GB2182315A - Sheet feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Sheet feeding apparatus for feeding documents such as banknotes comprises a feed system including rollers (21,22) and a transport system including drive belts (25,26). The feed system (21,22) withdraws sheets from a stack (19) and feeds them to the transport system which then carries the sheets to an output position (42). A single drive motor (1) is provided which drives a transport drive roller (27), the feed roller (21) and a separation roller (22). Clutch arrangements using single direction free wheel clutches are arranged so that rotation of the motor in one direction causes rotation of the transport drive roller (27) and the feed roller (21) and separation roller (22) while rotation of the drive motor in the other direction causes the transport drive roller (27) to continue to rotate while the feed roller (21) and separation roller (22) are disengaged. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sheet feeding apparatus The invention relates to a sheet feeding apparatus, for exampleforfeeding documents such as banknotes orothersecurity papers.

In conventional cash dispensing systems, a two stage feed arrangement is provided. This includes a feed system driven by a feed motor for withdrawing banknotes from a cassette and atransportsystem driven by a transport motor to which the withdrawn notes are fed. The transport system then conveys the notes to an output position. It is desirable for the feed and transport systems to be separately driven so that the feed system can be stopped after each banknote has been withdrawn and fed to the transport system butthetransportsystem can continue to operate to convey the fed notes to the output position.

However, it is important to ensure that both systems operate at substantiallythe same speed since the banknotes are securely gripped by each system and if there is a significant difference in speed this could result in the banknotetearing. This requires that the two motors are accurately controlled. However, this leads to a complex system which is also relatively expensive to manufacture.

In accordance with the present invention, sheet feeding apparatus comprises a feed system and a transport system, the feed system being adapted to feed sheets in a feed direction to the transport system and the transport system being adapted to transport the fed sheets in the feed direction to an output position, the feed and transport systems being driven by respective first and second rotary drive members; and a common drive motor coupled to the rotary drive members via respective first and second transmissions, the transmissions being such that rotation ofthe drive motor in either direction causes the second rotary drive member to drive the transport system in the feed direction whereas the second rotary drive member is caused to drive the feed system in the feed direction only in response to rotation ofthe drive motor in one direction.

The invention considerably simplifies previous sheet feeding apparatus by providing a single, common drive motorwhich effectively continuously drives the transport system but only selectively drives the feed system. The condition ofthe feed system is very simply changed by reversing the rotation direction ofthe drive motor. Thus, when the sheetfeeding apparatus is used in a cash dispenser it is only necessary for a controlling microcomputerto control the direction of rotation ofthe single drive motor to control the dispensing of banknotes.

For example, if the microcomputer determines that one banknote should be withdrawn from the store, it causes the drive motor to rotate in the one direction so that both the feed system and transport system are driven bytheir respective drive members until a banknote has been withdrawn from the store. At that point, the microcomputer causes the drive motor to rotate in the opposite direction which will causethe transportsystemtocontinueto rotate in the same feed direction but stop the feed system from being driven in the feed di rection while the banknote isfed to the output position. If more than one banknote is to be dispensed this set of steps will then be repeated as necessary.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a sheet separation system mounted betweenthefeed system and the transport system, the separation system including a third rotary drive member linked with the common motorvia a third transmission, the third transmission being such thatthethird rotary drive member is driven only when the drive motor rotates in the one direction.

The use of a separation system assists in preventing more than single sheets being fed by the feed system to the transport system.

Conveniently, the transport system comprises a number of feed belts entrained around rollerswhile the feed system and, where provided, the separation system comprise one or more friction feed rollers.

Instead of feed belt, rollers could be used.

Preferably, each transmission comprises one or more single direction free wheel clutches such as Torrington clutches.

Preferably, the first rotary drive member comprises a rotatably mounted shaft, the first transmission comprising a first gear coupled with the shaft, a second gear meshed with the first gear and coupled with the common drive motor, and a first single direction free wheel clutch associated with one ofthe gears.

Where a separation system is provided, the third rotary drive member preferably comprises a rotatably mounted shaft, the third transmission including a third gear coupled with the shaft, the third gear being meshed with the second gear ofthe feed system.

Preferably, the second rotary drive member comprises a rotatably mounted shaft, the second transmission comprising a first single direction free wheel clutch coupled with the shaft and driven by the motorwherebythe shaft is rotated in responseto rotation of the motor in one direction, and a second single direction free wheel clutch coupled with another rotatably mounted shaft and driven by the motor whereby the second clutch causes the associated shaftto rotate in response to rotation of the motor in the other direction, and means for causing the one shaft to rotate in response to rotation ofthe othershaftwherebythe one shaft is always rotated in the same direction irrespective of the direction of rotation of the motor.

Preferably, the transport system includes a diverter operable either to cause sheets to be fed to the output position orto feed sheets into a reject path ofthetransportsystem.

In orderthatthe invention may be better understood, an embodiment of cash dispensing apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates the drive system ofthe apparatus; and, Figure2 illustrates the feed, separation, and transport systems.

The drive system for the cash dispenser is illustrated in Figure 1 and comprises a single drive motor 1 which drives a rotatable shaft (not shown) on which are rotatably mounted three pulleys one of which 2 is shown in the drawing. Drive belts 3,4,5 are entrained around respective pulleys driven by the drive motor. The drive belts 3,4 are also entrained around respective Torrington clutches 6,7 mounted on respective shafts 8,9 rotatably supported between side plates (not shown) of the apparatus. The drive belt 5 is entrained around an idler gear 10 mounted on a shaft (not shown) supported between the side plates. Alternatively, the gear 10 could be mounted on a stub shaft.

The shafts 8,9 carry non-rotatably respective meshed gears 11,12.

A shaft 13 is rotatably mounted between the side plates and carries a Torrington clutch 14 and a gear 15 meshed with the gear 10. Another shaft 16 is rotatably mounted between the side plates and carries aTorrington clutch 17 and a gear 18 meshed with the gear 10.

Rotation of the pulleys in the direction A drives the belt3 in an anti-clockwise direction which causes the clutch 6to engage so thatthe shaft 8 is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction, as seen in the drawing. This rotation ofthe motorwill also cause the belt4to be driven in an anti-clockwise direction butthe clutch 7 will remain disengaged so that no drive is transmitted to the shaft 9. In fact, since the shaft 8 is rotated this will be accompanied by rotation ofthe gear 11 and hence clockwise rotation ofthe gear 12 and the shaft 9.

When the motor 1 is rotated in the direction ofthe arrow B both the belts 3, 4will be driven as before but in the opposite direction. In this case, the clutch 6 will remain disengaged but the clutch 7 will engage. This latter engagementwill cause driveto be transmitted from the belt 4to the shaft 9 and hence to the gear 12 which will rotate in a clockwise direction. Clockwise rotation of the gear 12will cause anti-clockwise rotation ofthe gear 11 and hence anti-clockwise rotation of the shaft 8. Thus, irrespective ofthe direction of rotation ofthe motor 1, the shaft 8will rotate in the same (anti-clockwise) direction.

When the motor 1 rotates the pulleys in the direction of the arrowAthis will also cause anti-clockwise rotation of the gear 10 via the drive belt 5. This rotation will be transmitted to the gears 15,18 eausing the clutches 14, to engage so that rotation is coupled with the shafts 13,16 which will rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. However, when the motor rotates the pulleys in the direction ofthe arrowBtheclutches 14, 17will remain disengaged sothatthegears 15, 18will simply free wheel about the shafts 13, 16 which will remain stationary.

Figure 2 illustrates the feed and transport systems which are driven by the drive arrangement shown in Figure 1. Typically, the gear wheels, belts, pulleys etc ofthe drive system will be mounted laterally outwardly of a side plate while the feed and transport system shown in Figure 2will be mounted between the side plates (not shown).

The apparatus shown in Figure 2 includes a documentstack 19 which may be provided buy a conventional banknote cassette in which the documents are urged against an end plate 20 ofthe cassette. Afriction feed roller 21 is non-rotatably mounted tothe shaft 13 and engages a leading banknote in the cassette. Rotation of the feed roller 21 draws banknotes from the stack 19 into a nip of controlled width defined between a separation roller 22 non-rotatably mounted to the shaft 16panda contra-rotating roller 23. The effect of the nip and the contra-rotating roller 23 is to prevent more than one sheet being fed through the nip at the same time.

Sheetswhich pass through the nip arethen fed into a transport path 24 defined by a pair of belts 25,26 which are in engagement with one another along the transport path 24. The belt 25 is entrained around a drive roller 27 non-rotatably mounted to the shaft 8 and idler rollers 28,29 and 30. Each idler roller28-30 is rotatably mounted on a respective shaft extending between the side plates. The belt 26 is entrained around similarly mounted idler rollers3l-35.

A reject path 36 is defined between the belt 26 and another belt 37 entrained around idler rollers 38,39.

An output position is defined by a nip between the drive roller 27 and an idler roller 40 which may conveniently be rotatably mounted on the shaft 9.

A diverter41 is mounted at a junction ofthefeed path 24 and the reject path 36 and may be controlled by a microcomputer (not shown) to cause sheets fed along the path 24to be conveyed either two the output position 42 (as shown) or via the reject path 36 to a reject tray 43.

In use, an operator enters through a conventional keyboard arrangement the quantity of banknotes he wishes to have dispensed. Alternatively, this may be set by a computer. The microcomputer causes the motor 1 to rotate the drive pulleys in the direction of the arrow A. As previously explained, this will cause rotation ofthe shaft 8 and hence rotation of the drive roller27 causing movement ofthe belts 25,26. In addition, also as previously explained, the shafts 13, 16will rotate thus causing the feed roller 21 and separation roller 22to rotate. Rotation ofthe feed roller 21 will cause a sheet to be withdrawn from the stack 19 and be fed into the nip between the separation roller 22 and contra-rotating roller 23.

Continued rotation will cause the sheet to be passed into the transport path 24 and once the sheet is secure in the pinch of the transport system, which is detected by a conventional sensor arrangement 44, the microcomputerwill causethe motor 1 to rotate the drive pulleys in the opposite direction indicated by the arrow B. Thiswill immmediately disengage drive from the shafts 13, 16 and hence the feed roller 21 and separation roller 22 so that no more sheets will be withdrawn from the stack. However, the transport system will continue to rotate thus carrying these single fed sheets to the output position 42. If more than one sheet is to be fed, the microcomputer will then reverse rotation ofthe motor so that a further sheet is withdrawn and the process is repeated.

Ifforsome reason an incorrect feed is determined (eg. a double feed) after the sheet or sheets have been fed to the path 24, the microcomputer can cause the diverter41 to pass the incorrectly fed sheets alongthelrejectpath 36to the reject tray 32. Such a double feed could be sensed by apparatus (not shown) similartothatdescribed in EP-A-0130824.

It should be understood that although reference has been made to a single series of belts 25,26 and feed and separation rollers 21,22 a number of these could be provided side by side.

Further, the output position 42 could constitute a dispense outlet or simply an input to a further transport system.

Claims (10)

1. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising a feed system and a transport system, the feed system being adapted to feed sheets in a feed direction to the transport system and the transport system being adapted to transport the fed sheets in the feed direction to an output position, the feed and transport systems being driven by respective first and second rotary drive members; and a common drive motor coupled to the rotary drive members via respective first and second transmissions, the transmissions being such that rotation of the drive motor in either direction causes the second rotary drive member to drive the transport system in the feed direction whereas the second rotary drive member is caused to drive the feed system in the feed direction only in response to rotation ofthe drive motor in one direction.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1,further comprising a sheet separation system mounted between the feed system and the transport system, the separation system including a third rotary drive member linked with the common motorvia a third transmission, the third transmission being such that the third rotary drive member is driven only when the drive motor rotates in the one direction.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the transport system comprises a number of feed belts entrained around rollers while the feed system and, where provided, the separation system comprises one or more friction feed rollers.

4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each transmission comprises one or more single direction free wheel clutches such as Torrington clutches.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first rotary drive member comprises a rotatably mounted shaft, thefirst transmission comprising a first gear coupled with the shaft, a second gear gear meshed with the first gear and coupled with the common drive motor, and a first single direction free wheel clutch associated with one of the gears.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, when dependent on claim 2, wherein the third rotary drive member comprises a rotatably mounted shaft, the third transmission including athird gearcoupled with the shaft, the third gear being meshed with the second gear of the feed system.

7. Apparatus according to any of claims 4to 6, whereinthesecond rotary drive membercomprises a rotatably mounted shaft, the second transmission comprising a first single direction free wheel clutch coupled with the shaft and driven by the motor whereby the shaft is rotated in response to rotation of the motor in one direction, and a second single direction free wheel clutch coupled with another rotatably mounted shaft and driven by the motor whereby the second clutch causes the associated shaft to rotate in response to rotation of the motor in the other direction, and means for causing the one shaft to rotate in response to rotation of the other shaft whereby the one shaft is always rotated in the same direction irrespective of the direction of rotation ofthe motor.

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the transport system includes a diverter operable either two cause sheets to be fed to the output position orto feed sheets into a reject path ofthe transport system.

9. Sheet feeding apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. Sheet dispensing apparatus including sheet feeding apparatus according to any ofthe preceding claims; a sheet store associated with the feed system; and control means responsive to control instructions to control the rotation direction of the drive motor whereby single sheets are withdrawn from the store by the feed system and fed to the output position bythetransportsystem.