Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6325370
-
Patent Number
6,325,370
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, January 19, 200025 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 4, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Ellis; Christopher P.
- Ridley; Richard
Agents
- Shlesinger, Fitzsimmons & Shlesinger
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 902 8
- 902 9
- 902 12
- 902 13
- 902 16
- 902 17
- 271 207
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
The automatic banknote selection and delivery safe consists of an armored boxed frame in one upper zone of which is mounted a first banknote acceptance device from which departs a first banknote grasping and conveyance means paths towards a first screening station thereof with associated detection means followed by a second station for sight sensing of the banknotes collected and alternate sending to a restitution door or to a third station of withdrawal from said first path and routing towards an underlying second path of sorting in a containment storage unit divided in preselectable modular tanks with there being provided inspection means for the correct positioning of the banknotes, removable cartridge means for accumulation of banknotes and at least one door directly opening on the exterior equipped with the usual electronic selection means for access to the automatic banknote delivery.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic banknote selection and delivery safe.
In banks the requirement to solve if not in a final at least in an acceptable manner the problem of safety which develops because of the daily handling of high quantities of money in the form of banknotes is still pressing.
At present there are installed various devices and barriers which select at the entrance the patrons and customers by having them pass through barriers detecting metals and similar materials with which arms could be constructed and which could be hidden under the clothing.
Even the various individual cash desks are equipped with safety devices designed to prevent robbery or to start operating upon the slightest threat thereof.
Despite these contrivances, although of a rather sophisticated nature, it still happens with considerable frequency that robbers and the ill-intentioned take aim at banks for their illegal actions, even using hostages found on site at the moment and carrying out the robbery while threatening the safety thereof.
In addition to this problem which is already significant in itself, there is a second related to the professional activity of the cashiers who are daily forced to carry out repeated and extenuating counts substantially by hand of a large number of banknotes for each withdrawal or deposit to be made.
This repetitiveness negatively influences the level of attention and concentration of those assigned who might, because of this, make counting errors, creating troublesome conflict situations, especially with the customer and to solve which it is often necessary to have recourse to mediated settlements which, in fact, satisfy neither the bank nor even less the customer who retains the doubt that he has been tricked due to an error to say the least not made personally.
At this time there are produced and used some safes which permit automatic collection or delivery of the banknotes at each accounting operation to be carried out. But the entire operational cycle takes place within a closed and of course armored casing whose operational members are controlled and commanded by a cashier of the bank by means of a computer.
While representing considerable progress whether for the safety solution, such known safes being not removable from their place of installation, or in aid to the manual nature of the cash operations, there remains still totally unresolved the problem concerning the component of distrust by the customers for whom it is absolutely impossible to verify agreement of the amount deposited and the amount actually collected by the machine. Just think for example of an accidental overlapping of banknotes which are received as though they were only one while in reality they are two or more.
Any protest and complaint by the customer cannot find direct corroboration and therefore satisfaction by the cashier who performs the operation because not even in this case is it possible to verify, at least in real time, whether the complained of error occurred or not.
Lastly, known safes cannot offer a banknote distribution function directly to customers without the personal intervention of the cashier.
Lastly, the supplying of banknotes in known safes takes place with the intervention of a trusted employee, in general a member of a security service who must materially open the safes to gain access to the internal storage space. This is normally made up of a series of parallel boxes in which are accumulated the banknotes divided by denomination and which are withdrawn and replaced in both resupply and withdrawal operations.
In conclusion the employee can always accede directly to the money with all the risks which this implies.
In addition to this the above mentioned replacement operation, considerably costly for the bank, takes place sometimes even if the above mentioned tanks are not completely empty, increasing overhead costs.
Another problem with known safes is that if the electronic apparatus which controls their operation detects some anomalies during performance of the monetary operations, e.g. accidental overlapping of banknotes, the operations are canceled totally, requiring for the performance thereof complete repetition of all the procedural steps and causing a considerable loss of operational time and the need to have available a larger quantity of banknotes.
The general purpose of the present invention is to remedy the above mentioned shortcomings of the prior art by making available an automatic banknote selection and delivery safe permitting verification in real time of the agreement of each accounting operation with the number and denomination of banknotes handled for each operation to avoid the risk of unpleasant differences between customers and cashiers and possibly canceling the doubtful operation and restoring the collected banknotes.
Another purpose of the present invention is to make available an automatic banknote selection and delivery safe of the greatest safety while allowing with each withdrawal or supply operation by employees without providing direct access to the interior thereof.
Another purpose of the present invention is to make available an automatic banknote selection and delivery safe permitting distribution of sums of money without requiring the direct presence of an assigned operator, possibly with the employment of usual electronic access code recognition means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This and other purposes are achieved by an automatic banknote selection and delivery safe characterized in that it consists of an armored boxed frame in one upper zone of which is mounted a first banknote acceptance device from which departs a first banknote grasping and conveyance means path towards a first screening station thereof with associated detection means followed by a second station for sight sensing of the banknotes collected and alternate sending to a restitution door or to a third withdrawal station from said first path and routing towards an underlying second path of sorting in a containment storage unit divided in preselectable modular tanks with there being provided inspection means for the correct positioning of the banknotes, removable cartridge means for accumulation of banknotes and at least one door directly opening on the exterior equipped with the usual electronic selection means for access to automatic banknote delivery.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To clarify the explanation of the innovative principles of the present invention and its advantages compared with the prior art there is described below with the aid of the annexed drawings a possible embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example applying said principles. In the drawings:
FIG. 1
shows from the side a section plane of the safe in accordance with the present invention,
FIG. 2
shows in slightly larger scale a section plane of the upper zone of the safe,
FIG. 3
shows the view of
FIG. 2
from the side,
FIG. 4
shows from above in enlarged detail a second station for sight sensing of the banknotes collected and a third station for withdrawal and routing of the banknotes from a first path to a second path underlying,
FIG. 5
shows a side view in enlarged detail of a portion of a storage container and a contiguous zone for positioning of removable cartridge means for accumulation of banknotes,
FIG. 6
shows a top view in enlarged detail of a first banknote acceptance device, and
FIG. 7
shows an enlarged side view of a detail of the first and second stations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With particular reference to the FIGS reference number
1
indicates an automatic banknote selection and delivery safe consisting of an armored boxed frame
2
in an upper zone of which is installed a first banknote acceptance device
3
from which departs a first path
5
for means
6
of grasping and conveying banknotes to a first station
7
for screening thereof by associated sensing means
8
.
The first station
7
is followed on the path
5
by a second station
9
for sight sensing of the collected banknotes. From this second station
9
the banknotes, excepting anomalies as discussed below, are sent to a third station
11
for withdrawal from said first path
5
and routing towards an underlying second path
12
for sorting towards a storage container divided in a series of preselectable modular tanks
13
.
One of the above mentioned anomalies might be where some banknotes are recognized in station
7
as false or even only too worn and are sent directly to door
10
bypassing the second station
9
and therefrom gathered in a tank
41
a.
Along the first path
5
are also provided means
14
for control of the correct positioning of the banknotes and at the modular tanks
13
removable cartridge means
15
with the duty of accumulation of the banknotes. In the higher portion of the safe
1
is also provided a door
16
directly opening on the outside equipped with usual electronic selection means for access to the automatic banknote delivery.
The banknote acceptance device
3
comprises a vertical tank
17
with open top and connected with an inlet slot in the upper face of the boxed frame
2
and not visible in the drawings. In the tank
17
the banknotes are arranged on edge and it is equipped on one side with a window
17
a
opposite to a means
18
with alternating intervention for the individual and repeated grasping of the lead sides of the banknotes contained in the tank
17
and for insertion thereof in the first path
5
with predetermined cadence piloted by first sensor means
19
positioned immediately downstream of the individual grasping means
18
.
Downstream of the first sensor means
19
are provided second sensor means
20
designed to detect together with
19
the correct spacing of the banknotes. Both of these means
19
and
20
consist of conventional photodetectors positioned bilaterally with the path
5
.
The individual grasping means
18
consist essentially of a pair of rollers
21
and
22
with vertical axis and made of high adherence material. The rollers
21
and
22
are arranged side-by-side and a first roller
22
which is the driver is fixed axially while the second
21
is mounted to be movable laterally from a position separated from the first roller
22
to a position of contact with it. On the first roller
22
is wound a ribbon
23
closed in a loop on a third roller
24
which is driven. The active branch of the ribbon
23
is arranged parallel and contiguous with the window
17
a
for adherent contact with the banknotes and extraction thereof from the vertical tank
17
.
The grasping and conveyance means
6
consist, at least for the first path
5
, of pairs of powered tracks
25
and
26
which are arranged superimposed and mutually facing at different heights so as to be offset. Between these pairs of tracks
25
and
26
can be inserted the banknotes and the above mentioned tracks are closed in a loop on corresponding pluralities of rollers
27
both driving and driven which define the first and second paths.
The second sight sensing station
9
comprises delivery means, i.e. in practice a pair of spools
28
, of facing segments of transparent film
29
between which can be inserted the banknotes and drum means
30
on which can be wound said segments
29
incorporating the banknotes.
Downstream of the spools
28
are provided usual members for tensioning and transmission
31
towards point P of insertion of the banknotes between them.
The drum means
30
consist of a cylinder
32
with vertical axis supported on the boxed frame
2
and which rotates, being motorized. On the surface of the cylinder
32
can be wound in layers or unwound therefrom the segments of film
29
incorporating the banknotes. The diameter of the cylinder
32
is preset to support the complete winding of the banknotes collected with each deposit performed by a cashier.
The cylinder
32
is supported on the frame opposite a windowed wall in the boxed frame
2
not visible in the drawings which are transparent and designed to allow direct inspection of the banknotes wound on the above mentioned cylinder
32
.
Upstream of the second station
9
is provided on the path
5
of the grasping and conveyance means
6
a directional switch member
33
for sending the banknotes towards the cylinder
32
or towards a return branch of the first path
5
directly confluent in the banknote restitution door
10
and therefrom into a seat
34
contiguous with the tank
17
.
The third station
11
for banknote withdrawal from the first path
5
and routing thereof towards the second path
12
comprises a local spacer member
35
of the track pairs
25
,
26
for release of the banknotes and a corresponding underlying member
36
with rollers for grasping the released banknotes.
The local spacer member
35
consists of a pair of forked hammers
37
arranged across said path
5
and mutually parallel with spacing greater than the greatest dimension of a banknote. The hammers are movable alternately and operated by an electromechanical actuator
37
a
from an active contact and removal position with the distal pair of tracks
26
in a retracted nonintervention position.
Operation of the forked hammer
37
is piloted by a pedometer means
37
b,
in this case an encoder which is positioned upstream of the station
11
and is enabled at each banknote counting cycle by a sensor means
37
c
of the front edge of each individual banknote.
In greater detail, the roller member
36
for grasping the released banknotes consists of a pair of facing rollers
38
and
39
with axes parallel to the corresponding branch of the path. Vertically beneath the latter are joined by contact the mutual external surfaces of the rollers
38
,
39
at least one of which is fixed while the opposing one is rotating, motorized and movable from a contact and grasping position for the lower edge of each banknote and a diverging one to facilitate falling of the banknotes between them.
Immediately downstream of the banknote withdrawal and routing third station
11
is provided a section of the path
5
a
for control of the correct positioning of the banknotes, a section which flows into a bifurcation
40
with two alternative directions possible, a first one towards the underlying second path
12
and a second one towards a return branch
5
b
in turn divided in two directions, a first one which is directed to a purposeful tank
41
arranged contiguous with the banknote acceptance device
3
and a second one to a scrap storage container
10
b.
In detail, both the sections
5
a
and
5
b
and the underlying second
12
and third
48
paths together with the appendage
48
a
consist of a track made up of parallel guides all indicated by reference number
6
a
in the drawings and between which run the banknotes and into which creep pairs of entrainment wheels, also indicated by reference number
27
a,
until they make contact with the latter through openings provided.
The bifurcation
40
is served by a conventional switch
42
controlled by a pair of sensors
61
. Another pair of sensors
60
has the function of sensing the angular position of the banknotes coming from the station
11
and selecting those not correctly positioned in accordance with the translation axis and sending them directly to the above mentioned scrap storage container
10
b.
The modular tanks
13
are fixed and located in sequence along the second path
12
with the respective entrance sides controlled by switch devices
43
quite like the previous one
42
.
In addition each modular tank
13
consists in itself of a boxed body
44
in whose upper mouth is mounted a selector
45
with drum rotating by successive steps on a horizontal axis and having radiating notches
45
a
for insertion and counting of the banknotes. The selector
45
overlies a lower table
46
on which are collected and stacked the banknotes scrapped by the selector. The table
46
can be inclined as seen in the FIGS or have a chute for banknote issue which is in turn controlled by associated withdrawal means
47
and which deposits the banknotes on an underlying third path
48
for return thereof to the restitution door
10
a
to accumulate them in the tank
41
.
The above mentioned withdrawal means
47
consist of a series of cascaded roller pairs
49
facing each other and at least the first of which
49
a
has alternative movement between a configuration for passage of the released banknotes and one of interception and stopping thereof.
Immediately downstream of each pair of rollers
49
a
is provided another pair of sensor means
49
b
which sense any overlapping of the banknotes withdrawn from the tanks
13
. The third path
48
has downstream of the tanks
13
a set of switch devices indicated by reference number
50
and these also quite like the previous ones
42
,
43
for sending the banknotes alternatively towards the cartridge means
15
or towards the door
16
directly opening on the exterior.
Along the third path
48
and exactly along a rising branch
48
a
thereof is placed another sensor
49
c
which has a dual function, to wit, recognizing both any overlapping and the type and denomination of the banknotes transiting on said branch
48
a
coming from one of the cartridge means
15
. The above mentioned sensor
49
c
constitutes together with another sensor
60
placed downstream of the station
11
an example of activation of the inspection means of correct positioning of the banknotes.
The above mentioned cartridge means
15
consist of at least one pair of boxed containers
51
for the banknotes which are positioned one over the other and have respective controlled slots
52
for introduction of the banknotes or exit thereof.
These boxed containers
51
are also provided internally with means
53
for vertical conveyance thereof and on the outside with conventional means, not illustrated, of engagement with said armored boxed frame
2
.
In practice they are located on an accessible side of the frame
2
but separated from the modular tanks
13
of the storage container by an associated bulkhead
54
.
Between the boxed containers
51
and the second path
12
and the third
48
are placed corresponding connection lengths
55
made with the same grasping and conveyance means
6
a.
In detail, of the boxed storage containers
51
the top one
51
a
is essentially assigned to receiving the banknotes coming from emptying of the modular tanks
13
while the bottom one
51
b
is for feeding resupply of banknotes to restore the stock in the tanks
13
.
Operation of the banknote selection and delivery safe is fully automatic and managed by a computer usable e.g. by a cashier of a bank. Accordingly in the following description all the informatics members are ignored because normally known to one with average skill in the art.
When a cashier receives an amount of money in banknotes to be deposited he introduces the banknotes in packs on edge in the tank
17
through an associated slot made in the boxed frame
2
which covers the safe
1
coinciding with the opening thereof.
The banknotes which are the object of the deposit operation are first taken one by one by adherent contact with the ribbon
23
after intermittent operation of the drive roller
22
which lies in contact with the opposing one
21
and then inserted and held between the tracks of the pairs
25
,
26
which constitute the grasping and conveyance means
6
of the first transfer path
5
which carry them to the following first screening station
7
for good or bad recognition and for appraisal of a possible excessive state of wear.
A first pair of sensors
19
located downstream of the pair of rollers
21
,
22
senses the passage of the individual banknotes and the frequency thereof in such a way that it is held within the preset values in the electronic control logic and consequently also piloting the corresponding frequency of the repeated operations of the drive roller
22
and the withdrawal ribbon
23
.
A second pair of sensors
20
measures upon their passage the distance between the consecutive banknotes and pilots cyclic operation above mentioned of the drive roller
22
.
If a banknote is recognized by the sensing means
8
as false or excessively worn, when it is intercepted by the pair of sensors
57
located downstream the latter operate the shift
56
which goes into a configuration such as to direct the banknote or banknotes directly onto the return path
5
passing through the third station
11
until they reach the banknote restitution door
10
and completely bypassing the second station
9
. The rejected banknotes are then deposited in the storage unit
41
a
into which flows the door
10
.
On the contrary the good banknotes are diverted by the switch
56
towards the second sight sensing station
9
. In detail each banknote is sensed by the pair of sensors
58
and inserted between the segments of transparent film
29
which unwind progressively step-by-step from the spool
28
and wound together with the others on the cylinder
32
which, being located in direct view of the user even though through a purposeful window with safety glass and made in the boxed frame
2
, allows the user to visually observe the agreement of the number and type of banknote delivered to the cashier for the accounting operation.
The diameter of the cylinder
32
is such as to allow winding loaded with a large number of banknotes. Nevertheless if the number were such as to not be entirely loadable on the cylinder
32
in a single step the accounting operation would be divided in two or more consecutive periods.
If there is a protest during sight verification of the agreement between the banknotes deposited in the accounting operation and those collected by the safe
1
the latter are all expelled from the cylinder
32
and sent back directly to the tank
41
passing through the third station
11
. On the contrary if the customer and the cashier have verified together the correctness of the data the cashier commands continuation of the operation by means of his computer.
The segments of film
29
are then unwound from the cylinder
32
and the banknotes extracted therefrom. The segments
29
again wind onto the respective spools
28
.
The banknotes are sent at the third banknote withdrawal and routing station
11
towards the second path
12
underlying for sorting to the various modular tanks
13
in each of which are deposited banknotes of the same denomination.
In the third station
11
upon passage and sensing of each banknote performed by sensor means
37
c
which, with the intervention of the counting of the encoder
37
b,
guides its centered position and reads its longitudinal dimension and then the denomination to which it belongs, the pairs of forked hammers
37
intervene being spaced in such a manner as to be slightly outside the head and tail edges of each banknote. The hammers
37
push away, even if only in the zone involved, the pair of distal tracks
26
from the pair
25
to free the banknote from the clamping and let it fall between the underlying pair of rollers
38
,
39
appropriately separated from each other.
As soon as the banknote is between these rollers they close and rotate to extract it from the path
5
to send it onto the section
5
a
along which is provided the other pair of sensors
60
which verify the perfect axial alignment of the banknote.
If the alignment does not match the requirements of the electronic control the switch
42
arranges itself so that the banknote will transit from the section
5
a
in the direction of section
5
b
and reach the scrap storage container
10
b
located quite near the tank
17
. If alignment is satisfactory the switch
42
arranges itself so as to divert towards the underlying second path
12
the banknote which, depending on denomination, is conveyed to the corresponding tank
13
to which it was assigned at its previous moment of passage towards the sensing means
8
of the first station
7
.
In practice each banknote moving in the safe
1
is always locatable by the control electronics since both the pairs of tracks
25
,
26
constituting the grasping and conveyance means of the first path
5
and the pairs of entrainment wheels
27
a
are moved by motors having the usual precision counting means for the translation steps.
When a banknote is about to reach the mouth of the tank
13
to which it is assigned the associated switch
43
located upstream thereof arranges itself so as to divert the direction of the banknote towards the same upper mouth of the boxed body
44
opposite which is located the drum selector
45
. The banknote inserts itself in one of the radial notches
45
a
and the selector rotates to unload it on the inclined plane
46
on which it is accumulated with others until they fill the modular tank or tanks
13
.
If this happens and other banknotes assigned to the full tanks
13
are arriving, a predetermined number of banknotes are taken therefrom by withdrawal means
47
located underlying the table
46
and therefrom are input onto the third path
48
by which they reach the switch
50
which arranges itself so as to divert these excess banknotes inside at least one of the boxed storage containers
51
, in this case the upper one.
Inside the latter the means
53
for vertical conveyance receive the banknotes by lowering progressively by one step for each of them.
If the cashier in a subsequent operation should make a money withdrawal, entering in the computer in addition to the total amount also the denomination of the banknotes which the customer desires, the banknotes of the required denomination are unloaded from the various modular tanks
13
in which they are accumulated again with the intervention of the withdrawal means
47
which deposit them in succession on the third path
48
. Therefrom they are routed onto the rising section
48
a
and the switches
50
arrange themselves so as to direct these banknotes onto the second path
12
to reach the door
16
directly turned outwards and thence to the customer or towards section
5
b
and therefrom to reach the tank
41
from which they can be taken by the cashier and delivered to the customer.
In the step of withdrawing banknotes from the tanks
13
there is exerted by the sensors
49
b
an inspection operation. If there is a partial or total overlapping of banknotes the accounting operation is divided and not canceled as a whole.
The same thing takes place in the similar case of overlapping of banknotes coming only from the boxed container
51
b
and sensed by the sensor
49
c
located on the rising branch
48
a
of the third path
48
.
In practice to the scrap storage container
10
b
are sent only the overlapped banknotes and simultaneously the total counting of the banknotes involved in the accounting operation is stopped for the time necessary for removal of the overlapped and located banknotes.
The accounting operation continues then with the withdrawal of additional banknotes for replacement up to completion of the total number of banknotes necessary for the entire accounting operation.
Briefly the ability to divide the accounting operations permits considerable reduction of the time for banknote withdrawal, reducing at the same time the number of banknotes sent to the scrap storage container
10
b,
thus lengthening the time for emptying it.
When the upper boxed storage container
51
a
for recovery fills its banknote containment capacity, a bank courier service employee can remove it and replace it with an empty one, all without having even visual access to the interior of the modular tanks
13
which are protected by the bulkhead
54
.
If on the contrary one of the modular tanks
13
becomes empty, its usability can be restored by taking the missing banknotes from the other storage container
51
b
below. The bank courier service employee also resupplies full boxed containers
51
b
which automatically become accessible only when they are hooked to the boxed frame
2
.
From the resupply container
51
b
the banknotes are pushed towards the slots
52
by the means
53
, routed onto the rising branch
48
a
passing the screening of the sensor
49
c
which determines type and denomination. The switches
50
arrange themselves so as to divert the banknotes onto the second path
12
and therefrom to the interior of the tanks
13
either partially or totally unloaded already divided by denomination.
It is noted that the safe
1
is capable of sensing even any bad state of preservation of the banknotes by the sensing means
8
of the second station
7
. In this eventuality the bedraggled banknotes follow the same path as the false ones.
It has been observed in practice that the present invention achieves the preset purposes. The present invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variants all falling within he scope of the inventive concept.
In addition all the details are replaceable by others technically equivalent.
In practice the materials used as well as the shapes and dimensions can be any whatever depending on requirements without thereby leaving the scope of protection of the following claims.
Claims
- 1. Automatic banknote selection and delivery safe comprising a first banknote acceptance device from which departs a first path having means for grasping and conveying banknotes towards a first screening station thereof with associated detection means, followed by a second collecting and resting station of the banknotes collected and contained in a chamber provided with a window for sight sensing of the banknotes and alternate sending to a restitution door or to a third withdrawal station from said first path and routing towards an underlying second path of sorting into a containment storage unit and at least one door directly opening to the exterior and equipped with electronic selection means for accessing the automatic banknote delivery.
- 2. Safe in accordance with claim 1 wherein said banknote acceptance device comprises a vertical tank with open top connected to an introduction slot in an upper face of a boxed frame, tank in which said banknotes are arranged on edge and which has on one side a window opposite an individual alternating grasping intervention means for the lead sides of said banknotes on edge for insertion in said first path at predetermined cadence piloted by first sensor means.
- 3. Safe in accordance with claim 2 wherein said first sensor means are positioned immediately downstream of said individual grasping means by pulsed activation of said individual grasping means.
- 4. Safe in accordance with claim 2 wherein downstream of said first sensor means are provided second sensor means for sensing the delivery step between the banknotes.
- 5. Safe in accordance with claim 3 wherein said individual grasping means consist of a pair of rollers with vertical axis and of high adherence material arranged side by side with a first roller being axially fixed and a driving second with intermittent intervention interlocked with said second sensor means for sensing steps located in contact with said first roller with there also being wound on said second roller a ribbon closed in a loop on a driven transmission third roller with the active branch parallel and contiguous with said window for adherent contact with the banknotes and extraction thereof from the vertical tank.
- 6. Safe in accordance with claim 1 wherein said grasping and conveyance means consist, at least for the first path, of track pairs wound on associated rollers and motorized by drive groups having precision step counting means, tracks which are arranged superimposed and in mutually facing pairs between which can be inserted the banknotes with said tracks being closed in loops on corresponding pluralities of drive and transmission rollers defining said first and second paths.
- 7. Safe in accordance with claim 6 wherein said superimposed track pairs are arranged vertically offset with each other.
- 8. Safe in accordance with claim 4 wherein said first and second sensor means consist of pairs of photosensors respectively for the cadence of the active intermittence of said second motorized roller and of the delivery step of the transiting banknote with each pair being arranged bilaterally to a section considered initial of said grasping and conveyance means path directed to said first screening station.
- 9. Safe in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second sight sensing station comprises delivery means for facing segments of transparent film between which can be inserted the banknotes and drum means for winding said segments incorporating the banknotes.
- 10. Safe in accordance with claim 9 wherein said delivery means consist of a pair of delivery spools for said segments downstream of which are provided usual members for tensioning and transmission towards the point of insertion of the banknotes between them.
- 11. Safe in accordance with claim 9 wherein said drum means consist of a cylinder with vertical axis supported on said boxed frame and motorized to rotate and on the surface of which segments of film incorporating the banknotes can be wound in layers or from which they can be unwound with the diameter of said cylinder being arranged for complete winding of the banknotes collected upon each deposit.
- 12. Safe in accordance with claim 11 wherein said cylinder is supported on said frame opposite a windowed wall of said boxed frame designed to allow direct inspection of the banknotes wound on said cylinder.
- 13. Safe in accordance with claim 1 wherein upstream of said second sight sensing station is provided on the path of said grasping and conveyance means a switch member for sending the banknotes to said cylinder or for return thereof on a branch for direct connection with said restitution door.
- 14. Safe in accordance with claim 6 wherein said third station for withdrawal from said first path and routing towards said second path comprises an optional local spacer member for the track pairs for release of the piloted banknotes by centered matching thereof and a corresponding underlying member with grasping rollers for the released banknotes.
- 15. Safe in accordance with claim 14 wherein said centered matching means consist of a step counting member housed upstream of said third station and interlocked with a means for sensing the presence of each banknote.
- 16. Safe in accordance with claim 14 wherein said local spacer member consists of a pair of forked hammers arranged across said path and mutually parallel with spacing greater than the greatest dimension of a banknote, movable and operated by an electromechanical actuator alternatively in contact for pushing away with the pair of distal tracks constituting said grasping and conveyance means.
- 17. Safe in accordance with claim 14 wherein said rollered grasping member for the released banknotes consists of a pair of facing rollers with axes parallel with the corresponding branch of said path underneath the vertical of which the mutual external surfaces are joined by contact with at least one of said rollers being fixed and the opposing rotating one motorized and movable from a contact and grasping position for the lower edge of each banknote to a separated one for dropping the banknotes between them.
- 18. Safe in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first path has immediately downstream of said third withdrawal and routing station a section for control of the positioning of the banknotes confluent in a bifurcation with alternative directions towards a return branch towards a scrap banknote recovery means or towards said second sorting path.
- 19. Safe in accordance with claim 18 wherein said recovery means consist of a purposeful tank arranged contiguous with said banknote acceptance device.
- 20. Safe in accordance with claim 1 wherein said containment storage unit is divided in modular tanks which are fixed and located in sequence along said second path with the respective inlet sides controlled by switch devices.
- 21. Safe in accordance with claim 20 wherein each modular tank consists of a boxed body in the upper mouth of which is mounted a drum selector rotating by successive steps along a horizontal axis having radial notches for banknote insertion and counting, a selector which stands above a lower table for stacked collection of the banknotes scrapped by said selector and located inclined for release of banknotes, controlled by associated withdrawal means, on an underlying third path for sending back to said restitution door.
- 22. Safe in accordance with claim 21 wherein said withdrawal means consist of a series of roller pairs located mutually facing in cascade with at least the first of which having continuous movement for a predetermined number of banknotes to be extracted and for stopping of the completed moving after extraction.
- 23. Safe in accordance with claim 21 wherein said third path has downstream of said tanks a series of switch devices for alternating transit of the banknotes to or from said cartridge means or towards said door directly opening toward the exterior.
- 24. Safe in accordance with claim 1 comprising a removable cartridge means for accumulation of banknotes, consisting of at least one pair of boxed banknote storage containers having respective controlled slots for passage of the banknotes and internal means for vertical movement thereof with there also being provided conventional means of engagement with said armored boxed frame for location on one side thereof and separated from said storage container by an associated bulkhead with there being interposed sections for connection of said grasping and conveyance means between said cartridge means and said second and third path.
- 25. Safe in accordance with claim 24 wherein of said boxed storage containers a first upper one for emptying is assigned to accumulation of banknotes extracted from said tanks and/or from said acceptance device and a lower one for resupply is assigned to supplying banknotes to said storage containers.
- 26. Safe in accordance with claim 1 comprising a means of control for the correct banknote positioning in several models with a first one being located in said control section downstream of said third station and a second one in the rising terminal section of said third path immediately downstream of the lower boxed container.
- 27. Safe in accordance with claim 26 wherein said inspection means are designed for sensing overlapping between banknotes with only the overlapped banknotes being eliminated from the accounting operation and sent to said recovery tank with said accounting operation being divided in performance for only the time necessary for replacement of the eliminated banknotes.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
MO99A0003 |
Jan 1999 |
IT |
|
US Referenced Citations (10)