Automatic teller machine

A dispensing mechanism, comprising:

• storage containing a plurality of flat items to be dispensed;
• a pick-up roller for extracting said items one by one;
• and
• a plurality of driving rollers driven by a drive motor and positioned to feed ones of said items which have been extracted by said pick-up roller along a predetermined traveling path to discharge them;
• wherein said pick-up roller is controllably powered by said motor, without any intervening friction clutch, through a linkage which includes a brake, and a gear linkage which is operable to be engaged or disengaged.

A method for dispensing currency, comprising the actions of:

• a) when dispensing is desired, engaging gears to mechanically transmit power from a motor to a pick-up roller which extracts items one by one from a storage location;
• and
• b) at the end of said step a), disengaging said gears, and braking said pick-up roller, while still operating said motor to drive a plurality of driving rollers to feed any ones of said items which have been extracted by said pick-up roller along a predetermined traveling path to discharge them;
• wherein no friction clutch is used for said engaging and disengaging actions.

A method for selectively transmitting the rotational driving force to the pick up roller in a dispensing mechanism, comprising the actions of:

• positioning a plurality of driving rollers rotated by a driving gear;
• engaging an idle gear with said driving gear;
• positioning a pick-up roller gear on the rotating shaft of a pick-up roller, said pick-up roller gear capable of being engaged with the idle gear for rotating the pick-up roller;
• and
• applying an external application of electric power to cause motion of an actuator rod, wherein said idle gear becomes engaged with or disengaged from the pick-up roller gear, resulting in the engagement and disengagement, respectively, of the pick-up roller, in response to the longitudinal movement of said actuator rod.