The present invention relates to a device for separating single coins from a plurality of coins. The device is to be used at the occurrence of so called double coins, i.e. two or three thin coins lying one on the other, to push the upper coin or coins off the underlying one. Provided that the total thickness of the superposed coins is smaller than the thickness of the thickest coin, such double coins may pass below a first coin stripping arm. However, a second coin stripping arm must make sure that the individual coins of a double coin will be separated from each other.
In a separating device known from German Pat. No. 29 12 016, the second coin stripping arm is mounted above the coin disc for pivoting and is formed by two spring-biased arm parts. The second coin stripping arm is therefore costly in manufacture and, particularly, requires an expensive adjustment. The stripping arm must be designed individually for each collection of coins and adjusted thereto. Further, experience has shown that the second coin stripping arm readily undergoes wear and gets easily stuck.
Further known, from German Pat. No. 33 30 441, is a separating device comprising a second coin stripping arm formed in a row of balls which are resiliently mounted close above the coin disc. Such a row of balls again is expensive in manufactue and assemblage and must be adjusted individually to the coin thicknesses for each collection of coins.
Finally, a generically different device for separating coins is known from German Pat. No. 21 20 353, in which the coins are moved from the coin disc after the first coin stripping arm by means of a first conveyor belt and are directed against the guide rail of a guideway where they are taken over by a second conveyor belt associated with the guideway. Closely adjacent the coin disc, a shallow step is provided in the guide rail, having a height approximately corresponding to half the height of the thinnest coin. Immediately after the step, i.e. outside the guide rail, a discharge opening is provided. In this way, the coins lying above those directed against the guide rail can be sorted out outside the coin disc to the discharge opening. In this separating device, the double coins delivered to the discharge opening must again be returned to the coin disc, for separation. This means that double coins delivered from the discharge opening must recurrently be returned to the coin disc.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds