Stacker apparatus
AssigneeMars, Incorporated
InventorJohn Zouzoulas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved banknote stacker is described which provides a high level of flexibility and a high degree of stacking efficiency with a reduced level of jams and crumpled banknotes. In one embodiment the improved banknote stacker includes upper and lower housings having molded fingers and slots for interconnection with a banknote validator, banknote transport apparatus including a self adjusting belt-pulley arrangement, a prestorage compartment, a banknote pusher having a home sensing arrangement which allows it to be controlled using a simple open-loop control, and a banknote magazine for storing stacked banknotes and providing ready access to the stacked banknotes.
Claims30
An improved banknote stacker for use with a separate banknote validator having a drive means and a banknote output, said banknote stacker comprising
- a banknote magazine for storage of facially stacked banknotes;
- a prestorage compartment;
- a pusher means for pushing a banknote in a direction perpendicular to a face of said banknote from said prestorage compartment into said banknote magazine;
- banknote receiving means defining an initial banknote passageway within said banknote stacker, for receiving banknotes edgewise and one at a time from said banknote validator;
- and
- banknote transporting means for transporting banknotes edgewise from the banknote receiving means to said prestorage compartment;
- wherein the improvement comprises:
- said banknote receiving means comprising passageway walls defining said initial banknote passageway;
- interconnection means for aligning said banknote receiving means with the banknote output of said banknote validator to form a smooth and uninterrupted passageway wall surface from the banknote output of the banknote validator to the initial banknote passageway of the banknote stacker;
- said banknote transporting means engaging the drive means of said banknote validator and providing substantially continuous positive contact control over banknotes from the output of the banknote validator to the prestorage compartment of the banknote stacker whereby the leading edge of said banknote is substantially prevented from jamming;
- and
- said interconnection means and said banknote transporting means are readily disconnectable from said banknote validator.
An improved banknote stacker for use with a separate banknote validator having a drive means and a banknote output, said banknote stacker comprising
- a banknote magazine for storage of facially stacked banknotes;
- a prestorage compartment;
- a pusher means for pushing a banknote in a direction perpendicular to a face of said banknote from said prestorage compartment into said banknote magazine;
- banknote receiving means defining a banknote passageway within said banknote stacker, for receiving banknotes edgewise and one at a time from said banknote validator and conveying banknotes edgewise to said prestorage compartment;
- wherein the improvement comprises:
- interconnection means having at least one finger and at least one slot which mesh with a corresponding finger and slot at the validator banknote output along the path traversed by the leading edge of the banknote for aligning said banknote receiving means with the banknote output of said banknote validator to form a smooth and uninterrupted passageway wall surface from the banknote output of the banknote validator to the initial banknote passageway of the banknote stacker.
An improved banknote stacker for use with a separate banknote validator having a banknote output, said banknote stacker comprising
- a banknote storage compartment for storage of banknotes;
- a pusher means for pushing a banknote in a direction perpendicular to a face of said banknote into said banknote storage compartment;
- banknote positioning means for receiving banknotes from said banknote validator and positioning banknotes in a position relative to the pusher means;
- wherein the improvement comprises:
- said pusher means comprising a cam for driving a scissors arrangement;
- and a position sensing means for sensing the position of the scissors arrangement;
- said cam having a first cam surface and a second cam surface, the first cam surface driving the scissors arrangement, and the second cam surface operating the position sensing means.
An improved banknote stacker for use with a separate banknote validator having a drive means and a banknote output, said banknote stacker comprising
- a banknote storage compartment;
- a pusher means for pushing a banknote in a direction perpendicular to a face of said banknote into said banknote storage compartment;
- banknote receiving means defining the initial banknote passageway within said banknote stacker, for receiving banknotes edgewise and one at a time from said banknote validator;
- and
- banknote transporting means for transporting banknotes edgewise from the banknote receiving means to said banknote storage compartment;
- said banknote transporting means comprising a self-adjusting belt-pulley banknote transporting means which engages the drive means of said banknote validator and provides substantially continuous positive contact control over banknotes from the output of the banknote validator to the banknote storage compartment whereby the leading edge of said banknote is substantially prevented from jamming;
- and
- said banknote transporting means being readily disconnectable from said banknote validator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.