit can be used to replace existing escrow
units in existing
telephone applications. Such a flag arrangement is not necessary when using
electronic coin
discriminators (see Fig. 4A) or with prior so-called "smart" telephone
arrangements. With the
flag in its normal upright position, it holds the microswitch open. When the
central office
samples the output from the microswitch, and sees that it is open, this is an
indication that no
coin is present in the hopper. When a coin is dropped into the hopper, the
flag is set by a trigger
pivot arm (unshown) to indicate the presence of a coin. The escrow unit itself
does not know
what coinage is present, only that at least one coin is in the escrow unit
hopper. The operation
of the flag and the microswitch then informs the central office (or smart
phone controller) that
a refund will be required if the call is not completed.
FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 show the coin escrow apparatus 101 OA in greater detail.
As shown,
the coin escrow apparatus lOlOA includes a housing 211 which is made up of
housing half
portions 212 and 213. The half portions 212 and 213 are bolted together using
fasteners, such
as threaded screw 214.
The housing 211 defines a large volume coin hopper indicated generally at 216,
which
is defined by lower door 221, lateral sidewalk 217, 218, and front and back
sidewalls 219 and
220. The coin hopper 216 has inside transverse dimensions of 44 mm. from
lateral sidewall 217
to lateral sidewall 218, 38 mm. from front sidewall 219 to rear sidewall 220,
and is more than
24 mm. deep. With this construction, the coin escrow mechanism is well-suited
for known coins
up to at least about 35 mm. in diameter. Furthermore, this allows the coin
hopper to hold a large
volume of coins, such as for long distance or international calls. Moreover,
despite the presence
of larger, heavier coins, and the presence of more of them, the coin escrow
mechanism reliably
resists self actuation for reasons that will be described more fully below.
The lower door 221 includes a central flat upper surface 223 and front and
rear cam tracks
such as cam track 224. The lower door 221 also includes elongate guide pins
226 and 227 at the
outer ends thereof.
A pivotal support member 231 is pivotally mounted to the housing 211 about a
pivot axle
232 which rides in a pivot bore 233. In addition to the pivot axle 232, the
pivotal support
member 231 includes a cam portion 234 and a web portion 23 5 extending between
the cam
portion 234 and the pivot axle 232.
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A magnet 237 is permanently placed in an end of the cam portion 234 and a
corresponding magnetically responsive metal element (e.g., steel) 238 is
permanently placed in
the housing half portion 212. The purpose of the magnet 237 and element 238 is
to help return
and maintain the pivotal support member 231 in a vertical orientation,
centered halfway between
5 the ends of the lower door 221. This magnetic centering means also provides
some dynamic
damping.
The elongate guide pins 226 and 227 ride in pivot tracks 241 and 242 and guide
tracks
243 and 244. (See also FIGS. 14-16.) As best seen in FIG. 13 and in FIG. 16A,
the very end
portions of the guide pins which are received in the pivot tracks and guide
tracks are oval-shaped,
10 rather than round, to provide a greater contact surface for contacting the
tracks. Also, the minor
axis of the oval-shaped guide pins is substantially less than the width of the
pivot tracks and
guide tracks so that the guide pins are loosely guided therein.
Referring now to FIGS. I2-15, it can be seen that the pivot axle 232 includes
drive flats
formed on the ends of the pivot axle for receiving a rocker arm 246 on one end
and a return arm
15 247 on the opposite end. The return arm 247 is used in conjunction with a
return spring 248 and
a return spring mounting post 249 to help urge the return arm 247 into a
vertical, upright
orientation. In this way, the return spring 248 helps to return the lower door
221 to its escrow
position. Also, once the return arm 247 manages to urge the lower door 221 to
anywhere near
its horizontal escrow position, the magnetic centering means 237, 238 help to
stabilize the door
20 in the escrow position and to keep it completely closed. In this way, the
apparatus quickly and
easily returns to an equilibrium state in which the lower door 221 is in its
horizontal, escrow
position and the pivotal support member 231 is in its upright position for
supporting the lower
door.
As best seen in FIGS. 12 and I3, the rocker arm 246 couples the pivot axle 232
of the
pivotal support member 231 to first and second solenoids 251 and 252. For
example, the rocker
arm 246 is coupled to the plunger 253 of the solenoid 251 using a clevis pin
255. The plunger
254 of solenoid 252 is similarly coupled to the rocker arm 246 by an unshown
clevis piri.
Moreover, the clevis pins are longer than merely necessary to couple the
plungers to the rocker
arm and extend rearwardly from the plungers in order to trip a flag reset arm
257 in order to
extend a flag reset element 258. The solenoids 251 and 252 are powered using
electrical leads,
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such as electrical leads 261-264, by connection to a suitable electrical
control system. Each of
the solenoids is a push/pull solenoid so that the apparatus can be operated
even if one of the
solenoids or its associated circuitry should fail.
Still referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the housing 211 includes adapter mounting
bars, such
as adapter mounting bar 266. The adapter mounting bar 266 is made up of two
halves, 266a and
266b. Mounting bar half 266a is integrally molded with half portion 212 of the
housing, while
mounting bar half 266b is integrally molded with the other housing half
portion 213. Adapter
mounting bar 266a includes a female portion in the end thereof, while adapter
mounting bar half
portion 266b includes a male portion in the end thereof for mating engagement
therewith when
the housing is put together. In this way, some added rigidity is afforded to
the adapter mounting
bar 266. While FIG. 12 shows an adapter mounting bar 266 on the one side of
the housing,
another adapter mounting bar (unshown) is positioned on the opposite side of
the housing.
The adapters are mounted to the housing using these adapter mounting bars. For
example, adapter 201 includes a curved foot portion 267 which is adapted to
hook over the
adapter mounting bar 266. The adapter 201 also includes a pair of upper spaced
apart mounting
flanges 268 and 269 each having a mounting hole extending therethrough. With
the foot 267
slipped over the mounting bar 266, the adapter is swung upwardly until the
flanges 268 and 269
straddle corresponding flanges 271 and 272 of the housing 211. The adapter 201
is then secured
in place using a threaded fastener, such as threaded fastener 214 (obviously,
if this fastener
already is in place before the adapter 201 is to be mounted, the threaded
fastener 214 should be
removed). In this way, the adapters are removably mounted to the housing 211.
Likewise, the
input adapter is slipped down over the hopper 216 and it includes flanges for
straddling the same
flanges 272 and 271 of the housing and is secured in place along with the side-
mounted adapters.
FIGS. 16A and 16B show how the sidewalk of the housing in the region of the
coin
hopper overhang and partly shroud edge portions of the door 221. In this way,
coins, such as
coin C of FIG. 16A, are prevented from slipping into the space between the
sidewalls and the
shoulder at the transition between the raised upper surface 223 of the door
and the lower outer
surfaces, such as surface 222. A lower portion 261 of the lateral sidewalls,
such as sidewall 217,
is rounded and acts as a fulcrum about which the door 221 pivots. Lateral
sidewall 218 has a
similar fulcrum. In this regard, the rounded shoulder or transition between
the upper surface 223
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and the lower surface 222 engages and cooperates with the rounded fulcrum to
facilitate the
pivotal motion of the door. This also tends to help center the door between
the fulcrums.
- In addition to accepting large coins, one advantage of the novel escrow
apparatus is that
very little force is required to activate or trigger the door using the
pivotal support member, while
at the same time the apparatus resists self actuation from the weight of coins
resting on the door.
Indeed, it takes only a very small motion of the pivotal support member 231 to
trigger the door
to open one way or the other. In this regard it is very helpful that the door
does not have to lift
the coins in order to move one way or another. Movements as small as one-
eighth of an inch of
the cam portion 234 from the centered position trigger the door and allow the
weight of the coins
above the door to help force the door open and to allow the coins to pass
therethrough. This
allows the apparatus to be operated at very low power levels, which is
advantageous since there
may not be much power available over the telephone line to power this device.
Thus, pivotal
support member 232 is operable for supporting the lower door in its escrow
position substantially
only when the pivotal support member is vertical (and therefore centered
between the ends of the
lower door).
COIN RETURN DEVICE
FIG. 17 and 17A show a coin return apparatus 1014 for use in the pay telephone
of the
invention. The coin return apparatus includes a housing which defines an upper
hopper 301. The
housing is configured to be front mounted in a pay telephone and mounted
beneath a coin
validation mechanism. The housing defines an interior opening for receiving a
revolving door
(movable door means) 302. The revolving door 302 acts similarly to an airlock
in that it prevents
direct access from the outside of the pay telephone to the coin hopper 301.
This prevents a
vandal or thief from passing a foreign object up into the coin hopper, such as
to stuff the coin
hopper for subsequent theft. As seen in FIG. 17, the revolving door 302 is
roughly in the shape
of one-half of a circle. In this way, depending upon the rotational position
of the door, the door
302 can occlude a space or passageway or provide access to a space or
passageway.
A trap door 303 is positioned at the bottom of the coin hopper 301 for
engaging the solid
portion of the revolving door 302. The trap door 303 prevents the reverse flow
of foreign objects
or coins and prevents explosive forces from being carried along through the
coin hopper and back
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up into the coin validation unit above. The trap door 303 is secured to, and
pivots with, a
blocking door 304 which operates to retain foreign objects (stuffed material).
The blocking door
304 is pivoted by a pivot pin 304a and its pivotal motion is limited by a slot
304b and a pin 304c.
The blocking door has vent holes formed therein to allow explosive gases and
explosive forces
to pass therethrough and prevent damage.
A string cutter 305 is provided at a lower portion of the coin hopper 301
generally
adjacent the trap door 303 (with the trap door in its closed position as shown
in FIG. 17). The
string cutter 305 operates to cut strings which may be used by vandals or
thieves in an attempt
to drag stuffing material back up into the coin path.
The coin return chamber 306 includes concentric grooves (with lands formed
therebetween) formed in the housing. These grooves and lands are also formed
in the solid
portion of the revolving door. These grooves and lands prevent pins from being
used to jam the
revolving door and also help keep coins from inadvertently jamming the
revolving door.
The housing includes a slot or deep notch 307 for allowing the coin return to
be slipped
into position in a pay telephone, the coin return being installed from the
front of the telephone
housing. The coin return housing also includes a small hook 307a for engaging
a face portion
of the pay telephone housing and a flange 307b for engaging another portion of
the face of the
pay telephone housing.
The revolving door 302 also includes a finger grip slot 308 for manual user
operation of
the revolving door. Furthermore, the revolving door 302 includes a return
spring 309. The
revolving door pivots about a pivot axle or pivot pin 310. Still referring to
FIG. 17, one can see
that the finger grip slot 308 allows the user to rotate the revolving door 302
in a counterclockwise
direction, and that the return spring 309 operates to return the revolving
door 302 in the
clockwise direction.
Operation of the coin return is quite straightforward. In use, a user would
insert a finger
into the finger slot of the revolving door and rotate the door downwardly,
allowing coins to fall
into the revolving door chamber. Thereafter, the user would release the
revolving door, allowing
the return spring to return the revolving door to the position shown in FIG.
17. The user would
then reach a forger or fingers into the chamber to retrieve coins deposited
therein.
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The coin return just described accepts coins as large as 35mm and is resistant
to "pinning"
in which jam pins and other objects otherwise would be inserted alongside the
revolving door
so that the user cannot operate it. The coin return is also resistant to
"stringing" in which a string
is tied to a coin and the coin is inserted into the pay station to allow it to
be rejected and then
stung material is tied to the coin end of the string and dragged back up into
the coin path. The
coin return also is resistant to simply stung of material up into the hopper
and to stuffing by
fireworks.
In accordance with a second preferred form of the coin return, FIG. 18
schematically
displays a tamper-resistant coin return device 1014A mounted within a pay
telephone 1000. The
coin return device 1014A, viewed from its right side, comprises a housing 404
having an
entrance chute portion 406 (also referred to herein as the entrance chute 406)
which resides
partially beneath one end of a coin return chute 1024 and extends, from the
remainder of the
housing 404, in a generally upward and rearward direction. The other end of
the coin return
chute 1024 connects to a coin escrow device. The coin return chute 1024
defines a channel 412
extending therein which descends within the coin return chute 1024 to direct
return coins along
a portion 414, indicated by arrow 414, of a coin return path 415 into a first,
uppermost opening
416 of the entrance chute portion 406 of the coin return device 1014A. A coin
reject chute 1022
descends within the pay telephone 1000 between a coin validator device at an
upper end (not
visible) and connects to the coin return chute 1024 at a lower end 420 which
is elevationally
above the entrance chute 406 of the coin return device 1014A. The coin reject
chute 1022
defines a channel 422 therein which directs return coins along a portion 424
of the coin return
path 415 into channel 412 of the coin return chute 1024.
The housing 404 of the coin return device 1014A also has a flange 430 which
defines a
discharge opening 432 therethrough. The flange 430 has a first face 434 which
is visible when
the pay telephone 1000 is viewed from its front and a second face 436 which
resides adjacent to
and partially overlaps a front face plate 438 of the pay telephone 1000. The
flange 430 and the
portion of the housing 404 near the flange 430 cooperate to hold the coin
return device 1014A
within a hole 440 of the front face plate 438 of the pay telephone 1000. Note
that the flange 430
and the portion of the housing 404 near the flange 430 define a hook-like cut-
out 442 which
receives a portion of the front face plate 438 of the pay telephone 1000 and
aids in securing the
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coin return device 1014A to the pay telephone 1000. The housing 404
additionally has a notch
444 which temporarily receives a portion of the front face plate 438 near the
top of hole 440
during installation of the coin return device 1 O 14A, through hole 440, from
the front of the pay
telephone 1000.
Between flange 430 and the entrance chute 406, the housing 404 defines a
chamber 450
therein which has a substantially circular shape when viewed from a side of
the coin return
device 1014A. The chamber 450 communicates, at appropriate times during
operation of the
coin return device 1014A as described below, with the discharge opening 432
and a second,
lowermost opening 452 of the entrance chute 406 defined by the housing 404.
The entrance
I 0 chute 406 and the portion of the housing 404 about the chamber 450, during
operation, generally
direct return coins along portions 454, 456, indicated respectively by arrows
454, 456, of the coin
return path 415 through the coin return device 1014A for subsequent removal by
the user via the
discharge opening 432 and portion 458 of the coin return path 415.
Referring now to FIGS. 19 and 20, the coin return device 1014A further
comprises a
15 movable, revolving door 470 which resides within the chamber 450 and which
is rotatable within
the chamber 450 (i.e., in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions
indicated by arrows 451,
453, respectively), relative to an axis 472 extending between sides 474, 476
of the housing 404
and through chamber 450. The revolving door 470 has a core portion 478 which
extends
between sides 480, 482 of the revolving door 470 and which defines a bore 484
which also
20 extends between sides 480, 482. A rod 486 extends in the direction of axis
472 within the bore
484 and through holes 488, 490 defined, respectively, by sides 474, 476 of the
housing 404. A
spring 492 wraps about the rod 486 and biases the revolving door 470 relative
to the housing 404
in a first position, shown in FIGS. 19, 20, where the chamber 450 and the
discharge opening 432
are in communication and where the chamber 450 and the second opening 452 of
the entrance
25 chute 406 are not in communication.
The coin return device 1014, according to the preferred embodiment, further
comprises
a folding door 500 and a trap door 502. The folding door 500, as displayed in
FIGS. 19 and 20;
resides within the entrance chute 406 to cover and uncover the second opening
452 of the
entrance chute 406. The folding door 500 includes first, second, and third
segments 504, 506,
508 which reside between sides 474, 476 of the housing 404. The first segment
504 has a first
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end 510 and a second end 512 distant from the first end 510. The first end 510
defines an axis
514 extending therethrough and defines bores 516, 518 about the axis 514. A
rod 520 extends
through bores S I6, 518 and between recesses 522, 524 defined, respectively,
by sides 474, 476
of the housing 404 to position the first segment 504 of the folding door 500
and to enable
rotation of the first segment 504 relative to axis 514. Similar to the first
end 510 of the first
segment 504 of the folding door 500, the second end 512 of the first segment
504 defines an axis
526 extending therethrough and defines bores 528, 530 about axis 526.
The second segment 506 of the folding door 500 defines a tongue 531 portion
which is
received within a fork portion 532 of the first segment 504. The tongue
portion 531 defines an
axis 534 extending therethrough and a bore 536 extending therethrough about
axis 534. As seen
in FIG. 21, axis 526 of the second end 512 of the first segment 504 coaxially
aligns with axis 534
of the second segment 506 of the folding door 500. A rod 538 extends within
bores 528, 530 of
the first segment 504 and within bore 536 of the second segment 506 to couple
the first and
second segments 504, 506 and to enable rotation of the second segment 506
between housing
sides 474, 476 about axes 526, 534. The second segment 506 of the folding door
500 also has
a fork portion 540 which defines an axis 542 extending therethrough and which
defines bores
544, 546 about axis 542.
The third segment 508 of the folding door 500 has a fork portion 550 which
defines an
axis 552 extending therethrough and bores 554, 556 about the axis 552. The
fork portion 550
of the third segment 508 resides between the forks of the fork portion 540 of
the second segment
506 with axes 542, 552 in coaxial alignment. A rod 558 extends within bores
544, 546 of the
second segment 506 and within bores 554, 556 of the third segment 508 to
couple the second and
third segments 506, 508 and to allow rotation of the second and third segments
506, 508 between
housing sides 474, 476 about axes 542, 552. A spring 560 resides about axes
542, 552 and biases
the second and third segments 506, 508 of the folding door 500 in a first
orientation, as seen in
FIGS. 19 and 20, where the second and third segments 506, 508 lie within a
common plane 562.
'The third segment 508 of the folding door 500 has an end 564 distant from
bores 554, 556 which
is proximate the trap door 502 when the revolving door 470 is in its first
orientation relative to
the housing 404.
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27
The trap door 502, as seen in FIGS. I9 and 21, rotatably couples to the
entrance chute 406
of the coin return device 1014A near the second opening 452 of the entrance
chute 406. The trap
door 502 comprises a panel 570, extending between trap door ends 572, 574,
which aligns with
a rear portion of wall 576 of the entrance chute 406 and resides within
opening 577 of the
S housing 404 when the trap door 502 is in its closed position as illustrated
in FIGS. 19 and 20.
At end 572, the trap door 502 has a forked portion 578 which defines an axis
580 therethrough.
The forked portion 578 defines bores 582, 584 which extend about axis 580. The
entrance chute
portion 406 of the housing 404 defines an axis 588 and bores 590, 592 about
axis 588. A rod 594
extends within trap door bores 582, 584 and within entrance chute bores 590,
592 to couple the
trap door 502 to the housing 404 and to enable rotation of the trap door 502
relative to colinearly-
aligned axes 580, 588 in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions
indicated, respectively,
by arrows 595, 596. In its closed position , end 574 of the trap door 502
resides slightly within
the second opening 452 of the entrance chute 406. A spring 598 biases the trap
door 502 relative
to the entrance chute 406 to maintain the trap door 502 normally in its closed
position.
According to a method of the preferred embodiment, the coin return device
1014A
defines, as seen in the schematic view of FIG. 22, a first orientation of its
components prior to
interaction between the pay telephone 1000 and a user of the pay telephone
1000 (i.e., at a first
time). In the first orientation, the revolving door 470 of the coin return
device 1014A resides in
housing 404, with its second notch 658 oriented near the top of the discharge
opening 432, with
a portion of its outer wall 652 entirely blocking the second opening 452 of
the entrance chute 406
(i.e., thereby making the entrance chute 406 and the coin return chute 1024
non-communicable
with the chamber 450 and with the discharge opening 432), and with chamber 450
being
accessible to the user through the discharge opening 432. Also, the folding
door 500 rests
substantially against a portion of the outer wall 652 and the trap door 502
entirely blocks opening
577 of the housing's entrance chute 406. Note that, in the first orientation,
the outer wall 652 of
the revolving door 470 and the folding door 500 break the coin return path 415
into
discontinuous segments (i.e., a first segment including portions 414, 454 of
the coin return path
415 and a second segment including portions 456, 458) with only the second
segment of the coin
return path 415 (i.e., and, hence, return coins within chamber 450) being
accessible to a user.
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28
Then, upon insertion of coins) into a coin receiving slot of the pay telephone
1000 by
the user, the coin validator determines whether each inserted coin is
acceptable (i.e., not a slug,
not an unacceptable coin of a foreign country, etc.) or not acceptable. If a
coin is not acceptable
(i.e., and, hence, termed herein as a "rejected coin"), the coin validator
directs the rejected coin
into the coin reject chute 408 where it falls, under the influence of gravity,
through channel 422
along portion 424 of the coin return path 415 and into channel 412 of coin
return chute 1004 If
a coin is acceptable (i.e., and, hence, termed herein as an "accepted coin"),
the coin validator
directs the accepted coin into the coin escrow device 410 for temporary
storage until either ( 1 )
the user's telephone call is successfully completed and the accepted coins are
directed toward a
coin receptacle (not shown) for storage until collected by a representative of
the pay telephone's
owner, or (2) the user's telephone call is not successfully completed and the
user operates the
telephone's coin return lever (not shown) to cause the coin escrow device 410
to release and
direct the accepted coins into channel 412 of the coin return chute I 024.
Note that together, any
rejected coins and any accepted, but released coins (i.e., released by the
coin escrow device)
which travel through channel 412 of the coin return chute 1024 are referred to
herein as "return
coins".
Upon introduction into channel 412 of the coin return chute 1024 return coins
are guided
along a portion 414 of the coin return path 415, in the direction of the
arrows, into the entrance
chute 406 of the coin return device 1014A through the entrance chute's first
opening 416. Once
within the entrance chute 406, the return coins collect atop the folding door
500. The user,
desiring to recover the return coins, places the tip of a finger through the
discharge opening 432
of the coin return device's housing 404 and into the second notch 658 of the
revolving door 470.
In response to the application of a, generally, downward tangential force, by
the user, to the outer
wall 652 in the proximity of the second notch 658, the revolving door 470
rotates in a
counterclockwise direction, indicated by arrow 453, about axis 472 of the
housing 404. Upon
continuing receipt of the, generally, downward tangential force, the revolving
door 470 continues
its rotation in the counterclockwise direction with the second notch 658
getting increasingly
nearer the bottom of the discharge opening 432, with the outer wall 652 of the
revolving door
470 blocking increasingly more of the discharge opening 432 (i.e., thereby
increasingly blocking
user access to the chamber 450 within the coin return device 1014A through the
discharge
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opening 432 of the housing 404), and with the outer wall 652 blocking
decreasingly less of the
entrance chute's second opening 452.
When the user can no longer cause continued counterclockwise rotation of the
revolving
door 470 (i.e., when the second notch 658 is positioned substantially near the
bottom of the
discharge opening 432), the components of the coin return device 1014A are
positioned in a
second orientation, at a second time, as shown schematically in FIG. 23. In
the second
orientation, the first notch 656 of the revolving door 470 aligns with notch
444 of the housing
304 and a portion of the outer wall 652 entirely blocks the discharge opening
432, thereby
rendering the chamber 450, the entrance chute 406, and channel 422 of the coin
return chute
1024 inaccessible to the user via the discharge opening 432. Also, the outer
wall 652 no longer
blocks the second opening 452 of the entrance chute 406, and the second and
third segments 506,
508 of the folding door 500 extend in a substantially downward vertical
direction after having
pivoted relative to the first segment 504 due to the removal of support from
the outer wall 552
and the combined weight of return coins previously residing atop the door 500
in the entrance
chute 506 and the weight of the door 500 itself applying a downward force on
the folding door
500. Note that, in the second orientation, the revolving door 470 breaks the
coin return path 415
into discontinuous segments (albeit segments comprising different portions
than in the first
orientation) with portions 414, 454, 456 (i.e., a first segment) of the path
415 not being accessible
to the user through the discharge opening 432 and portion 458 (i.e., a second
segment) of the path
415 being accessible to a user. In the second orientation, the chamber 450 is
in communication
with the entrance chute 406 and channel 422 of the coin return chute 1024,
thereby enabling,
with the folding door 500 extending downward, return coins to fall into the
chamber 450 from
the entrance chute 406 and the coin return chute 1024. Note also that should a
substantial
number of return coins be present within the entrance chute 406 and/or coin
return chute 1024,
the second and third segments 506, 508 of the folding door 570 are pivotable,
as depicted in FIG.
24, into recess 668 of the revolving door 470 (i.e., defining a variant of the
second orientation
of the coin return device 1014A).
Once the user is satisfied that return coins are present within the chamber
450 of the coin
return device 1014A the user removes the tip of his/her finger from the second
notch 658 of the
revolving door 470. In response to removal of the user's finger, spring 492
causes the revolving
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door 470 to rotate in a clockwise direction, indicated by arrow 451, about
axis 472 of the housing
404 until the revolving door 470 and the other components of the coin return
device 1014A
return to the arrangement of their first orientation shown in FIG. 22. During
the clockwise
rotation of the revolving door 470, the second notch 658 of the revolving door
470 becomes
S increasingly nearer the top of the discharge opening 432 and the outer wall
652 of the revolving
door 470, while blocking increasingly more of the second opening 452 of the
entrance chute 406,
presses generally upward on the segments 504, 506, 508 of the folding door 500
to return the
folding door 500 to its position in the first orientation of the coin return
device 1014A.
Note that, due, in part, to the sizing, spacing, and spatial arrangement of
the components
10 of the coin return device 1014A and due, in part, to the movement of the
revolving door 470
relative to the housing 474, a direct, continuous, uninterrupted, unsegmented
coin return path 415
is never present between the discharge opening 432 and the first opening 416
of the entrance
chute 406 (i.e., nor between the discharge opening 432 and channel 422 of the
coin return chute
408). Because no such continuous, unsegmented coin return path 415 is ever
present, the coin
15 return device 1014A renders it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for
a thief to introduce a
foreign object into the coin return chute 108 via the discharge opening 432.
Note that the various components of the coin return device 1014A (including,
particularly, the entrance chute first and second openings 416, 452, the
folding door 500, the trap
door 502, the chamber 450, and the discharge opening 432) are appropriately
sized and
20 positioned to enable the coin return device 1014A to return large coins
having diameters (or,
other maximum dimensions) of at least 35 millimeters, as well as smaller coins
having lesser
diameters (or, other maximum dimensions), to a pay telephone's user.
COIN RECEPTACLE COVER
25 FIG. 26 displays a coin receptacle cover 1030, according to a preferred
embodiment of
the present invention, coupled to a conventional, commercially available coin
receptacle box
1032. The coin receptacle box 1032 has a cavity therein for storing coins
deposited in the pay
telephone and also has a substantially open top through which coins fall into
the cavity. Because
the design of the coin receptacle box 1032 are well-known to those reasonably
skilled in the art,
30 further description of the details of the coin receptacle box 1032 are not
necessary herein.
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The cover 1030, seen also in the top plan view of FIG. 27, comprises an upper
panel 711
which is substantially square in overall configuration and is, preferably,
fabricated from steel to
resist possible tampering and theft. The upper panel 711 includes four
mounting holes, 712a
through 712d, near its corners for securing the upper panel 711 atop the coin
receptacle box
1032, preferably, by rivets. The upper panel 711 also includes a large, square
coin opening 713
therethrough and a lip 715 which extends around the perimeter of the coin
opening 713. In the
preferred commercial embodiment described herein, the coin opening 713 has a
side length, "A",
measuring 35 millimeters to enable large coins (including, but not limited to,
those coins having
a diameter, or maximum dimension, measuring at least 35 millimeters) to pass
easily through the
coin opening 713 and through the cover 1030.
The upper panel 711 has an arcuate slot 716 which receives a finger 717
extending
therethrough. The finger 7I7 is part of a shutter assembly 720, described
below, for covering
and uncovering the coin opening 713. The finger 717 engages a portion of the
pay telephone
(unshown) such that as the coin receptacle box 714 and cover 710 are inserted
into the pay
telephone, a portion of the pay telephone engages the finger 717 to move it in
the direction
indicated by direction arrow 718 to cause uncovering of the coin opening 713
by movable door
722 (i.e., translating in an opening direction indicated by arrow 95) until
the finger 7I7 reaches
its "open position" (see FIG. 29) at end 96 of slot 716, corresponding to the
open position of
movable door 722 (described below). Conversely, as the coin receptacle box
1032 and cover
1030 are removed from the pay telephone, the finger 717 is allowed to move
back in the direction
indicated by direction arrow 719 to cause covering of the coin opening 713 by
movable door 722
(i.e., translating in a closing direction indicated by arrow 797) until the
finger 717 reaches its
"closed position" (see FIG. 30) at end 798 of slot 716, corresponding to the
closed position of
movable door 722. Note that, as seen in FIG. 31, when the finger 717 has
rotated into an
intermediate angular position (indicated by angle, a3) half way between ends
796, 798 of slot
716, the movable door 722 has translated into an intermediate position half
way between its open
and closed positions, thereby insuring smooth, non-binding operation of the
movable door 722.
Referring now to FIGS. 28 - 30, the cover 710 further comprises a shutter
assembly 720,
of which finger 717 is a part, for covering and uncovering the coin opening
713. The shutter
assembly 720 includes an irregularly-shaped actuator arm 721 and a
substantially rectangular
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movable door 722 (i.e., movable by sliding or by reciprocating linearly). The
irregularly-shaped
actuator arm 72I includes the finger 717 and a pivoting end 723 having a pivot
hole 725 (i.e., for
receipt of a pivot pin) therethrough. The actuator arm 721 further includes a
rotation stop 724
for limiting clockwise rotational movement of a pawl 736 as described below.
The actuator arm
721 also includes a pawl engaging surface 726 for cooperating with the pawl
736 to prevent the
actuator arm 721 from being rotated counterclockwise about the center of pivot
hole 725 and,
hence, about pivot end 723 when the movable door 722 is in its closed position
after removal of
the cover 710 from a pay telephone. Furthermore, the actuator arm 721 includes
a series of
ratchet teeth 727 which also cooperate with the pawl 736 to lock the actuator
arm 721 in one of
several positions in which the movable door 722 is nearly closed. The actuator
arm 721 also
includes an elongated slot (or guide track) 728 formed therethrough and a
curved channel 730
near finger 717 which partially receives rivet boss 780 of lower panel 751
(described below), as
seen in FIGS. 28 and 30. An indent 734, opposite ratchet teeth 727, partially
receives rivet boss
784 of lower panel 751 (described below) when the movable door 722 is in its
closed position
and a hole ?47 receives an end of a return spring 746 which also connects to
the upper panel 711.
Additionally, the actuator arm 721 has an arcuate edge 735 located near the
ratchet teeth 727
which engages a latch mechanism 741 described below.
According to the preferred embodiment, the movable door 722, is substantially
rectangular in overall shape and resides substantially atop the actuator arm
721 (see FIGS. 28 -
30). The movable door 722 is, preferably, fabricated from steel to resist
tampering. Near an
edge portion thereof, the movable door 722 includes a connector pin 729 which
is slidably
received within the elongated slot 728 of the actuator arm 721. The movable
door 722 also
includes a pair of upper guide pins 731, 732 which cooperate with an elongate,
linear guide track
733 to guide the movement of the movable door 722 and to restrict its movement
to a linear,
reciprocating type of motion. The guide pins 731, 732, the guide track 733,
the elongate slot
728, and the connector pin 729 (i.e., the "cooperative elements") cooperate to
allow the rotational
or pivoting movement of the actuator arm 721 to be converted into linear,
reciprocating motion
of the movable door 722. Note that the angle of rotation, a, of the actuator
arm 721 (about the
center of pivot hole 725) has a maximum measure between a first angle of
rotation, a,, and a
second angle of rotation, a2, which are pre-determined (i.e., fixed) by the
amount of movement
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33
of finger 717 possible (i.e., the stroke length pre-determined by the internal
components of the
pay telephone) during insertion and/or removal of the coin receptacle box 1032
and cover 1030
into/from a pay telephone. Also, note that the maximum dimensions of the cover
1030 (and,
hence, the amount of available space for receipt of a door 722) are
substantially fixed and/or
restricted in order to enable the cover 1030 to cooperate with existing pay
telephone housing and
coin receptacle boxes 1032. By producing linear, reciprocating motion of a
door 722 instead of
the rotary motion of a door, as in the prior art, with the limited rotary
movement of the actuator
arm 721 and within the confined dimensions of a cover 1030, the "cooperating
elements" enable
the size of the door 722 and the coin opening 713 to be substantially larger
than doors and coin
openings of prior art devices, thereby enabling the cover 1030 of the present
invention to accept
coins of larger maximum dimension than prior art devices. The acceptance of
larger coins is of
particular import when using the cover 1030 in pay telephones in countries
which may have
coins of larger maximum dimension than the coins of the United States. The
"cooperating
elements" also enable a relatively large coin opening 713 (i.e., larger than
those possible with
prior art devices) to be completely covered and uncovered, thereby making the
entire coin
opening 13 available to pass a coin falling toward the coin receptacle box
1032.
The movable door 722 also includes an edge 737 having a beveled portion 738
and an
adjacent recessed portion 739. The beveled portion 738 insures that the latch
mechanism 741,
described below, is appropriately directed into contact with arcuate edge 735
of the actuator arm
721. 'The recessed portion 739 prevents substantial contact of various parts
of the latch
mechanism 741 with the movable door 722 when the door 722 is positioned, as
seen in FIG. 29,
in the open position.
Referring again to FIGS. 28 - 30, a spring-biased pawl 736 is pivotally
mounted for
rotation between an armed position shown in FIG. 28, a triggered (but
unlocked) position shown
in FIG. 24, and a triggered and locked position shown in FIG. 30. Furthermore,
from viewing
FIG. 30, one can readily see that the pawl 736 (and, hence the actuator arm 21
and movable door
722) can be locked in some additional substantially closed positions by
engaging the ratchet teeth
727 and the pawl 736. The ratchet teeth 727 and the pawl 736 cooperate to
prevent an individual
from obstructing the shutter assembly 720 from completely closing {and leaving
the coin opening
713 partially or entirely uncovered) as the coin receptacle box 1032 and cover
1030 are removed
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from the pay telephone and then subsequently pushing the shutter assembly 720
back open to
gain access to the coins contained in the coin receptacle box 714. By the
interaction of the
ratchet teeth 727 and the pawl 736 shown and described herein, the shutter
assembly 720 can be
locked in a nearly closed position, thereby preventing the shutter assembly
720 from being forced
back open. Once the obstruction is removed, the shutter assembly 720 will
continue to the fully
closed position shown in FIG. 30, thereby making the cover 1030 tamper
resistant. Note that,
in order to aid in preventing an individual from forcing open the shutter
assembly 720 after the
movable door 722 is in the closed position or in a nearly closed position, the
moment about the
pawl 736 is kept low and the pawl spring tension is kept high.
Operation of the coin receptacle cover 1030 is straightforward. In use, the
internal
latching mechanism 741 is armed with the cover 1030 removed from its
associated coin
receptacle box 714, at a central location, by positioning a screwdriver blade
into slot 758 of the
pawl 736. 'Then, by counterclockwise rotation of the screwdriver blade (and,
hence,
counterclockwise rotation of the pawl 736), the pawl 736 engages hook 743 of
the latching
mechanism 741 to place the cover 1030 in the armed configuration as shown in
FIG. 28. The
cover 1030 is then replaced and sealed (i.e., with a tamper-evident seal) atop
the coin receptacle
box 1032. Once the cover 1030 is armed and the cover 1030 and box 1032 are
sealed with a
tamper-evident seal, the coin receptacle box 1032 and the cover 1030 are given
to an individual
responsible for installing the coin receptacle box 1032 and servicing a pay
telephone in the field.
To collect the money from a pay telephone, a resident coin receptacle box 1032
and cover 1030
are removed from the pay telephone (and replaced with an empty box and cover
assembly). The
act of removal causes the finger 717 and, hence, the actuator arm 721 of the
removed cover 1030
to rotate clockwise about pivot end 723, pawl 736 to rotate clockwise into
engagement with
rotation stop 724, and movable door 722 to translate into the position shown
in FIG. 30.
Engagement of the pawl 736 and the actuator arm 721 with the pawl 736
substantially adjacent
the rotation stop 724 locks the actuator arm 721 and, therefore, the movable
door 722 in a
position covering the coin opening 713. The locked unit (i.e., the cover 1030
and coin receptacle
box 1032) is returned to a central location with the tamper-evident seal
remaining intact, thereby
ensuring that no pilferage of coins has taken place. The act of inserting the
empty box and cover
unit into the pay telephone causes finger 17 and, therefore, arcuate edge 735
of the actuator arm
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- ' ,.: , , ',.:
721 to rotate counterclockwise, about pivot end 723, into contact with the
trigger forger 742 of
the latching mechanism 741. Upon sufficient rotation of finger 717 and
sufficient
counterclockwise rotation ofthe latching mechanism 741, the hook 743 pivots
and releases pawl
736 into contact with the actuator arm 721 as depicted in FIG. 29. Rotation of
the actuator arm
5 721 also causes the movable door 722 to translate in the opening direction
indicated by arrow
795 into the fully-open position of FIG. 29, where the coin openings 713, 770
are entirely
uncovered allowing coins to fall through the cover 1030 and into the coin
receptacle box 1032.
The coin openings 713, 770 remain uncovered until the coin receptacle box 1032
and cover 1030
are removed from the pay telephone.
5~~~~~
~~~~,0
