Patents by Inventor William L Gunn

William L Gunn has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6213341
    Abstract: Change dispensing apparatus having multiple columns for storing and vending tubes containing change in coin or in currency. The denominations being vended by a particular machine, the unit value of that denomination, and the value of a tube containing a predetermined quantity of that denomination, are user-programmable for each machine, and any combination of denominations can be user-assigned to the columns. The tube locations in each column are monitored to detect tubes in each column, providing a running indication of the amount of change remaining for each denomination in the safe, and for the total value of change in the safe. An ejector is positionable at the lower end of each column and contains a member for selectably extracting the lowermost tube in each column. The change safe on request prints reports of change usage and other factors associated with the safe, and also predicts the amount of change required for future usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Brink's Incorporated
    Inventors: Jasper Newton Keith, III, William L Gunn, W. Chris Morgan
  • Patent number: 5975275
    Abstract: A drop safe for receiving and temporarily storing currency or other valuables from a cash register or point-of-sale terminal. The drop safe uses bill acceptors to transfer cash into sealed cassettes within the safe. An envelope drop assembly allows transferring into the safe currency or non-cash items not accepted by the acceptor. The drop safe door has a door control assembly including a gas spring to counterbalance the weight of the door for controlled movement during opening. The door is locked by a pair of door bolts linked to a lock cam, which is secured by a dead bolt against movement. An electronic control unlocks the dead bolt in response to entry of correct numbers, allowing a rotary dial of the outside of the safe to move the lock cam and release the door bolts. The drop safe includes a processor programmed to control the unlocking operation and to maintain and produce various reports of deposits into the safe, enabling easy correlation of those deposits with business-day operation of the drop safe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Brink's Incorporated
    Inventors: Jasper Newton Keith, III, William L. Gunn, William D. Heath, Jr., John F. G. Angove
  • Patent number: 5944163
    Abstract: A drop safe for receiving and temporarily storing currency or other valuables from a cash register or point-of-sale terminal. The drop safe uses bill acceptors to transfer cash into sealed cassettes within the safe. An envelope drop assembly allows transferring into the safe currency or non-cash items not accepted by the acceptor. The drop safe door has a door control assembly including a gas spring to counterbalance the weight of the door for controlled movement during opening. The door is locked by a pair of door bolts linked to a lock cam, which is secured by a dead bolt against movement. An electronic control unlocks the dead bolt in response to entry of correct numbers, allowing a rotary dial of the outside of the safe to move the lock cam and release the door bolts. The drop safe includes a processor programmed to control the unlocking operation and to maintain and produce various reports of deposits into the safe, enabling easy correlation of those deposits with business-day operation of the drop safe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Brink's Incorporated
    Inventors: Jasper Newton Keith, III, William L. Gunn, William D. Heath, Jr., John F. G. Angove
  • Patent number: 5695038
    Abstract: A drop safe for receiving and temporarily storing currency or other valuables from a cash register or point-of-sale terminal. The drop safe uses bill acceptors to transfer cash into sealed cassettes within the safe. An envelope drop assembly allows transferring into the safe currency or non-cash items not accepted by the acceptor. The drop safe door has a door control assembly including a gas spring to counterbalance the weight of the door for controlled movement during opening. The door is locked by a pair of door bolts linked to a lock cam, which is secured by a dead bolt against movement. An electronic control unlocks the dead bolt in response to entry of correct numbers, allowing a rotary dial of the outside of the safe to move the lock cam and release the door bolts. The drop safe includes a processor programmed to control the unlocking operation and to maintain and produce various reports of deposits into the safe, enabling easy correlation of those deposits with business-day operation of the drop safe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Brink's, Incorporated
    Inventors: Jasper Newton Keith, III, William L. Gunn, William D. Heath, Jr., John F. G. Angove
  • Patent number: 5040657
    Abstract: This is a coin sorting and counting apparatus for providing very accurate high throughput processing of heterogeneous coin mixtures. A rotating drum having parallel annular channels, each of which has equally spaced counterbores located around it is rotated within a vacuum plenum. A novel sensor coil constructed as a balanced transformer of four coils having rectangular geometries is used, in conjunction with a dual frequency excitation signal, to detect at least three electronic signatures for each coin, the signatures are detected by separating the frequency components in the output of the sensor coil and obtaining a peak value for the excursion of the high frequency response caused by passage of the coin, and width values corresponding to the time the excursion of the signal was above a predetermined threshold for both the high and low frequency responsive channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: Brink's Incorporated
    Inventors: William L. Gunn, William D. Heath, Jr., John C. Mantovani
  • Patent number: 4963118
    Abstract: This is a coin sorting and counting apparatus for providing very accurate high throughput processing of heterogeneous coin mixtures. A rotating drum having parallel annular channels, each of which has equally spaced counterbores located around it is rotated within a vacuum plenum. A novel sensor coil constructed as a balanced transformer of four coils having rectangular geometries is used, in conjunction with a dual frequency excitation signal, to detect at least three electronic signatures for each coin, the signatures are detected by separating the frequency components in the output of the sensor coil and obtaining a peak value for the excursion of the high frequency response caused by passage of the coin, and width values corresponding to the time the excursion of the signal was above a predetermined threshold for both the high and low frequency responsive channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: Brink's Incorporated
    Inventors: William L. Gunn, William D. Heath, Jr., John C. Mantovani
  • Patent number: 4898564
    Abstract: This is a coin sorting and counting apparatus for providing very accurate high throughput processing of heterogeneous coin mixtures. A rotating drum having parallel annular channels, each of which has equally spaced counterbores located around it is rotated within a vacuum plenum. A novel sensor coil contructed as a balanced transformer of four coils having rectangular geometries is used, in conjuction with a dual frequency excitation signal, to detect at least three electronic signatures for each coin, the signatures are detected by separating the frequency components in the output of the sensor coil and obtaining a peak value for the excursion of the high frequency response caused by passage of the coin, and width values corresponding to the time the excursion of the signal was above a predetermined threshold for both the high and low frequency responsive channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1990
    Assignee: Brink's Incorporated
    Inventors: William L. Gunn, William D. Heath, Jr., John C. Mantovani
  • Patent number: 4643107
    Abstract: A security vault for receiving and permitting seriatim access to a number of receptacles, which may receive coin boxes used in pay telephones or the like. The receptacles are on multiple tiers of a carousel assembly rotatably mounted within a security barrier. A doorway in the security barrier permits access only to a single receptacle on each tier, as the carousel assembly is indexed in rotation, and a door selects only one tier at a time for access. An indexing and locking mechanism selectively couples the door to the carousel assembly, displacing the door to the next available tier and then locking the door to prevent unauthorized access to any receptacle on a previous tier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1987
    Assignee: Bellsouth Corporation
    Inventors: William L. Gunn, Gerry G. Hull
  • Patent number: 4469113
    Abstract: An improved coin processing apparatus is described. The apparatus includes a coin sorting arrangement having an adjustable baffle means which provides a constriction to air flow for establishing coin restraining pressures in a chamber of the apparatus. The baffle means includes a resilient sealing body having a cross-sectional configuration which can be adjustably varied. Expansion of the cross-section reduces the size of the constriction and increase a pressure gradiant between upper and lower sectors of the chamber. Alternatively, contraction of the cross-section enlarges the size of the constriction and reduces the pressure gradiant between upper and lower sectors of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1984
    Assignee: Brink's Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Gunn, Thomas Preacher, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4026549
    Abstract: A portable elastic type exercising device which may be carried on the person for strengthening and developing the muscles of the arms and limbs, and more especially the muscles of the shoulder, forearm, and wrist customarily used in playing tennis, comprising a single elongated flexible and elastic cord having a loop at one end through which an arm may be extended and a handle of elongated shape having a bore through which the flexible and elastic cord passes to vary the length of the cord between the loop and the handle and to secure the handle in a selected position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1977
    Inventor: William L. Gunn