Method and apparatus for discriminating and counting documents

A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

• an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;
• a denomination discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of said currency bills;
• an output receptacle for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;
• and
• a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle past said discriminating unit and to said output receptacle along a transport path;
• said discriminating unit comprising a sensor, said sensor being mounted in a sensor housing, said sensor housing having a tapered entry guide for guiding bills traveling along said transport path to a position adjacent said sensor.

A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

• an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated, said currency bills having one or more denominations;
• a denomination discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of said currency bills;
• an output receptacle for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;
• a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle past said discriminating unit and to said output receptacle along a transport path;
• said discriminating unit comprising a first scanhead mounted in a first housing on one side of said transport path;
• said first housing being moveable between an operational position adjacent said transport path and a retracted position away from said transport path, said housing being moveable away from said transport path independently of said transport mechanism, said housing being biased so that said first scanhead is maintained in said operational position.

A currency counting and discrimination device for receiving a stack of currency bills, rapidly counting and discriminating the bills in the stack, and then re-stacking the bills comprising:

• an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated;
• a denomination discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of said currency bills;
• an output receptacle for receiving said currency bills after being discriminated by said discriminating unit;
• and
• a transport mechanism for transporting said currency bills, one at a time, from said input receptacle past said discriminating unit and to said output receptacle, said transport mechanism comprising a bill feeder for feeding in a first direction the lowermost bill from a stack of bills in the input receptacle to a first driven transport roll located upstream from the discriminating unit, the first driven transport roll transporting bills past the discriminating unit to a second driven transport roll located downstream of the discriminating unit whereby the first and second driven transport rolls are positioned on opposite sides of the discriminating unit, the first transport roll receiving bills traveling in the first direction from the bill feeder and changing the direction of bill travel so that bills are transported in a second direction toward the discriminating unit.

A bill transport arrangement having a short transport path for a currency denomination discrimination device having an input receptacle for receiving a stack of currency bills to be discriminated, a discriminating unit for discriminating the denomination of the currency bills, and an output receptacle for receiving the currency bills after they have been discriminated by the discriminating unit, the transport arrangement comprising:

• a bill feeder for feeding in a first direction along a first relatively flat transport path segment the lowermost bill from a stack of bills in the input receptacle;
• a first driven transport roll located downstream from the bill feeder and receiving bills traveling in the first direction along the first transport path segment from the feeder, the first driven roll driving bills along a curved transport path segment and then along a second relatively flat transport path segment thereby changing the direction of bill travel from the first direction to a second direction along the second relatively flat transport path segment;
• a second transport roll located downstream from the first transport roll feeder and receiving bills traveling in the second direction along the second relatively flat transport path segment;
• and
• a bill denominating sensor positioned along the second relatively flat transport path;
• wherein the first and second driven transport rolls transport bills past the bill denominating sensor in a controlled manner, the first transport roll thereby performing the functions of both changing the direction of bill travel and transporting bills past the discriminating unit in a controlled manner.