Cash drop box having a plurality of compartments

• US 4,548,353 A
• Filed: 01/16/1984
• Issued: 10/22/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jerry Knoll, Robert Howard
• Original Assignee: Jerry Knoll, Robert Howard
• Inventors: Howard, Robert, Knoll, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US06/570,841
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 232/4 R, 232/6, 232/12, 232/43.1, 232/43.2, 232/43.5, 109/48, 109/53
• US Class Current: 232/4.00R
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/005 Portable strong boxes, e.g. which may be fixed to a wall or the like E05G1/08, E05G1/14 take precedence; devices to prevent theft or loss of bags, trunks, baskets, or the like A45C13/18; coin boxes for coin freed apparatus G07F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/06 having provision for multiple compartments
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/08 secured individually
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 7/001 Bank depositories automatic safe-deposit box systems E05G1/06
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/0093 Drop boxes

Abstract

A drum-shaped cash drop box rotatable about a pin coincident with its central axis includes a substantially U-shaped rotatable handle. The drum has a plurality of compartments. Insertion slots arranged at spaced intervals about the drum cylindrical periphery, each communicating with an associated compartment. Swingable doors arranged along one flat side wall of the drum respectively lockingly seal and unseal access openings, for gaining access to the compartments. The drop box is insertable into a parallelepiped shaped sleeve, having one vertical side opening. Guides in the sleeve interior limit the penetration depth of the drop box into the sleeve and align the handle for locking. The pin of a lockable detent moves into an opening in one arm of the handle to lock the drop box within the sleeve while permitting free rotation thereof. The top surface of the sleeve is provided with a common insertion opening and the drop box is rotatable to selectively align the drop box insertion openings therewith. Shutter assemblies provided in each compartment include a shutter biased to seal its associated insertion opening. A latch assembly receives a projection on its associated shutter plate to lock the shutter plate in a position displaced from the associated insertion opening. A lockable detent mounted upon the sleeve includes a pin movable through an elongated opening in the sleeve for unlatching the latch assembly, the shutter being held in the latched position by the pin until release.

Claims

1. A multi-compartment container for receiving and storing currency and the like comprising:

a hollow container rotatable about its central axis;

divider means for dividing the container into a plurality of compartments;

said container having a plurality of access openings each for gaining access to an associated compartment;

a plurality of plates, each being arranged in a compartment, each movably mounted relative to said container for releasably sealing an associated one of said access openings;

locking means for releasably locking each plate in the closed position;

a plurality of insertion slots in said container each associated with one of said compartments;

a hollow housing for removably receiving said container and having a common insertion slot;

means for rotatably supporting said container in said housing for selectively aligning one of said insertion slots with said common insertion slot;

a plurality of detent receiving means on said container each associated with one of said compartments; and

detent means on said housing movable into engagement with one of said detent receiving means, releasably retaining the insertion slot aligned with said common slot when said detent is in a first position, engaging one of said detent receiving means and for releasing said container to rotate in said housing when said detent means is in a second position displaced from said container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising shutter means in each compartment normally biased to a first position to seal its associated insertion slot and movable to a second position to unseal its associated interior slot;

releasable latch means in each compartment for latching its associated shutter means in its second position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said latch means includes movable means normally urged toward latching engagement with said shutter means and being displaced from said shutter means when said detent means engages said detent receiving means.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of said shutter means comprisess a:

slidable shutter member;

guide means along the interior wall of the compartment for guiding said shutter member;

bias means normally urging said shutter member in a first direction to seal the associated compartment insertion slot;

said shutter member having a projection;

said latch means engaging said projection when said shutter member is displaced from the compartment insertion opening for restraining the shutter member from movement.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said detent receiving means comprises a positioning opening in said container adjacent to said insertion opening;

said detent means including a pin insertable into said positioning opening.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said shutter means further includes an elongated opening substantially aligned with said positioning opening when said shutter means is in said latched position;

said detent means pin being movable into said positioning opening and said elongated opening to displace said latch means from said shutter means and thereby release said shutter means from said latch means;

said detent means holding said shutter means displaced from said insertion opening until said detent means is removed from said elongated opening.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said detent means comprises a pushbutton lock including said movable pin and a depressable pushbutton for moving said pin into said positioning opening and elongated opening when said pushbutton is depressed;

said pushbutton lock being locked when said pushbutton is depressed.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said pushbutton type lock includes a lock mechanism, which is unlocked when a matching key is inserted into said lock to release said movable pin, said pushbutton lock including bias means to move said movable pin out of said positioning opening when said lock mechanism is unlocked.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising handle means movably mounted to said container to facilitate carrying of said container and insertion and removal of said container from said sleeve.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising locking means on said housing;

said handle means having pin receiving means;

said locking means including a pin movable into said pin receiving means when in a first locked position and displaceable from said pin receiving means when in a second unlocked position;

said handle means and locking means cooperating to prevent removal of said container from said housing while permitting said container to be freely moved within said housing to align each access slot with said common slot.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said handle means comprises a U-shaped handle member, the free end of said handle member being swingable relative to said container.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein one arm of said U-shaped handle member is provided with an opening;

locking means on said housing including a movable pin insertable into said handle opening for preventing removal of said container from said housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing is open at one end to facilitate insertion and removal of said container.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing is mounted to the underside of a table;

said table having an insertion opening aligned with the common insertion opening of said housing;

said table also having an opening aligned with and receiving said detent means to facilitate manipulation of said detent means.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container comprises a hollow cylindrical shell having substantially flat parallel ends;

pin means co-axial with the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical shell;

guide means in said housing for supporting said pin means and limiting the depth of entry of said shell into said housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said guide means maintains said pin means in a horizontal alignment;

said insertion openings being arranged at spaced intervals about the cylindrical surface of said shell;

the common insertion opening for said housing being arranged along the top surface thereof for selective alignment with each of said insertion openings.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said housing is a sleeve having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and having one open vertical side for receiving said shell.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a substantially U-shaped handle having its free ends joined to said pin means and being rotatable relative to said shell.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising lock means arranged in a vertical side wall of said housing adjacent said open vertical side;

an opening being provided in one arm of said handle for receiving a pin provided in said lock means and movable into said handle opening when said lock means is locked to lock said shell in said sleeve, while permitting said shell to freely rotate about said pin means.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said divider means includes thin divider plates for dividing the container interior into a plurality of compartments of uniform shape and size.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said movably mounted plates comprise doors hingedly coupled to said container for sealing the access openings, said access openings being arranged in one of the ends of said container for gaining access to an associated one of said plurality of compartments.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of said doors further includes lock means for locking each door in its sealed position.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of said doors comprises first and second lock means for locking each door in its sealed position, each of said first and second lock means having a different key.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each compartment further comprises a shutter plate;

guide plates mounted along the interior of the cylindrical wall of said shell for guiding said shutter plate along a predetermined path;

first bias means normally urging said shutter plate in a first direction to seal said insertion opening;

a latch assembly mounted to the interior surface of the cylindrical wall of said shell and having a swingable latch arm, the free end of said latch arm having a notch;

second bias means normally urging said latch arm toward said shutter plate;

said shutter plate having a projection latched into said notch when the shutter plate is displaced from said insertion opening.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said detent means is mounted on the top surface of said housing and including a pin insertable through an elongated opening in said shutter plate for engaging and displacing said latch arm from said shutter plate projection, said pin and said elongated opening preventing said shutter plate from sealing said insertion opening.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said detent means is releasable to move said pin out of the elongated opening in said shutter plate to enable said shutter plate to be moved by said first bias means to seal said insertion opening.

27. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said compartments have substantially pie-shaped, hollow interior regions.