Currency processing device, method and system

A currency processing device for receiving a stack of currency bills and rapidly processing the bills in the stack, the device comprising:

• an input receptacle positioned to receive a stack of bills to be processed, the bills having a leading edge and a trailing edge;
• a first stacking unit comprising a first plurality of output receptacles for receiving bills after the bills have been processed, the output receptacles arranged such that the output receptacles are laterally offset of the input receptacle;
• a second stacking unit comprising a second plurality of output receptacles for receiving bills after the bills have been processed, the output receptacles arranged such that the output receptacles are laterally offset of the input receptacle and the first plurality of output receptacles;
• a transport mechanism adapted to transport the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to the output receptacles while maintaining the same edge of a bill as leading throughout the transportation of the bill between the input and output receptacles;
• a discriminating unit comprising at least one detector positioned between the input receptacle and the output receptacles, the detector generating at least one output signal used to count and to determine the denomination of the bills;
• and
• a housing for the input receptacle, plurality of output receptacles, transport mechanism, and discrimination unit, the housing having a front side, a back side, a right side and a left side;
• wherein the first plurality of output receptacles is hingedly connected to a side of the housing, and the discriminating unit is slidably moveable away from the front side and the back side of the housing towards a front of the device.

A method for rapidly moving currency bills from a stack of bills placed in an input receptacle of a currency processing device to a stacking unit having a plurality of output receptacles laterally offset from the input receptacle in the device for creating a stack of a pre-determined number of currency bills of a particular denomination, the method comprising the acts of:

• removing bills from the stack one at a time;
• moving the bills removed from the stack away from the input receptacle along a first transport path;
• examining the bills, including counting and denominating the bills;
• rotating the bills approximately 90° around an axis extending approximately orthogonally through the leading and trailing edges of the bills;
• and
• moving the rotated bills laterally along a second transport path in the direction in which the output receptacles are offset from the input receptacle;
• rotating the bills a second time approximately 90° around an axis extending approximately orthogonally through the leading and trailing edges of the bills so that the bills are aligned to the stacking unit;
• delivering the bills to the output receptacles laterally offset from the input receptacle along a third transport path based on the act of examining;
• tracking the number of bills delivered to an output receptacle corresponding to a particular denomination;
• wherein, upon the act of tracking reaching a pre-determined number of currency bills;
• a) halting the removing of bills from the stack when the act of examining indicates the pre-determined number of bills of the particular denomination is reached;
• b) determining the location of any additional bills of the particular denomination in the transport paths after the act of halting of the act of removing from the stack;
• c) transporting the bills in the transport paths between the pre-determined number of bills of the particular denomination and the first additional bill of the particular denomination to the output receptacles after the act of halting;
• d) stopping the act of transporting of bills in the transport paths before the first additional bill of the particular denomination is delivered to an output receptacle.

A method for rapidly moving currency bills from a stack of bills placed in an input receptacle of a currency processing device to a stacking unit having a plurality of output receptacles laterally offset from the input receptacle in the device for creating a stack of a pre-determined number of currency bills of a particular denomination, the method comprising the acts of:

• removing bills from the stack one at a time;
• moving the bills removed from the stack away from the input receptacle along a first transport path;
• examining the bills, including counting and denominating the bills;
• rotating the bills approximately 90° around an axis extending approximately orthogonally through the leading and trailing edges of the bills;
• and
• moving the rotated bills laterally along a second transport path in the direction in which the output receptacles are offset from the input receptacle;
• rotating the bills a second time approximately 90° around an axis extending approximately orthogonally through the leading and trailing edges of the bills so that the bills are aligned to the stacking unit;
• delivering the bills to the output receptacles laterally offset from the input receptacle along a third transport path based on the act of examining;
• tracking the number of bills delivered to an output receptacle corresponding to a particular denomination until a bill n corresponding to the pre-determined number of bills of the particular denomination is delivered;
• wherein, upon the act of tracking reaching bill n;
• a) halting the act of removing from the stack when the act of examining indicates bill n is reached;
• b) determining the location of a bill n+x corresponding to a first additional bill of the particular denomination in the transport paths after the act of halting of the act of removing from the stack;
• c) transporting the bills in the transport paths between the bill n and the bill n+x to the output receptacles after the act of halting;
• d) stopping the act of transporting of bills in the transport paths before bill n+x is delivered to an output receptacle.