Abstract: A feeding tray supports a plurality of media the media thereon. A hopper is provided on the feeding tray so as to be movable in a first direction for pushing the media toward a feeding roller so that a top one of the media comes in contact with the feeding roller, and in a second direction opposite to the first direction. A separator separates a first group including at least one of the media which is situated under the top one of the media from the top one, so that only the top one is fed to the downstream section by rotation of the feeding roller. A returning lever is pivotable interlockingly with the feeding roller and adapted to return a second group including at least one of the media in the first group, which has been proceeded from a prescribed position to the downstream section together with the top one of the media, to the feeding tray. A holder supports a third group including at least one of the media in the first group which is situated under the second group.

Abstract: A friction wheel singler for singling bank notes includes a singler roller 1 with grooves 2, and retaining wheels 14 cooperating with the grooves 2. The retaining wheels 14 have friction areas 14a and sliding areas 14b such that both a sliding area 14b and a friction area 14a cooperate with each groove 2 of the singler roller 1. Such a friction singler is particularly suitable for longitudinal singling of narrow bank notes and prevents skewing of the sheet to be singled during the singling process.

Abstract: A paper sheet separation and transfer apparatus has a take-out roller which takes out stacked paper sheets onto a transfer path, a first separation unit, and a second separation unit. When the front end of a first paper sheet in the transfer direction reaches a nip of the second separation unit, the take-out roller and first feed roller are “decelerated”.

Abstract: A media separator, that cooperates with a media pick to form a nip in a feed path of a media handling apparatus, supports a separation pad that includes first and second friction regions for movement relative to the media separator, against a bias force, in a feed direction of a sheet of media through the nip. The first and second friction regions selectively engage the sheet of media passing through the nip with a retard/separation force determined by the bias force, to retard and control a feeding operation of the sheet of media through the nip, and to feed plural sheets of media through the nip one at a time.

Abstract: A sheet from the top of a stack of media, and is driven by a reversible electric motor operated in a forward direction to drive a feed roll and nudger roll; and operated in a reverse direction to drive a cam profiled to raise and lower the nudger roll. One-way clutched gears may be provided to restrict rotation of the feed roll and the nudger roll when the motor is operated in a reverse direction; and to restrict rotation of the cam when the motor is operated in a forward direction. A rotary cam may be profiled to allow for the reciprocating movement of the nudger roll from a down position in which the nudger roll contacts the top of the stack of media to an up position in which the distance between the nudger roll and the top of the stack of media is suitable for loading media onto the stack of media.

Abstract: A sheet convey apparatus includes a main feed roller, retard roller, torque limiter, retard roller guide, a pair of bearings, and a spring. The main feed roller rotates in a predetermined direction in contact with one surface of a paper sheet, to give to the sheet a force to convey the sheet in a sheet convey direction. The retard roller is arranged to oppose the main feed roller and gives to the sheet with which the retard roller is in contact a force to convey the sheet in a direction opposite to the sheet convey direction. The torque limiter limits a torque of the retard roller and rotates the retard roller in the sheet convey direction when the torque exceeds a predetermined limit. The retard roller guide includes at least a surface inclined with respect to a plane connecting central axes of the main feed roller and retard roller at an angle in a range of 0° (exclusive) to 90° (inclusive). The inclined surface is located in the vicinity of the central axis of the retard roller.

Abstract: A sheet material feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion for stacking recording sheets; a feeding roller for feeding the recording sheets from the sheet stacking portion; separating means for separating the recording sheet fed out by the feeding roller; a holder for holding the separating means, the holder being rotatably supported on a main assembly of the apparatus; first urging means for urging the holder toward the feeding roller; a preliminary regulating member, rotatably supported on the holder, for regulating a gap relative to the feeding roller; second urging means for urging the preliminary regulating member toward the feeding roller; a first regulating member, supported by the holder, for regulating rotation of the preliminary regulating member relative to the holder; and a second regulating member, provided in the main assembly of apparatus, for regulating rotation of the preliminary regulating member relative to the main assembly of the apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet tray, a pickup roller, a feed roller, a driving motor to drive the feed roller via a feed clutch, and a reverse roller connected to a reverse shaft driven by the driving motor via a torque limiter. The feed clutch is turned OFF when a trailing edge of a sheet passes through a nip formed between the feed and reverse rollers so as to disconnect the driving motor in order to enable the feed roller to freely rotate. The rotation of the reverse shaft is transmitted to the reverse roller by the operation of the torque limiter so as to enable the reverse roller to rotate and return the next sheet nipped by the reverse and feed rollers in a counter sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: A method of feeding sheets includes the step of conveying the sheets between a feed roller and a separation member. The separation member is pressed against and into contact with the feed roller with a pressure applied between the feed roller and the separation member. The method also includes the steps of separating and conveying the sheets conveyed between the feed roller and the separation member one by one, and providing a cyclic change in the pressure between the feed roller and the separation member.

Abstract: A sheet feeder is provided, which includes: a sheet feed member and a separating member which form a nip portion by pressing each other, the separating member rotates following the sheet feed member when a first recording sheet is inserted into the nip portion, and rotates reversely when a second recording sheet is inserted while being stacked under the first recording sheet; a sheet detection unit which detects the recording sheet inserted into the nip portion; a direction detection unit which detects a rotation direction of the separating member; and a separating force adjusting unit which gradually increases a reverse rotation torque of the separating member from a initial torque after the sheet detection unit detects the recording sheet, and stops the increase of the reverse rotation torque to maintain the reverse rotation torque when the direction detection unit detects reverse rotation of the separating member.

Abstract: An ATM (10) includes a housing (46) including a generally L-shaped chest portion (48) and an upper housing portion (54). The ATM includes a fascia (12) which extends on the outside of a wall (14) and includes a user interface (15). Responsive to inputs of a user through the user interface the machine is operative to accept a stack of sheets (84) which are evaluated through operation of a sheet validator device (88) and which enables acceptable sheets to be stored within the chest portion. Unacceptable sheets are routed to a storage area (100). Provisions are made for reducing the risk of attack on the ATM by criminals and to facilitate servicing by authorized personnel.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding sheets one-at-a-time along a path is disclosed having: means for storing a plurality of sheets; a feeder/separator comprising feeding means for engaging the sheets and feeding them from the means for storing and a separator for engaging sheets fed by the feeding means to thereby feed single ones of the sheets one-at-a-time along the path whilst remaining sheets not being fed along the path are halted by the separator; and a clearance mechanism for engaging said remaining sheets and removing them from the separator region in a sheet clearance process.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device that draws out a sheet from a pile of sheets, including: a sheet tray on which the pile of sheets is placed; a sheet feeding roller whose peripheral surface is pressed to abut on a top surface of an uppermost sheet in the pile of the sheets at a downstream end in a sheet feeding direction of the pile of sheets; a friction pad disposed oppositely to the sheet feeding roller to form a nip portion for the sheet with the sheet feeding roller; and a pushing member that pushes the friction pad in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: A kicker system comprises a rotatable roller for advancing media along a media path toward a print zone. A kicker is mounted on the roller for pivotal movement transverse to the rotational axis of the roller. A cam surface configured to engage the kicker during a portion of a rotation of the roller to thereby pivotably retract the kicker out of the media path. The kicker can be selectively actuated by controlling the relative rotation of the roller and the cam surface.

Abstract: A sheet-feeding apparatus with a paper stopper includes a sheet-feeding base having a sheet-placing stand for placing sheets, a roller shell located on the sheet-feeding base having two side walls, a preliminary feeding roller unit and a feeding roller unit contained in the roller shell, a stopper member rotationally attached to the side wall of the roller shell and a follower member rotationally attached to the feeding roller unit and located at the downstream side of the stopper. Before starting a feeding operation, the stopper member is pushed by a sheet in the sheet-feeding base to move forward and presses on the follower member. The follower member would not move any further because the follower member is restricted by an upright wall of the sheet-feeding base.

Abstract: This sheet multifeed determination device is capable of accurately detecting a sheet multifeed state, and the sheet multifeed determination device includes: a separating member side sheet speed detecting part which detects a transport speed of a sheet surface on the separating member side of a sheet transported to a nip unit of a paper feed roll and a separating member pressure-contacting mutually; a multifeed sheet detecting part which detects presence of plural sheets in the course of being transported through the nip unit; and a multifeed state determination part which determines not to be in a multifeed state of sheets when the sheet speed detected by the separating member side sheet speed detecting part is V2?0 and determines to be in the multifeed state of sheets in the case of V2>0 in a condition where the multifeed sheet detecting part detects multifed sheets.

Abstract: A sheet separator includes an advancing roller driven to rotate to move a sheet forwards along a sheet path, and a reversing roller driven to rotate to move a sheet backwards along the path. The reversing roller and advancing roller are mounted adjacently and are relatively movable between a pinched position and a separated position. The reversing roller has a torque limiter for allowing the reversing roller to slip and counter-rotate with the advancing roller when friction applied by the advancing roller on the pinched reversing roller exceeds a preset value. Overriding roller mounted therein allows a sheet to pass over a roller when the rollers are separated and to remain idle when the rollers are pinched.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for separating and feeding a plurality of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking portion one by one includes feeding means for feeding the plurality of sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion, separation means for separating the sheets one by one by contacting to the sheets, returning means for returning the sheets to the sheet stacking portion, and separation force switching means for switching between generation and release of a separation force of the separation means. During a feeding operation, the feeding operation is switchable between a separating mode in which the separation force for a sheet is generated by the separation means and a conveying mode in which the separation force is released.

Abstract: An automated banking machine (10) includes a user interface (15). The user interface includes a card reader (16), receipt printer opening (30), cash dispensing opening (38) and deposit accepting opening (40). A stack of notes (84) input to the machine are separated one by one from the stack through the action of at least one picking member (158, 352) and at least one stripper member (64, 162, 354). The actions of non-contact stripper rolls and a contact stripper roll are generally effective to only enable a single note to move past the stripper members. Upon sensing that multiple notes have moved past the stripper members with a sensor (176, 366) the system is operative to return notes to the stack for subsequent picking trials. In some cases the stripper members may be driven so as to move notes engaged therewith relative to a note engaged with the stripper member so as to reorient the notes and facilitate note separation in subsequent picking events.

Abstract: A sheet material feeding device for sending out sheet materials mounted on a sheet material mounting portion one by one by a feeding roller, includes an elastic member with the angle changed elastically by being abutted against by the sheet materials sent out, for separating the sheet materials by being moved over by the sheet materials, and a return assisting unit to be contacted with the elastic member for facilitating the return of the angle change of the elastic member to the original state.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes: a frame forming one of a paper stacker and a paper feed tray on which paper is stackable; a paper feed unit disposed above the frame and including a pickup roller which picks up the paper; and an active paper separator disposed at a lower part of the frame in the paper feeding direction thereof, contacting leading ends of sheets disposed in the frame, rotatable in an anti-paper feeding direction opposite the feeding direction so as to actively rub the leading ends and thereby separate and feed the sheets one at a time when the sheets of paper are picked up by the pickup roller.

Abstract: An overlapped-sheet detection apparatus can detect whether sheets are overlapped and shift the same, if overlapped, for further processing. The overlapped-sheet detection apparatus is provided with conveying belts, forwarding and shifting rollers, motor and discriminator. Conveying belts hold and convey sheets on a conveying path. Forwarding roller is provided at the conveying path to forward sheets 1 in a conveying direction and forward sheets in conveying direction. Shifting roller is provided opposite to forwarding roller to shift sheets back to a direction which is the reverse of conveying direction if the sheets are overlapped. Motor supplies shifting roller with driving torque to shift sheets back to the direction reversed to conveying direction. An encoder is built in motor to detect a rotation state of shifting roller. Discriminator judges from an output of the encoder whether sheets are overlapped.

Abstract: A sheet take-out apparatus includes a pickup roller to send out sheets, a take-out roller to take out sheets sent out by the pickup roller, a separation roller pressure contacting the take-out roller to separate taken out sheets one by one by applying revolving torque in the direction reverse to the sheet take-out direction, a swing arm that is supporting the separation roller and swings according to change in the diameter of the separation roller, a detector to detect the position of the swing arm, and a controller to control revolving torque applied to the separation roller according to the detection result of the detector.

Abstract: The sheet feeding apparatus feeds sheet media between a feed roller and a separating member pressed into contact with the feed roller, and separates and conveys sheet media held between the feed roller and the separating member one by one by utilizing differences in frictional coefficients between the feed roller, the separating member, and the sheet media. The sheet media are separated and conveyed while periodically changing the pressurizing force of the reverse roller against the feed roller.

Abstract: The invention provides a roller having excellent flexibility and wear resistance. The invention also provides a sheet delivery unit equipped with this roller. The unit is prevented from being clogged up with sheets due to rigidities of the sheets. Also, simultaneous delivery of plural sheets is suppressed. The allowable range of rigidities of paper currencies and the allowable range of their widths can be extended. The roller has a central portion extending along an axis, an outer peripheral portion formed around the central portion and made of a resilient body, and plural helical ribs connecting together the central portion and the outer peripheral portion. Each rib consists of a resilient body. Each rib is so shaped as to thicken gradually from the central portion toward the outer peripheral portion.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention includes: a feed rotary member rotationally driven in a sheet feeding direction; a retard rotary member in contact with the feed rotary member under a predetermined pressure and rotationally driven in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction with a predetermined torque; and a pressure fluctuation restraining device for diminishing a change in a contact pressure of the retard rotary member for the feed rotary member generated at the time of drive transmission to the retard rotary member.

Abstract: A friction sheet feeding machine having (i) a tray for holding a stack of sheets, (ii) a driven friction feed roller for contacting a downward facing major surface of a lowermost sheet in a stack retained within the tray and pulling the lowermost sheet in a machine direction from underneath the stack, (iii) a reversibly driven friction retard roller vertically spaced in parallel relationship above the friction feed roller for contacting a leading edge and any exposed upward facing major surface of a sheet immediately overly the lowermost sheet so as to retard advancement of the overlying sheet, (iv) a first motor operably connected to the friction feed roller for driving the friction feed roller, and (v) a second motor operably connected to the friction retard roller for driving the friction retard roller, wherein the first and second motors are operably associated such that the second motor is operational only when the first motor is operated.

Abstract: The sheet paper conveying device comprises: paper supply rollers at least part of which rotate to convey the sheet paper in a prescribed direction; separation rollers that rotate in the direction reverse to the sheet paper conveying direction or rotates jointly with the paper supply roller; auxiliary rollers that clamp the sheet paper jointly with the paper supply rollers and freely rotate; a first pressurizing member to press the separation rollers against the paper supply roller side; and a second pressurizing member to press the auxiliary roller against the paper supply roller side.

Abstract: An image reader comprising a reading glass plate facing an optical scanning system and a platen roller provided opposite to the reading glass plate; both being grounded. It is combined with an automatic sheet feeder, which comprises a retardation roller containing torque limiters and corrugation rollers. An optimized combination of these rollers provides an ideal sheet transfer and avoids overlaid sheet transfer. Generation of paper dust and toner particles is minimized in the optimized sheet transfer. Furthermore, sticking of such dust and particles on the reading glass plate and the platen roller is prevented in an image reader of the present invention. Thus the image reader reads out high quality images without being affected by dispersed paper dust or toner particles, while overlaid transfer of mother document sheets is prevented in the sheet feeder.

Abstract: A media block system for the input tray of a media processing device. A barricade is provided in the input tray and is movable between blocking and retracted positions. The barricade is moved by an arm and a lever connected to a feed roll shaft whereby rotation of the feed roll shaft moves the barricade.

Abstract: A sheet feeding system has a pick roller, a first roller, and a second roller. The ends of the first and second rollers are coupled together. The pick roller acquires, or picks, a sheet from a stack of sheets and passes the sheet to the first and second rollers. One of the first and second rollers discourages unintended sheets passed with the sheet picked from the stack. The other of the first and second rollers advances the sheet. A logic processor evaluates interchange conditions and activates a drive mechanism when the evaluated interchange conditions reaches a threshold value. The drive mechanism interchanges the first and second rollers so that the second roller becomes the first roller and the first roller becomes the second roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has a sheet stacking portion for stacking sheets; a sheet feeding roller for feeding the sheets from the sheet stacking means; a separating portion for separating the sheets one by one; a returning claw for returning the sheet other than the sheets separated by the separating portion toward the sheet stacking portion; wherein the returning claw effects its sheet returning operation when the sheet other than the sheet separated from the separating portion passes through a predetermined position.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a media handling device for handling sheets of media contained in a stack.

Abstract: A sheet feeder is provided, which includes: a sheet feed member and a separating member which form a nip portion by pressing each other, the separating member rotates following the sheet feed member when a first recording sheet is inserted into the nip portion, and rotates reversely when a second recording sheet is inserted while being stacked under the first recording sheet; a sheet detection unit which detects the recording sheet inserted into the nip portion; a direction detection unit which detects a rotation direction of the separating member; and a separating force adjusting unit which gradually increases a reverse rotation torque of the separating member from a initial torque after the sheet detection unit detects the recording sheet, and stops the increase of the reverse rotation torque to maintain the reverse rotation torque when the direction detection unit detects reverse rotation of the separating member.

Abstract: In a sheet feeding device having a forwardly rotating conveying rotary member and a reversely rotating separating rotary member, and for separating and conveying sheets one by one by a sheet separating portion comprised of these two rotary members, the setting of an appropriate center distance when a sheet is separated and conveyed with the center distance between the conveying rotary member and the separating rotary member fixed is effected smoothly within a short time, and a first sheet feeding mode for effecting sheet feeding while automatically adjusting the center distance for each sheet by a center distance changing device and a controller and a second sheet feeding mode for effecting sheet feeding with the center distance fixed can be arbitrarily selected, and when the setting of the center distance during the selection of the second sheet feeding mode is to be effected, the execution of the center distance setting standard operation (adjusting operation) of detecting the center distance automatically

Abstract: The sheet paper conveying device comprises: paper supply rollers at least part of which rotate to convey the sheet paper in a prescribed direction; separation rollers that rotate in the direction reverse to the sheet paper conveying direction or rotates jointly with the paper supply roller; auxiliary rollers that clamp the sheet paper jointly with the paper supply rollers and freely rotate; a first pressurizing member to press the separation rollers against the paper supply roller side; and a second pressurizing member to press the auxiliary roller against the paper supply roller side.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes: a frame forming one of a paper stacker and a paper feed tray on which paper is stackable; a paper feed unit disposed above the frame and including a pickup roller which picks up the paper; and an active paper separator disposed at a lower part of the frame in the paper feeding direction thereof, contacting leading ends of sheets disposed in the frame, rotatable in an anti-paper feeding direction opposite the feeding direction so as to actively rub the leading ends and thereby separate and feed the sheets one at a time when the sheets of paper are picked up by the pickup roller.

Abstract: A roller including: an outer peripheral portion coming into contact with a sheet; an inner peripheral portion; and a plurality of connection ribs for connecting the outer peripheral portion and the inner peripheral portion to each other, in which the outer peripheral portion and the inner peripheral portion have a cylindrical configuration and are arranged concentrically, and in which the connection ribs are inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to a straight line radially extending from an axis of the roller.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and friction singler for singling sheet material, such as bank notes or the like, having a sheet magazine for receiving a stack of sheets, a picking device with a singling cylinder or the like that has one or more friction elements for contacting and conveying the sheets to be singled from the sheet magazine, and a retaining device forming with the singling cylinder a singling gap through which sheets to be singled from the sheet magazine are conveyed successively.

Abstract: A paper sheet take-out apparatus comprises a paper feed table on which paper sheets are placed as a stack, a take-out rotor which absorbs and takes out the uppermost paper sheet placed on the paper feed table, and a positioning mechanism which positions the uppermost paper sheet with respect to the take-out rotor by causing an absorption block to absorb the paper sheet before taking out the uppermost paper sheet.

Abstract: To provide a sheet conveying apparatus of low cost and high durability and also to provide an image forming apparatus having the same. A sheet S1 is pinched and conveyed by a metal driving roller having roughness provide on its surface and a pinch roller coming in pressure contact with the driving roller and thereby driven to rotate. And the pinch roller is formed of synthetic resin, so that the pinch roller can be manufactured less costly and the durability of the same can be increased.

Abstract: A paper returner is placed in the vicinity of an end portion of a hopper for stacking a plurality of sheets of paper which faces a paper feeding roller, so as to be pivotable between a first position where the paper returner constitutes a part of the paper transporting passage, and a second position where the paper returner is isolated from the paper transporting passage. A separation pad is provided on a first face of the paper returner. The separation pad has a friction coefficient which is higher than a friction coefficient of the first face of the paper returner. The paper returner is placed at the first position so that a top sheet of paper in the hopper is abutted against the paper feeding roller, and is separated from other sheets of paper by the separation pad. The paper returner is placed at the second position so that the first face of the paper returner returns sheets of paper, which are entered in the paper transporting passage together with the sheet of paper to be fed, to the hopper.

Abstract: A paper supplying method for supplying recording sheets from a paper cassette to a printer including rotating the paper supply rollers to feed the recording sheet into the printer in response to a print start command and rotating the paper supply rollers after an end of paper supply to return other recording sheets to a predetermined paper supply start position; or, rotating the paper supply rollers in response to a print start command, detecting the recording sheets which protrude from a predetermined paper supply start position, and returning those recording sheets to the paper supply start position; or, rotating the paper supply rollers to feed the recording sheet in response to a print start command, detecting that the paper cassette is loaded, and rotating the paper supply rollers to return the recording sheets to a paper supply start position at each loading of the cassette.

Abstract: There are disclosed a pressing force adjustable roller unit, a sheet member or transport system in an image processing apparatus provided with the roller unit, and a sheet member supply system in which multi-transport can securely be prevented. In a holder to which a roller is attached via a holding shaft to move the roller in a load direction from a peripheral surface, a torsion spring is connected in a direction in which the holding shaft is pressed downward, a windup degree of a winding portion of the torsion spring is adjusted by engagement of an engaging arm projecting from the winding portion with a first or second stopper disposed on a holder side, and a roller pressing force can therefore be adjusted. There are also provided a hopper for piling sheets, a supply roller for picking up and feeding out the sheet, and a multi-transport preventing roller pair of a separation roller and a retard roller so that the hopper can vertically move with respect to the supply roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeding system has a pick roller, a first roller, and a second roller. The ends of the first and second rollers are coupled together. The pick roller acquires, or picks, a sheet from a stack of sheets and passes the sheet to the first and second rollers. One of the first and second rollers discourages unintended sheets passed with the sheet picked from the stack. The other of the first and second rollers advances the sheet. A logic processor evaluates interchange conditions and activates a drive mechanism when the evaluated interchange conditions reaches a threshold value. The drive mechanism interchanges the first and second rollers so that the second roller becomes the first roller and the first roller becomes the second roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device of the present invention includes a feeding mechanism including a belt and a reverse roller, and circular collars or similar spacing members adjoining the belt for spacing the reverse roller and belt. When a single sheet is conveyed from a nip between the belt and the reverse roller to a preselected position downstream of the nip in the direction of sheet feed, the spacing member spaces the belt and reverse roller with the drive of only the belt or the drive of both of the belt and reverse roller being interrupted.

Abstract: An automated banking machine (10) includes sheet dispensing mechanisms (34, 36, 38, 40). Each sheet dispensing mechanism includes a picking member (72). The picking member rotates, with each rotation generally causing one sheet to be picked from a stack (42) of sheets. The picking member includes movable engaging portions supported on arcuate segments (128, 144). The engaging portions move radially outward to apply additional moving force to an end note bound in the stack responsive to movement of the picking member exceeding the movement of the end note. Sheets are carried in the machine by a transport (54) including a plurality of belt flights (174, 176, 178). Sheets are carried between the belt flights and projecting member portions (180, 182). At least one of the belt flights includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced projections (194, 200, 204, 207) on a sheet engaging surface thereof.

Abstract: A retard roller of non-ground surface type which is virtually free from adhesion of paper dust thereby to have an excellent friction coefficient sustain ability, and which is free from creaky noises at a relatively low sheet feeding speed; a retard roller of non-ground surface type having little variation in outer diameter; and a sheet feeder employing such a retard roller. The retard roller comprises a roller body and a shaft extending axially therethrough, the roller body having a textured roller surface comprising a multiplicity of island portions (10) and a sea portion (11) recessed from the island portions, the island portions and the sea portion each having a multiplicity of fine projections (12). The ratio S1/S2 of the total area S1 of the island portions to the area S2 of the sea portion preferably is 0.25 to 0.55. The fine projections preferably each have a height of 3 to 25 &mgr;m.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for moving media along a media path employ an increase in the force with which a gripping surface contacts the media in order to compensate for wear experienced by the gripping surface. The force is increased as a function of a measured variable which can be the number of revolutions of a feed roller on which the gripping surface is defined. The variable can alternatively be elapsed time, or can be a number of sheets of media that pass a given point on the media path. An apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a wear compensator which is configured to cause the increase in force with which the gripping surface contacts the media.

Abstract: A self-service terminal (10) comprising a dispenser (20) having a pick unit (44) for picking media items (64) is described. The dispenser (20) includes a drive wheel (72) for engaging with one surface of a media item and mounted on a drive wheel shaft (78), and a retard wheel (74) for engaging with an opposite surface of the media item and mounted on a retard wheel rotatable shaft (80) for rotating in the same direction as the first rotatable shaft. The drive and retard wheel shafts (78, 80) are coupled to a common drive component (98). The drive wheel (72) and the retard wheel (74) are resiliently biased together, and at least one of the shafts (78 or 80) is pivotally coupled to the common drive component (98) whereby the distance between the at least one shaft (78 or 80) and the drive component (98) remains constant as the at least one shaft (78 or 80) is displaced by a media item passing between the wheels (72, 74).