Currency handling system having multiple output receptacles

• US 7,938,245 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Klein, Robert J., Hallowell, Curtis W., Jenrick, Charles P.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US12/643,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20100163366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 194/200, 194/206, 194/207, 209/534, 221/242, 271/180, 271/181, 271/157, 271/158, 271/149, 271/31.1, 414/790.3, 414/790.5, 414/790.8
• US Class Current: 194/206
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/332 Turning, overturning
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1912 Banknotes, bills and cheques or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/10 Mechanical details
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/13 with internal means for handling valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/14 Inlet or outlet ports
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for loading a plurality of stacks of currency bills into a currency handling device employing an input receptacle having a first paddle and a second paddle, each paddle being configured to urge one or more stacks of bills towards a front end of the receptacle wherein the relative position of the first and second paddles can be alternated as to which paddle is closer to the front end of the receptacle.

Claims

1. A method for loading a plurality of stacks of currency bills into a currency handling device, the currency handling device having an input receptacle configured to receive a plurality of stacks of currency bills, the input receptacle having a front end and a back end, bills being feed into the device from the front end of the receptacle, the input receptacle having a first paddle and a second paddle each being configured to urge the plurality of stacks of bills towards the front end of the input receptacle, the method comprising the acts of:

retracting the first paddle towards the back end of the receptacle;

placing a first stack of currency bills in the input receptacle between the first paddle and the front end of the input receptacle;

releasing the first paddle, the first paddle urging the first stack of bills towards the front end of the receptacle;

retracting the second paddle from a position in front of the first paddle towards the back end of the receptacle and behind the first paddle;

placing a second stack of currency bills in the input receptacle between the first paddle and the second paddle;

releasing the second paddle, the second paddle urging the second stack of bills towards the front end of the receptacle and into the back of the first paddle;

removing the first paddle from being in between the first and the second stack of bills thereby forming a combined stack; and

the second paddle urging the combined stack of currency bills towards the front end of the receptacle.

2. A method for loading a plurality of stacks of currency bills into a currency handling device, the currency handling device having an input receptacle being configured to receive a plurality of stacks of currency bills, the input receptacle having a front end and a back end, bills being feed into the device from the front end of the input receptacle, the input receptacle having a first paddle and a second paddle each being configured to urge the stacked bills towards the front end of the input receptacle, the method comprising the acts of:

retracting the first and the second paddle towards the back end of the receptacle;

placing a first stack of currency bills in the input receptacle between the first paddle and the front end of the input receptacle;

releasing the first and the second paddle so that the first paddle presses up against the first stack of bills and the second paddle presses against the first paddle;

the first paddle urging the first stack of bills towards the front end of the receptacle;

retracting the second paddle towards the back end of the receptacle;

placing a second stack of currency bills in the input receptacle between the first paddle and the second paddle;

positioning the second paddle against the second stack of bills so that the second stack of bills presses against the first paddle;

the second paddle urging the second stack of bills towards the front end of the receptacle and into the first paddle;

removing the first paddle from being in between the first and second stacks of bills so that the first and the second stacks of bills form a combined stack;

the second paddle urging the combined stack of bills towards the front end of the receptacle;

positioning the first paddle behind the second paddle.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the acts of:

retracting the first paddle towards the back end of the receptacle;

placing a third stack of bills in the input receptacle between the first paddle and the second paddle;

positioning the first paddle against the third stack of bills so that the third stack of bills presses against the second paddle.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the act of:

removing the second paddle from being in between the second and third stacks of bills so to form a second combined stack;

the first paddle urging the second combined stack of bills towards the front end of the receptacle.

5. An apparatus for feeding a plurality of stacked currency bills into a currency handling device, the apparatus comprising:

an input receptacle configured to receive a plurality of stacked currency bills, the receptacle having a first and a second side, a front end and a back end;

a feeder mechanism positioned near the front end of the receptacle, the feeder mechanism being configured to transfer the bills, one at a time, from the receptacle to the currency handling device;

a first rigid member disposed along the first side;

a second rigid member disposed along the second side;

a first paddle coupled to the first rigid member, the first paddle being configured to contact a first plurality of stacked bills;

a second paddle coupled to the second rigid member, the second paddle being configured to contact a second plurality of stacked bills;

a first resilient member coupled to the first paddle, the first resilient member being configured to bias the first paddle towards the feeder mechanism at the front end of the input receptacle; and

a second resilient member coupled to the second paddle, the second resilient member being configured to bias the second paddle towards the front end of the input receptacle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

the first paddle is pivotally and slidably engaged to the first rigid member; and

the second paddle is pivotally and slidably engaged to the second rigid member.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

the first paddle is coupled to the first rigid member in a manner such that the first paddle may move toward the front end and toward the back end of the input receptacle;

the second paddle is coupled to the second rigid member in a manner such that the second paddle may move toward the front end and toward the back end of the input receptacle; and

the first and second paddles are coupled to the respective first and second rigid members such that the positions of the first and second paddles may be varied with respect to which paddle is closer to the front end of the input receptacle such that the first paddle may be moved from being located in between to the front end of the input receptacle and the second paddle and being located between the second paddle and the back end of the input receptacle and such that the second paddle may be moved from being located between the first paddle and the back end of the input receptacle and being located in between to the front end of the input receptacle and the first paddle.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

the first paddle is coupled to the first rigid member in a manner such that the first paddle may move toward the front end and toward the back end of the input receptacle;

the second paddle is coupled to the second rigid member in a manner such that the second paddle may move toward the front end and toward the back end of the input receptacle; and

the first and second paddles are coupled to the respective first and second rigid members such that the positions of the first and second paddles may be varied with respect to which paddle is closer to the front end of the input receptacle such that the first paddle may be moved from being located in between to the front end of the input receptacle and the second paddle and being located between the second paddle and the back end of the input receptacle and such that the second paddle may be moved from being located between the first paddle and the back end of the input receptacle and being located in between to the front end of the input receptacle and the first paddle.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a handle attached to the first paddle and a handle attached to the second paddle.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

at least one track disposed in a floor of the receptacle, the track having a width;

at least one channel disposed in a bottom surface of the first paddle, the width of the channel being slightly larger than the width of the track, the channel being configured to fit around the track, the channel being configured to slide along the track; and

at least one channel disposed in a bottom surface of the second paddle, the width of the channel being slightly larger than the width of the track, the channel being configured to fit around the track, the channel being configured to slide along the track.

11. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first paddle is coupled to a first advance mechanism and wherein the second paddle is coupled to a second advance mechanism.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first and second advance mechanisms each comprise a tubular portion having an opening extending from a first end to a second end;

wherein the first rigid member extends through the opening in the first advance mechanism;

wherein the first advance mechanism is pivotally and slidably engaged to the first rigid member;

wherein the second rigid member extends through the opening in the second advance mechanism; and

wherein the second advance mechanism is pivotally and slidably engaged to the second rigid member.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first resilient member is a spring coupled to the first advance mechanism and wherein the second resilient member is a spring coupled to the second advance mechanism.

14. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first paddle has a bottom surface, the apparatus further comprising a roller attached to the first paddle, the roller extending slightly beyond the bottom surface of the of the first paddle, the roller being configured to roll along the floor of the receptacle as the first paddle urges the plurality of stacked bills towards the feeder mechanism and wherein the second paddle has a bottom surface, the apparatus further comprising a roller attached to the second paddle, the roller extending slightly beyond the bottom surface of the of the second paddle, the roller being configured to roll along the floor of the receptacle as the second paddle urges the plurality of stacked bills towards the feeder mechanism.

15. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the feeder mechanism comprises at least one stripping wheel.

16. A method for loading a plurality of stacks of currency bills into a currency handling device, the currency handling device having an input receptacle configured to receive a plurality of stacks of currency bills, the input receptacle having a front end and a back end, the input receptacle having a feeder mechanism near the front end of the input receptacle, the feeder mechanism being configured to transfer the bills, one at a time, from the receptacle into the currency handling device, the input receptacle having a first paddle and a second paddle each being configured to urge stacked bills towards the feeder mechanism, the method comprising the acts of:

retracting the first paddle towards the back end of the receptacle;

placing a first stack of currency bills in the input receptacle between the first paddle and the feeder mechanism;

releasing the first paddle so that the first paddle presses up against the first stack of bills, the first paddle urging the first stack of bills towards the front end of the receptacle;

retracting the second paddle towards the back end of the receptacle;

placing a second stack of currency bills in the input receptacle between the first paddle and the second paddle;

positioning the second paddle against the second stack of bills so that the second stack of bills presses against the first paddle;

the second paddle urging the second stack of bills towards the front end of the receptacle and into the first paddle;

upwardly pivoting the first paddle out of the input receptacle so that the first and the second stacks of bills form a combined stack;

the second paddle urging the combined stack of currency bills towards the front end of the receptacle;

retracting the first paddle towards the back end of the receptacle;

downwardly pivoting the first paddle into the input receptacle; and

positioning the first paddle behind the second paddle.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the feeder mechanism comprises at least one stripping wheel.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the receptacle has a floor, and the first and the second paddle each have at least one channel disposed therein configured to slide along a corresponding track disposed in the floor of the receptacle.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the first and the second paddle each have a handle attached thereto.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the input receptacle has a floor, and wherein the first and the second paddle each have a roller attached thereto, the roller being configured to roll along a floor of the receptacle.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the input receptacle further includes a first spring coupled to the first paddle and a second spring coupled to the second paddle, the first and second springs each being configured to urge the first and second paddles, respectively, towards the feeder mechanism.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the first paddle is coupled to a first advance mechanism and wherein the first advance mechanism is pivotally and slidably engaged to a first rigid member positioned adjacent to a first side of the input receptacle and extending from a position near the front end of the input receptacle to a position near the back end of the input receptacle and

wherein the act of retracting the first paddle towards the back end of the receptacle comprises sliding the first advance mechanism along the first rigid member towards the back end of the receptacle.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the second paddle is coupled to a second advance mechanism and wherein the second advance mechanism is pivotally and slidably engaged to a second rigid member positioned adjacent to a second, opposing side of the input receptacle and extending from a position near the front end of the input receptacle to a position near the back end of the input receptacle and

wherein the act of retracting the second paddle towards the back end of the receptacle comprises sliding the second advance mechanism along the second rigid member towards the back end of the receptacle.