Currency processing and strapping systems and methods

• US 7,600,626 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Klein, Robert J., Hallowell, Curtis W., Renz, Mark B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US10/460,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,315 Days
• Field of Search: 271/298, 271/176, 271 314- 317, 271256-259, 271/65, 414/789.9, 414/788.7, 414/788.4, 414/788.1, 414/789.6, 414/790.2, 209/534, 194/206, 194/207, 270/58.08
• US Class Current: 194/206
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 27/08 Bundling paper sheets, envelopes, bags, newspapers, or other thin flat articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1912 Banknotes, bills and cheques or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/001 Adaptations of counting devices to feeding of articles to machines B65H5/002
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/24 multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/20 Controlling or monitoring the operation of devices; Data handling
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/50 Sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/00 Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency

Abstract

A method and device for evaluating currency bills using a strapping unit that allows a currency evaluating device to automatically strap stacks of currency bills. Currency bills are placed in an input receptacle and an evaluating unit processes each currency bill one at a time. The currency bills are then transported to a plurality of output receptacles. A stack moving mechanism transports a stack of currency bills, which contains a predetermined number of currency bills, from each of the plurality of output receptacles to the strapping unit or a strapping position. Each stack of currency bills is strapped using strapping material.

Claims

1. A currency processing and strapping device for strapping a stack of currency bills, each bill having a respective denomination, the device comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive bills to be strapped;

an evaluating unit comprising one or more detectors adapted to retrieve information from a passing bill which is used to denominate the passing bill;

a plurality of output receptacles adapted to receive the bills processed by the evaluating unit, each one of the plurality of output receptacles having a stack limit which determines how many bills will form a complete stack of bills;

a transport mechanism defining a transport path between the input receptacle, past the evaluating unit, and the plurality of output receptacles, the transport mechanism being adapted to transport each bill individually along the transport path, the transport mechanism being adapted to sort the bills into the plurality of output receptacles based on the denomination of the bills as determined from the information obtained from the one or more detectors so that an individual one of the output receptacles contains bills having the same denomination;

one or more strapping units for strapping stacks of bills, each strapping unit being adapted to receive stacks of bills from more than one of the plurality of output receptacles, the stacks of bills being strapped after being placed in a strapping position; and

a stack moving mechanism adapted to move a stack of bills selected for strapping from any of the plurality of output receptacles to the one or more strapping units;

wherein the stack moving mechanism is a conveyor belt mechanism, comprising;

a plurality of stack carrying structures for transporting the stacks to the strapping unit; and

a conveyor belt adapted to support and move the carrying structures from loading positions to a strapping position, the conveyor belt being positioned proximate the output receptacles and the strapping unit.

2. A method for processing and strapping currency bills, each bill having a respective denomination, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a plurality of bills in an input receptacle;

transporting individually the bills from the input receptacle to a plurality of output receptacles;

determining the denomination of the bills;

sorting the bills into the plurality of output receptacles based on their denominations so that each output receptacles receives bills of only one denomination;

monitoring whether a complete stack of bills of the same denomination have been received in any of the output receptacles;

moving a complete stack of bills from one of the plurality of output receptacles to a strapping position; and

strapping a complete stack of bills that is placed in the strapping position, the strapping position being adapted to receive stacks from more than one of the plurality of output receptacles;

further comprising;

using a stack carrying structure to transport a complete stack of bills to the strapping position; and

using a conveyor belt adapted to support and move the carrying structure from at least one loading position to the strapping position, the conveyor belt being positioned proximate the output receptacles and the strapping position.

3. A currency bill processing and strapping system, each bill having a respective denomination, the system comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive currency bills to be processed;

a denominating sensor;

a plurality of cassettes;

a transport mechanism adapted to transport bills individually along a transport path from the input receptacle, past the denominating sensor, and to the plurality of cassettes;

a processor adapted to receive input from the denominating sensor, the processor being adapted to denominate the bills and control the currency transport mechanism to sort the bills by denominations into the plurality of cassettes;

a strapping unit; and

an interface mechanism adapted to receive a cassette, the interface mechanism being adapted to draw bills from the cassette and feed bills into the strapping unit.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising at least one storage receptacle for storing strapped stacks of bills.

5. A currency processing and strapping device for strapping a stack of currency bills, each bill having a respective denomination, the device comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive bills to be strapped;

a plurality of output receptacles;

an evaluating unit comprising one or more detectors adapted to retrieve information from a passing bill which is used to denominate the passing bill;

a transport mechanism adapted to transport bills individually along a transport path from the input receptacle, past the evaluating unit, and to the plurality of output receptacles; and

one or more strapping units for strapping a pre-determined number of bills, each strapping unit being adapted to receive bills from a plurality of sources;

wherein one source of the plurality of sources is at least one of the plurality of output receptacles;

further comprising a stack moving mechanism adapted to move a stack from one of the plurality of output receptacles to one of the strapping units after a stack limit has been reached for one of the plurality of output receptacles;

wherein the stack moving mechanism is a conveyor belt mechanism, comprising;

a plurality of stack carrying structures adapted to transport stacks to the strapping unit; and

a conveyor belt adapted to support and move the carrying structures from loading positions to a strapping position, the conveyor belt being positioned proximate the output receptacles and the strapping unit.

6. A currency processing and strapping device for strapping a stack of currency bills, each bill having a respective denomination, the device comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive bills to be strapped;

a plurality of output receptacles;

an evaluating unit comprising one or more detectors adapted to retrieve information from a passing bill which is used to denominate the passing bill;

a transport mechanism adapted to transport bills individually along a transport path from the input receptacle, past the evaluating unit, and to the plurality of output receptacles; and

one or more strapping units for strapping a pre-determined number of bills, each strapping unit being adapted to receive bills from a plurality of sources;

wherein one source of the plurality of sources is the manual placement of bills in an input hopper of a strapping unit.

7. A currency processing and strapping device for strapping a stack of currency bills, each bill having a respective denomination, the device comprising:

an input receptacle adapted to receive bills to be strapped;

a plurality of output receptacles;

an evaluating unit comprising one or more detectors adapted to retrieve information from a passing bill which is used to denominate the passing bill;

a transport mechanism adapted to transport bills individually along a transport path from the input receptacle, past the evaluating unit, and to the plurality of output receptacles; and

one or more strapping units for strapping a pre-determined number of bills, each strapping unit being adapted to receive bills from a plurality of sources;

wherein one source of the plurality of sources is at least one storage cassette of bills.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

a mechanism to attach a cassette to the strapping unit; and

a mechanism to remove currency bills from the cassette.