Cash handling system
AssigneeAirtube Technologies Limited
InventorsGraham Siddle, Andrew Hawkes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a system for transporting a sheaf of notes from a storage location to a dispensing outlet. The system comprises a conveyor apparatus, a carrier within which the sheaf is transported through the conveyor apparatus, and an extractor for removing the sheaf from the carrier. The carrier comprises a resiliently biased gripper for gripping the sheaf with a first gripping force. The extractor comprises an extraction gripping device configured to grip the sheaf with a second gripping force, which is greater than the first gripping force.
Claims28
A carrier for transporting a sheaf of notes through a conveyor, the carrier comprising a gripper having a pair of substantially parallel gripper plates moveable towards one another for gripping the sheaf, and
- a biasing arrangement configured to bias the gripper plates towards one another with a predetermined gripping force,
- wherein the gripper plates are shaped so that a portion of the sheaf is not gripped between the plates thereby permitting extraction of the sheaf by an extractor gripping the sheaf at said portion with a force that is greater than the predetermined gripping force.
A cash dispensing system comprising:
- an automatic teller machine (ATM) having an outlet through which bank notes are dispensed to customers and a local storage unit for storing the bank notes;
- a pneumatic tube conveyor system adapted to convey a carrier from a remote storage location to the ATM, wherein the carrier comprises a gripper mechanism that grips a sheaf of banknotes in the carrier;
- a pick-and-place mechanism for removing bank notes from the carrier and depositing the bank notes for storage in the local storage unit;
- and
- a software system controlling operation of the pneumatic tube conveyor system and the pick-and-place mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.