Media item transport
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorScott Winning
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining at least a portion of a media item pathway are disclosed. The apparatus includes a transfer module comprising shafts that are rotatable and spaced apart in a substantially parallel relationship. A removable module is located with respect to the transfer module to selectively locate spaced apart rows of protruding guide elements with respect to the arm elements. At least one arm element comprises an abutment member that moves with the arm element and abuts with an abutment region of at least one guide element when a respective shaft element is rotated. A portion of a media item pathway is at least partially determined via opposed guide surfaces of the guide elements and the arm elements.
Claims20
An apparatus for determining at least a portion of a media item pathway, comprising:
- a transfer module comprising a first and further rotatable shaft element in a substantially parallel spaced apart relationship;
- and
- a removable module that is locatable with respect to the transfer module to selectively locate two spaced apart rows of protruding guide elements of the removable module with respect to arm elements carried in a spaced apart relationship on the first and further shaft element;
- wherein
- at least one arm element comprises an abutment member that moves with the arm element and abuts with an abutment region of at least one guide element when a respective shaft element is rotated to move the arm element from a retracted position to an operational position in which a media item pathway is at least partially determined via opposed guide surfaces of the guide elements and the arm elements.
A method for determining at least a portion of a media item pathway, comprising the steps of:
- locating a transfer module comprising a first and further rotatable shaft element in a substantially spaced apart parallel relationship, with respect to a removable module thereby locating two spaced apart rows of protruding guide elements of the removable module with respect to arm elements carried in a spaced apart relationship on the first and further shaft element;
- as the transfer module and the removable module are mutually located, rotating the first and further shaft elements thereby moving arm elements carried on the respective shaft elements from a retracted position to an operational position;
- and
- when an abutment member that moves with at least one arm element, abuts with an abutment region of at least one guide element, stopping further rotation of a shaft element carrying said arm element thereby setting the arm element in an operational position thereby at least partially determining a media item pathway via opposed guide surfaces of the guide elements and guide surfaces of the arm elements.
An Automated Teller Machine (ATM), comprising:
- a safe housing that comprises a safe chamber for receiving at least one currency cassette and that comprises at least one media access aperture in an upper surface;
- at least one transfer module provided as an intermediate module secured proximate to a respective media access aperture;
- and
- at least one removable module comprising a lower module, slidable into the safe housing for supporting at least one currency cassette, or an upper module, slidable with respect to the safe housing;
- wherein
- a media item pathway determined for media items passing through the aperture is determined by guide surfaces of guide elements of the removable module and guide surfaces of arm elements of the transfer module that co-locate with respect to each other responsive to a mutual position when the removable module is located with respect to the first transfer module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.