Actuated castellation plate for a currency acceptor

A hook array for use with a bill acceptor comprising:

• a plurality of tree-shaped teeth forming restricted openings therebetween and positioned in a currency passageway of the bill acceptor, wherein at least some of the teeth are adjacent one another in a direction across a width of the currency passageway, partially overlap one another without contacting one another, and wherein the teeth are angled to trap a string-like member attached to a banknote within a restricted opening to prevent an extraction of the banknote from a currency storage assembly when the string-like member is pulled away from the currency storage assembly;
• and
• wherein the plurality of tree-shaped teeth are biased towards an open position and are configured to transition from the open position to a closed position to at least partially obstruct an opening from the currency passageway to the currency storage assembly and to prevent the extraction of the banknote from the currency storage assembly.

A currency acceptor comprising:

• a currency passageway configured to transport a banknote in a direction towards an entrance of a currency storage assembly;
• and
• a castellation configured to bias to an open state and transition between the open state that enables a transport of the banknote from the currency passageway to the currency storage assembly and a closed state preventing a first movement of the banknote from the currency storage assembly into the currency passageway, wherein the castellation is configured to transition from the open state to the closed state in response to a second movement of the banknote from the currency storage assembly towards the currency passageway.