Patents by Inventor Craig Rutherford

Craig Rutherford 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).

  • Publication number: 20240124255
    Abstract: A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus is provided for a valuable media depository. The apparatus comprising a pusher plate driven by a rack and pinion apparatus to stack a media item that is in a final position within the apparatus onto a media stacking platform. The media item is urged into the final position such that a trailing edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a fixed media guide and such that a leading edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a hinged media guide with a bottom surface of the media item elevated above the media stacking platform. The rack and pinion apparatus drives the plate past the media guides causing the hinged media guide to drop and the media item to fold along the leading edge as the media item is stacked onto the platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventor: Craig Rutherford
  • Patent number: 11919736
    Abstract: A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus is provided for a valuable media depository. The apparatus comprising a pusher plate driven by a rack and pinion apparatus to stack a media item that is in a final position within the apparatus onto a media stacking platform. The media item is urged into the final position such that a trailing edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a fixed media guide and such that a leading edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a hinged media guide with a bottom surface of the media item elevated above the media stacking platform. The rack and pinion apparatus drives the plate past the media guides causing the hinged media guide to drop and the media item to fold along the leading edge as the media item is stacked onto the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Craig Rutherford
  • Publication number: 20240059514
    Abstract: A self-service terminal, apparatus, and method for corrugating received media items is disclosed. A bin is provided for storing media items. A pathway selectively conveys a received media item to the bin. An apparatus that include as set of paired corrugating drive rollers is mounted in the pathway for creasing the received media item as it is conveyed to the bin. The set of paired corrugating drive rollers has a plurality of first corrugating rollers mounted in a spaced apart fashion on a common shaft, each of the first corrugating rollers having an outwardly facing rounded-V profile, and a plurality of second corrugating rollers mounted in a spaced apart fashion on a common shaft, each of the second corrugating rollers having an inwardly facing slot. Each of the plurality of first corrugating rollers is positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of the plurality of second corrugating rollers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Craig Rutherford, Neil Law
  • Publication number: 20230401920
    Abstract: A bin for storing rejected media items at a self-service terminal such as an automated teller machine has an input channel for receiving a sequential series of media items such as checks or bank notes. Opposing driven rollers receive the sequential series of media items via the input channel and push out each of the sequential series of media items into an output channel. A storage receptacle receives each of the sequential series of media items pushed out by the opposing driven rollers via the output channel. The storage receptacle has an annular-shaped storage cavity formed by an inner cylindrical wall and an outer wall. The outer wall is at least partially cylindrical and optionally includes a plurality of ramp-like protrusions on an inner surface thereof which aid in preventing input jams at the storage receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventor: Craig Rutherford
  • Publication number: 20230211971
    Abstract: A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus is provided for a valuable media depository. The apparatus comprising a pusher plate driven by a rack and pinion apparatus to stack a media item that is in a final position within the apparatus onto a media stacking platform. The media item is urged into the final position such that a trailing edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a fixed media guide and such that a leading edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a hinged media guide with a bottom surface of the media item elevated above the media stacking platform. The rack and pinion apparatus drives the plate past the media guides causing the hinged media guide to drop and the media item to fold along the leading edge as the media item is stacked onto the platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventor: Craig Rutherford
  • Patent number: 11667489
    Abstract: A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus is provided for a valuable media depository. The apparatus comprising a pusher plate driven by a rack and pinion apparatus to stack a media item that is in a final position within the apparatus onto a media stacking platform. The media item is urged into the final position such that a trailing edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a fixed media guide and such that a leading edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a hinged media guide with a bottom surface of the media item elevated above the media stacking platform. The rack and pinion apparatus drives the plate past the media guides causing the hinged media guide to drop and the media item to fold along the leading edge as the media item is stacked onto the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Craig Rutherford
  • Patent number: 11390477
    Abstract: A bunch of valuable media items are transported along a track surface within a deskew/pick module of a depository until a bottom item of the bunch covers a track sensor adjacent to an exit. Upper rollers are disengaged from a topmost item of the bunch and lower track-surface rollers are rotated in a direction that is perpendicular to a sidewall forcing a bottommost item of the bunch in alignment to the sidewall. Upper rollers are lowered onto the topmost item and pick rollers are activated to urge the bottommost item through the exit of the module. Upper rollers are raised off the topmost item and lower track-surface rollers are rotated; upper rollers are lowered onto the topmost item and pick rollers are activated to urge a next bottommost item through the exit. This process is repeated until no items are left in the bunch to process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Craig Rutherford
  • Publication number: 20220162031
    Abstract: A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus is provided for a valuable media depository. The apparatus comprising a pusher plate driven by a rack and pinion apparatus to stack a media item that is in a final position within the apparatus onto a media stacking platform. The media item is urged into the final position such that a trailing edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a fixed media guide and such that a leading edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a hinged media guide with a bottom surface of the media item elevated above the media stacking platform. The rack and pinion apparatus drives the plate past the media guides causing the hinged media guide to drop and the media item to fold along the leading edge as the media item is stacked onto the platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventor: Craig Rutherford
  • Publication number: 20210094780
    Abstract: A bunch of valuable media items are transported along a track surface within a deskew/pick module of a depository until a bottom item of the bunch covers a track sensor adjacent to an exit. Upper rollers are disengaged from a topmost item of the bunch and lower track-surface rollers are rotated in a direction that is perpendicular to a sidewall forcing a bottommost item of the bunch in alignment to the sidewall. Upper rollers are lowered onto the topmost item and pick rollers are activated to urge the bottommost item through the exit of the module. Upper rollers are raised off the topmost item and lower track-surface rollers are rotated; upper rollers are lowered onto the topmost item and pick rollers are activated to urge a next bottommost item through the exit. This process is repeated until no items are left in the bunch to process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventor: Craig Rutherford
  • Publication number: 20110273052
    Abstract: A device, including a rotor, a stator, a coil wound around the stator, wherein the stator has a coil support structure having at least one side edge arranged along a line which is not parallel to a line extending from an axis of the rotor through a center of the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: Electric Gorilla, LLC
    Inventors: John LONG, David R. Vaden, Craig Rutherford