EP0742927B1

EP0742927B1 - A machine for the automatic handling of banknotes

Info

Publication number: EP0742927B1
Application number: EP95911327A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bruno Sebastiani; Giuseppe Razzaboni; Vittorio Razzaboni; Nicoletta Razzaboni
Original assignee: CREDITO ITALIANO SpA
Current assignee: CREDITO ITALIANO SpA
Priority date: 1994-03-14
Filing date: 1995-03-13
Publication date: 1998-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-13
Also published as: WO1995025318A1; EP0742927A1; ITMI940468A1; GR3026567T3; DE69501461D1; AU684001B2; IT1271741B; AU1893995A; DE69501461T2; DK0742927T3; ATE162322T1; ITMI940468A0; ES2113189T3

Abstract

In order to solve the security problem involved in handling banknotes in public places and in order to automate this handling, a machine (1) is provided formed by a security casing (2) with apertures (13) for the inlet of banknotes into the casing (2) and an aperture (7) for the output of banknotes from the casing (2); inside the machine (1) members (14-24, 30) are arranged for collecting the banknotes at the inlet aperture (13) and transferring them to stores (28) inside the casing (2), and members (14'-24', 39, 45) for collecting banknotes from the stores (28) and transferring them to the outlet aperture (7) of the casing (2); devices are also provided for counting the banknotes at input and output; conditioned enablement is provided for the command to withdraw banknotes from the machine. A desktop computer (11) is associated with the machine for controlling it and displaying counting data.

Description

The present invention relates to a machine for the automatic handling of banknotes.

In public places where large amounts of money are handled, security is a big and well known problem, involving the safety both of the staff handling the money and of other persons present.

In banks, for example, each teller handles large sums of money each day and must, in particular, manage an ordinary drawer containing a certain sum of money for satisfying customers' requirements. This inevitably attracts the attention of ill-intentioned persons wanting to steal the money, especially considering the ease of access.

There are security systems in banks which should discourage potential bank-robbers, such as double entrance and exit doors where one door only opens on the closure of the other, metal detectors at the entrance to detect the presence of weapons, video-cameras connected to a monitoring and/or recording system for observing and/or filming what is happening in the bank, and the like, in addition to the fact that armed security guards are sometimes employed outside the bank.

Despite these precautions, in practice bank robbers manage to rob banks in various ways, by entering the bank, threatening with weapons and possibly taking hostages in order to force tellers to hand over the easily accessible cash from their drawers, and escaping without hindrance.

It is unnecessary to point out that this situation is unacceptable to banks, both as a result of the risks to staff and customers and of the financial burden and damage to their image.

Such robberies occur, of course, not only in banks but also in post offices and the like.

The principle object of the present invention is to provide a machine for the use of personnel handling cash, which solves or at least alleviates the above security problem.

An additional object of the invention is for the machine considerably to facilitate the work of personnel by making part of their work automatic and thereby offering high levels of efficiency, handling speed and reliability.

From the prior patent document EP-A-0469637 e US-A-4511794 a bill handling machine is known which operates the insertion of bills and check of the inserted bills, counting thereof, storage of the bills in containers, retrieval of the bills therefrom for a withdrawal transaction, checking of the bills, counting thereof, and discharge of the bills. The prior patent document GB-A-2131004 discloses a bill collecting apparatus which operates only the insertion of bills and check of the inserted bills, counting thereof, and storage of the bills in containers. The prior patent document DE-A-2805252 discloses a safe containing boxes for different denominations of banknotes, wherein the boxes are transported by an automatic conveying mechanism and may be removed from the safe.

However, the aforesaid prior patent documents do not solve the problems set out above, with particular reference to the security.

In order to solve said problems a machine is proposed as defined in claim 1.

In order better to understand the invention, there follows a description of two exemplary embodiments thereof, to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an overall perspective view showing the outside of a machine for the automatic handling of banknotes according to the invention, with an exploded view of an inner drawer of the machine and with an outer box for fitting to the machine;

Figure 2 is a cut-away perspective of the machine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a lateral section of the machine of Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 show, in schematic side views, two different operating situations of the machine of Figure 1, with reference to Figure 3;

Figures 6 and 7 are front and lateral sections respectively of a lower part of the machine or Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the inner drawer of the machine of Figure 1 with an exploded view of a lid of the drawer;

Figures 9, 10, 11, 12 show the structure and the operation of the box to be applied to the machine of Figure 1, Figures 9 and 11 being perspective views with the box open and Figures 10 and 12 being lateral sections of Figures 9 and 11 respectively, with the box closed.

Figure 13 is a perspective view generally showing the outward appearance of a second machine for automatically handling banknotes according to the invention;

Figure 14 is a side sectional view showing schematically the machine of Figure 13;

Figures 15, 16 are detail views showing in perspective internal drive parts of the lower portion of the machine in Figure 13.

The machine for the automatic handling of banknotes illustrated in Figure 1, generally indicated 1, includes a security casing 2 for containing the banknotes. In order to be secure, this casing 2 may be constructed with very thick metal walls or may be armour-plated.

A plurality of inlet cavities 4 open into the top face 3 of the casing, each arranged to take a pile of banknotes of a particular denomination. In the example illustrated, there are four cavities, aligned two at the front and two at the rear. The banknotes are automatically collected from each cavity and entered into the casing 2. The top face 3 also has an opening 5 for the disposal of worn banknotes.

An outlet aperture 7, closed by a flap 8, is formed about halfway up an inclined front wall 6 of the casing 2 for the banknotes to be delivered to the exterior.

Figure 1 also shows a box 9 which contains banknotes and which may be fitted to the top face 3 of the casing 2 for the transfer of banknotes contained in it to the cavities 4. It also shows in its withdrawn position a drawer 10 which is normally arranged in the lower portion of the casing 2 for holding banknotes which are to be unloaded from the machine as well as worn notes.

Figure 1 finally shows a desktop computer 11 which is associated with the machine 1.

Figures 2 and 3 show members provided inside the casing 2 for collecting and transferring the banknotes. In order to simplify the drawings, these show only the collection and transfer means for those banknotes loaded into the two front cavities 4, it being understood that the collection and transfer members for the banknotes loaded into the two rear cavities 4 are strictly identical.

As may be seen, each cavity 4 has an inclined base 12 which descends to an inlet aperture constituted by a slot 13 through which certain members of the machine collect the banknotes loaded into that cavity and transfer them inside the casing 2.

These collection members include a series of coaxial eccentric wheels 14 which project from the base 12 of the cavity 4 and whose peripheral contact surface is smooth except for one rubber-coated portion. These collection members also include a partially knurled, rubber-coated drum 15, arranged in correspondence with the slot 13 and associated with a plastic roller 16 which bears resiliently on the drum. A series of coaxial rubberised wheels 17 are also associated with the drum 15, with some of them partially housed in corresponding smooth grooves in the drum 15, without being in contact therewith, while others are outside the drum.

The series of eccentric wheels 14 and the drum 15 are rotated by a single electric motor 18 by means of pulleys, belts and gears. The roller 16 is mounted for free rotation. The series of wheels 17 is mounted with an appropriate no-return mechanism for free one-way rotation, so that these wheels can rotate only in the sense of the rotation of the drum 15 and not in the other sense.

Transfer members are arranged downstream of the collection members. These transfer members include a series of coaxial rubberised wheels 19 paired with a first series of coaxial rubberised wheels 20 and also paired with a second series of coaxial rubberised wheels 21; both the series of wheels 20 and the series of wheels 21 bear resiliently on the series of wheels 19. After the series of rubberised

wheels

19 and 21 is arranged a series of coaxial rubberised wheels 22 paired with a series of coaxial rubberised wheels 23 which bears resiliently on the series of wheels 22.

The series of wheels 19 is rotated by the electric motor 18 mentioned above by means of further gears driveably connected to the gears associated with the series of eccentric wheels 14 and with the drum 15. The series of

wheels

20 and 21 are mounted for free rotation. The series of wheels 22 is rotated by another electric motor 24 by means of a transmission which uses pulleys and belt, like the motor 18. The series of wheels 23 is mounted for free rotation.

The series of

wheels

19, 21, 22, 23 are mounted on a common support structure 25 which is pivotable by means of an electric motor 27 and gears through a predetermined angle about a fulcrum on the axis 26 of the series of wheels 19. In particular, the support structure 25 is movable between a first position in which the series of

wheels

22 and 23 are over an underlying hopper 28 and a second position in which the series of

wheels

22 and 23 are in correspondence with a duct 29.

Two coaxial wheels 30 with substantially spiral blades are partly housed in the upper portion of the hopper 28 and are rotated by the electric motor 24 by means of further pulleys, transmission belt and gears. The lower portion of the hopper 28 is shaped to match the inlet cavity 4 and therefore has an inclined base 31 which descends to a slot 32. By the base 31 of the hopper 28, and downstream thereof is arranged a group of members identical to those arranged between the cavity 4 and the hopper 28 and therefore indicated by the same reference numbers followed by an apostrophe; the difference from the previous group of members is that the series of wheels 20' does not bear resiliently on the series of wheels 19' but on the drum 15' and the series of wheels 19', 21', 22', 23' are not mounted on a movable support but on the fixed part of the machine.

As may be seen in Figure 4, the points of contact between the upper and lower collection and transfer members define a path for the banknotes which is indicated by a chain line. This path is defined by substantially box-shaped ducts which partly house these members and are indicated 33 for the upper members and 33' for the lower members in that figure.

A certain number of optoelectronic sensors, described hereafter, are arranged along this path. First of all, a banknote-presence sensor 34 is arranged on the base 12 of the cavity 4 and includes an infrared receivertransmitter which enables the detection of the presence of a banknote by means of the note's reflection of the infrared radiation. After the drum 15 and the series of wheels 17, and before the two series of

wheels

19 and 20, is a transparency sensor 35 which includes a source of infrared radiation arranged on one side of the path of the banknote and a corresponding receiver arranged on the other side; this sensor monitors the transparency of anything passing between the source and the receiver, as a function of the magnitude of infrared signal received by the receiver, so as to indicate whether at any one time a single banknote, several superposed banknotes or a false note are passing. After the two series of

wheels

19, 21, and immediately before the two series of

wheels

22 and 23, a banknote-passage sensor 36 is arranged which includes, like the previous one, an infrared source arranged on one side of the path of the banknote and a corresponding receiver on the other side; this sensor monitors whether the banknote is passing or not, according to whether or not the receiver has received the infrared signal, in order to enable the banknotes passing the sensor to be counted. In the lower portion of the hopper 28, a banknote-presence sensor 37, identical to the sensor 34, is arranged on a side wall to signal when the banknotes in the hopper 28 have reached a predetermined filling level which corresponds to the position of the sensor 37. The sensors arranged along the path determined by the lower collection and transfer members are the same as those arranged along the path determined by the upper collection and transfer members and are therefore indicated by the same numbers followed by an apostrophe.

The duct 29 is box-shaped with a rectangular section and has a substantially curved longitudinal development with its inlet substantially at the height of the two series of

wheels

22 and 23 and with its outlet substantially at the height of the two series of wheels 22' and 23'. Longitudinal apertures 38 are formed in a rear wall of the duct 29 along the greater part of its length.

As may be seen in Figure 2, the corresponding front members for the collection and transfer of banknotes loaded into the two front cavities 4 are mounted on common shafts and driven by the same electric motors, except for the two assemblies each made up of the components 14', 15', 16', 17', 19', 20', 21' which are driven independently of each other, each by one of two respective motors 18'. The same applies to the corresponding rear members for the collection and transfer of banknotes loaded into the two rear cavities 4.

Two parallel conveyor belts 39 are arranged in the lower part of the machine, with one arranged under the right-hand front and rear series of wheels 22' and 23' and the two respective right-hand front and rear ducts 29, and the other arranged under the left-hand front and rear series of wheels 22' and 23' and the two respective left-hand front and rear ducts 29. Each conveyor belt 39 runs over two end rollers 40, 41, the former to the front and the latter to the rear. The two front rollers 40 are mounted on a common shaft 42, while the two rear rollers 41 are mounted on two separate, coaxial shafts, of which only one is visible in the drawings and indicated 43. The front shaft 42 is rotated, so as to move the two conveyor belts 39 together, by an electric motor 44 connected to the shaft 42 by a belt transmission.

At the end of the conveyor belts 39, a container 45 is arranged near the rollers 40 and parallel thereto and extends the entire width of the conveyor belts 39 and the space between them. The container 45 is vertically aligned with the outlet aperture 7 and is movable vertically under the action of an electric motor 46. In particular, a toothed belt 47 is arranged to run over a series of toothed pulleys 48 in a complex closed configuration with several horizontal and vertical portions. The motor 46 is connected by gears to one of the pulleys 48 so as to rotate it and thereby drive the belt 47. Two arms 49 are securely fixed to either end of the container 45 and are fixed to two portions of the belt 47 which move in the same direction, specifically to an inner vertical portion 47A and to an opposite outer vertical portion 47B. In this way, these

belt portions

47A, 47B carry the container 45 in their vertical movement; this movement is regulated by vertical guides 50 engaged by the arms 49. Under the action of the motor 46, the container 45 moves vertically between a lower position in which it is at the level of the two conveyor belts 39 and an upper position in which it is outside the aperture 7 of the machine.

It is obviously necessary to open the flap 8 so that the container 45 may come out through the aperture 7. To this end, the flap is hinged along an axis 51 and an electric motor 52 is connected to it by gears for pivoting it between a closed position and an open position. In order to secure the flap in its closed position, two locking elements 53 are mounted inside the fixed part of the machine, at opposite ends of the aperture 7, each being cam-shaped and rotated by an electric motor 54 between a locking position in which the cam element 53 interferes with the flap 8, blocking it shut, and a free position in which the cam element 53 does not interfere with the flap 8 and allows it to open.

The bottom of the container 45, indicated 55, is inclined downwardly and outwardly and has a deflector wall 56 underneath it, securely fixed to the container 45 and matching the extent of the container 45. This wall 56 includes a short vertical portion and a long inclined portion descending inwardly. There are also two walls 57 which form the sides of the cavity formed by the bottom 55 and the deflector wall 56.

The lower drawer 10, described at the beginning, is arranged under the conveyor belts 39 and has four inner compartments, specifically one front compartment 58, two intermediate compartments 59 and one rear compartment 60. These compartments are separated by two transverse front walls 61 which are fixed in a substantially V-shape, a middle wall 62 and a transverse rear wall 63. Each compartment 59 is under a respective conveyor belt 39. The lower wall 61 supports the upper wall 61 which descends towards the compartments 59 and is positioned in correspondence with the rollers 40 and extends across the entire width of the belts 39 and the space between them.

In the compartment 58, two arms 64 are fixed to the bottom of the drawer 10 and support for rotation between them a shaft 65 to which are fixed two knurled drums 66; each drum 66 is arranged near the middle of a respective conveyor belt 39 and is partially inset in the upper wall 61; near one of the arms 64 a gear 67 is also arranged, coaxially fixed to the shaft 65. Correspondingly, two arms 68 are pivoted on the ends of the shaft 42 to support between them a shaft 69 on which two rollers 70 are freely rotatable, each in contact with a respective drum 66; to one end of the shaft 42 a gear 71 is also fixed coaxially, while two

further gears

72, 73 are freely rotatable on the adjacent arm 68; the gears are arranged so that the gear 71 meshes with the gear 72 which meshes in turn with the gear 73 which meshes, finally, with the gear 67. A spring 74, anchored to the fixed part of the machine, acts on the arm 68 carrying the gears so as to maintain the gear 73 in resilient contact with the gear 67 and the roller 70 with the respective drums 66.

The compartment 60 communicates with the inlet 5, which opens into the top face 3 of the machine, through two opposite parallel guides 75, each shaped like a U with converging arms. These guides 75 extend vertically downwards and then bend obliquely towards the compartment 60, ending immediately above the compartment itself.

The drawer 10 is housed in a seat 76 in the casing 2 and is secured there by a resilient snap lock 77. This drawer 10 is removable from the casing 2 through an aperture 78 which is normally closed by a flap 79 with a security lock 80. The drawer 10 has a handle 81 for removing it from the casing 2. A lid 82 is also provided which slides into and out of the drawer 10 and is removed when the drawer is fitted into the machine. This lid 82 is lockable to the drawer by means of a seal fastener 83 and is provided with a handle 84 for removing it from the drawer 10. A microswitch 85 is arranged at the bottom of the seat 76 and is activated when the drawer is fully inserted in the seat, to signal this full insertion. Two further microswitches 86, 87 are arranged in the top of the seat, at the front and back respectively, and are both activated by the lid 82; in particular, when the drawer 10 is fully inserted in the seat 76, the microswitch 86 signals the complete removal of the lid while the microswitch 87, on the other hand, signals the complete insertion of the lid.

The machine also includes a series of optoelectronic encoders 88 connected to inner rotatable members of the machine, described above, for monitoring their correct rotation.

The machine also includes an electronic unit 89 connected to the electric motors, optoelectronic sensors, microswitches and encoders described above to control them and monitor their operation. This electronic unit 89 is also connected interactively to the desktop computer 11.

The box 9, for fitting to the top face 3 of the machine, is shaped substantially like a small suitcase; it therefore has a handle 90 and a hinged, openable lid 91 which may be locked to the body of the box by a seal fastener 92. Two holes 93 are formed in the body of the box 9 for resilient snap engagement by two corresponding pegs 94 fixed to the top 3 of the machine; the holes 93 and the pegs 94 are arranged so as to define a single position in which the box engages the machine; a microswitch 95 on the top 3 of the machine is operated by the box when it engages with the machine and signals correct engagement. The box 9 has a fixed base 96 and a further, removable base 97 underneath which has a handle 98 and may be locked to the box by a seal fastener 99. The fixed base 96 has four windows 100 arranged to correspond with the four inlet cavities 4 of the machine when the box 9 and the machine are engaged. The removable base 97 also has four windows 101 which are larger than the windows 100 and, when the base 97 is fitted in the box, are totally offset with respect to the windows 100, so they are not over them. A small container 102 for holding a pile of banknotes is arranged in the box to coincide with each window 100 in the fixed base 96, and has an inclined base 103 with a slot 104 opening at its end to reproduce the shape and function of the cavity 4; the container 102 is closed by a lid 105 which may be locked at various heights by means of resilient snap fasteners. Two oppositely projecting arms 106 fixed to the container 102 are slidable on rods 107 fixed to the fixed base 96 perpendicular thereto; a spring 108 anchored to the fixed base 96 acts on each arm 106 and, when the removable base 97 is in the box 9, urges the container 102 against this removable base 97 through a respective window 100 in the fixed base 96. The removable base 97 is connected so as to drive the small containers 102 in the following manner: a rack 109 is fixed to the base 97 and projects into the box 9 through a slot 110 in the fixed base 96 which is open at the front to enable the base 97 to be removed; the rack 109 meshes with two central pinions 111, mounted on two shafts 112 supported for rotation by the two opposite side walls of the box; two pinions 113 are fixed to opposite ends of each shaft 112, each meshing with a rack 114 fixed to a respective container 102 and extending perpendicular to the

bases

96, 97; each pinion 111 is mounted on its shaft 112 by means of a non-return mechanism which ensures that the pinions 111 and shafts 112 are not locked together during the removal of the base 97 and during the downward, outward movement of the containers 102 but that the pinions 111 and the shafts 112 are locked for rotation during the insertion of the base 97 in the box 9.

The operation of the machine 1 is described hereafter.

It is assumed that the banknotes (shown only in some drawings, where they are indicated BN) may be loaded into the cavities 4 by hand or may be transferred automatically from the box 9 to these cavities 4. Manual loading will be considered first.

With reference in particular to Figure 4, once a stack of banknotes has been loaded into a cavity 4, the banknote-presence sensor 34 either signals the need to control, or directly controls the activation of the upper collection and transfer members whereby the eccentric wheels 14, the drum 15 and the roller 16, the wheels 19 and the

wheels

20 and 21, the wheels 22 and the wheels 23 and, finally, the bladed wheels 30 begin to rotate; the

wheels

22, 23 rotate at twice the speed of the

wheels

19, 20, 21 and the bladed wheels 30 rotate at a slower speed than the

wheels

22, 23. The eccentric wheels 14 have the dual role of agitating the banknotes so as to separate them from one another and of pushing the first banknote at the bottom of the pile into the slot 13, with the assistance of gravity thanks to the inclination of the base 12 of the cavity 4. At this point, the drum 15 and the roller 16 grasp the banknote and feed it to the

rollers

19, 20 so that the banknote is fed in sequence by the respective pair of

wheels

19, 20, by the pair of

wheels

19, 21 and by the pair of

wheels

22, 23; in turn, the

wheels

22, 23 feed the banknote to the bladed wheel 30 where it is held between the blades. Obviously, the second banknote is grasped from the bottom of the pile after the first one and so on for the entire stack. As the bladed wheels 30 rotate at a slower speed than the

wheels

22, 23, several banknotes are fed between two blades of each of the wheels 30. These banknotes held between the blades are carried round by the wheels 30, hit the front wall of the hopper 28 and slip from the blades of the wheels 30 to fall into the hopper 28, forming a pile at the bottom. The sensor 36 counts the banknotes that pass it: this counting is made possible by the speed of the

wheels

22, 23 which is twice that of the

wheels

19, 21, ensuring that a banknote grasped by the

wheels

22, 23 accelerates in relation to the one following it, thus creating a space between the banknotes which is read by the sensor and corresponds to the number of banknotes passing it. The sensor 34' signals the presence of banknotes in the hopper 28; the sensor 37 signals that the pile of banknotes has reached its maximum filling level. Obviously if banknotes are loaded into all four cavities 4, piles of banknotes will form in all four corresponding hoppers 28.

Should it be necessary to remove banknotes of a particular denomination from the machine, the lower collection and transfer members are activated and take the appropriate notes from the hoppers 28. Still with reference to Figure 4, the lower collection and transfer members operate in the same way as explained above for the upper collection and transfer members operating between the cavities 4 and the bladed wheels 30. Once the lower members have grasped the banknotes from the hoppers 28, they feed them onto the conveyor belts 39, which have also been activated. The conveyor belts 39 in turn carry the banknotes to the container 45 arranged, as shown in Figure 2, with the open upper portion just underneath the belts so that the banknotes fall into the container 45. At this point, as shown in Figure 7, the container 45 is lifted and, after the flap 8 is opened, the container moves outside the machine where the banknotes it contains may be withdrawn. In this case once again, the banknotes taken from each hopper 28 are counted by a respective sensor 36', thanks to their acceleration over the wheels 22', 23' which rotate at twice the speed of the wheels 19', 21'.

The electronic unit 89 includes a delaying device 89A, which may be either analog or digital, arranged so that activation of the lower collection and transfer members is delayed with respect to the withdrawal command, in accordance with the amount of money to be withdrawn.

During the collection and transfer of the banknotes from the cavity 4 to the hopper 28, the wheels 17 are locked in the direction along which the banknotes are fed, so they act as a sort of mechanical filter, allowing the passage of only one note at a time. Should two or more superposed banknotes or a fake note pass between the drum 15 and the roller 16, the sensor 35 detects this and stops all upper collection and transfer members and also causes the support 25 to rotate so that the

wheels

22, 23 are brought into correspondence with the opening of the duct 29, as shown in Figure 5. At this point, the banknotes remaining in the cavity 4 are removed, the upper collection and transfer members are reactivated and the conveyor belts 39 are activated. The superposed banknotes or the fake note are thus fed by the

wheels

19, 20, 21, 22, 23 to the bypass duct 29 though which they slide, facilitated by the apertures 38, directly onto the underlying belt 39; from here they reach the container 45 and are carried out of the machine where they are either returned to the cavity 4, in the case of superposed banknotes, or discarded in the case of a fake note. Obviously, once the superposed banknotes have been recovered the support 25 returns to its initial position with the

wheels

22, 23 by the bladed wheels 30.

Similarly, the sensor 35' signals anomalies during withdrawal and the anomalous notes are carried directly out of the machine by the conveyor belts 39 and the container 45.

When one wants to transfer the banknotes contained in the hoppers 28 into the drawer 10, the appropriate command first determines vertical movement of the container 45 into a position in which the base 55 of the container 45 is at the height of the conveyor belts 39, as shown in Figure 3, the lower collection and transfer members and the conveyor belts 39 are then activated. As shown in a chain line in Figure 3, the banknotes are grasped and fed by the above members from the hoppers 28 onto the belts 39; from here, the banknotes are fed into the cavity formed by the base 55 of the container 45 and by the deflector wall 56, hitting the vertical portion of the wall 56, they slide along the inclined portion of the wall and are gripped by the drums 66 and by the rollers 70 which latter throw them into the compartments 59 of the drawer 10, guided by the inclined upper wall 61.

The drawer 10 is also provided to contain worn notes which are not loaded into the cavities 4 but are fed into the inlet aperture 5 whence they slide by gravity along the guides 75 and fall into the compartment 60 of the drawer 10, guided by a wall 115 of the drawer.

In order to extract the drawer 10 from the machine, the flap 79 is opened, the lid 82 is fully fitted into the drawer and locked there with the seal fastener 83 and then the drawer is removed from its seat 76 through the opening 78. When the lid 82 is fitted into the drawer 10, the two arms 68 are urged upwards against the biasing action of the spring 74, as shown in a chain line in Figure 3, thereby disengaging the gear 73 from the gear 67, distancing the rollers 70 from the drums 66 and allowing the drawer to be removed. Once emptied of banknotes, the drawer 10 is returned to its seat 76 in the machine with its lid 82 fitted; once the drawer is fully inserted, the lid is removed from the machine whereby the spring 74 returns the arms 68 to the position in which the gear 73 engages the gear 67 and the rollers 70 are in contact with the drums 66 ready for the drawer to be reloaded. The correct execution of these operations is monitored thanks to the

microswitches

85, 86, 87, whose functions were described earlier. The removed lid 82 is preferably kept in a special seat in the machine, for example under the drawer itself.

Banknotes are transferred from the box 9 to the cavities 4 as follows, with reference to Figures 1, 9, 10, 11, 12. It is assumed that when the box is fitted to the machine the containers 102 are full of stacked banknotes, the removable base 97 is locked by the seal fastener 99 and the lid 91 is closed and locked with the seal fastener 92. Once the box 9 is fitted to the top of the machine by engaging the pegs 94 in the holes 93, the base 97 is unsealed and the base is pulled outwards. During this action, as soon as the apertures 101 in the base 97 are aligned with the apertures 100 of the fixed base 96, the containers 102 snap downwards, urged by the springs 108 and sliding on the rods 107, and engage the respective cavities 4, as shown in Figure 12. The slots 104 in the containers 102 are aligned with the slots 13 in the cavities 4 and the eccentric wheels 14 pass through appropriate slots in the bases 103 in such a way that the banknotes are loaded into the machine as seen previously. Once all the notes have been transferred from the box into the machine, the base 97 is urged inwards thereby returning the containers 102 to the box 9 by means of the transmission chain constituted by the rack 109, the

pinions

111 and 113 and the racks 114. Once the base 97 is fully inserted into the box 9, this is detached from the top face 3 of the machine and may be refilled with banknotes after the lid 91 has been unsealed and opened.

It is clear from the above description and the illustrations that the machine 1 solves the security problems described in the introduction. In fact, for example in the case of a bank, the teller loads deposited banknotes into the machine and from that moment they are no longer easily accessible as they are shut in the security casing 2. In addition, thanks to the delay device 89A, the withdrawal of banknotes may be delayed as the amount to be withdrawn increases, so that the teller does not have immediate access to large amounts of cash even when he wants. All this clearly constitutes a powerful disincentive to would-be bank robbers.

The teller's job is also greatly facilitated by the machine of the invention, as the banknotes are handled automatically and the desktop computer 11, which receives data from the various note-counting sensors in the machine, provides an automatic account of the banknotes going in and out.

When required, the upper box 9 and the lower drawer 10 enable banknotes, for example from a security company, to be loaded into or removed from the machine safely and easily.

The machine is highly reliable thanks also to the system for detecting incorrect loading with superposed banknotes or the loading of false notes.

Finally, the machine provides great ergonomic benefits.

It is clear that variations and/or additions may be made to the machine as described and illustrated.

First of all, the machine may have any number of inlet cavities and of corresponding inner collection and transfer members, in accordance with the number of note denominations it is expected to deal with.

Equally, the machine may have more than one aperture, of any shape, for the output of banknotes. For instance, each inlet cavity could have a corresponding note collection and transfer system and a corresponding outlet which would deliver only the denomination loaded into the inlet cavity.

Members and transmission mechanisms described here may be replaced with functionally equivalent members and mechanisms.

Other types of sensors may be used and, in particular, other types of devices for detecting anomalies in the condition of the banknotes.

Instead of being hinged, the flap 8 may be slidable in a seat in the machine and driven to slide by an electric motor, as hefore, and appropriate mechanisms, for example a rack and pinion mechanism.

For the disposal of worn notes, instead of the guides 75 leading to the compartment 60 in the drawer 10, a separate drawer may be arranged beneath the inlet aperture 5 so as to be removable through an aperture closed by a flap with a security lock.

Instead of the delay device, a delaying system may be provided in the desktop computer 11 by means of appropriately protected software.

Withdrawal enablement could be granted by a central unit which would monitor the room containing the machine through closed circuit television.

The machine may be provided with an optical scanner for reading documents relating to operations carried out with the machine.

The machine may be connected to a central electronic processing unit along with similar machines, in which case the operator would work at a terminal.

The machine may also have a built-in keyboard and display monitor.

Apart from in banks, the machine may be used anywhere requiring the safe handling of cash and automatic telling.

The second machine shown at 200 in Figures 13, 14, 15, 16 differs somewhat from the previously described machine, both internally and externally. For simplicity, similar or equivalent parts are denoted in the second machine by the same reference numerals as in the first machine.

As regards the outward appearance of the machine 200, with reference to Figure 13, it can be seen that the left-hand side has a stepped outline. This enables the machine to fit neatly within a working stand, e.g. a bank stand, as shown in the Figure.

Banknotes leave the machine 200 through an appropriate delivery outlet 201 of suitable shape, to be described.

As regards the internal members of the machine 200, the following applies.

The members arranged to pick up the banknotes from the inlet cavities 4 and transfer them into the hoppers 28 have not been significantly altered, although some changes have been made. The eccentric wheels 14 for agitating the banknotes and urging them toward the slots are here cut along a chordal line thereof. The path travelled by the banknotes, from the slots to the hoppers, has been made rectilinear, with mounted on moving support structures, but occupy fixed positions, and concurrently therewith, the bypass ducts are omitted. When two superposed banknotes or a counterfeited banknote is introduced, the sensor 35 would detect the anomaly and control all of the upper collect and transfer members (i.e. the drum 15 and

wheels

17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23-with reference to Figure 14) to stop as in the previous case. However, the superposed or counterfeited banknotes would here be returned to the cavity 4 by mere reversal of the direction of movement of such collection and transfer members. This reversal of movement can be accomplished automatically through the electronic unit 89, or manually using an appropriate control. Along each of the upper collection and transfer lines, the machine 200 would actually include a number of sensors 35, e.g. two or four of them, laid close together within a common area, at symmetrical locations about the transfer axis of the banknotes.

Provided additionally to the sensors 35, slightly above them, is an optoelectronic dimensional recognition device for the banknotes which comprises a light source 202, issuing a light beam which is directed across the banknote path through suitable windows provided in the box-shaped duct 33; located the exception of a short initial section which is curvilinear, by suitably modifying the pattern of the box-shaped ducts 33 and, correspondingly, relocating the

wheels

19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

The

wheels

19, 21, 22, 23 are no longer opposite therefrom is a lens 203 directing the light beam which has gone across the banknote path onto a CCD sensor 204. The CCD sensor 204 is connected to the electronic unit 89. As each banknote moves past said optoelectronic device, a shadow is cast onto the CCD sensor 204 because of the banknote partially blocking the light beam from the light source. The CCD sensor 204 operates in a known manner to convert what has been sensed optically into an electronic signal. By integrating the shadow signal with respect to time through an appropriate electronic processor, the size of the banknote can be obtained. Accordingly, in the event of a banknote being passed which is a different size from that for which the upper collection and transfer line has been set, the same effect occurs as has been discussed above for the picking up of superposed banknotes or a counterfeited banknote.

In respect to the lower collection and transfer members, as can be seen in Figure 14, the machine 200 is also provided with the assemblies comprised of the drums 15' and the wheels 17', 19', 20', 21', 22', 23', but the conveyor belts and the container which take the banknotes outside are omitted. A plurality of belt transports are provided instead. Specifically, with reference to Figures 14, 15, three sets of belts 205 are arranged below the outlets of the box-shaped ducts 33' to define a horizontal transport plane for the banknotes; each belt 205 is a cogged belt trained endlessly around two corresponding cog pulleys 206; a train of rollers 207 urge on each belt 205 which are mounted for free rotation on a support 208. Provided at the extremity of the last belt set 205 are belt pairs 209 which define a vertical transport plane for the banknotes; the belts of each pair 209 are held joined, and each belt, cogged, is trained endlessly around two respective cog pulleys 210. The delivery outlet 201 locates at the upper extremity of the belts 209. The

pulleys

206 and 210 are mounted to shafts 211 and are driven by a common motor, not shown, through suitable drives, also not shown.

When banknotes in a given amount are to be withdrawn from the machine 200, those banknotes are picked up from the hoppers 28 and conveyed through the ducts 33' the same way as in the previously described machine. From the outlets of the ducts 33', the banknotes are caught in the nip between the belts 205 and the rollers 207, and transferred horizontally, then, they are caught between the belts 209 and taken vertically to the delivery outlet 201. This delivery outlet 201 has two side-by-side cavities 212: the cavity shown on the right is to receive banknotes from the two right-side hoppers 28, and the cavity on the left, banknotes from the two left-side hoppers 28. Provided at the upper extremity of the belts 209 are a set of belts 213 on which bias rollers 214 are arranged to urge; these belts 213 and rollers 214 are effective to accompany the banknotes being carried on the belts 209 along the final section of their travel path, and to discharge them into the cavities 212. Once in the cavities 212, the banknotes are thrust by a centrifugal fan 215 against outer walls of the cavities and gathered there into bundles. The banknotes will, therefore, be accessible from outside, in the cavities 212 of the delivery outlet 201, to be picked up.

When the banknotes contained in the hoppers 28 are to be discharged into the drawer, denoted here by 216, the shafts 211 located at the outlets of the conveying ducts 33' are merely lifted up. For this purpose, two aligned, substantially L-shaped central arms 217 are provided which carry, on one end, said shafts 211 at the outlets of the ducts 33', and have the other end pivoted on shafts 211 opposite to the preceding shafts 211; a worm screw 218, driven by an electric motor 219, mesh engages in two nuts 220 carrying two pins 221; each pin 221 engages in a slot 222 on a respective arm 217. As the worm 218 is rotated by the motor 219, the nuts 220 translate, and the pins 221/slots 222 link is such that the translating movement is converted to a rotating movement of the arms 217 about their pivot axes. Thus, the shafts 211 and respective pulleys 206, located at the outlets of the ducts 33', are raised up as shown best in Figure 16; together with the shafts 211 and the pulleys 206, the belts 205 and rollers 207 would also be raised, of course. In this way, the ducts 33' are communicated straight to the drawer 216 without interference. As a result, the banknotes can be discharged into the drawer directly. The drawer 216 is divided into four compartments 223 at the locations of the four ducts 33', respectively, so that any one compartment will receive just one type of banknote. By lowering the arms 217, the original normal setting is obviously restored.

As shown in Figure 13, the drawer 216 is pulled out of the machine from one side.

Claims

A machine (1) for the automatic handling of banknotes which includes a security casing (2) having one or more apertures (13) for the input of banknotes into the casing (2) and atleast one aperture (7) for the output of banknotes from the casing (2), comprising:

first means (14-24,30) for the collection of the banknotes from the inlet apertures (13) and their transfer to inner stores (28) of the casing (2);

first means (36) for counting the banknotes collected and transferred by the first collection and transfer means (14-24,30);

second means (14'-24',39,45) for the collection of banknotes from the stores (28) and their transfer to the outlet aperture (7) of the casing;

second counting means (36') for counting the banknotes collected and transferred by the second collection and transfer means (14'-24',39,45) ;

means for the conditioned enablement of the control of these second collection and transfer means (14'-24',39,45);

means (11,89) for controlling and monitoring the operations of the machine, including means for visual display of the data relating to counting by the first and second counting means (36,36') ;

characterized in that
the means for the conditioned enablement comprise a delay system, provided in or associated to the machine, which delays activation of the second collection and transfer means (14'-24',39,45) according to the quantity of banknotes to be withdrawn from the machine.
A machine according to Claim 1, which also includes means (35) for detecting anomalies in the condition of banknotes collected through the inlet apertures (13) and means (25-27) for moving the path along which banknotes are fed by the first collection and transfer means (14-24,30) towards bypass ducts (29) which bypass the stores (28) and allow the notes to be fed directly to the outlet aperture (7).
A machine according to Claim 1, also including an inner drawer (10) which can be removed from the machine through an aperture (78) closed by a flap (79) with a security lock (80) and means (55,56,61,66,70) for feeding the banknotes collected by the second collection and transfer means (14'-24',39,45) into the drawer (10) as an alternative to feeding them to the outlet aperture (7).
A machine according to Claim 1, with an associated outer box (9) engageable with the machine and having inner banknote containers (102) which may be positioned in communication with the inlet apertures when the box (9) is fitted onto the machine.
A machine according to Claim 1, in which each of the inlet apertures is constituted by a slot (13) formed in a cavity (4) with an inclined base (12) extending down to the slot (13), and in which the first collection and transfer means include, for each cavity (4), a series of rotatable eccentric wheels (14) which partially project into the cavity (4), agitate the banknotes to separate them from each other and push them one at a time into the slot (13), a rotatable drum (15) and a roller (16) bearing on the drum (15) which collect and feed the banknotes into the machine in succession, several series of rotatable feeder wheels (19-23), paired in mutual contact, which feed the banknotes introduced by the drum (15) and the roller (16) into the machine in succession, wheels (30) with spiral blades which collect the banknotes fed by the wheels (19-23) between these blades, a hopper (28) which constitutes one of the said stores and which partially houses the wheels (30) with spiral blades from which the banknotes drop when they hit a wall of the hopper (28) to form a pile in the bottom of the hopper (28).
A machine according to Claim 5, in which the base (31) of the hopper (28) is inclined and extends down to a slot (32), and in which the second collection and transfer members include a series of rotatable eccentric wheels (14') which partially project into the hopper (28) through the base (31) and agitate the banknotes to separate them from each other and feed then one at a time into the slot (32), a rotatable drum (15') and a roller (16') bearing on the drum (15') which take the banknotes from the hopper (28) in succession, several series of rotatable feeder wheels (19',21'-23'), paired in mutual contact, which transport in succession the banknotes fed from the rotatable drum (15') and the roller (16'), a conveyor belt (39) which receives and further transports the banknotes fed from the feeder wheels (19',21'-23'), a movable container (45) which receives the banknotes from the conveyor belt (39) and carries them out of the machine through the outlet aperture (7), which is normally closed by a flap (8).
A machine according to Claim 6, in which the first and second banknote-counting means are arranged along the path imposed by the feeder wheels (19-23;19',21'-23') of the first and second collection and transfer means respectively, each of these counting means (36;36') including an infrared source and receiver between which the banknotes pass, interrupting the radiation directed by the source to the receiver and thus enabling the notes to be counted, the infrared source and receiver being arranged between successive feeder wheels (19,21-23;19',21'-23') of which the downstream wheels (22,23;22',23') rotate at a far greater speed than the feeder wheels upstream (19,21;19',21').
A machine according to Claim 6, in which two series of wheels (17;17'), locked against rotation in the feeding direction of the banknotes and freely rotatable in the other direction, cooperate with the drums (15;15') of the first and second collection and transfer means respectively to impede the passage of superposed notes.
A machine according to Claim 6, in which, downstream of the drums (15;15') and the rollers (16;16') of the first and second collection and transfer means, two infrared transparency sensors (35;35') are arranged respectively, each constituted by an infrared source and receiver, between which the banknotes pass, and arranged to detect, by measuring the amount of light reaching the receiver, whether any banknotes are superimposed or fake in order to stop the collection and transfer means, and in which feeder wheels (19,21-23) of the first collection and transfer means are mounted on a support structure (25) movable between a position in which the downstream wheels (22,23) of said feeder wheels are in correspondence with the bladed wheels (30) and a position in which the downstream wheels (22,23) are in correspondence with a by-pass duct (29) which leads to the conveyor belt (39) for carrying out of the machine any superimposed or fake banknotes.
A machine according to Claim 6, in which a banknote-presence sensor (34) is arranged at the base (12) of the inlet cavity (4), another (34') is arranged in the bottom (31) of the hopper (28) and yet another (37) is arranged at a particular level in the hopper (28) to signal that the banknotes have reached a predetermined level in the hopper (28), each sensor (34;34';37) being constituted by an infrared source-and-receiver member which detects the presence of a banknote by means of the reflection of this radiation by the note itself.
A machine according to Claim 6, in which an inner drawer (10) is removable from the machine through an aperture (78) closed by a flap (79) with a security lock (80), and in which a deflector wall (56) is fixed under the container (45) so that in a predetermined position of the container (45) it is positioned in correspondence with the conveyor belt (39) so as to feed the banknotes to a rotatable drum (66) and a roller (70) bearing on the drum (66) which grip the banknotes and throw them into the drawer (10) instead of them being carried out of the machine.
A machine according to Claim 11, in which the drawer (10) has a removable lid (82) which is removed when the drawer (10) is in the machine and is fitted to enable the drawer (10) to be removed.
A machine according to Claim 12, in which mechanical members (64-67) are arranged in the drawer for engaging mechanical members (68-73) of the machine and throwing the banknotes into the drawer (10), and in which the fitting of the lid (82) into the drawer (10) disengages the mechanical members (68-73) of the machine from the drawer.
A machine according to Claim 12, in which a microswitch (85) is provided to signal the full engagement of the drawer (10) in the machine and two further microswitches (86,87) are provided to signal the full insertion and the full removal respectively of the lid (82).
A machine according to Claim 4, in which each inlet aperture of the machine is constituted by a slot (13) formed in a cavity (4) with an inclined base (12) extending down to the slot (13), in which the said box (9) includes a fixed base (96) and a removable base (97) underneath, both having apertures (100,101), and in which the receptacles of the box (9) are constituted by containers (102), each having an inclined base (103) extending down to a slot (104), and being movable perpendicular to the bases (96,97) of the box (9) and connected by drive-transmission means (109,111-114) to the removable base (97), the apertures (100) in the fixed base being in correspondence with the cavities (4) when the box (9) is fitted to the machine (1), in the position of full insertion of the removable base (97) the apertures (100) in the fixed base (96) and the apertures (101) in the removable base (97) of the box (9) being totally offset from each other and resilient means (108) being provided for urging the containers (102) against the removable base (97) through the apertures (100) in the fixed base (96), in a position in which the removable base (97) is partially removed, the apertures (100,101) being aligned and the containers (102) snapping out of the box (9) urged by the resilient means (108) and, when the box (9) is fitted to the machine (1), each engaging a respective cavity (4) with their slot (104) aligned with the slot (13) of the cavity (4), the reinsertion of the removable base (97) causing the return of all the containers (102) into the box (9) through the apertures (100,101) by means of drive-transmission means (109,111-114).
A machine according to Claim 4, in which a microswitch (95) is arranged to signal that the box (9) and the machine are correctly engaged.
A machine according to Claim 1, in which a desktop computer (11) is associated with the machine, the keyboard of which enables the control of the machine and the monitor of which enables the display of data relating to counting carried out by the first and second counting means (36,36').
A machine according to Claim 1 including a further inlet opening (5) communicating with an inner container of the machine for the intake and storage of worn banknotes.
A machine according to Claim 3, including a further inlet opening (5) communicating with a compartment (60) of the drawer (10) for the intake and storage in the machine of worn banknotes.
A machine according to Claim 19, in which the inlet opening (5) communicates with the inner drawer (10) through two opposite, open-section guides (75) along which the worn banknotes slide.
A machine (200) according to Claim 1, which also includes means (35; 202-204) for detecting anomalies in the condition of the banknotes collected through said inlet openings, and wherein said collection and transfer means (14-23,30) are reversible to send the banknotes back to the inlet openings upon an anomaly being detected.
A machine according to Claim 21, in which said detection means comprise one or more transparency sensors (35) arranged along the travel path of the banknotes at symmetrical locations, close to one another.
A machine according to either Claim 21 or 22, in which said detection means comprise an optoelectronic device providing dimensional recognition of the banknotes and consisting of a light source (202) placed at one side of the travel path of the banknotes and a CCD sensor (204) placed an the other side of the banknote travel path, which sensor receives the light beam from one light source (202) as intercepted by the banknotes and converts it to an electric signal, said electric signal being then processed to dimensionally recognize the banknote.
A machine (200) according to Claim 5, in which the base of the hopper (28) slopes down toward a slot, and in which the second collection and transfer members comprise a series of rotatable eccentric wheels (14') protruding partway into the hopper (28) through the base, which agitate the banknotes to separate them from each other and feed then one at a time into the slot, a rotatable drum (15') and a roller bearing on the drum (15'), which successively pick up the banknotes from the hopper (28), several series of rotatable feeder wheels (19', 21'-23') in mutually contacting pairs which successively carry the banknotes picked up by the rotating drum (15') and the roller, transport means employing belts (205) associated with bias rollers (207) and belt pairs (209) held joined to take the banknotes from said feeder wheels (19', 21'23') to a banknote external delivery outlet (201), and in which an internal drawer (216) is arranged below said transport means, being adapted to be pulled out of the machine through an opening closable by a door and provided with a plurality of compartments (223), said transport means being shiftable to deliver, into the drawer (216), oncoming banknotes from said feeder wheels (19', 21'-23') alternatively to transferring the banknotes outside, each type of banknote being delivered into a respective one of the drawer compartments s(223).
A machine according to claim 1, wherein the delay system comprises a delay device (89A) included in the machine.
A machine according to claim 1, wherein the delay system is provided in a separate computer (11), associated to the machine, by means of protected software.
A machine according to claim 1, associated to a central unit which monitors a room containing the machine through closed circuit television.