Sorting Paper Money Patents (Class 209/534)
  • Patent number: 5533627
    Abstract: A device for sorting, storing and paying out of valuable documents, and particularly bank notes, which is capable of handling paying-in and paying-out in a single apparatus. The device uses continuous film means to enclose the document and to transport the document about a collecting spool. By use of a detecting device and a verification device, the documents are verified and stored in order prior to a subsequent pay-out if verified or return to the submitter if unverified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Cash Guard AB
    Inventor: Leif Nordqvist
  • Patent number: 5522511
    Abstract: According to the bill processing apparatus of the present invention, the damage of bills picked one by one by the bill processing apparatus and the kind of bills are discriminated by a discriminating and judging section, and stacked in a stacking section by damaged and the kind of bills. The stacked bills are bundled by a predetermined number of bills by a binding unit, and stored in a predetermined safe. At this time, a mark is printed on the bundle of improper bills bundled by a predetermined number. Also, when the bundling state of the proper bills is not favorable, the form of the bundle of the proper bills is selected by a bundle form sensor, and stored in the same storing section as the case of the improper bills. Moreover, in dispensing each bundle, the bundling state of the bundle to be dispensed is checked by the bundle form sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sakoguchi, Naoya Koike, Tsuyoshi Abe
  • Patent number: 5478992
    Abstract: When sheets are taken into a machine or discharged from the machine, characteristics of these sheets such as letters or symbols of these sheets are read by a sheet characteristics reading unit. A result of reading the characteristics is stored in a storage unit. When characteristics of a sheet are not able to be read at the time of accommodating sheets, this sheet is returned and only sheets of which characteristics have been able to be read are taken into the machine. Sheets of which characteristics are not able to be read at the time of discharging sheets are specified by a unit for specifying sheets of which characteristics can not be read. By this arrangement, each sheet in the machine is always managed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunori Hamada, Junichi Oizumi, Haruo Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 5468941
    Abstract: A memory processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a function for feeding money one by one, a function for discriminating denominations of the money received from the feeding function, a function for storing the money for each of the denominations discriminated by the discriminating function, a function for producing present time and date, setting predetermined time and date, and outputting a signal when the present time and date coincide with the predetermined time and date respectively, and a function for removing the money from the storing function in response to the signal output from the producing function and forming a bundle of a predetermined number of money.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Kazuhito Sasaki
  • Patent number: 5467406
    Abstract: An apparatus for currency discrimination comprises first and second stationary scanheads, disposed on opposite sides of a bill transport path, for scanning respective first and second opposing surfaces of a bill traveling along the bill transport path and for producing respective output signals. The bill travels along the transport path in the direction of a predetermined dimension of the bill. A memory stores master characteristic patterns corresponding to associated predetermined surfaces of a plurality of denominations of genuine bills. Sampling circuitry samples the output signals associated with the respective first and second opposing surfaces of the scanned bill. A signal processor is programmed to determine which one of the first and second opposing surfaces corresponds to the associated predetermined surfaces of the plurality of denominations of genuine bills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp
    Inventors: Bradford T. Graves, Richard A. Mazur, Douglas U. Mennie
  • Patent number: 5445277
    Abstract: A paper strip conveying and stacking apparatus including a receiving unit for receiving loaded paper strips and for discharging them, a conveying unit for conveying the paper strips discharged from said receiving unit and a stacking unit for sorting and stacking the conveyed paper strips is characterized in that said conveying unit includes a main conveying unit having a normal passage through which paper strips pass with given sides facing upwards and reach one end side of said stacking unit and a subsidiary conveying unit having a reversing passage for passing the paper strips introduced from said normal passage around the outer periphery of said stacking unit and for conveying them to the other end side of said stacking unit after reversing the upward facing sides of the paper strips, a device for detecting the faces of the paper strip being provided at a position along the length of said normal passage, and a passage switching mechanism for introducing the paper strips passing through the normal passage t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Ace Denken
    Inventors: Takatoshi Takemoto, Kazunari Kawashima
  • Patent number: 5418458
    Abstract: A detection system for detecting and/or verifying the magnetic properties of the magnetic ink layer on common printed or copied documents includes, in order of interaction with the magnetic ink of a Document, a saturation record head, a saturation read head, a non-saturation record head, and a non-saturation read head. The disclosed method of operation is equivalent to the normal testing of the magnetic layer of a Document, but eliminates the need for an erase magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Frederick J. Jeffers
  • Patent number: 5402895
    Abstract: A system for facing currency notes of a stack of notes, each of which is printed with magnetic ink on only the face thereof in which notes from the stack are moved one by one along a path past an examining location at which magnetic heads examine the respective sides of a note for the presence of magnetic material to produce first and second signals which are integrated over the period of time for which a note is at the location. The integrated first and second signals are compared to produce a facing signal which directs the notes to one or the other of two output trays in accordance with the disposition of the note faces toward one or the other of the path sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: Brandt, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Mikkelsen, Thomas C. Gross
  • Patent number: 5397003
    Abstract: To identify the orientation of specified documents, such as checks bearing magnetic ink markings, steps are taken to magnetize ink markings associated with the document, and to then detect magnetized ink markings on the document to develop electrical signals which can then be subjected to processing for identifying the orientation of the document based upon certain preestablished criteria. The result is a stand-alone device adapted to operate upon documents which are contained within envelopes to be subjected to an extraction procedure, prior to extraction from the envelopes, achieving a pre-processing of envelopes to identify those which contain the specified documents, and the orientation of the identified documents. The device is similarly adapted to operate upon the extracted documents, to identify those requiring special handling, and their orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: Opex Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Stevens, William R. Lile
  • Patent number: 5394992
    Abstract: A sorter for separating a plurality of documents into two groups on the basis of characteristics which distinguish the documents of one group from the documents of the other group in which a cabinet has an input tray from which documents are fed one by one along a path past a sensor and between a pair of belts having divergent path portions between which a diverter responsive to the sensor is disposed and is adapted to divert documents alternatively to the nip between an upper pinch roller and one of the belts in its divergent path portion to cause the document to be deposited in an upper output tray by an upper stacker or to the nip between a lower pinch roller and the other belt in its divergent path portion to cause the document to be deposited in a lower output tray by a lower stacker in which the upper output tray and the upper stacker and the pinch rollers are mounted for movement as a unit between an operative position and an inoperative position at which the diverter is accessible with a magnetic coup
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: Brandt, Inc.
    Inventor: Theodore Winkler
  • Patent number: 5374814
    Abstract: Cash transaction machine and method for receiving and/or dispensing money by user's manipulation to transact the money includes a bill receptacle, a bill dispense port, a bill storage and a transport unit for transporting the bill between the receptacle and/or the dispense port, a disinfection unit, and the storage. The bills received and/or to be dispensed are disinfected by the disinfection unit arranged in the transport unit by heating the bills by a heated roller, irradiating the bills by an ultraviolet ray from an ultraviolet ray lamp or applying disinfecting liquid to the bills. Alternatively, the bills are disinfected by a disinfection unit arranged in the storage by heating the bills by a heater or irradiating an electromagnetic wave to the bills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kako, Asahiko Isobe, Masataka Kawauchi, Tomomi Mizuno, Teruaki Mitsuya
  • Patent number: 5328169
    Abstract: In a multi-bin sheet collecting system for a reproduction apparatus, in which printed sheets may be directed an array of bins for job separation, sorting, and/or user mailboxing, to stack on a tray in a selected bin, the removal of printed sheet from individual bins is sensed to indicate the availability of those bins for receiving further printed sheets by an integral optical transmitter/receiver unit mounted in an aperture in each bin tray in an area to be overlaid by sheets stacked thereon. Each transmitter/receiver unit has a light transmitting element transmitting a first light beam in a first direction towards another transmitter/receiver unit in the next adjacent bin in the first direction, and a light beam receiving element for receiving a second light beam from a second, opposite direction and generating an electrical bin empty signal to a controller unless the second light beam is blocked by sheets in the tray of the adjacent bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1994
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Barry P. Mandel
  • Patent number: 5310036
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for checking the correct processing of bank notes in automatic bank note sorters for sorting certain amounts of money into different categories according to given criteria, whereby partial amounts are destroyed if necessary, and a log is prepared, after a given amount of money has been processed or after a certain unit of time, to record information about the processed bank notes, among other things, and the log additionally contains at least one authenticity marking calculated from given log data and clearly related to the data included in the calculation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1994
    Assignee: GAO Gesellschaft fur Automation und Organisation mbH
    Inventor: Wilhelm Hell
  • Patent number: 5289122
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor. A plurality of sensing parts are deposited and formed on an element substrate in film form. The inside two of the sensing parts are connected in series to use for a reading of a narrow pitch magnetic pattern, and the outside two of the sensing parts are also connected in series to use for a reading of a wide pitch magnetic pattern. The connection of the sensing parts is carried out by using terminals and wires. The terminals are provided so as to short-circuit the ends of the sensing parts or for every sensing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: Murata Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Shigeno
  • Patent number: 5261518
    Abstract: A currency validator for testing both the magnetic and electrically conductive properties of a currency note in which core legs of magnetic and conductive material form spaced first and second gaps. Windings carried by the legs produce signals indicative of the magnetic property of a note moving across the first gap. A detector connected across the second gap indicates the presence of conductive material bridging the first gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: Brandt, Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Bryce
  • Patent number: 5247159
    Abstract: A bill depositing and withdrawing system of the circulation type for receiving bills deposited and withdrawing them as money to be paid, comprising safe section for storing bills deposited, memory for memorizing the number of the bills stored in the safe section, take-out device for taking out the bills which are to be paid one by one from the safe section first check section for finding whether or not the bills taken out by the take-out are correct, withdrawal section for withdrawing the bills which have been found correct, collector section for collecting the bills which have been found incorrect, instructor for instructing a confirmation operation of the number of bills stored in the safe section, returning passage for returning the bills which have been take out from the save section to the safe section when the confirmation operation instruction is issued by the instructor, first counter for counting the number of the bills which have been returned to the safe section through the returning passage on the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akio Yuge, Hajime Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5240116
    Abstract: To identify the orientation of specified documents, such as checks bearing magnetic ink markings, steps are taken to magnetize ink markings associated with the document, and to then detect magnetized ink markings on the document to develop electrical signals which can then be subjected to processing for identifying the orientation of the document based upon certain preestablished criteria. The result is a stand-alone device adapted to operate upon documents which are contained within envelopes to be subjected to an extraction procedure, prior to extraction from the envelopes, achieving a pre-processing of envelopes to identify those which contain the specified documents, and the orientation of the identified documents. The device is similarly adapted to operate upon the extracted documents, to identify those requiring special handling, and their orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: Opex Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Stevens, William R. Lile
  • Patent number: 5236072
    Abstract: A document size detection device for detecting the size of documents such as non-U.S. currency comprises a housing, a plate mounted in the housing past which each document is moved, and detectors positioned along the plate for sensing the size of each document and for initiating a signal indicating the size of each document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: Technitrol, Inc.
    Inventor: N. Allen Cargill
  • Patent number: 5222584
    Abstract: An improved currency validator apparatus adaptable to be assembled in either a validator up-stacker, down-stacker, or stacker-less configuration is disclosed. A motor bracket housing and an optics housing interconnect to form a bill passageway. The housings contain optical and magnetic sensors, permit the easy re-positioning of a magnetic sensor and an opposing pinch roller assembly, and preferably are made of a translucent red plastic material. The red plastic material permits the unobstructed transmission of infra-red light from an infra-red sensor, and further acts to indicate the position of the banknote entryway when illuminated by the optical sensors. An improved pinch roller assembly which automatically adjusts to the way in which the magnetic sensor is seated is also described. Further, an encoder positioned on the motor drive shaft, and accompanying slotted optical sensor, provide greater accuracy regarding bill position in the validator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Mars Incorporated
    Inventor: John Zouzoulas
  • Patent number: 5201395
    Abstract: In a bill examination device in which a signal pattern obtained by scanning the bill with a photo-detector or a magnetic detector is compared with a reference for testing the authenticity, the signal is subjected to differentiation or removal of a direct-current component before the comparison. The effect of the differences or offsets of the detector or its associated circuit due to manufacturing variations, temperature change, or aging, and differences in the darkness of printing or smudge on the bill is reduced, and the reliability of the authenticity test is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ienobu Takizawa, Takashi Yajima, Mitsunori Shigeta
  • Patent number: 5201424
    Abstract: An apparatus for testing the stiffness of a sheet, such as a currency note, includes first cooperating rollers (36, 38) and second cooperating rollers (28, 32) arranged to urge the sheet along a feed path (48) The first rollers (36, 38) engage frictionally with the sheet and are caused to rotate with a greater peripheral speed than the second rollers (28, 32). As a result, there is a tendency for the first rollers (36, 38) to cause that portion of the sheet between the first and second rollers (36, 38; 28, 32) to buckle, this tendency being resisted if the sheet has a required degree of stiffness. First and second sensors (66, 68) are disposed on opposite sides of said feed path (48) for sensing a deflection of said portion of said sheet away from the feed path (48) by at least a predetermined amount, brought about by buckling of the sheet due to the sheet being insufficiently stiff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: David A. Hain
  • Patent number: 5199543
    Abstract: A bill discriminating device includes sensor circuitry for scanning and reading all the printed patterns of a bill to be discriminated and producing discriminated data including bill scale data, the bill scale data representing the density of the printed patterns. A data storage memory stores the discriminated data including the bill scale data from the sensor circuitry. A bill scale data selector selects the bill scale data from the discriminated data and fetches the selected bill scale data from the data storage memory. A data segmentor segments the thus selected and fetched bill scale data into a plurality of blocks of data. An arithmetic unit subjects the segmented bill scale data to an arithmetic averaging process for each block of data. A reference data storage memory stores reference data for each of a plurality of predetermined reference bills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1993
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Kamagami, Takashi Yajima, Ienobu Takizawa
  • Patent number: 5186334
    Abstract: A bank note handling apparatus of a circulating type utilizes bank notes deposited by customers as payable bank notes. The following devices are provided in the form of a loop in a conveying passage downstream from a paying-in and paying-out device for use in depositing or withdrawing bank notes by customers: bank note stacking devices for stacking circulated bank notes; a first discriminating device for discriminating bank notes; a bank note receiving device for receiving bank notes that are not to be circulated; a second discriminating device for discriminating bank notes; a device for properly arranging the obverse and reverse sides of bank notes; and a temporary receiving device for temporarily receiving bank notes to be deposited or withdrawn. Hence, the conveying passages for the paying-in and paying-out device and the respective stacking devices are shortened, reducing the processing time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Fukudome, Yasunori Hamada, Masao Okayama, Yutaka Kako, Tetsuo Saito, Itsunori Utsumi
  • Patent number: 5182722
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus (2) for assessing the stiffness of a sheet (4), such as a currency note, by measuring the extent and rate of movement of the trailing edge of the sheet (4) away from a feed path for the sheet. Such movement is part of a straightening movement of the sheet (4) upon disengagement of the trailing edge from constraining means (34) when a leading portion of the sheet (4) is in a bent condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1993
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: David A. Hain
  • Patent number: 5173590
    Abstract: In a bill conveyance control method for an automatic teller machine including a plurality of a bill storage boxes for storing bills of predetermined same denomination, the plurality of bill storage boxes are used uniformly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takemasa Nakano, Takahiro Fujii
  • Patent number: 5161795
    Abstract: A device and a method for controlling a sorter. The device comprises a central control unit, an interface unit connected between a control unit of the copy machine and the central control unit, an one third rotation sensor for controlling operation of transfer wheels, a home position sensor for sensing home positions of bin trays and outputting a sensed signal to the central control unit, and a bin motor driving circuit adapted for controlling normal and reversed rotations of a bin motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: Sindo Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeong H. Kim, Young S. Park
  • Patent number: 5139149
    Abstract: An apparatus for stacking sheets comprises a belt of predetermined length and an endless belt. The belts pass around fixed axis rollers and three guide rollers which are displaceable for the purpose of varying the belt geometry by means of a carriage. As soon as a sheet passes in one direction of movement into a transportation plane formed by the belts a drive displaces the carriage on a rail into a position above a stack in the same direction of movement, the sheet which is engaged by the belts being conveyed at double the speed of the carriage to one of the guide rollers around which it is rolled for deposit on to the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1992
    Assignee: Landis & Gyr Betriebs AG
    Inventor: Andre Gerlier
  • Patent number: 5135212
    Abstract: In a method of and an apparatus for transferring supplementary paper money in an automatic teller machine that includes a paper-money processing mechanism that has a plurality of transport routes formed among the paper-money that provide a path between a plurality of paper-money containers, a cassette storing a supplementary money supply and a paper-money discriminator part for transporting paper money. A plurality of changeover gates are provided at the forks of the transport routes for changing the destination of paper money, and a control part for controlling the transportation routes and the changeover gates. The method and apparatus optimize the transfer of supplementary paper-money, and a control part for controlling the transport routes and the changeover gates. The method and apparatus optimize the transfer of supplementary paper-money by checking for times in which the paper-money processing mechanism, especially the transport routes, are not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Itsunori Utsumi, Ryozo Nakamura, Masashi Moriyama
  • Patent number: 5126002
    Abstract: A leaf paper bundling apparatus winds a tape around the periphery of a stack of leaf papers. A stacking device stacks and aligns a predetermined number of leaf papers in an upright position in a direction parallel to the short edges of the leaf papers. Left and right holding fingers are employed to hold the stacked leaf papers and transfer the stacked leaf papers to a bundling position, maintaining the upright position of the stacked leaf papers. A tape fed by a tape supply is wound around the stacked leaf papers by a tape winding device. The tape is tightened about the stacked leaf papers, and a pair of clamping members clamp the stacked leaf papers therebetween. The clamping members each have spaced contact edges straddling the tape. The stacked leaf papers can then be tightly held together without interfering with the winding of the tape about the stacked leaf papers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: Glory Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsutomu Iwata, Tohru Akamatsu, Osamu Itoh, Makoto Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 5101979
    Abstract: A paper sheet handling apparatus including a plurality of sheet accumulating portions and a sheet conveyor. A pointed separator is mounted on the conveyor for movement into a stack of paper sheets accumulated in one sheet accumulating portion to divide the stack into two parts with a gap formed therebetween. Gripping fingers mounted on the conveyor are moved into gripping engagement with one of the divided parts of the stack and then retracted to transfer the gripped part of the stack onto the conveyor. Holding members on the conveyor are movable into the gap to hold the paper sheets of the other part of the stack. The conveyor is movable to convey the gripped paper sheets to another sheet accumulating portion. The gripping fingers are again moved to transfer the thus conveyed sheets to the other sheet accumulating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1992
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoo Uno, Masuo Furutono, Mitsuyoshi Satoo, Kenji Taguchi, Toshio Ogata, Akihisa Ueda, Hiroshi Kitahata
  • Patent number: 5096038
    Abstract: A thread detector assembly for detecting an activated, elongate thread which is integral with a sheet comprises an elongate detector or set of detectors. A conveyor is provided to cause relative movement between a sheet and a detector. The detector or detectors extend at an acute angle to the thread in use whereby the thread is presented successively to different parts of the detector or detectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1992
    Assignee: De La Rue Systems Limited
    Inventors: Michael Potter, David C. Reeves
  • Patent number: 5096067
    Abstract: A conveying device is provided among an accommodating section for accommodating sheets of paper, a counting section for discriminating and counting the sheets of paper, and a port section through which the sheets of paper are put in and taken out of the apparatus, so as to deliver the sheets of paper to any of these components according to a transaction specified between discharge and deposit accepting transactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1992
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Tutamune, Yasuo Shiragai, Yoshiaki Karino, Yasuyuki Wakasa
  • Patent number: 5090573
    Abstract: A paper sheet bundle processing apparatus. The apparatus receives a bundle of sheaves bound with large bands. Each sheaf within the bundle is bound with a small band. The bundle is moved to a band removing section where the large bands are removed. The bundle is then moved to a sheaf extracting section where each sheaf is extracted from the bundle one at a time. A band removing apparatus removes the small band from each sheaf thus allowing the paper sheets to be removed individually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takahashi, Toshinori Adachi
  • Patent number: 5076441
    Abstract: A device for accepting, storing, and delivering a predetermined set of banknotes comprises a housing, a deposit opening, a delivery opening, a testing mechanism for determining the denomination of the banknotes, a banknote stockpile for storing the banknotes, and a conveying system which conveys the banknotes within the device. The banknote stockpile comprises a till having a till switch located at the till output. The conveying system includes various segments, switches, and inlets which interconnect the deposit opening, the testing mechanism, the till input, the till output, and the delivery opening. The device further includes a control system which controls the travel of the banknotes along the conveying system so that the banknotes are conveyed from the deposite opening through the testing mechanism to the till input, from the till output through the testing mechanism to the delivery opening, and from the till output back to the till input in order to restack the banknotes in the banknote stockpile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Assignee: Landis & Gyr Betriebs AG
    Inventor: Andre Gerlier
  • Patent number: 5064074
    Abstract: An arrangement for depositing valuable documents includes provisions for feeding the documents through an opening via intermediate storage between two mutually coacting belts (13, 14) to another opening leading to a storage space (18) of the arrangement. A command device can be operated to control the function of the arrangement from an external location. The coacting belts (13, 14) are part of an intermediate storage device (131-141-20) which is pivotally mounted in a housing (16), allowing an infeed-and-outfeed opening (15) between the two coacting belts to be positionally adjusted to one of the openings, either in response to a command from the command device (34) or in response to a signal from a sensor (17) adjacent a document transport path in the proximity of the intermediate storage device (131-141-20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: Inter Innovation AB
    Inventors: Gosta Edin, Hans Zettergren
  • Patent number: 5054621
    Abstract: A document sorting and stacking device provides for automated processing of randomly assembled batches of sheet items or objects such as negotiable instruments, currency, data cards, envelopes and the like which are fed into the unit in a continuing sequential progression for their separation and stacking, each in one of the designated multiple pockets. The motor driven transport conveyor of the unit moves the objects through the device at a known speed. If an object is "tagged" to enter a particular pocket, a computing microprocessor controls a step-motor to advance a sorting belt to extend one of its capture fingers into the transport path for rendezvous with the object. As the belt is advanced further the capture finger closes upon the object and the belt pulls it forward for deposit in the designated stacking pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Assignee: Hybrid Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary J. Murphy, Derrick L. Murphy, Michael J. Murphy, Michael Barnes
  • Patent number: 5022531
    Abstract: A bundle processing apparatus includes a receiving conveyor for receiving a plurality of bundles, each bundle including a number of packs and each pack including a plurality of paper sheets, a removing conveyor for removing bundles from the receiving conveyor, a counter for counting the number of packs included in each bundle removed by the removing conveyor, a length detector for detecting the length of each bundle, a stacking device for stacking a bundle when the number of packs counted by the counter is equal to a predetermined number and the length detected by the length detector is equal to a predetermined length, a device for rejecting a bundle when the number of packs counted by the counter is not equal to the predetermined number or the length detected by the detector is not equal to the predetermined length, and a storage device having a storage box for storing the stacked bundles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shigeo Horino, Hideo Omura, Nobusato Maruyama, Yoshiaki Ashikawa, Masatoshi Shioya, Toshiyuki Miyano, Jiro Wakou
  • Patent number: 5019249
    Abstract: An apparatus for handling sheets of paper has a depositing/dispensing unit for depositing papers put into the apparatus by an operator and for dispensing papers to an operator. Within the apparatus there is a counter unit, a storage box unit and a transporting unit that includes a robot hand for transporting papers between the units. A space is formed within the counter unit between a separating unit and a stacking unit within which the depositing/dispensing unit can move. Also, the space enables maintenance tasks to be performed easily by providing access to the components of the counter unit. The apparatus is capable of handling two kinds of paper in both depositing and dispensing transactions. The counter unit provided with locked covers that prevent access to spaces where paper to be deposited can be stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunari Sugai, Osamu Takeuchi, Yasuyuki Wakasa, Kenji Taguchi, Toshio Ogata
  • Patent number: 5017773
    Abstract: A laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser is radiated and scanned on a bundle of paper materials which is being conveyed, and the laser beam reflected by the bundle is received by a plurality of photocells to be converted to electrical signals. A signal synthesizer synthesizes the electrical signals output from the photocells. A binary circuit binarizes the synthesized signal to generate a boundary signal corresponding to a boundary between packs included in the bundle. A CPU detects the number of packs included in the bundle on the basis of the number of boundary signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masamichi Sato
  • Patent number: 5014857
    Abstract: An apparatus for discriminating a printed matter having a discriminating pattern printed thereon, including: a sensor for scanning the printed matter and producing an analog signal corresponding to the discriminating pattern thereof. A timing device is provided for generating periodical timing signals in proportion to the transferring speed of the printed matter. An analog-digital converting device is provided for sampling the analog signal in accordance with the timing signals, and producing a series of digital sampled data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Assignee: I.M. Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroatsu Kondo
  • Patent number: 5012932
    Abstract: Uninspected bundles of paper sheets are supplied to each of a plurality of pre-processors in units of bundles. Each pre-processor removes a band from the uninspected bundle, prints a serial number in association with the received paper sheets on the band, and holds the band. A number of reusable paper sheets from which the band is removed are counted by and stored in a corresponding inspection device. Each inspection device stores the serial number printed on the band by the preprocessor. In each inspection device, the paper sheets to be re-inspected are sorted by a separator card in units of bundles and stored as rejectable notes in a rejectable note cassette. A center console receives data such as a count result, band number, cassette number, card number, and the like, from each inspection device, and sequentially stores these data in units of inspection devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideo Omura, Nobusato Maruyama, Masatoshi Shioya, Yoshiaki Ashikawa, Kazunori Kinoshita, Kozo Matsumoto, Toshiyuki Miyano, Hitoshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5012075
    Abstract: A currency cassette (10) has a printed circuit board (80) secured to one of its side walls, the board (80) having mounted thereon a microprocessor, a RAM, a real time clock chip, and battery means for supplying power for the board (80). First (208) and second switches are respectively operatively associated with the lid (14) of the cassette (10) and with a shutter which, when opened, permits currency notes to be extracted in operation from the cassette (10). Opening of the lid (14) or the shutter causes the appropriate switch to be actuated. Each switch is connected to the printed circuit board (80), and the microprocessor is arranged, in response to actuation of either of the switches, to store in the RAM data indicating which switch was actuated and the date and time of day when the relevant switch was actuated. The switches and printed circuit board (80) provide an effective tamper indicating system for the cassette (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1991
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Brian G. Hutchison, Ian Gahan
  • Patent number: 5000322
    Abstract: A bill receiving and dispensing machine capable of receiving bills of two or more denominations and dispensing bills of at least one denomination among the denominations of the received bills. A plurality of stackers for storing the received bills and feed-out rollers for taking out bills stored in the plurality of stackers one by one from the plurality of stackers by frictional force between each of the feed-out rollers and the lower face of the lowermost bill. The feed-out rollers are positioned at a lower portion of the plurality of stackers. One of the plurality of stackers includes a pooling compartment for temporarily storing the received bills. A bill holding plate for receiving bills from the pooling compartment and holding them on the upper face thereof, the bill holding plate being movable in the vertical direction while being held horizontally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Assignee: Laurel Bank Machines Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kouichi Goi
  • Patent number: 4993556
    Abstract: A turning device which receives randomly oriented sheet-like items, such as bank notes, and delivers them in a predetermined orientation comprises a testing station which determines the initial orientation of the items, a control device which receives signals emitted by the testing station indicative of the initial orientation, and a conveying system which is responsive to the control device for re-orienting the items. The turning device includes a service station having a conveying path therein. The service station is rotatable about an axis of rotation into first and second rest positions which are separated by 180.degree. by arc. The conveying path of the service station is operable in forward and reverse directions. The conveying path of the service station also includes two openings through which it receives the items and discharges them after they have been reoriented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Landis & Gyr Betriebs AG
    Inventor: Andre Gerlier
  • Patent number: 4993700
    Abstract: Sheet-feeding apparatus in which documents having distinguishable sides are momentarily halted by transversely spaced rollers to examine the sheets for proper orientation. A high-speed gating roller directs properly oriented sheets along the normal feed path. Upon detecting an improperly oriented sheet, the gating roller is driven in a reverse direction to drive the sheet into an inversion pocket where it is inverted before being returned to the normal path. The feed members along the inversion path are driven at a greater speed than sheets along the normal path to return the inverted sheet to it proper position in the document stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Brandt, Inc.
    Inventor: Theodore Winkler
  • Patent number: 4984692
    Abstract: An optical character reading apparatus includes a scanner section and a sorter section each having an independent housing. The housing of the scanner section has a rear wall and a discharge port at the upper end portion of the rear wall through which slips read by means of reading means are discharged from the scanner section. The housing of the sorter section has a rear wall adjacently facing the rear wall of the housing of the scanner section, a front wall facing the rear wall, and a top wall, and a supply port is formed at the upper end portion of the rear wall so as to communicate with the discharge port of the scanner section. First and second passages are formed inside the housing of the sorter section. The first passage extends from the supply port to the region near the front wall, along the top wall. The second passage extends along the front wall so as to be continuous with the first passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tadashi Obara
  • Patent number: 4980543
    Abstract: In an automatic bank note transaction apparatus bills dispensed from a first storage section for storing bills to be loaded are discriminated when the number of bills (to be loaded) of the given denomination is specified, bills are loaded into a second storage section in units of denominations in accordance with the discrimination result, the number of bills is counted in units of denominations in accordance with the discrimination result, and bill transfer from the first storage section to the second storage section is stopped when the count of each denomination coincides with the specified number of bills. Furthermore, the number of bills transferred from the first storage section for storing the bills to be loaded to the second storage section for storing the bills to be dispensed to the customer is counted, and the loading content is displayed or printed in accordance with the count result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichiro Hara, Hazime Harada
  • Patent number: 4977583
    Abstract: A cassette cash box for currency validators is presented. The cash box is received by the housing of a currency validator and retained thereby by only a mechanical locking interconnection. Received within the cash box is a counter which is optically coupled with a microprocessor in the currency validator housing. Each time a piece of currency is placed in the cash box, the optical coupler receives a signal which increments the counter. At any point in time, the count in the counter corresponds to the amount of currency maintained by the cash box. At regular service intervals, the cash box is removed and replaced with an empty one. The removed cash box is returned to an authorized service area where the count in the counter is compared with the amount of currency in the cash box. The counter is accessed and read by an application thereto of a special numeric code, known only to authorized personnel. In like manner, the counter is reset by the application of another specific secret code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1990
    Assignee: Ardac, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Gorgone
  • Patent number: 4972958
    Abstract: A money receiving and disbursing machine includes a switch for initiating a dispensing operation in which bills sorted in money cases and a money receiving and disbursing box, a first pick-out device for taking out the bills in the money cases where a quantity of the bills in the money cases is more than a predetermined value after the switch is turned on, a first discriminating device for discriminating the bills from the money cases, a second pick-out device for taking out the bills in the box where the quantity of the bills in the money cases is not more than the predetermined value after the switch is turned on, a second discriminating device discriminating the bills from the box, a conveying device for conveying normal bills to a transaction window, for rejecting abnormal bills in accordance with a result of the first discriminating device, and for conveying normal bills to the money cases of corresponding denominations and for rejecting abnormal bills in accordance with a result in the second discrimina
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignee: Laurel Bank Machines Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Ito, Hiroshi Kinoshita, Kazuyuki Seki, Yukio Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 4964517
    Abstract: A printed paper dispensing apparatus for dispensing a predetermined number of printed papers in the form of bank notes, tickets or the like printed matter and a method of controlling the foregoing apparatus. In a case where a required number of bank notes move past abnormal bank note detecting sensors without abnormal bank notes detected thereby so that they are placed one above another in a layered structure on a belt conveyer, all the bank notes on the belt conveyer are conveyed to a dispensing outlet port after a predetermined period of time elapses after the last bank note has moved past the abnormal bank note detecting sensors. In a case where an abnormality is detected with the respective bank notes while they are placed on the belt conveyer in that way, the bank notes are introduced into an abnormal bank note receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nippon Conlux
    Inventors: Kenji Nishiumi, Toru Kassara, Yoshikazu Mori, Eiji Itako