Method and apparatus for stacking sheets such as paper currency

Abstract

A plurality of coplanar belt conveyors extend in parallel spaced relationship to each other to feed successive sheets to be stacked into a stacking compartment formed on the conveyors. Just upstream of the stacking compartment, one or more endless belts are loosely engaged about pulleys so as to provide free, deformable loops normally lying crosswise with the belt conveyors. Pressed by each sheet being transported by the belt conveyors, the free belt loops engage the upstream edge of an existing stack of sheets in the stacking compartment and raise same away from the conveyors, thereby permitting the new sheet to be fed under the existing sheet stack. The free belt loops can be subsequently withdrawn from between the sheet stack and the new sheet as the belts are revolved about the pulleys in a specific direction. In another embodiment the belts are nonrotatably supported, and a pullout rod extends through their free loops. The free belt loops are withdrawn from between the sheet stack and each new sheet in the stacking compartment upon movement of the pullout rod away from the belt conveyors.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.