US 9,004,255 B2Granted

Currency bill processing device and method

AssigneeCummins-Allison Corp.

InventorsDouglas U. Mennie, John M. Mikkelsen, Marek Baranowski, Charles H. Cummings, Ken W. Maier

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Abstract

A currency bill processing system includes a transport mechanism that is configured to transport bills from an input receptacle along a transport path that extends generally horizontally past at least one detector. The transport path transitions generally-vertically upward between a first and a second output receptacle. The transport mechanism is configured to deliver some of the bills toward a first end of the system into the first output receptacle and some of the bills toward a second end of the system into the second output receptacle. The system provides access openings in a front side of the system that are proximate the first and the second output receptacles thereby permitting operator access into the first and the second output receptacles from the front side.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method of transporting bills from an input receptacle of a currency bill processing device to at least one of a plurality of output receptacles including first and second horizontally-offset output receptacles, the method comprising:

receiving currency bills in the input receptacle of the currency bill processing device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle along a first segment of a transport path past at least one detector, the first segment including a generally-horizontal portion;
generating data associated with the bills via the at least one detector;
transporting the bills from the first segment along a second segment of the transport path, the second segment extending in a generally horizontal direction beneath the first output receptacle, the second output receptacle, or both;
transporting the bills from the second segment along a third segment of the transport path that extends generally vertically from the second segment between the first and the second output receptacles;
delivering some of the bills from third segment into the first output receptacle;
and
delivering some of the bills from third segment into the second output receptacle,
wherein the bills are selectively delivered to one of the plurality of output receptacles based in part on the generated data.

6 more elements

receiving currency bills in the input receptacle of the currency bill processing device;
transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle along a first segment of a transport path past at least one detector, the first segment including a generally-horizontal portion;
generating data associated with the bills via the at least one detector;
transporting the bills from the first segment along at least a portion of a second segment of the transport path, the second segment extending in a generally horizontal direction beneath the first and the second output receptacles;
transporting the bills from the second segment along a third segment of the transport path that extends generally vertically from the second segment between the first and the second output receptacles;
delivering some of the bills from third segment into the first output receptacle;
and
delivering some of the bills from third segment into the second output receptacle,
wherein the bills are selectively delivered to one of the plurality of output receptacles based in part on the generated data.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/967,045Filed 14 Aug 2013 · continuation
Priority: 3 Mar 2010
Published: US 2013/0327686 A112 Dec 2013
Granted: 14 Apr 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B07C 5/34
Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or…:…
B07C 5/00
Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material
G07D 11/10
Devices accepting coins; Devices accepting, dispensing, sorting or counting valuable papers: mechanical details
G07D 11/16
Mechanical details: handling of valuable papers

Family

Application61/310,142Us provisional application · filed 3 Mar 2010
Application61/330,071Us provisional application · filed 30 Apr 2010
Application13/039,296Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Mar 2011
US 2013/0327686 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Dec 2013
US 8,544,656 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0215034 A1Published application
US 9,004,255 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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