The present invention pertains to a device for sorting coins of a set of coins with a coin feed device, with a sorting plate joining the coin feed device, having a guide edge, a guide strip extending along the guide edge as well as a series of sorting openings graduated for different coin diameters with cross sections increasing in the direction of conveying, a set of sorting plates for such a device, as well as to a process for converting such a device to different sets of coins.
Coins are defined within the framework of the present invention as disk-shaped, mostly round objects which represent a monetary value. Thus, besides legal means of tender, the term coins also covers value chips, tokens, coin blanks, round blanks for coins, etc. A device for conveying coins on the sorting plate, e.g., a conveyor belt, is typically set up. The coins are conveyed between the conveyor belt and the sorting plate. The conveyor belt, including its guide elements, may be introduced detachably or pivotably, so that access to the sorting plate is possible. When a coin is being conveyed on a sorting plate, it moves along the guide edge. Each coin moving on the sorting plate is continuously supported by the guide strip. The sorting openings have different opening cross sections with increasing opening cross section q measured at right angles to the direction of conveying. A coin whose diameter is smaller than the sum of the cross sections q and the width d of the guide strip is supported only on the (comparatively very narrow) guide strip (whose width is, e.g., 0.05 to 0.4 times q) on one side and it consequently falls through the sorting opening. The sorting openings of a sorting plate are graduated with increasing opening cross sections in the direction of conveying. As a result, sorting of all coins of the set of coins is achieved. A means for counting the unsorted or sorted coins may be additionally provided within the framework of such a device. Furthermore, a device for sorting out counterfeit coins may be provided between the coin feed device, typically a rotary table, and the sorting plate. Reference is made in this connection only, e.g., to the literature reference EP 0 189 429 B1 which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. # 4,681,204.
Devices of the design described in the introduction have been known from, e.g., the literature reference DE 196 33 518 C1. The drawback of the devices known in this respect is that the device is delivered for a certain set of coins and a conversion of the device to another set of coins is possible with very great installation and adjustment efforts only. This is disturbing especially in cases of a changeover to another currency, e.g., the changeover from European national currencies to the euro.
Therefore, compared with the state of the art, the basic technical object of the present invention is to propose a device for sorting coins which can be converted to another set of coins simply and with little effort.
To accomplish this technical object, the present invention teaches that the sorting plate is designed as an interchangeable sorting plate. A sorting plate that can be removed and mounted with simple means, preferably without any tool, is called an interchangeable sorting plate. It is achieved with the present invention that, e.g., the changeover from European national currencies to the euro can be carried out without an appreciable installation effort and consequently without an appreciable loss of time. Moreover, it is possible to change back from one set of coins to the other one and back again to the first one in an extremely short time during a transition period. Finally, the present invention makes possible the very simple and inexpensive replacement of used sorting plates.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the interchangeable sorting plate has at least one adjusting surface, wherein the interchangeable sorting plate can be inserted in the course of its insertion into the device by means of an adjusting element which interacts with the adjusting surface and is a rigid part of the machine. This embodiment of the present invention has a number of advantages concerning the problem of the accurate adjustment of the interchangeable sorting plate. On the one hand, the use of fits with narrow tolerances, which could lead to complications during installation, e.g., due to canting, etc., is avoided. On the other hand, the need for first adjusting and fixing an interchangeable sorting plate that may have been inserted loosely before putting the device into operation is eliminated.
The interchangeable sorting plate preferably has at least one fixing element, e.g., a thumbscrew, for fixing the interchangeable sorting plate inserted on a carrier plate. Any other fixing connections which can be easily handled manually, e.g., snap-in connections or quick-acting closures, are, of course, also possible instead of a thumbscrew.
The present invention may be specifically designed such that the adjusting surface is bent at an angle in relation to the longitudinal extension of the interchangeable sorting plate. It is achieved as a result that in the course of the insertion of the interchangeable sorting plate, the interchangeable sorting plate is brought automatically into the desired position by the interaction between the adjusting surface and the adjusting element. Correspondingly, the orientation of the adjusting surface shall be selected according to the desired end position. It is recommended for this that the end of the adjusting surface have a partial rest surface when viewed in the direction of installation. The accurate positioning is then carried out in practice in the simplest case such that an operator pushes in the interchangeable sorting plate and the adjusting surface is pushed, suitably guided manually, along the adjusting element into the end position of the interchangeable sorting plate. Additional adjusting surfaces may be arranged in parallel or in opposite directions (mirror symmetrically to a plane extending at right angles to the longitudinal extension of the interchangeable sorting plate) along the longitudinal extension of the interchangeable sorting plate. A pair of adjusting surfaces relieves an operator of the need to push along an adjusting surface against the adjusting element. The movement into the desired end position takes place automatically. The adjusting surface may be arranged in a closed recess of the interchangeable sorting plate or in a recess of the interchangeable sorting plate that is open (e.g., on one side). The adjusting element, which is a rigid part of the machine, may now be designed as a pin engaging the recess. It is recommended in this case to provide a xe2x80x9cclearancexe2x80x9d in the area of the end position or partial rest surface to avoid problems because of abraded particles or other contaminants, which may become deposited in the recess. xe2x80x9cClearancexe2x80x9d means that the free cross section within the recess is larger in all areas than the cross section of the adjusting element and thus it permits the adjusting surface or the partial rest surface to move off from the adjusting element in all positions of the interchangeable sorting plate. In the case of two recesses with adjusting surfaces which are arranged in each recess on one side and extend in opposite directions, accurate positioning can be achieved even despite the provision of xe2x80x9cclearancexe2x80x9d in every individual recess without the need for a special manual guiding during the installation. Only the adjusting elements are to be inserted at spaced locations such that moving off of the adjusting elements from the adjusting surfaces or partial rest surfaces is no longer possible in the inserted state.
An especially simple fixation of the interchangeable sorting plate on the carrier plate, which can be carried out especially rapidly, is achieved if at least one laterally projecting holding strap, which can be introduced into a holding recess that is a rigid part of the machine, is provided at an edge of the interchangeable sorting plate which edge extends in the longitudinal extension (long side). The holding strap in the holding recess may be able to be pressed against the carrier plate in a non-positive manner, e.g., by means of a retaining spring. The holding strap and the fixing element may be arranged opposite one another directly or with an offset relative to the transverse extension of the interchangeable sorting plate. The holding strap points in the direction of installation of the interchangeable sorting plate.
It is also possible to provide at least one stop element, which is a rigid part of the machine and with which the interchangeable sorting plate comes into contact in the direction of installation or at right angles to the longitudinal extension of the interchangeable sorting plate in the course of the insertion with the long side.
It is obvious that a plurality of adjusting surfaces, holding straps and/or fixing elements, with respective associated components, which are rigid parts of the machine, may also be provided within the framework of the present invention.
The present invention also pertains to a set of interchangeable sorting plates for a device according to the present invention, where the interchangeable sorting plates of a set of interchangeable sorting plates are designed for different sets of coins. This means that an interchangeable sorting plate is provided with sorting openings of the cross sections d depending on the diameters of the coins of the particular set of coins to be sorted. For example, a device used in Germany may have a set of interchangeable sorting plates comprising an interchangeable sorting plate for DM and an interchangeable sorting plate for euro. Using such a set of interchangeable sorting plates, the changeover to the other currency can be carried out rather easily and without any major installation and/or service effort especially also during the phase of transition. Therefore, the present invention also pertains to a process for converting a device according to the present invention to different sets of coins, in which case an interchangeable sorting plate for one set of coins is replaced with an interchangeable sorting plate for another set of coins.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.