GB2276026A - Coin sorting device - Google Patents

Abstract

A coin sorting device determines whether or not a coin has a degree of paramagnetism within a certain range. As described a coin entering the device via inlet 1 is retained by a magnet 14 if its degree of ferromagnetism is above a predetermined limit. Acceptable coins are assessed for weight and diameter in a sorting cradle 6 before running down a rail 12 past a braking magnet 13. Coins of too low a degree of paramagnetism follow trajectory E on leaving rail 12, whilst acceptable coins are constrained by a magnet 17 to follow path B. <IMAGE>

Description

COIN AND COIN SORTING DEVICE This invention relates to a coin, or so called "token", for use in a game or other slot machine, and a coin sorting device.

For operating a conventional slot machine, use is generally made of chrome-plated brass coins. In order to discriminate special coins for a particular machine from other coins by means of a sorting device the special coins are made with a particular diameter and a particular thickness different from those of other coins.

However, with an increased demand for a wide variety of different special coins, it becomes difficult to meet the demand simply by varying the dimensions of the coins.

In view of the above, many proposals have been made for making a coin from various kinds of material. For example, a coin made of synthetic resin is disclosed in published Japanese Utility Model application No.

110977/1988 by Junichi Hamano. A coin made of a combination of heterogeneous metallic plates in various forms is disclosed in published patent applications Nos.

10632/1980, 27902/1987 by Haruo Mituwa, Tetsu Nariani et al, and 60323/1989 by Nicora Ierpo.

However, the above-mentioned coins have less durability than conventional homogeneous metal coins. In addition, the above-mentioned coins cannot be sorted by an inexpensive and reliable coin sorting device generally used in a conventional slot machine. In this connection, it is necessary to use a relatively expensive electronic sorting device.

As prior art relevant to the present invention, published Japanese patent application No. 29308/1988 by Hiroshi Abe and published Japanese Utility Model No.

30143/1987 by Hiroshi Abe disclose means for sorting nonmagnetic coins and ferromagnetic coins as genuine coins or spurious coins.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coin for use in a game machine which is distinctive and difficult to imitate.

It is another object of this invention to provide a coin of the type described, which is durable.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a coin of the type described, which is easy to mass produce.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a coin of the type described, which can be discriminated from spurious coins including nonmagnetic coins and ferromagnetic coins by means of a coin sorting device.

It is still yet another object of this invention to provide a device for discriminating genuine coins from spurious coins including nonmagnetic coins and ferromagnetic coins.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a coin which is for use in a slot machine and comprises both nonmagnetic material and ferromagnetic material to impart paramagnetic properties to said coin.

The invention also includes a coin sorting device for use in a slot machine and comprising judging means for judging whether or not the coins have a degree of paramagnetism within a certain range.

By the term paramagnetic is meant having significant magnetic properties but less than those of a ferromagnetic material In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to an embodiment of this invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic front view of the device; Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the device; Fig. 4 is a schematic rear view of the device; and, Fig. 5 is a schematic view illustrating the operation of the device.

A paramagnetic coin, for use as a token for a game machine, has particular paramagnetic properties by which it can be recognised as a genuine coin. The paramagnetic coin was made from nonmagnetic material and ferromagnetic material by the following method.

Fine iron powder of 2 - 8, preferably 3.3-3.5, volume percent, Cu 65 volume percent, and the balance of Zn were used. The iron powder, as the ferromagnetic material, was mixed into a molten mass of brass, at a temperature in the range 900-13000C, and comprising the Cu and Zn, as the nonmagnetic material. Alternatively the nonmagnetic material could include resin and/or ceramic material.

The mixture was electromagnetically agitated to disperse the fine iron powder uniformly in the brass melt.

The reason why the content of the iron powder is given the upper limit of 8 volume percent is that a greater content cannot be uniformly mixed, tends to aggregate, and combines to form agglomerates. This results in intense local magnetization by a magnet to cause the effect similar to that of ferromagnetic material. In addition, the lower limit of 2 volume percent is chosen because the paramagnetic effect is effectively absent with a smaller value. The mixture was solidified into a moulded piece which was then rolled into a plate having a thickness of 2.1 mm. After the plate was coined by a press, nickel plating was carried out. Thus, paramagnetic coins having a diameter of 24.26 mm and a weight of 7 g were produced.

In the paramagnetic coin thus produced, the iron powder was uniformly dispersed and mixed in the brass. The coin exhibited paramagnetic properties such that it could not be attracted and deflected by a magnet providing a magnetic flux density of between 700 and 800 gauss but could be attracted and deflected by a magnet providing a magnetic flux density of between 4000 and 5000 gauss.

Therefore, this paramagnetic coin is not significantly attracted by a ferromagnetic-material attracting magnet providing a magnetic flux density between 700 and 800 gauss which can attract and capture a ferromagnetic coin such as an iron coin or a complex coin formed by a sandwich of iron plate and brass plate.

Description will now be made of a device for discriminating the paramagnetic coin from spurious coins such as nonmagnetic coin and ferromagnetic coins.

Referring to Figs. 1 - 5, an upper inlet 1 is for receiving a coin inserted through a coin inserting opening (not shown) formed in a front plate of a game machine. The coin inserting opening has such a dimension that allows insertion of the input coin having up to a maximum predetermined diameter and width and inhibits insertion of a coin having a larger diameter and width.

An inlet coin passage 2 for dropping the input coin from the coin inserting opening in a generally vertical direction is defined between a stationary side plate 3 and a movable side plate 5 openably through hinge means 4.

A ferromagnetic-coin attracting magnet 14 which is mounted on a side surface of the inlet coin passage 2 downstream of the coin inserting opening provides in the passage a magnetic flux density of between 700 and 800 gauss. In the illustrated embodiment, the magnet 14 is fitted through a retainer 15 to the movable side plate 5 of the inlet coin passage 2. The magnet 14 has an end surface facing into the inlet coin passage 2.

When a ferromagnetic coin, or a coin with too high a degree of ferromagnetism, is dropped into the inlet coin passage 2 through the coin inserting opening, the magnet 14 attracts and captures the ferromagnetic coin and arrests the ferromagnetic coin in the inlet coin passage 2. The arrested ferromagnetic coin is returned by depressing a returning lever 24 in a known manner. On the other hand, when the acceptable paramagnetic coin is dropped, it is not captured by the magnet 14 which allows passage of the paramagnetic coin.

At a lower portion of the inlet coin passage 2, a diameter/weight sorting cradle 6 is pivoted through a pin 7 to an outer surface of the movable side plate 5. The cradle 6 is provided with engagement lugs 8 and 9. The engagement lugs 8 and 9 project through respective windows 10 and 11 formed in the movable side plate 5 into the inlet coin passage 2.

A coin such as the paramagnetic coin having a predetermined diameter of 24.26 mm and weight of 7 g, drops through the inlet coin passage 2 and engages with both engagement lugs 8 and 9 of the cradle 6 to cause rotation of the cradle 6. Subsequently, the coin is transferred from the cradle 6 onto an inclined rail 12.

Thus, the inclined rail 12 has an inlet end and an outlet end and the coin rolls from the inlet end to the outlet end with a certain running speed as a result of which the coin flies out from the outlet end along a parabolic trajectory. While rolling on the inclined rail 12, the coin traverses a magnetic field which reduces the running speed of a paramagnetic coin and deflects the parabolic trajectory. The magnetic field is provided by a braking magnet 13 secured to the movable side plate 5 and a magnetic path steel plate formed on the stationary side plate 3 at a position opposite to the braking magnet 13.

As a result, the parabolic trajectories are different for an acceptable paramagnetic coin and a nonmagnetic coin or a coin with two low a degree of ferromagnetism since the coins are subjected to no, or different degrees of magnetic braking force corresponding to their composition.

The device further includes a guide magnet 17 which is fitted on the outlet end of the inclined rail 12 through a retainer 18 and has a circular section and an arcuate surface 19. The guide magnet 17 provides at the surface 19 a magnetic flux density of between 4000 and 5000 gauss.

As seen in Fig. 5, the guide magnet 17 captures by magnetic attraction an acceptable paramagnetic coin as it leaves the outlet end of the rail so that the coin rolls around the arcuate surface 19 before flying off the surface. When the genuine paramagnetic coin A is guided by the attractive force around the arcuate surface 19 it is deflected as shown by an arrow B, and falls beyond a lug 23 to a genuine acceptance opening 20 disposed under the inclined rail 12, passing through the opening as shown by an arrow C.

When a nonmagnetic coin D, or a coin with too low a degree of ferromagnetism, of brass or nickel rolls down the inclined rail 12, the nonmagnetic coin D flies out along a parabolic trajectory E without influence or sufficient influence from the magnets 13 and 17. The nonmagnetic coin D then collides with a buffering rivet 21 for impeding the movement of the coin D which then passes through a returning opening 22 as shown by an arrow F to be returned in a known manner.

The magnets may be permanent magnets or electromagnets, such as solenoids.

Claims (11)

1. A coin sorting device for use in a slot machine and comprising judging means for judging whether or not the coins have a degree of paramagnetism within a certain range.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the judging means comprises an attracting member adjacent to a coin input path and capable of attracting out of the path a nonacceptable coin with too high a degree of ferromagnetism whilst allowing passage of other coins.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the attracting member comprises a first magnet.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, where the flux density provided by the first magnet at the input path is between 700 and 800 gauss.

5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising an inclined rail for receiving a coin from the input path whereby the coin rolls from an inlet end to an outlet end of the rail and picks up speed before flying off the outlet end of the rail along a trajectory; and one or more deflecting members disposed adjacent to the rail for applying a magnetic field to the coin and deflecting the trajectory of the coin if it contains ferromagnetic material.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the, or one of the, deflecting members provides a speed reducing magnetic field for reducing the rolling speed of the coin.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the, or one of the, deflecting members comprises a guide magnet which is disposed at the outlet end of the rail and has an arcuate surface to which an acceptable coin with a sufficiently high degree of ferromagnetism will be held by magnetic attraction so that the coin rolls around the arcuate surface before following a different trajectory from that followed by an unacceptable coin with too low a degree of ferromagnetism.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the guide magnet provides, in the path of a rolling coin, a flux density of between 4000 and 5000 gauss.

9. A device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a sorting member disposed between the attracting member and the rail for sorting coins by particular dimensions and delivering acceptable coins onto the inlet end of the rail.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein an acceptable coin has a particular diameter and a particular weight, the sorting member comprising a diameter/weight sorting cradle for sorting coins by diameter and weight and delivering acceptable coins onto the rail by rotation of the cradle.

11. A coin for a slot machine, substantially as described.