Sheet orienting apparatus using ball drive

A method of operating an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), the ATM comprising:

• a sheet driving system comprising:
• a sheet path, wherein sheets move in a first direction along the sheet path;
• a first sheet sensor and a second sheet sensor adjacent the sheet path, wherein the first and second sheet sensors are disposed apart from each other in a transverse direction relative to the first direction;
• and
• a first sheet drive mechanism and a second sheet drive mechanism adjacent the sheet path, wherein the second sheet drive mechanism is disposed apart from the first sheet drive mechanism in a transverse direction relative to the first direction, and wherein each sheet drive mechanism is selectively operative upon receiving a command control signal from a controller to change relative speeds and directions of movement of disposed areas of a sheet adjacent to the sheet drive mechanisms as the sheet moves adjacent to the sheet drive mechanisms in the sheet path, and wherein each sheet drive mechanism includes a ball rotatably supported in a fixture to drive the sheet along the sheet path, wherein the fixture has openings through which portions of an outer peripheral surface of the ball is exposed;
• the method comprising:
• sensing a leading edge of the sheet with at least one of the first and second sheet sensors to obtain sensed information;
• supplying the sensed information to the controller;
• and
• selectively actuating at least one of the first or second sheet drive mechanisms, using the controller, to change the position of the sheet relative to the sheet path.

A method of controlling a machine, wherein the machine comprises:

• a sheet path, wherein sheets move through a portion of the machine in a first direction along the sheet path;
• a first sheet sensor and a second sheet sensor adjacent the sheet path, wherein the first and second sheet sensors are disposed apart from each other in a transverse direction relative to the first direction;
• and
• a first sheet drive mechanism and a second sheet drive mechanism adjacent the sheet path, wherein the second sheet drive mechanism is disposed apart from the first sheet drive mechanism in a transverse direction relative to the first direction, and wherein each sheet drive mechanism is selectively operative to change relative speed and direction of movement of disposed areas of a sheet adjacent to the sheet drive mechanisms as the sheet moves adjacent to the sheet drive mechanisms in the sheet path, and wherein each of the sheet drive mechanisms includes:
• two motors;
• two drive disks, each of the drive disks being rotatably driven by one of the motors;
• a fixture;
• and
• a ball rotatably supported in the fixture with portions of the outer peripheral surface of the ball being exposed through openings in the fixture and frictionally engaged with the drive disks;
• the method comprising:
• receiving signals from the first and second sheet sensors at a controller, the signals being indicative of a skew in the orientation of the sheet relative to the first direction;
• and
• sending command signals from the controller to the first and second sheet drive mechanisms to selectively actuate the first and second sheet drive mechanisms to change the position of the sheet relative to the sheet path.

A sheet driving system comprising:

• a sheet path, wherein sheets move in a first direction along the sheet path;
• a first sheet sensor and a second sheet sensor adjacent the sheet path, wherein the first and second sheet sensors are disposed apart from each other in a transverse direction relative to the first direction;
• a first sheet drive mechanism and a second sheet drive mechanism adjacent the sheet path, wherein the second sheet drive mechanism is disposed apart from the first sheet drive mechanism in a transverse direction relative to the first direction, and wherein each sheet drive mechanism is selectively operative to change relative speeds and directions of movement of disposed areas of a sheet adjacent to the sheet drive mechanisms as the sheet moves adjacent to the sheet drive mechanisms in the sheet path, and wherein each sheet drive mechanism includes a ball rotatably supported in a fixture to drive the sheet along the sheet path, wherein the fixture has openings through which portions of an outer peripheral surface of the ball is exposed;
• and
• a controller configured to selectively actuate at least one of the first or second sheet drive mechanisms to change the position of the sheet relative to the sheet path responsive to sensing the sheet with at least one of the first or second sheet sensors.