U.S. patent number 3,888,267 [Application Number 05/473,294] was granted by the patent office on 1975-06-10 for apparatus and method for temporarily storing sheets of paper.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Sodeco-Saia AG.. Invention is credited to Kurt Gautschi.
United States Patent |
3,888,267 |
Gautschi |
June 10, 1975 |
Apparatus and method for temporarily storing sheets of paper
Abstract
A method and apparatus for receiving sheets of paper of varying
sizes, such for example as bank notes or paper currency, for use
with automatic vending machines. The device has a first inner slot
longer than the longest paper sheet expected to be received which
is located in a revolving assembly composed of spaced discs. Fixed
guide members located on each side of each disc having annular
surfaces spaced concentric with the outer surfaces of the disc,
form a second slot into which each currency sheet is transferred on
an individual basis from the inner slot to the outer slot. At the
completion of the transaction, the discs are revolved one
revolution in the opposite direction to discharge a group of
currency sheets into a repository, or alternatively into a
compartment for return to the user of the device.
Inventors: |
Gautschi; Kurt (Onex,
CH) |
Assignee: |
Sodeco-Saia AG. (Geneva,
CH)
|
Family
ID: |
4325115 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/473,294 |
Filed: |
May 24, 1974 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
May 24, 1973 [CH] |
|
|
7437/73 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/3.21;
271/264; 902/9; 270/60; 271/303; 414/789.9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F
7/04 (20130101); B65H 29/51 (20130101); G07D
11/12 (20190101); B65H 2301/4213 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G07F
7/00 (20060101); G07F 7/04 (20060101); G07D
11/00 (20060101); B65h 029/58 () |
Field of
Search: |
;271/DIG.9,3,8R,64,264,275 ;194/DIG.9B,4R ;133/1R ;270/60
;346/138 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Blunk; Evon C.
Assistant Examiner: Saifer; Robert
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Burns, Doane, Swecker &
Mathis
Claims
What is claimed and intended to be covered by Letters Patent
is:
1. A method of temporarily storing sheets of paper currency for use
with the vending of products or services having substantial value
requiring payment with a plurality of paper sheets comprising:
introducing through an inlet opening a single sheet of
currency;
conveying said currency sheet into an inner slot in a rotatable
member while stationary;
transferring said sheet from said inner slot to an outer slot by
revolving said rotatable member one revolution in a first
direction;
introducing a second currency sheet into said inner slot in said
rotatable member while stationary;
transferring said second sheet into said outer slot in a position
under said first sheet by revolving said rotatable member one
revolution in said first direction;
transferring both sheets out of said outer slot to a switching
station by revolving said rotatable member one revolution in the
opposite direction; and
transporting said currency sheets along a sheet passageway selected
by a sheet deflector located at said switching station.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
detecting the leading edge of said currency sheet to energize a
motor connected to drive said rotatable member;
delaying the start of the revolution of said rotatable member until
said currency sheet has been introduced into said inner slot;
and
de-energizing said motor in response to a predetermined position of
a drive wheel for said rotatable member until a further currency
sheet is introduced into said inlet opening.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the motor is connected to drive
the rotatable member in said first direction by means including a
spiral spring having one end connected to said rotatable member and
the other end connected to said drive wheel and by an abutment and
lever member combination by:
maintaining said rotatable member stationary while tensioning said
spiral spring; and
releasing said lever from said lever abutment member combination in
response to a predetermined position of said drive wheel.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the rotatable member contains
outer substantially circular surface portions and fixed guide
members contain inner substantially circular surface portions that
are concentric with said outer surface portions to thereby form
said second slot and said fixed guide members contain also fixed
abutment portions that extend radially inwardly beyond the inner
slot; and wherein the currency sheet is transferred from the inner
slot to the outer slot by engaging the leading edge of the currency
sheets with said fixed abutment portions as said rotatable member
revolves in said first direction thereby to back said currency
sheet out of said first slot onto the outer surface of said
rotatable member and into said outer slot.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the rotatable member includes a
plurality of levers mounted for pivotal movement on the periphery
of said rotatable member, said levers each having a currency sheet
abutment surface which is spring biased radially outwardly beyond
the outer edge of the outer slot and shaped to pass under the
currency sheet during the transfer from the inner slot to the outer
slot, and the sheets are transferred out of said outer slot by
engaging the leading edge of the currency sheets with said lever
abutment surfaces.
6. A paper currency handling apparatus for use with the vending of
products or services having substantial value requiring payment
with a plurality of paper sheets comprising:
means responsive to the introduction of sheets of paper currency
one at a time, for transporting each sheet into an inner slot of a
rotatable sheet storage device while said device is stationary;
means for rotating said storage device one revolution in a first
direction after each sheet is introduced into said inner slot to
transfer said sheet to an outer slot; and
means for rotating said storage device one revolution in the
opposite direction for removing simultaneously a group of sheets
from said outer slot to a sheet deflector for optionally directing
said group of sheets to either of two sheet transfer paths, one of
said paths leading to the outside of said apparatus for return of
said sheets of currency and the other of said paths transporting
said sheets of currency to a repository.
7. The paper currency handling apparatus of claim 6 wherein the
rotatable sheet storage device has an inner slot which extends
inwardly from a tangential opening in a spiral pattern and a fixed
abutment member and wherein said fixed abutment member has a
portion which extends radially inwardly to a position adjacent the
end of said inner slot so that rotation of said storage device in
said first direction causes the leading edge of said currency sheet
to be backed out of said inner slot onto the outer surface of said
rotatable member which forms one side of said outer slot.
8. The paper currency handling apparatus of claim 6 wherein the
rotatable sheet storage device includes:
a frame;
a plurality of rings mounted in a spaced parallel relationship for
rotation, each of said rings having aligned slots having a
tangential opening at one end and being closed at the other end to
form said inner slot; and
a plurality of guide members fixed to said frame and having
portions located between said adjacent ring members to engage an
edge of the currency sheet when the storage device is rotated in
said first direction thereby to cause said currency sheet to back
out of said inner slot to said outer slot.
9. The paper currency handling apparatus of claim 8 wherein said
rings each have substantially circular outer surface portions
forming one wall of said outer slot and said guide members each
have substantially annular surface portions concentric with said
circular outer surface portions forming the other wall of said
outer slot.
10. The paper currency handling apparatus of claim 9 wherein the
means for removing said group of sheets from said outer slot
includes a plurality of levers each having a currency sheet
abutment surface and being mounted for pivotal movement on said
rings, and means for spring biasing said levers to a first position
where the abutment surfaces extend radially beyond said annular
surface portions for effecting removal of currency sheets from said
outer slot and are depressed in a radial direction to pass under
currency sheets when the sheets are transferred from the inner slot
to the outer slot.
11. A paper sheet storage unit having:
a sheet receptacle for receiving paper sheets one at a time;
a pair of sheet transport paths for expelling said sheets in
groups;
deflector means for optionally directing said sheet groups in one
or the other of said sheet transport paths;
said storage unit further comprising:
a plurality of spaced rings mounted for rotation as a unit, said
rings having an outer substantially annular surface portion and an
inner slot which has a tangential opening at one end and is closed
at the other end, said slot having a length at least as long as the
length of the longest sheet to be received;
a plurality of fixedly mounted guide members interleaved between
said rings and having an inner substantially annular surface
portion that is concentric with the outer annular surface portion
of said rings, the annular surface portions being spaced apart by a
distance to form an outer slot having a width sufficient to receive
a plurality of said paper sheets stacked as a group one on another;
said guide members having at one end an abutment surface extending
radially inwardly beyond the closed end of said inner slot and at
the other end a portion which forms a tangential exit opening for
said outer slot;
a plurality of entrainment levers each having a sheet abutment
portion and being mounted for pivotal movement on one of said
rings, means for spring biasing said levers to a position where the
abutment portions extend radially outwardly beyond the periphery of
the inner annular surface portion of said fixed guide members;
drive means for introducing a sheet into said inner slot while said
rings are stationary and then rotating said rings in a first
direction to transfer said sheet over the outer surface of said
lever from the inner slot to the outer slot; and
means for rotating said rings in the opposite direction to cause
the abutment portion on said levers to push all sheets as a group
that are stored in said outer slot through said exit opening to
said deflector means.
12. The paper sheet storage unit of claim 11 further
comprising:
a frame;
a pair of plates secured to said frame and located on opposite
sides of said ring unit to provide side edges for said inner and
outer slots; and
a plurality of spacer columns secured to each of said rings for
forming the rings into a rigid unit.
13. The paper sheet storage unit of claim 12 wherein:
the fixed guide members have circular recesses at a plurality of
positions around the outer periphery thereof;
a plurality of spacer columns are mounted to said pair of plates
and located at each of said circular recesses adjacent said guide
members, each of said spacer columns having recesses having a
length corresponding with the width of said guide members and a
shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the circular
recesses in said guide members; and wherein two of said spacer
columns are at approximately diametrically opposite positions.
14. The paper sheet storage unit of claim 11 wherein the guide
members are flat plate-like members and have a sector shape with
the abutment surface being part of an inwardly extending portion
located in the plane of the guide members; the rings are flat
plate-like members; and two guide members are located on opposite
sides of and closely adjacent to each ring member.
15. The paper sheet storage unit of claim 11 further having means
including an endless belt at the receptacle for receiving currency
sheets and for delivering the currency sheets to the tangential
opening of said inner slot;
a first roller mounted for rotation on said rings and adapted to
engage said endless belt as currency sheets are being fed into said
inner slot, said roller being mounted for resilient movement in a
radial direction relative to the rotational axis of said rings;
and
a second roller mounted for rotation parallel to the axis of
rotation of said rings and guiding said endless belt to the
tangential opening for the inner slot, said second roller being
located so that a line intersecting the axis of said first and
second rollers passes behind the tangential opening of said inner
slot, and said second roller being located above the tangential
exit opening for said outer slot when said rings are positioned for
receiving currency sheets.
16. The paper sheet storage unit of claim 11, characterized in that
the levers mounted resiliently on the rotatable rings to have
abutment portions projecting beyond the outer diameter of the outer
slot are shaped so that when the rings are rotated in said first
direction, the part of the levers which projects beyond the outer
diameter of the rings is displaced resiliently inwardly radially
relative to the rings against said spring force so that in the
inwardly displaced position, the levers lie within the outside
diameter of the rings.
17. The paper sheet storage unit of claim 11, characterized in that
the inner slot which extends inwardly from the peripheral surface
of the rings forms a spiral.
18. The paper sheet storage unit of claim 11, characterized in that
the inner slot which extends inwardly from the peripheral surface
of the rings merges tangentially into a circular shape concentric
to the axis of the rings.
19. The paper sheet storage unit of claim 11, characterized in that
the rotatable rings each comprise a plurality of stamped-out sheet
metal portions.
20. The paper sheet storage unit of claim 11, characterized in that
the rotatable rings are injection molded from plastic material or a
light metal alloy.
Description
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for temporarily
storing sheets of paper of varying sizes, such for example as bank
notes or paper currency, for use with automatic vending machines in
connection with the selling of merchandise or services of
substantial value where payment by a plurality of sheets of paper
currency is contemplated.
In automatic vending machines which are required to store
substantial amounts of money, as for example in connection with
automatic ticket or petrol selling machines, it is desirable that
bank notes, vouchers or other types of paper currency which are
introduced into the machine be held temporarily during the course
of the transaction, in an intermediate storage region. This allows
time for the total amount to be paid and a request to be made for
the return of the money introduced. Return of the money previously
paid in may be desired either because the customer rescinds the
transaction and wants his money back, or perhaps because a second
or subsequent note inserted into the machine is assessed as being
unacceptable. This temporary storage as provided by the present
invention requires the storage of currency sheets which have
already been introduced, until this decision is arrived at, so that
the currency can be returned, or definitively passed into the
collecting receptacle.
Apparatus of this general type is disclosed in German
Offenlegunschrift No. 2,028,694, which utilizes a rotary drum in
which the periphery of the drum is, for the major part, surrounded
by two endless belts. In the space between the belts and the drum,
the notes are stored. The arrangement requires a plurality of light
barrier monitoring devices with corresponding logic circuitry, and
requires a fairly large amount of space for the return run of the
endless belts.
A generally similar storage device is also disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 3,162,439, in which rotary discs have slots which open towards
their outer periphery. Sheets or documents to be stored are
introduced into the slots in the discs by conveyor rollers
operating at a speed higher than the peripheral speed of the discs;
when the discs continue to rotate, the sheets or documents are
pushed into the slot in the disc, over approximately one-quarter
revolution of the discs, by means of conveyor rollers which slide
against the periphery of the discs also at a higher speed. An
abutment is arranged outside the conveyor belts, stops the sheets,
pushes them out of the slots, and deposits them in a sack. Such a
device represents a permanent storage arrangement, but does not
afford the possibility of returning one or more sheets of currency
which have just been inserted.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method
and apparatus for the temporary storage of paper currency for use
in connection with vending machines where the recently introduced
currency sheets may, at the option of the user, be returned.
Another object is to provide a novel storage device requiring a
small amount of space and being of low cost, which can temporarily
store a plurality of sheets of paper currency or bank notes of
different sizes for future delivery, either to a permanent
repository or to a currency return compartment.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel paper
sheet storage device having an inner slot greater in length than
the maximum length of any paper sheet to be received, an outer
independent storage slot that is concentric with the inner slot for
accumulating and holding several sheets of currency with means for
rotating the storage device in one direction to transfer a paper
sheet from the inner slot to the outer slot, and in the opposite
direction to transfer the group of paper sheets from the outer slot
either to a permanent repository or to a currency return
compartment.
These and other objects of the invention will become more fully
apparent from the claims, and from the description as it proceeds
in connection with the appended drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view in section taken along line A--A of
FIG. 2 of the storage device of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the storage device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an electrical circuit diagram of the motor and circuits
used for controlling the motor driving the device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an end elevation in section showing the drive mechanism
for the rings;
FIG. 5 is an exploded pictorial view showing the preferred drive
arrangement between a gear wheel and the ring unit employing a
spiral spring;
FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the ring unit and fixed guide
members showing the ring unit revolving in a direction to transfer
a currency sheet from the inner slot to the outer slot;
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the ring member
rotating in a direction to remove currency sheets from the outer
slot; and
FIG. 8 is a timing chart illustrating the relative times of
movement of the various parts in the storage device of FIGS. 1
through 7.
The document receiving and storage device of the present invention
includes a first endless belt 3 which passes under roller 4 and
around roller 5 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The insertion slot 1 for
a bank note 2 is between the belt at roller 5 and guide plate 11,
and a driven roll 10 together with belt 3 convey the bank note 2
into the opening 13 of the storage member. Each of the belts 3 and
3a may comprise three narrow individual bands which run one behind
the other as shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the guide rolls 6, 7, 8,
9 and 10 are also each provided in triplicate. Further deflection
rollers (not shown) are disposed on the left-hand side in FIGS. 1
and 2 and form a closed return path for the endless belts 3 and 3a.
In front of the conveyor roll 10 is a signal transmitter 10a for
indicating the entry of a bank note to be stored. The signal
transmitter 10a may be either a switch which is actuated directly
by the bank note as by way of a sensing lever, or any radiation
sensitive device in which for example a light beam is influenced by
the bank note.
A guide plate 11, which is arranged along the belts 3 between the
guide rolls 5 and 6, forms a passage 12 whose end is arranged
opposite an opening 13 of a slot 14 in a rotational storage member
which is shown in its starting position in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4. In
the described embodiment, the storage member comprises four
identical rings 15 having an outer annular shaped surface and three
spacer posts 16 which hold the rings apart and parallel to each
other. The spacer posts 16 are secured to mounting flanges 18 which
are mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis 18a between two
outside fixed plates (see FIG. 2).
Fixed guide plates 23 are located on opposite sides of each of the
four rings 15 as shown in FIG. 2. The guide plates 23 have a shape
similar to that of an annular sector and have an inner diameter
which is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the rings 15
to thereby provide a circular outer slot 24. The radial thickness
of outer circular slot 24 should be sufficient to receive several
bank notes placed one on top of the other. The thickness of the
inner slot 14 needs to have a radial thickness sufficient only to
handle a single bank note. Just beyond the end 13a of the inner
slot 14, when ring 15 is in its document receiving position as
illustrated in FIG. 1, the fixed annular guide members each have a
fixed abutment 26 which comprises a catch member 27 that extends
radially inwardly to a distance closer to the rotation axis 18a
than the end 13a of slot 14 in ring 15. The abutment edges 28 of
the catch members 27 serve to form the abutment for engaging the
edges of bank notes stored in slot 14 as illustrated in FIG. 6.
The two marginal plates 17 on opposite sides of the storage device
(see FIG. 2) are held together by the three spacer columns 29, 30
and 31 shown also in FIG. 1 (in FIG. 2 the spacer column 29 is
partly cut away). At positions determined by the location of the
fixed annular guide members 23, the spacer columns 29, 30 and 31
have recesses 32, 33 and 34 of a width corresponding to the
thickness of the guide members 23. Guide members 23 are provided
with two spacer columns 29 and 31 at their points of contact, which
lie approximately diametrically opposite to each other with respect
to the rotational axis 18a of the rings 15. Recesses 36 and 37 are
adapted to the diameter of the recesses 32 and 34,
respectively.
Opposite rollers 6 which carry belt 3, are rollers 19 which are
mounted on shaft 22 carried by rings 15. Rings 15 are provided with
slots 21 and springs 20 to allow rollers 19 to move in a radial
direction to thus be spring biased against belt 3.
The rotatable rings 15 are each advantageously formed from stamped
metal sheet portions, or they may be injection molded with a
plastic material.
The plates 17 are secured to the spacer columns 29,30 and 31 by
screws 50. To assemble the storage dsevice, only two of the
diametrically opposed spacer columns 29 and 31 are screwed into
place. Because the spacer column 30 is not then in the way, guide
members 23 can be introduced from the right, as viewed in FIG. 1.
While this is done, the guide members 23 are compressed inwardly to
such an extent that their recesses 36 and 37 engage with the
correspondingly shaped recesses in the spacer columns 29 and 31,
respectively. After the third spacer column 30 has been set in
place, the guide portions 23 are then finally secured in a fixed
position.
The rotatable rings contain an entrainment lever 38 shown in FIGS.
1, 6, and 7 which is mounted on a ring 15 for pivotal movement
about pin 38a and biased to its outward position as illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 7 by a suitable spring, as illustrated. The lever 38
has an abutment edge surface 39 that extends radially outwardly
beyond the outer surface of the circular slot 24, but which can be
forced inwardly by a bank note to the position as illustrated in
FIG. 6. Thus, the abutment edges 39 normally project beyond the
outside diameter of the outer slot 24, except when that part of the
entrainment lever 38 which projects beyond the outer diameter of
the rings 15 is displaced radially inwardly relative to the rings
15 against this spring force, to such an extent that a bank note
may pass over the outer edge of lever 38 while being transferred
from the inner slot 14 to the outer slot 24, as illustrated in FIG.
6.
In the region of the opening 25 of the outer slot 24, fixed guide
plates 40 having free ends extending into the spaces between two
adjacent guide members 23 and in the region of the rings 15 are
provided to deliver the bank notes from outer slot 24. A further
fixed guide plate 42, which extends over the entire width between
the plates 17, lies adjacent the lower ends of the guide members 23
and forms a passage 43 which leads over driven roll 46 to two
driven conveyor rollers 44 at the inlet end of a main money box 45.
The guide and directing plates 40, 41 and 42, the conveyor rollers
44 and 46, and the main money box 45 are not shown in FIG. 2. A
switching plate 47 is arranged between the ends of the guide
members 23 and the guide plate 41 on the one hand, and the guide
rolls 7 and the driven roller 46 on the other hand, and is mounted
for pivotal movement on a shaft 48.
Arranged between the outermost guide member 23 and plate 17 as
shown in FIG. 2 are drive gears 49 and 49a that are used for
driving the storage device rings 15 in either a clockwise
direction, or a counterclockwise direction, one revolution at a
time. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 a spiral spring 56 has its inner
end 57 fixed to turn with the cam member 58 which is attached to
turn with rings 15. The outer end 59 of spiral spring 56 is engaged
with a pin 60 of the last gear 49a in the gear train 49. For the
infeed of bank notes, gear 49a turns in the direction indicated by
arrow A. The cam member 58 is unable at first to follow the
rotation of gear 49 because a latch 61 engages an abutment surface
62. After gear 49 has rotated about 270.degree., a trigger member
64 with an oblique surface 63 engages and lifts latch 61 so that
cam member 58 begins to rotate also in the direction of arrow A. By
the time latch 61 is raised, the bank note has been placed in slot
14. As cam 58 and rings 15 rotate in the counterclockwise direction
as illustrated in FIG. 6, the bank note edge engages surfaces 28 of
fixed guide members 23 and is backed out of inner slot 14 into
outer slot 24 over the depessed edge of lever 38 as illustrated in
FIG. 6. During this process, an alignment of the bank notes that
may be obliquely oriented in slot 14, takes place. After one
revolution of rings 15, the bank note is positioned in the outer
slot 24.
As a result of the energy stored in the spiral springs 56 just
before latch 61 releases the cam member 58, the rings 15 follow the
rotation of gear 49a in the direction of arrow A. To prevent a
sudden high velocity rotation of the rings 15, a centrifugal brake
has been provided. Starting out from a gear 65 in FIG. 4, which is
mounted on the rotational axis 18a of the rings 15, two or more
centrifugal weights 68 mounted on spring arms 67 are put into rapid
rotational movement by way of a pair of gears rotating with the
rings 15. The weights deflect to the outside and brake the
rotational movement of the rings 15 on a brake drum 69. The rings
15 rotate continuously until the latch 61 again abuts against the
edge 62 of cam member 68, thereby stopping the rings at the
position illustrated in FIG. 1.
To remove the bank notes stored in the outer slot 24, the gear 49a
(see FIGS. 4 and 5) and rings 15 are driven one revolution in the
reverse direction as shown by arrow B in FIG. 5. The drive
connection is by contact between pin 60 on gear 49a and block 75 on
cam 58. As a result of the rotation of rings 15, the bank notes
stored in the outer slot 24 are pushed by the leading edges 39 of
levers 38 so that the bank notes are ejected through space 25 as
shown in FIG. 7 either under or onto switching plate 47 of FIG.
1.
When the removal operation occurs, belt 3 and 3a are drive in a
reverse direction so that the bank notes are fed over rolls 46 and
belts 3a to rollers 44. However, when switching plate 47 is pivoted
to the dotted line position as shown in FIG. 1, then the belts 3
and 3a are driven in their initial direction so that the bank notes
are delivered back to the customer at a bank note return
compartment.
Mode of Operation
A bank note 2 is introduced into the insertion slot 1 and actuates
the signal transmitter 10a which causes closing of the contact 51
shown in FIG. 3, which in turn causes energization of relay 52
having switch contacts 53 and 54. The electrical signal from the
signal transmitter 10a starts the drive motor 55 for the storage
operation which continues so long as switch 54 remains closed. The
relay 52 is held closed by a circuit including contacts 53 and
contacts 74 of normally energized relay 73. Switch 71 may include a
magnetizable leaf contact and be located adjacent magnet 72 which
is carried by gear 49a, as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the opening of
switch 71 interrupts the current flow to relay 73; the opening of
contacts 74 interrupts the current flow through relay 52; and the
opening of contacts 54 stops the driving motor 55.
During one revolution rotation of gear 49a, the bank note 2 is
passed between the conveyor rolls 10 and the endless belts 3 along
the guide plate 11 to the rolls 19 which run resiliently against
the endless belts, and pushed into the inner slot 14 until the end
of the bank note comes out from between the rolls 19 and the
endless belts 3.
During this process, a spiral spring 56 arranged in the axis of the
rotatable rings 15 is simultaneously being tensioned by way of the
drive wheel 49a (FIGS. 4 and 5). The end 57 of spring 56, which is
stationary during this process, is connected to the rings 15, and
the rings 15 are at first prevented from being rotated by means of
the latch member 61. When the gear 49a tensioning the spiral spring
reaches a given position, which ensures that the bank note to be
stored is satisfactorily inserted entirely into the slot 14, the
latch member 61 is mechanically released and a little later, the
magnetic switch 71 is actuated by way of the magnet 72 inserted in
the gear 49a with the temporary opening of the magnetic switch 71
stopping the drive motor 55. When the latch member 61 is released,
the rings 15 are rotated in the counterclockwise direction through
one revolution, as shown in FIG. 6, by the force of the spiral
spring. A centrifugal brake arranged in the interior of the rings
15, as shown in FIG. 4, restricts the speed of rotary movement.
After the beginning of the rotary movement of rings 15, the bank
notes have their end which was inserted first, placed against the
edges 28 of the abutments 26, and are pushed out of the inner slot
14. When this occurs, any bank notes which were possibly positioned
askew in the slot 14 are simultaneously aligned. After the rings 15
have carried out the rotary movement, the bank notes are in the
second outer slot 24.
A second bank note can now be inserted in inner slot 14 after which
a further rotary movement of the rings in the counterclockwise
direction occurs, thereby placing the second bank note in the outer
slot 24 on the inside of the first bank note. A plurality of notes
can be stored in this way.
The storage means is unloaded by rotating the rings 15 in the
clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 7. When this occurs, the bank
notes which are stored in the outer slot 24 are pushed out along
the periphery of the slot 24 by the abutment edges 39 of the lever
38 that is mounted to turn with the rotatable rings 15. When this
occurs, with the switching member 47 in the horizontal position
shown in FIG. 1, the bank notes which are pushed out of the slot 24
pass between the conveyor rollers 46 and the endless belts 3a which
pass them to the two conveyor rollers 44 and thus into the main
money box 45. This process takes place when a preceding check on
authenticity of the bank notes gave a positive result and the
correct amount of bank notes has been introduced into the vending
machine. If, however, the check on authenticity of the inserted
bank notes gave a negative result, or if the customer wishes his
money back before the whole amount of money required has been
stored, the switching member 47 is then pivoted into the position
shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. When the storage means is
unloaded, after passing through the opening 25 of the outer slot
24, the bank notes pass the guide rolls 7 between the two belts 3
and 3a which are moving in the same direction. The belts 3 and 3a
carry the notes to a return slot (not shown) which lies away to the
left of FIG. 1.
The resilient arrangement of the lever 38 on the rotatable rings 15
is required because the abutment surface 39 thereof must project
beyond the outside diameter of the outer slot 24 in order to remove
the bank notes when the rings 15 are rotated. When the rings are
rotated in the clockwise direction, the guide plate 41 serves as an
inclined run-on surface for the outer surface of the lever 38 so
that as the lever 38 passes the guide roll 6, it is pressed into
its inwardly displaced position. In the opposite direction of
rotation, the lever 38 itself is shaped to have the necessary
run-on surface.
The described drive of the rings 15 for the rotation necessary for
the storage of a bank note and with the use of a spiral spring and
of a latch, represents a preferred embodiment of the invention.
However, the drive of the rings 15 may also be accomplished in
other manners, such for example as with the use of a second
reversible motor. One of the motors may always run in the same
rotational direction and serves to drive belts 3 and 3a. The second
reversible motor, causing always one full rotation of the rings 15,
is put into operation either running forward or in reverse,
depending on the command of either storage or discharge.
The method of operation will be explained with reference to the
diagrams of FIG. 8. At the point in time I, a bank note is fed in
and as a result of the signal from signaling device 10a, the first
motor runs until the bank note safely left the conveying rollers 19
and 6 and reached the inner slot 14. At the point in time II the
second motor is switched on with a right-hand rotation, which
causes the transfer of the bank note from the inner slot 14 to
outer slot 24. The first motor is switched off. At the point in
time III, the first bank note is stored in the outer slot 24 and
the second motor is turned off.
Whenever a second bank note passes the signaling device 10a, the
previously described process is repeated at the points in time I'
to III'. Now two bank notes are located in the outer slot 24.
At the point in time IV, the return of the bank notes from the
storage takes place. Both motors begin to run, the second motor now
with the left-hand rotation. The bank notes are now discharged as
illustrated in FIG. 7 and are either returned or directed to the
tellers department 45. After a single revolution, the second motor
is turned off at the point in time V, and the first motor turned
off at the point in time VI.
Advantages
By means of stacking bank notes of different sizes, in accordance
with the above-described arrangements, the bank notes are aligned
in the storage device. The size of the storage device having a
capacity to store a large number of bank notes can be kept small,
which is important for vending machine installations. By virtue of
the mechanical positive control, no electronic means, apart from
the electrical pulses for starting and stopping the drive motor,
are required for monitoring or controlling the storage of bank
notes thereby giving a high degree of operating reliability.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms
without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics
thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be
considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the
scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims
rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which
come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are
therefore intended to be embraced therein.
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