Monetary paper validator receptacle
United States Patent Novak et al.  
 [4 1 Apr. 15, 1975 MONETARY PAPER VALIDATOR RECEPTACLE Inventors: Frank A. Novak, 7659 Edgewood Ln., Seven Hills, Ohio 44131; Anthony H. Dolejs, 5600 Columbia Dr., Bedford Heights, Ohio 44146 Filed: June 27, 1973 Appl. No.: 374,073  
 U.S. Cl. 312/341 R; 312/350 Int. Cl A47b 88/00 Field of Search 312/330 R, 341 R, 341 NR, 312/350, 296; 235/61.7 B;  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,233,712 2/1966 Witman 221/2 X 3,416,850 12/1968 Hilfinger et al. 312/330 Primary ExaminerJames C. Mitchell Attorney, Agent, or FirmOldham &amp; Oldham Co.  
 [57] ABSTRACT A receptacle for monetary paper validator comprises a housing and a tray which slidably engages the housing. Mounted on the housing in juxtaposition to the tray is an escutcheon which has an inwardly inclined surface.  
 15 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures MONETARY PAPER VALlDATOR RECEI-TACLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a receptacle for monetary paper or note validator. More specifically. the present invention relates to a monetary paper validator receptacle having a housing. a tray and an eseutcheon which contains structural features to facilitate in the feeding and secure handling of the note.  
  Receptacles for the validation of monetary paper commonly employ a tray which receives the note and transfers it to the interior of the apparatus for inspection which the validator either accepts or rejects. However. many of these devices have drawbacks or undesirable features. For example. some validators have the tendency to pinch the finger of the person inserting the note. Some do not permit easy insertion of the note. Others render difficult the insertion of notes with turned up corners while still others do not permit easy removal of rejected notes. Furthermore. many of the devices are not security proof in that the note may be removed while the tray is closed or are subject to tampering by a wire coat hanger.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a receptacle for a paper validator which overcomes the disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art devices.  
  It is also an object ofthe present invention to provide a receptacle for a paper validator. as above. which has an inwardly sloped eseutcheon to facilitate the insertion of bills.  
  It is another object of the present invention to provide a receptacle for a paper validator. as above. in which a bill tray is relieved at the sides for easy insertion of notes having crumpled edges.  
  It is a further object of the present invention to provide a receptacle for a paper validator. as above. which has apertures in the tray to allow for security lock-up during the validation of a bill.  
  It is still another object of the present invention to provide a receptacle for a paper validator. as above. in which the tray has slide rails and the eseutcheon has corresponding slots to prevent tampering.  
  It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a receptacle for a paper validator. as above. in which the monetary support is interchangeable with supports of different widths to permit the usage of foreign currency.  
  It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a receptacle for a paper validator. as above. which is tamper proof and yet is easy to operate.  
  These and other objects of the present invention. together with the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms which will become apparent from the following specification. are accomplished by the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.  
  In general. a receptacle for a monetary paper validator contains a tray which slidably engages a housing. An eseutcheon is mounted on the housing in juxtaposition to the tray and has an inwardly inclined surface.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a front elevation view of a monetary paper validator receptacle according to the concepts of the present invention.  
 FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the receptacle.  
  FIG. 3 is a top elevation view of the receptacle showing the tray and the side beams.  
  FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the monetary support having thereon a currency note.  
  FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.  
  FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the tray support taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 4.  
  FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the front portion of the tray taken on line 77 of FIG. 2.  
  FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 3.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED. EMBODIMENT In general. a receptacle for a monetary paper validator is generally indicated by the numeral 10. Housing II of the receptacle is preferably made of metal and usually resides within a vending machine structure. not shown. The front of the housing contains a slot or aperture 12 through which extends a tray. generally indicated by the numeral 30. An eseutcheon. generally indicated by the numeral 20, also resides within slot l2.  
  The eseutcheon preferably is located in the slot above the tray and is mounted in position by any conventional fastening member (such as screws and tabs) to sides 14 of the housing to prevent removal through tampering. Moreover. eseutcheon 20 is located in juxtaposition to tray 30 in a fairly close relationship such that for example the gap or distance between the two elements is approximately sufficient to accomodate a crumbly old bill. In order to facilitate the insertion of the bill into the tray. the eseutcheon is inwardly and downwardly inclined into the receptacle at roughly a 45 angle with respect to the tray. The eseutcheon furthermore has recesses 21 for a purpose herein described below.  
  Referring now to tray 30. it has side beams 3| which may engage any conventional guide tracking member. In the preferred embodiment. the track members are nylon wheels 32 which are mounted on shafts 33 attached to housing sides 14. The upper side of the beams have extending rails 35a which extend substantially along the beam length and slide through corresponding slots 25 which exist on each side of the eseutcheon. FIG. 1. Similarly. the lower side of the beams have support rails 35h which extend along the beam length and are received through cove I3 ofslot 12. FIG. 7. Either the upper wheels. the lower wheels or both may contain a slot to receive the rail and thereby provide a guideway for the slide tray. Moreover. the rails help prevent tampering.  
  As best seenin FIG. 2. the front or push bar portion 36 of tray 30 is designed to aceomodate a person &#39;s fingers in that it has a horizontally inclined or rest surface 37 and a vertically inclined or push surface 38. Top surface 39 of the tray push bar portion exists at an elevation so that upon closure of the tray into housing slot 12. a narrow gap is left. Preferably. the gap is so small that a metal coat hanger or other smaller fine wire cannot be inserted through it. Another built-in security feature of the receptacle are ribs or bosses 41 which extend rearwardly from the push bar top portion and are arranged such that they matingly engage, escutcheon recesses 21 upon closure of the tray. Ribs 41 also exist at the bottom of the push bar&#39;portion. These facets of the receptacle makes it very difficult to tamper with the note when it is being validated.  
  The tray note support 42 desirably is made of clear plastic and may have imprinted upon it the replica of a monetary bill such as a US. One Dollar federal reserve note. As seen in FIG. 3. the tray support is attached to a generally horizontal inwardly extending beam flange 43 by any conventional fastening means such as screws 44. Since the note support extends across the entire width of the tray. it can be removed and another note support inserted which will accomodate a smaller size note by having sidewalls which will extend inwardly thus permitting the validator and the receptacle to be used for different size currency such as for foreign notes. in order that the currency or notes are inserted a proper distance into the receptacle. stops 45 of nylon tabs 46 are located on beam flange 43 at a predetermined distance and secured to the beams with any conventional fastening member such as screws 47. Tabs 46 also have legs 48 which engage the housing and thus limit the open position of the tray. Provided within flanges 43 are apertures 49. These apertures provide additional security in that at the commencement of the validation sequence when the tray is fully closed. pins (not shown) will be inserted through these apertures to prevent the tray from being pulled down or opened.  
  Tray support 42 is relieved at various locations to permit facile insertion of notes as well as the removal of rejected notes. Accordingly. as indicated in FIG. 6. the tray support is generally sloped or inclined downwardly at each side. Such inclination permits additional space for crumpled side edges and corners. They also when coupled with notches 51 near the front corners of the trays in railings 35a enhance the removal of a re-.  
 jected note since the corner can be readily grasped. Another relief in the tray support exists at the rear corners which are inclined downwardly and towards the back of the receptacle and permit the note to exit more easily into the body of the receptacle once it has been accepted whereupon stops 45 are lowered by the validator. not shown, which is not a part of thisinvention.  
  It should thus be evident that a paper security validator receptacle constructed according to the concept of the present invention. as described herein. accomplishes the aforementioned objective and otherwise substantially improves the paper security validator receptacle art.  
 What is claimed is:  
 l. A receptacle for a paper validator comprising:  
 a housing having a slot.  
 a tray movable within said housing slot.  
 an escutcheon mounted on said housing above and in juxtaposition to said tray and said escutcheon hav-&#39; ing an inwardly and downwardly inclined surface.  
  2. A receptacle for a paper validator as in claim 1, wherein said tray has two sidebeams and said side beams have an upward extending rail. 7  
  3. A receptacle for apaper validator as in claim 2,1 wherein each said side beamhas at least one aperture. and said rail has a notch.  
  4. A receptacle for a paper validator as in claim 3. wherein each said side beam has a lowerrail.  
  5. A receptacle for a paper validator as in claim I. wherein said tray has afront portion, bosses extend rearwardly from said front portion and said escutcheon has recesses which matingly engage said bosses upon closure of said tray.  
  6. A receptacle for a paper validator as in claim 5. wherein said tray front portion has a finger rest surface and a finger push surface.  
  7. A receptacle for a paper validator as intclaim I. wherein said tray has two side beams. and .a paper support extends between said side beams.  
  8. A receptacle for a paper validatoras in claim 7. wherein said paper support is relieved at theside so that the insertion of paper is facilitated.  
 9. A receptacle for a paper validator as inclainr 8,  
  within said said escutcheon having slots for matingly engaging.  
 said rails.  
 said tray having a front portion. bosses extending rearwardly from said front portion.  
 said escutcheon having recesses which matingly engage said bosses upon closure of said tray. and  
 at least one said side beam having an aperture therein.  
  II. A receptacle for a paper validator according to claim 10. wherein a paper support extends between said side beams.  
 12. A receptacle for a paper validator&#34; according to claim 11. wherein said paper support is relieved at the side.  
  13. A receptacle for a paper validator according to t claim 11. wherein said paper support is relieved at the rear corners.  
  14. A receptacle for a paper validator according to claim 10. wherein said tray front portion hasa horizontally inclined finger rest surface and a vertically inclined finger push surface.  
 15. A receptacle for a paper validatoraccordmg to claim 10. wherein each said side beam has a lower rail.  
  UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CETTFTCATE 0F CORRECTION 6 Patent No. 9 7 2 Dated April 75 Inventor(s) Frank: A. Novak et al.  
  It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:  
 On the Title page the following should be added:  
  F75? Assignee: ARDAC, Inc., Chesterland, Ohio G Signed and Sealed this second D21) Of September 1975 [SEAL] Arrest:  
 RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer (mnml&#39;ssiunvr of Parents and Trademurkx i ORM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69