Currency handling system

Patent 5251738 Issued on October 12, 1993. Estimated Expiration Date:

March 23, 2012. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

3882770

Bill escrow and storage apparatus for vending machine
Patent #: 4011931
Issued on: 03/15/1977
Inventor: Wyckoff

Currency reception and storage device
Patent #: 4332348
Issued on: 06/01/1982
Inventor: Nordin

Apparatus for discriminating paper money and stacking the same
Patent #: 4834230
Issued on: 05/30/1989
Inventor: Kondo , et al.

Bill money changer for slot machines Patent #: 4966304
Issued on: 10/30/1990
Inventor: Kelly

Inventor

Dabrowski, Stanley P.

Assignee

Sevens Unlimited, Inc.

Application

No. 855427 filed on 03/23/1992

US Classes:

194/206, By pliant currency (e.g., dollar bill, etc.)271/181Packing sheets on-edge into receiver

Examiners

Primary: Bartuska, F. J.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Roethel; John Edward

Foreign Patent References

2-93890 JP 04/21/1990

International Classes

G07F 007/04
B65H 029/46

Abstract

A currency handling system comprises a stand alone apparatus that includes a currency acceptor, a currency stacker with a separate, removable currency cassette and a coin feeding device. The currency acceptor is mounted on the inside of a hinged door to allow easy access for maintenance. The currency acceptor is positioned in operable relationship to the currency stacker so that currency exiting the currency acceptor feeds directly into stacking position. A currency positioning plate is connected to a drive motor and the currency is pushed by the positioning plate into the currency cassette mounted in the currency stacker. The currency cassette is a separate removable component that includes a biasing element. When the currency cassette is full and this condition is detected by the sensors, the currency cassette is simply replaced in toto, and an empty currency cassette is inserted into the currency stacker. The currency handling system also includes a coin feeding device that dispenses loose coin into a coin tray located on the front of the apparatus for access by the user. An alternate version of the present invention eliminates the coin feeding device. Instead the currency acceptor is electronically connected to an adjacent gaming device and a signal is sent to the credit meter of the gaming device allocating user credits on the credit meter of the gaming device corresponding to the value of the currency inserted by the user.