Abstract: A barrier system works in conjunction with an automatic fee collection system to prevent persons from gaining entry to a fee-paid area without payment of the required fee. The barrier system includes a physical barrier that controllably blocks a passageway through which the person who attempts to gain access without payment must move. A barrier actuator controllably drives the physical barrier from the open to the closed position under the direction of a controller. The controller receives sensor signals that warn of an attempt to gain admission without payment, processes those signals through a logic that prevents unauthorized admission, guards against injury to persons by operation of the physical barrier, and permits exit through the barrier system.

Abstract: A turnstile is made with a stationary turnstile support shaft extending from a solid support, and a bearing on the end of the shaft. The turnstile hub is supported on the end of the shaft with a bearing. The turnstile hub is locked against rotation in a fee-paid direction by a unidirectional pawl that engages a cutout on a ratchet plate attached to the hub. The unidirectional pawl is released by energizing a solenoid latching mechanism, rather than acting directly on the unidirectional pawl. Backcocking of the turnstile is prevented by a bidirectional pawl that engages notches on the ratchet plate. The bidirectional pawl is released by energizing a second solenoid latching mechanism, rather than acting directly on the bidirectional pawl.

Abstract: A turnstile system used to meter the entry of persons into or out of an area through a passageway includes a first cabinet defining one side of the passageway with a turnstile hub rotationally mounted in the first cabinet. The turnstile hub has an axis of rotation inclined at an angle of from about 38 to about 41 degrees from the vertical, most preferably at about 39 degrees from the vertical. A tripod of three turnstile arms of equal length extends from the hub with the arms lying along the edges of an equilateral pyramid having a pyramid apex that lies along the rotational axis of the hub. A second cabinet defining the other side of the passageway is spaced apart from the first cabinet.

Abstract: A handling apparatus for guiding paper money or other strip-like media into a storage area or cashbox includes a drive mechanism for driving the central longitudinal area of a strip-like element to follow a first curved path, and an opposing guide for simultaneously urging the outer longitudinal areas of the bill in directions transverse to the first path so that they follow curved paths which are different to the first path. This tends to pull or stretch the element simultaneously both along its central axis and transverse to that axis, which will tend to remove any previous deformation applied to the element prior to stacking. A guide surface guides the bill from the drive mechanism into the storage area, and is preferably movable when a bill is detected projecting out of the storage area to urge the bill into the storage area and to compress the stack of bills.