US2616554A - Coin holder for use on automobiles - Google Patents

Description

1952 D. WADE ET AL COIN HOLDER FOR USE ON AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 16, 1950 Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Doan Wade, Dieterich, and Henry Dahl, Centralia, Ill.

Application August 16, 1950, Serial No. 179,846

2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to coin holders. More particularly, the invention relates to that type of coin holder which serves as a medium or instrumentality for releasably holding different coins for use in parking meters and comprises a one piece body in the form of a base piece and a plurality of laterally spaced side pieces which are connected to and extend upwards from the base piece and have opposed longitudinally extending grooves forming open top and open sided slideways for slidably receiving and retaining side by side stacks of coins of predetermined denominations in so-called lapped or shingled relation.

It is now common practice in cities, towns and other municipalities to mount on the curbs of the various main streets and thoroughfares parking meters in order to provide revenue from the parking of automobiles next to the meters. In some instances the parking meters are so constructed and designed that the time indicating pointers will indicate a minute parking time upon deposit of a penny and an hour parking period upon deposit of a five cent coin. If the time for which the parking meters are set expires before the automobile operators return and redeposit coins, the operators are subject to the payment of fines in the event of apprehension by police or peace oflicers. However, if the operator of an automobile while absent overstays his or her parking time and has placed on the automobile in an available position additional coins, the police or peace oflicer will of his own volition take one of the coins and place it in the adjacent parking meter so as to reactivate the latter and thus avoid the necessity of the overdue operator paying a fine for parking too long.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a coin holder which is designed and adapted to be mounted in front of the windshield of an automobile and serves to hold a small number of coins of different denominations, such as pennies and five cent pieces, so that they will be readily available for parking meter use by an officer in the event that the operator of the automobile overstays or exceeds the parking time for which the meter was originally set.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin holder of the type heretofore mentioned in which the base piece is provided with a thin longitudinally extending depending tongue which is adapted to be inserted between the lower margin of the automobile windshield and the adjacent portion of the usual resilient windshield mounting strip and serves, when in place, to hold the body as a whole in a readily accessible position to the end that the coins that are retained in the slideways may be removed for the purpose of reactivating any parking meter adjacent which the automobile is parked.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin holder of the last mentioned character in which the depending anchoring or mounting tongue is disposed at such an obtuse angle with respect to the longitudinaly grooved side pieces that when the holder is mounted in its operative position by way of the tongue the body extends a small distance forwards from the windshield and hence the coins may be readily gripped in connection with removal from the slideways between the side members of the body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coin holder of the type and character under consideration in which the anchoring or mounting tongue embodies a plurality of laterally spaced upwardly and forwardly inclined teeth which are adapted so to embed themselves in the adjacent portion of the resilient windshield mounting strip that the holder as a whole is securely maintained in its operative position and, hence, will not become displaced in connection with violent up and down movements of the automobile in connection with driving over rough roads or pavements.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a coin holder which is generally of new and improved construction, effectively and efficiently fulfills its intended purpose and is so designed that it may be produced at a low cost, and also mounted and removed with facility.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present coin holder will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by the claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of the present disclosure, and in which like letters and numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a front perspective of a coin holder embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective showing the holder in its operative position with respect to the windshield of an automobile;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and illustrating in detail the manner in which the teeth equipped mounting tongue serves to hold the holder in place;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and showing the construction and arrangement of longitudinally grooved side pieces which form between them open top and open sided slideways for releasably retaining stacks of coins of different denominations; and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The holder which is shown in the drawing constitutes the preferred form or embodiment of the invention. It is illustrated in connection with an automobile a, and as described more in detail, serves as a medium or instrumentality for retaining two stacks of coins of different denominations" in order that they may be used to activate or energize a parking meter where the automobile is parked. The automobile a has a transparent windshield 20 at the front of its body. The windshield is: rearwardly inclined and is surrounded by a metallic frame 1 which, as shown in Figure 3, is of U-shaped cross-section.

suitable resilient material. Such mounting. strip extends around the marginal portions of the windshield and serves resiliently but firmly to seat said portions within the metallic frame I. The holderxi's preferably molded of any suitable plastic material, and: consists of a body IE3 and a depending anchoring or mounting tongue I I.

The body I consists of a normally horizontal base piece I2 and three laterally spaced upstanding side pieces I3, I4 and I5. The lower ends of the side pieces are formed integrally with the base piece I2. to the end that the body I0 as a whole is of unitary character. The side piece I-3'- is. located at and extends upwards from one end: of the base piece I2 and has a longitudinally extending inwardly facing groove I6. The side piece I4 extends upwards from the centrallintermediate portion of. the base piece I2 and has in the sides thereof oppositely facing longitudinally extending grooves I! and Hi. The third side piece,. that is, the side piece I5, is located at and extends upwards from the other: end of the. base piece and has an inwardly facing longitudinally extending groove I9. The groove I8 in" the. side piece I3 and the groove I! in the side piece. I4 face one another and define between them an open top and. open sided vertically extending slideway 2G for releasably retaining in lapped. or shingled relation a stack of coins such, for example, as five cent pieces. The groove I8 in the side piece M. and the groove IS in the side piece I5 face one another and define between them an open top and open sided slideway 2| for releasably retaining in lapped or shingled relation a stack of coins such as pennies. The lower rear portion of the slideway 20 is defined by a web 22 which is formed integrally with the base piece I2 and the lower end of the side pieces I3 and I4. The front face of this web is upwardly and rearwardly inclined in order that when the first five cent coin is slid. downwards to its. fullest extent into the slideway 20 it is caused to' assume a tilted position and thus enable the next inserted five cent coin to assume a lapped or shingled position with respect to it as shown in Figure 3. The slideway 20 may be of any desired height. For practical purposes it has been found that it is sufficient if such slideway is capable of retaining but two five cent coins. The coins are successively removed from the slideway 20 by Within the. frame: is a mounting strip s of rubber or other grasping them at their front and back surfaces and then sliding them upwards. The upper end of the side piece I3 is inclined to a small extent towards the upper end of the side piece I4 in order that the slideway 20 has a comparatively small restricted entrance whereby accidental dislodgment of the coins from such slideway is precluded. The lower end of the slideway 2| for the stack of pennies is defined by a web 23 which is formed integrally with the base piece I2 and the lower ends of the side pieces I4 and I5. The front face of the web 23 is inclined upwards and rearwards' so that it. effects tilting of the first inserted penny in the same manner as the front face of the web 22 effects tilting of the first inserted five cent coin in the slideway 2B. The upper endof the side piece I5 is inclined to a slight degree towards the upper end of the side piece I 4 in order to provide a comparatively small restricted entrance for the slideway 2I. Preferably, the height' of the slideway 2t is. such that the slideway'is capable of holding lapped. or shingled relation but two pennies. If. desired: the. base piece i2: of the body I 0 may be provided with. a pair of downwardly extending holes or ducts (not shown) which lead downwards. from bottom. portions of the slideways respectively and. serve to drain any water that may accumulate in the slideways- The tongue II: is formed integrally and.

depends from the lower' portion. of the: bottom piece E2 of. the body Iii. It serves to. hold the holder in a fixed position front. of the lower marginal portion of the windshield w of the I automobile a and as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 5 is adapted to.- fit between the front face. of the lower marginal portion of the windshield and the adjacent. portion of therubber mnunting strip a. Preferably, the: tongue. t! is comparatively thin in order that it: may be readily in.- serted into place. The tongue is inclined with respect. to the side pieces. I3, I14 and. I5 01 the body It at the same angle that the windshield w is inclined. with respect to. the vertical; in order that when it is its: operative position it serves to hold the body t9: in a substantially vertical position wherein it is positioned forwards. of. the lowerportion of the windshield and thus permitsthe coinsto be readilyinserted into and removed from the slideways 2-8 andvZI... The rear surface of the. tongue I I is flat in order that it fits flatly against the outer surface. of the lower marginal portion of'the windshield; Across its central portion the depending. mounting tongue H is provided with a plurality of spaced apart forwardly and upwardly extending teeth 2 4. When the tongue is. inserted into place these teeth become: so embedded in the adjacent portion of the: mounting strip 3 as to preclude accidental upward displacement of the holder as a whole. The front side corners of the tongue are beveled as at 25 inord'er to facilitate insertionof the tongue between the windshield and the adjacent portion of the strip. s and also. to prevent such dis-- tortion. of said. adjacent portion of the mounting strip as to preclude it from servingas a waterproof sealing medium between the' windshield and the metallic framej- When it is desired to mount the holder in place the tongue I I is placed flatly against the frontsu-rface of the windshield w and is then; slid downwards until it fits between the lower marginal portion of the windshield and the adjacent portion of the rubber mounting strip s. As soon as the tongue is slid downwards to its fullest extent the forwardly and outwardly extending teeth 24 become embedded in said adjacent portion of the mounting strip and thus firmly anchor the tongue in place.

The holder will be brought into play when the automobile a is parked for too long a time next to a parking meter. In the event that the operator of the automobile fails to return within the prescribed time for which the parking meter has been set by previous insertion of a coin and the expiry of parking time is noted by a police or peace officer, the latter instead of arresting the operator for parking too long will remove a coin from the holder and insert it into the parking meter to the end that the automobile operator will have additional parking time and, hence, not be subject to arrest and payment of a fine for overparking. By mounting the holder in front of the windshield of the automobile the holder will be so prominently displayed that it will be readily noticed by the officer who will of his own volition remove a coin and insert it in the parking meter and thus save the automobile operator from arrest for parking too long. The holder may be located at any desired position along the bottom marginal portion of the automobile windshield w. It is preferably, however, located near the right hand end of the windshield in order that it will be readily visible.

The herein described coin holder effectively and efficiently fulfills its intended purpose and is characterized by simplicity of construction and design and cheapness of manufacture. It is capable of being readily inserted into its operative position and is further characterized by the fact that by having the depending anchoring tongue ii disposed at an angle with respect to the side pieces l3, l4 and I5 of the body, the body is located forwards of the windshield and hence the coins in the slideways 20 and 2| may be grasped at both the front and the back in connection with removal.

Whereas the holder has been described as a medium for holding coins for use in parking meters, it is to be understood that it may be used to hold coins for other purposes such, for example, as toll bridges and tunnels. It is also to be understood that the invention is not to be restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a coin holder adapted for use on an automobile of the type that has an upwardly and rearwardly inclined windshield with a resilient mounting strip around its marginal portions, and comprising an upstanding rigid body provided with an open top slideway for storing coins, and a single substantially fiat rigid tongue connected to, and depending from, the bottom portion of the body, positioned entirely beneath said bottom portion of the body, provided with beveled side margins, shaped and designed to fit between the outer surface of the lower marginal portion of the Windshield and the adjacent portion of the mounting strip and hold the body in an exposed position in front of the windshield, and disposed at such an obtuse angle with respect to the body that when in place it serves to hold said body in a substantially vertical position away from the windshield.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a one-piece coin holder adapted for use on an automobile of the type that has an upwardly and rearwardly inclined windshield with a resilient mounting strip around its marginal portion, and comprising a horizontally elongated upstanding rigid body provided with a plurality of side by side open top and sided slideways for releasably and slidably retaining coins of different denominations, and a single, downwardly tapered substantially flat rigid tongue formed integrally with, and depending from, the bottom portion of the body, positioned entirely beneath said bottom portion of the body, provided with beveled side margins, shaped and designed so as to fit between the outer surface of the lower marginal portion of the windshield and the adjacent portion of the mounting strip and hold the body in an exposed position in front of the windshield, embodying a plurality of laterally spaced integral forwardly and upwardly inclined teeth for embedment in said adjacent portion of the mounting strip, and disposed at such an obtuse angle with respect to the body that when in place it serves to hold said body in a substantially vertical position away from the windshield.

DOAN WADE. HENRY DAI-IL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 136,425 Behrman Oct. 5, 1943 2,148,848 Wiley Feb. 28, 1939 2,497,365 McMurtry Feb. 14, 1950

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