GB2032397A

GB2032397A - Mechanism for Dispensing Flat Articles

Info

Publication number: GB2032397A
Application number: GB7931928A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: NCR Corp
Current assignee: NCR Voyix Corp
Priority date: 1978-09-16
Filing date: 1979-09-14
Publication date: 1980-05-08
Also published as: GB2032397B; DE2840430A1; DE2840430C2

Abstract

A mechanism for dispensing the lowermost article of a stack of flat articles disposed in a magazine through a dispensing slot formed between the bottom 1 of the magazine and a plate-like outer retaining means 14 includes a plate- like inner retaining means 10 which is arranged in juxtaposition with the outer retaining means 14 to be moved between a first position, in which it blocks the dispensing slot, and a second position in which it permits the passage of an article through the dispensing slot. The edge of the inner retaining means 10 nearest the magazine bottom 1 is rounded on the side facing the magazine such that, when an article is moved by a manually operated friction plate feeding means 3, 4 the article causes the inner retaining means 10 to be moved from its first to its second position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A Mechanism for Dispensing Flat Articles The present invention relates to a mechanism for dispensing flat articles, more particularly, for dispensing the lowermost article of a stack of flat articles disposed in a magazine.

It is important that mechanisms of this type, which serve especially for the dispensing of cards, paper sheets, envelopes or similar flat articles, should dispense individual articles with safety even when these articles vary in their thickness or have wavy or in other way deformed leading edges. Furthermore, care must be taken that two or more articles should not become jammed at the dispensing slot.

The German Patent Application No. 2,547,248 discloses a separating mechanism for card-like record media, wherein the lowermost card of a stack is fed outwards through a pre-separating and a main separating means by means of friction rolls projecting through the magazine bottom. The pre-separating means is formed as an upwardly movable slide having a sloping lower portion.

A main separating means is provided at a certain distance from the pre-separating means and has a slot whose width corresponds to the thickness of the card to be dispensed. In order to ensure that the card to be dispensed is not caught by the inner edge of the main separating means or, respectively, that a second card which has already reached the main separating means after the complete removal of the lowermost card is safely brought into alignment with the dispensing slot, a device is provided in the immediate vicinity of the dispensing slot for holding down the card.

According to the invention, there is provided a mechanism for dispensing the lowermost article of a stack of flat articles disposed in a magazine through a dispensing slot formed between the bottom of the magazine and a plate-like outer retaining means, including a plate-like inner retaining means arranged in juxtaposition with said outer retaining means and disposed on that side of said outer retaining means facing the magazine, said inner retaining means being arranged to be moved between a first position, in which it blocks said dispensing slot, and a second position, in which it permits the passage of an article through said dispensing slot; and feeding means for moving an article to be dispensed, wherein that edge of said inner retaining means nearest to the magazine bottom is rounded on the side facing the magazine such that, in operation, an article moved by said feeding means causes said inner retaining means to be moved from its first to its second position.

An advantage of the mechanism of the immediately preceding paragraph over that of the aforementioned German patent appiication lies in that, due to the configuration and positioning of the inner retaining means of the mechanism, a better separating and retaining effect is achieved with fewer moving parts.

The present invention finds particular use in automatic teller register machines where a customer has to be supplied with forms or envelopes for a bank transaction to be performed by him. The envelopes are for instance necessary if the customer wants to deposit cash in which case the banknotes and coins are entered into the automatic teller register machine. However, with envelopes the abovementioned difficulties are particularly common since the thickness of the envelopes does not only depend on the paper strength but also on the sharpness of the folds and especially on the height of the stack, i.e. on the weight resting on the lowermost envelope.

Moreover, envelopes due to the relative thickness of their paper and to the application of the gum tend to become wavy or curve. With envelopes there is the additional danger that the flaps of two or more envelopes in the stack become interlocked and therefore rather difficult to separate. Yet such envelopes must be individually dispensed without becoming jammed at the dispensing slot. Because of these particular difficulties, envelopes have been selected in the embodiment hereinafter described.This embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of the dispensing mechanism of the invention with the right side wall removed and with the mechanism being in rest position; Fig. 2 is a similar view as that of Fig. 1, with the mechanism being in the dispensing position; Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a top view on the magazine bottom of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 5 shows two envelopes interlocked by their flaps.

The magazine containing a stack of superimposed evelopes 23 comprises a magazine bottom plate 1, a front wall 8, a rear wall 9 (Fig.

1) as well as a left side wall 6 and a right side wall 7 (Fig. 3).

The bottom plate 1 consists of a rigid base plate 2 which is covered with a material having a high coefficient of friction 3 and which has a handle 4 by means of which the bottom plate 1 can be drawn forwards manually (to the left in Figs. 1 and 2) to feed the articles. In order to enable this movement the base plate 2 is longitudinally supported in grooves of bearing elements 5 which are secured to the side walls 6 and 7. In order to ensure that the envelopes 23 are safely supported inside of the magazine even with the bottom plate being drawn forwards, said bottom plate has at its end remote from the handle 4 an extension corresponding in length to the maximum distance of travel "s" (Fig. 2), and this is especially evident from Figs. 1 and 4. The extension of the bottom plate 1 extends through an appropriate slot in the rear wall 9.

The material with high coefficient of friction is preferably a rubber plate 3 attached to the base plate 2 and provided with a friction-increasing corrugation.

As is evident from Figs. 3 and 4, the rubber plate 3 is somewhat narrower than the base plate 2, to provide friction-poor support of the latter in the grooves of the aforementioned bearing elements 5.

To enable the adaptation of the magazine to various envelopes sizes there is provided an intermediate side plate 20. An alteration of width of the magazine can be performed in the simplest manner by using bushings 21 of different lengths for securing this intermediate side plate 20 to the side plate 6 by means of screws 25, as seen in Fig. 3. In order to prevent the jamming of an envelope between the bottom plate 1 and the intermediate side plate 20, it is desirable to provide the rubber plate 3 with a longitudinal groove into which the intermediate side plate 20 extends. To alter the length of the magazine it is possible to change the position of the rear wall 9 of the magazine. However, for clarity, the means for affecting such change are not shown since they are not essential for illustrating the invention.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the front wall 8, which is preferably fixed to the side walls 6 and 7, does not extend to the magazine bottom 1.

Thereby a slit or slot is formed which is wide enough to allow easy passage therethrough of an envelope of maximum thickness (or, respectively, several envelopes which become interlocked by their flaps in a manner shown in Fig. 5) even if the ieading edge is strongly deformed or wavy.

Generally the slot width, i.e. the distance between the upper edge of the rubber plate 3 and the lower edge of the front wall 8, is a multiple of the thickness of an envelope, preferably from 5 to 10 times the thickness thereof.

The dispensing mechanism includes an inner retaining means 10 and an outer retaining means 14. The inner retaining means 10 is formed as a plate-like slide which is freely movable in a vertical direction and is arranged between the front wall 8 and the outer retaining means 14.

Although the guidance of the slide 10 can be effected directly by the front wall 8 and the outer retaining means 14, guide pins may be provided for this purpose on the lateral edges of the slide 10 which are accommodated in vertically extending slots in the side walls 6 and 7.

The lower edge of the slide 10 facing the slot formed between the front wall-8 and the bottom plate 1 is rounded, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby a funnel-shaped inlet is formed in the direction of the dispensing slot 24. The radius of curvature must be chosen to take account of the maximum possible thickness of an envelope, or of several envelopes if interlocking has to be expected, to which must be added the maximum possible waviness or edge deformation. Generally the radius of curvature will be between two and twenty-times the thickness of an envelope. In a practical embodiment of the dispensing mechanism according to the present invention, a radius of 5mm, which is also about the thickness of the slide 1 0, provided good results.

In addition to its own weight, the slide 10 is biased into engagement with the rubber plate 3 covering the magazine bottom plate 1 by a spring 11 tensioned between a pin 1 3 secured to the outer retaining means 14 and a pin 12 extending through the outer retaining means 14 and secured to the slide 10, as this is apparent from Fig. 1.

In the described embodiment the outer retaining means 14 is a plate which extends downwards parallel to the slide 10 and which has a forwardly bent portion (in Fig. 1 to the left).

Similarly, to the slide 10, the plate 14 can be guided for vertical movement by means of pins mounted at the lateral edges or by means of lugs formed thereon and slidable in slots provided in the side walls 6 and 7. The plate 14 is biased downwards by means of a pair of springs 18 tensioned between the forwardly bent portion of the plate 14 and respective pins 1 9 secured in the side walls 6 and 7. In Figs. 1 and 2 only one spring 1 8 is shown, namely the one which is adjacent to the side plate 6, and is attached to the pin 1 9 secured to said plate.

In contrast to the slide 10, the plate 14 forming the outer retaining means cannot be brought into engagement with the surface of the magazine bottom plate 1 since its downward movement is limited by an adjusting screw 17 and a stop 16.

By means of this adjusting screw 17, which extends through the forwardly bent portion of plate 14, an exact adjustment of the width of the dispensing slot 24 is possible. Said dispensing slot is preferably adjusted such that its width is slightly larger than the thickness of a normal envelope. For a more exact adjustment of the slot it is possible to provide two adjusting screws 1 7 with associated stop pins 1 6 respectively secured in the side walls 6 and 7.

The mode of operation of the dispensing mechanism according to the present invention is the following: When the bottom plate is manually drawn forwards (in Figs 1 and 2 to the left), by means of the handle, the lowermost envelope 23 is fed thereby due to the friction provided by the rubber plate 3. The overlying envelopes have a decreasing tendency to follow the movement of the lowermost envelope the higher they are in the stack. The lower envelopes can move unhindered until they come into contact with the aforementioned rounded edge of the slide 10.

Due to the acute angle existing at the contact point between slide 10 and the surface of the bottom plate 1, the lowermost envelope 23 is confronted by a relatively low retrodirective force component only and, due to the relatively high friction existing between its underside and the rubber plate 3, is moved forwards (to the left) with a relatively strong force causing the slide 10 to be lifted upwards by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the lowermost envelope. The slide 10 biased by the tension of the spring 11 and resting with its weight on the lowermost envelope 23 smoothens and holds down said envelope so that it can pass unhindered through the dispensing slot 24 formed between the plate 14 and the surface of the magazine bottom plate 1.Since by the lifting of the slide 10 the force of the spring 11 has slightly increased and since the friction between the upper side of the lowermost envelope and the underside of the envelope lying thereover is slightly lower than the friction between the underside of the lowermost envelope and the rubber plate 3, the retaining force of said slide 10 will normally be sufficient to retain the second lowest envelope and those lying thereover. Since the angle between the horizontal and the tangents at the points where the envelopes contact the rounded portion of the slide 10 continuously increases for the envelope lying higher in the stack, such envelopes can no longer significantly contribute to the lifting of the slide 10, and are retained in a continuously increasing degree.

If under extreme conditions the second lowest envelope is, in fact, able to iift the slide 10 and thus pass the first retaining means 10, then said envelope will be retained by the lower edge of the outer retaining means 14. After removal of the lowermost envelope and the return of the bottom plate 1 to its initial position, said envelope having already advanced to the outer retaining means will be dispensed at the next drawing forward of the bottom plate 1.

Assuming that in exceptional cases two or more envelopes are so interlocked that their separation is not possible, then at the drawing forward of the bottom plate 1 the envelope cluster will first move the slide 10 upwards and thereafter push against the plate 14 forming the outer retaining means. If separation is still impossible, said cluster of envelopes drawn forward with relatively strong force, will cause the plate 14 to move upwards against the force of the springs and allow said cluster of envelopes to pass. Such clustering of envelopes can for instance be caused by wrong insertion into the magazine of one or several envelopes with their flaps 23a interlocked, as this is shown for example in Fig. 5, or by the sticking together of gummed surfaces of envelopes particularly under humid conditions.

Fig. 2 shows the mechanism according to the invention in its dispensing position, i.e. the bottom plate 1 is in its extreme forward drawn position (in Fig. 2 completely to the left). The lowermost envelope 23 now lying with its front part outside of the magazine can be removed by hand. The distance of travel "s" of the bottom plate 1 is so chosen that in the drawn-out state of said plate the rear part of the lowermost envelope still remains far enough within the stack so that if said envelope is not required for any reason, for instance, because with an arrangement of several similar dispensing mechanisms for the dispensing of different forms or envelopes which the wrong mechanism has been operated, then the envelope which is not removed can be reintroduced into the magazine without any damage upon the return movement of the bottom plate.

Claims

1. A mechanism for dispensing the lowermost article of a stack of flat articles disposed in a magazine through a dispensing slot formed between the bottom of the magazine and a plate like outer retaining means, including a plate-like inner retaining means arranged in juxtaposition with said outer retaining means and disposed on that side of said outer retaining means facing the magazine, said inner retaining means being arranged to be moved between a first position, in which it blocks said dispensing slot, and a second position, in which it permits the passage of an article through said dispensing slot;; and feeding means for moving an article to be dispensed, wherein that edge of said inner retaining means nearest to the magazine bottom is rounded on the side facing the magazine such that, in operation, an article moved by said feeding means causes said inner retaining means to be moved from its first to its second position.

2. A mechanism according to Claim 1, wherein said inner retaining means normally rests on said magazine bottom and the radius of curvature of the rounded edge is greater than the thickness of the articles to be dispensed.

3. A mechanism according to Claim 2, wherein the radius of curvature of the rounded edge is between two to twenty times the thickness of the articles to be dispensed.

4. A mechanism according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said outer retaining means is at a distance from the magazine bottom which is greater than the thickness of an article and smaller than twice said thickness.

5. A mechanism according to Claim 4, wherein the distance between said outer retaining means and the magazine bottom is variable by means of at least one adjusting screw.

6. A mechanism according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that said outer retaining means is arranged to be moved away from the magazine bottom against the force of a spring.

7. A mechanism according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein said feeding means is at least partly formed by the magazine bottom which is movable in the direction of the dispensing slot by means of a handle and has the inner surface thereof covered with a material having a high coefficient of friction.

8. A mechanism according to Claim 7, wherein said material having a high coefficient of friction is a corrugated rubber plate.

9. A mechanism according to either Claim 7 or 8, wherein said magazine bottom has a rearward extension at its end remote from said handle, said extension having a length corresponding to the maximum distance of travel of said magazine bottom.

10. A mechanism according to Claim 9, wherein said maximum distance of travel is less than the length of the article to be dispensed.

11. A mechanism for dispensing flat articles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.