GB2174369A - Sheet delivery apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for delivering small stacks e.g. of banknotes from a large stack e.g. to a sorting or counting system, comprises a hopper (2) for containing a stack of loose sheets, a transport system defining a guide surface (11) towards which the stack of sheets (3) in the hopper (2) is urged, a separating system (14) including a pair of plates (17, 18) insertable into the stack to separate a portion of the sheets from the remainder of the stack, the transport system also including means eg a ram (9) for moving the separated portion of the sheets along the guide surface (11) to a delivery position (1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sheet delivery apparatus There is a requirement by banks and other institutions which handle large numbers of banknotes and documents generally to be able to count and sort large stacks of sheets. The sheets may either be strapped into separate packs or simply loose. We have already proposed in our copending European Patent Application No.84308814.7 a method for handling the unstrapping of strapped packs of sheets but up to now loose sheets have been handled manually by being placed in small portions into a hopper of a sorting or counting machine.

One of the main problems with handling a stack of loose sheets automatically to obtain small batches of sheets is that, particularly with used sheets, the small batches are very difficult to remove from the remainder of the stack.

In accordance with the present invention, sheet delivery apparatus comprises a store for containing a stack of sheets; a transport system defining a guide surface towards which the stack of sheets is urged in use, and a separating system which is insertable into the stack to separate a portion of the sheets from the remainder of the stack, the transport system including transport means for moving the separated portion along the guide surface to a delivery position.

The invention avoids the problem mentioned above by providing a separating system which is insertable into the stack so as to relieve -the loading of the remainder of the stack on the guide surface.

Preferably, the store is in an upright position whereby the stack of sheets is urged against the separating system under gravity. For example, the store may be vertical. In other arrangements, additional means may be provided to urge the stack of sheets towards the guide surface.

It should be appreciated that a full stack of sheets comprising for example some 5000 large area banknotes would cause a considerable loading on the guide surface. The invention deals with this problem, as mentioned above, by providing the separation system.

In some examples, the apparatus may further comprise one or more additional separating systems, the additional separating systems being operable to separate sheets in the store into subsidiary portions. In these cases, the stack of sheets is subdivided into a number of portions thus distributing the combined weight of the sheets in the full store into several lesser forces.

Preferably, the or each separating system comprises at least one plate which may be inserted into and withdrawn from the stack of sheets in the store. With this arrangement, the stack of sheets may normally rest on the guide surface or on part of the transport system. When it is desired to extract a portion of the stack, the plate will be inserted into the stack of sheets so as to separate off a portion of the sheets from the remainder of the sheets which are urged against the plate. The small separated portion can then be transported along the guide surface by the transport means without being influenced by the remainder of the stack.

In one particularly convenient arrangement, the or each separating system comprises two plates offset from one another in the urging direction of the stack of sheets and which may be inserted into and withdrawn from the stack of sheets, the arrangement being such that one plate is inserted into the stack as the other plate is withdrawn. With this arrangement, the full stack of sheets is never fully urged against the guide surface or transport system. Normally, the stack of sheets will be supported by one plate which is withdrawn from the stack as the other plate is inserted into the stack at a position spaced along the stack to separate off a portion of the sheets.

This separated portion will, in the case of an upright stack, fall onto the guide surface or part of the transport system. The one plate is then reinserted and the other plate withdrawn so the stack returns to rest on the one plate.

In this way, the guide surface or transport system is never loaded by the full force by which the stack is urged towards the guide surface.

The separating means preferably passes through apertures in a wall of the store into the stack of sheets.

Preferably, a leading portion of the or each plate which enters the stack in use is adapted to enter a corner of the stack initially. This is important particularly in the case of used sheets such as used banknotes to prevent folding of the sheets and possible jamming taking place and where sheets may be torn.

The or each plate of the separating means could be inserted into the stack by lateral movement. Preferably, however, the or each plate is rotatably mounted whereby rotation of the plate causes the plate to be alternately inserted into and withdrawn from the stack of sheets. This rotary movement provides a convenient way of operating the separating system and also assists in preventing jamming due to folded sheets and the like.

Conveniently, the or each separatirig system further comprises a drive motor and control means for selectively causing the or each plate to be driven by the drive motor.

The transport system may define a movable guide surface such.as a conveyor or may comprise a ram for pushing the separated portion of the stack of sheets along the guide surface.

In order that the invention may be better understood, a preferred embodiment of sheet delivery apparatus according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic, perspective view, partly cut away, of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus with some parts omitted for clarity; Figure 3 illustrates a stack of sheets at various stages during a delivery operation; and, Figure 4 is a plan of the apparatus with some parts omitted for clarity.

The drawings illustrate a banknote delivery apparatus for delivering stacks of banknotes from a large stack of loose banknotes to a conveyor 1 which conveys the small stacks of banknotes to a counting or sorting machine of conventional form (not shown). The apparatus comprises a storage hopper 2 having a generally U-shape into which a stack of banknotes, for example up to 5000 banknotes; may be positioned in a generally upright direction as indicated at 3 in Figure 2. The storage hopper 2 has a backplate 4 integrally formed with a pair of side plates 5. A pair of slots 6, 7 are formed in a lower section of the backplate 4.

A transport system 8 is provided which is partially shown in Figure 2. The transport system 8 comprises a ram 9 which is movable through an aperture 10 in the lower part of the hopper 2 over a guide surface 11 defined by a table 12. The ram 9 is moved by a rod driven by a motor (not shown).

A separating system 14 is constituted by a clutch 15 which selectively connects the drive motor 13 with a drive rod 16 non-rotatably connected to a pair of spaced plates 17 18.

The plates 17, 18 are aligned with the apertures 6,7 respectively so that on rotation of the rod 16 the plates will in turn be inserted into and withdrawn from the hopper 2 through the backplate 4.

It will be seen in Figure 2 that the hopper 2 is inclined to the vertical so that the stack of banknotes 3 rests against the backplate 4.

Adjacent a lower portion of the hopper 2 isprovided a front guard 19 to prevent outward movement of the banknotes in the lower portion of the hopper 2. The front guard 19 is adjustable by means (not shown) to accommodate sheets having different short edge dimensions. In addition, an adjustable long edge guide 20 (illustrated in Figure 4) is provided within the hopper 2 to accommodate banknotes of different long edge dimensions.

It should be noted that the separating system 14 is situated behind the hopper 2 although it is illustrated in Figure 1 for ease of understanding this description.

The plates 17, 18 comprise half discs having curved peripheries 21, 22 and positioned so that in plan view they define a complete disc. In fact, the plate 18 is relieved at 23 on its trailing edge for reasons to be described below.

Figure 3 illustrates different stages in the operation of the apparatus. The clutch 15 is controlled by signals from a microcomputer associated with the main counting or sorting module to which the separated stacks of banknotes are fed. This is of conventional form and periodically outputs a "note demand" or "feed table empty" signal which actuates the clutch 15. Initally, the stack of notes 3 will rest on the lower plate 18 as shown in Figure 2. When the clutch 15 is actuated, the rod 16 will be rotated in a clockwise direction (as seen in Figure 4) so that the plate 17 enters the stack while the plate 18 is withdrawn from the stack. This is illustrated in Figures 3A-3C. After 1800 rotation, a small portion of the banknotes in the stack 3, for example 50 notes, will have been separated from the remainder of the stack and rest on the ram 9 (Figure 3C).

A second signal from the microcomputer of the main sorting or counting module then trips the clutch controlling the drive (not shown) to the ram 9 causing the ram to retract through the aperture 10 in the rear wall 4 of the hopper 2 in the direction of the arrow C. This allows the separated stack of loose notes to fall onto the table 12 (Figure 3D). After a small pause, the ram 9 is then advanced back through the aperture 10 and pushes the sepa rated stack of loose notes onto the conveyor 1. At the same time, the clutch 15 is actuated to cause further clockwise rotation of the rod 16 (as seen in Figure 4) through a further 1800. This further rotation withdraws the plate 17 from the hopper 2 and reinserts the plate 18 so that the stack 3 drops down onto the plate 18 (Figures 3(E) and 3(A)).

It is important particularly with used notes that for satisfactory operation of the separating system, the leading edge of the upper plate 17 makes initial contact with a rear corner of the stacked notes as shown in Figure 4.

It should also be noted that the notes are constrained against radial displacement during separation by the two fixed datum faces defined by the angle of the hopper 2 and also the lower front guard 19.

To ensure the optimum positioning of the half disc assembly 17,18 relative to differing note sizes in order to achieve corner entry into the stack of notes during separation, the adjustment of the lower front guard 19 in the direction of the arrow B is linked to the half disc assembly 14 to provide the correct corresponding movement in the direction of arrow E in Figure 4.

The reason for providing relief 23 on the trailing edge of the lower plate 18 is to allow the separated notes to fall clear of the remainder of the stack ahead of the leading edge of the plate 17 (Figure 3B) thus reducing the penetration forces necessary.

In a modification (not shown), one or more more additional separating systems are provided which may be mounted on a common shaft (eg. rod 16) with the separating system 14. Alternatively, the systems may be individually driven.

Claims (11)

1. Sheet delivery apparatus comprising a store for containing a stack of sheets; a transport system defining a guide surface towards which the stack of sheets is urged in use, and a separating system which is insertable into the stack to separate a portion of the sheets from the remainder of the stack, the transport system including transport means for moving the separated portion along the guide surface to a delivery position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the store is in an upright position whereby the stack of sheets is urged against the separating system under gravity.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising one or more additional separating systems, the additional separating systems being operable to separate sheets in the store into subsidiary portions.

4. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the or each separating system comprises at least one plate which may be inserted into and withdrawn from the stack of sheets in the store.

5. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the or each separating system comprises two plates offset from one another in the urging direction of the stack of sheets and which may be inserted into and withdrawn from the stack of sheets, the arrangement being such that one plate is inserted into the stack as the other plate is withdrawn.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein a leading portion of the or each plate which enters the stack in use is adapted to enter a corner of the stack initially.

7. Apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the or each plate is rotatably mounted whereby rotation of the plate causes the plate to be alternately inserted into and withdrawn from the stack of sheets.

8. Apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the or each separating system further comprises a drive motor and control means for selectively causing the or each plate to be driven by the drive motor.

9. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the transport system comprises a ram for pushing the separated portion of the stack of sheets along the guide surface.

10. Sheet delivery apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. Sheet dispensing appatatus comprising sheet delivery apparatus according to any of the preceding claims; and conveying means at the delivery position of the sheet delivery apparatus onto which the separated portion of the stack of sheets is transported by the transport means.