GB2174368A

GB2174368A - Sheet feeding apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2174368A
Application number: GB08509719A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Lane
Original assignee: De la Rue Systems Ltd
Current assignee: De la Rue Systems Ltd
Priority date: 1985-04-16
Filing date: 1985-04-16
Publication date: 1986-11-05
Also published as: GB8509719D0

Abstract

A sheet feeder includes a diverter arranged for movement between first and second positions such that sheets approaching the diverter continue along a first path or a second path according to the position of the diverter, associated with the diverter (44) are first and second rollers (28, 30) forming a nip into which an approaching sheet is fed. Each of the rollers is formed with at least two circumferential grooves and the diverter (44) comprises a set of diverter tongues, each of a size to allow it to enter the groove of one of the two rollers (28, 30) according to the diverter position. With the diverter (44) in a first position the tongues extend into the grooves of the first roller (28) and the sheet is guided out of the nip along a first path (54-56). With the diverter in the second position the tongues lie in the grooves of the second roller (30) and the sheets are guided out of the nip along a second path (50-52). Third and fourth rollers (32, 34) may be provided on the downstream side of the first and second rollers to form nips on the first and second paths and the third and fourth rollers may also be formed with grooves into which enter second and third sets of tongues provided on the diverter. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sheet feeding apparatus In sheet feeding apparatus, there is frequently a need to provide, at a point along the sheet flow path, alternative paths for the documents. For example, in a banknote sorting system a detector may be arranged to provide a signal indicative of the condition of the notes as they pass along the flow path and a diverter may be arranged in the flow path to respond to the detector output so as to divert notes in bad condition to a reject collector while notes in good condition continue along an extension of the original path.There is however a problem in diverting notes when the leading edge is torn or bent, as in such a case a part of the leading edge of the note may project from the plane of the remainder of the note, including the remainder of the leading edge, so that a part of the leading edge of the note will meet a diverter blade on one side of the plane of the blade while the remainder of the leading edge meets the diverter blade on the other side of the plane.

This can cause paper jams or misfeeds of notes in poor condition and may require the machine to be stopped. In some cases a note can be lost from the note transport system.

A sheet feeder according to the present invention including a diverter arranged for movement between first and second positions and in which sheets approaching the location of the diverter continue along a first or a second path according to the position of the diverter, comprises at the diverter location first and second rollers forming a nip into which an approaching sheet is fed, each of the rollers being formed with at least two circumferential grooves, the diverter comprising a set of diverter tongues each of a size to ailow it to enter the grooves, and wherein with the diverter in first position the tongues extend into the grooves of the first roller and the tongues extend into the grooves of the first roller and the diverter surface presented to a sheet in the nip guides the sheet out of the nip along a first path, and with the diverter in the second position the tongues extend into the grooves of the second roller and the diverter surface presented to a sheet in the nip guides the sheet out of the nip along the second path.

In the preferred form, the first and second rollers cooperate on their downstream sides with third and fourth rollers, respectively. to define the first and second paths and the diverter is formed to guide a sheet leaving the nip between the first and second rollers into a nip between the first and third or the second and fourth rollers, respectively, depending upon the position of the diverter. Advantageously, the third and fourth rollers also comprise circumferential grooves, the diverter having two additional sets of tongues extending into the grooves of the third and fourth rollers respectively and assisting in the guidance of the sheets from the nip between the first and second rollers into either the nip between the first and third rollers or the nip between the second and fourth rollers.

In order that the invention may be better understood, one embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure la shows in plan view a conventional diverter system and Fig. 1b shows the diverter system in side elevation with the diverter in a first position; Figure ic shows in side elevation the same diverter system with the diverter in a second position; Figures 2a and 2b show the diverter system in plan view and in side elevation at a time when a sheet with a torn leading edge is passing through the system; Figures 3a and 3b show in side elevation and plan view a diverter system embodying the invention; and Figures 4a and 4b show sectional views, taken on the line A-A of Fig. 3b, of the diverter system with the diverter in first and second positions respectively; and Figure 4c illustrates the shape of the diverter in plan view.

As shown in Figs. 1a and 1b, in a typical example of a diverter system, the diverter consists of a pivoted blade 10 located at a given point along a sheet flow path. The sheet 12 is advanced towards the diverter blade between belts 14 and 16, the belt 16 passing around a roller 18 just upstream of the diverter blade. In the position shown in Fig. 1b, the sheet 12 passes over the diverter blade 10, in its first position, and is then advanced between the belt 14 and a belt 20 passing over a roller 22 just downsteam of the diverter blade to leave by a path indicated by the arrow 1.

In the position shown in Fig. 1c, the diverter blade has been pivoted to its second position. A sheet approaching the diverter between belts 14 and 16 is now deflected downwards by the blade 10 and follows the exit path indicated by the arrow 2.

Such diverter systems are simple and perform well with sheets of good quality. However, difficulties can sometimes arise when some of the sheets are of poor quality, as for example used banknotes.

Thus, referring to Fig. 2, if a sheet having a torn leading edge is advanced through the system, and a portion of the leading edge is raised above the remainder of the leading edge, the raised portion 1 2a may try to pass over the diverter in its second position, as shown in Fig. 2a, while the remainder of the leading edge 1 2b tries to pass below the diverter blade. This may create a jam or may tear the note in two; the note may be lost to the sheet transport system completeiy.

Referring now to the apparatus embodying the present invention and illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, an incoming sheet is fed between belts 24 and 26 into the nip of two grooved rollers 28 and 30. As illustrated in the plan view of roller 28 in Fig. 3b, each roller has a number of circumferential grooves of depth gl (Fig. 4a) and is in fact formed of a cylindrical roller of the inner diameter to which are fixed a number of polyurethane rings. These two rollers, and two further sealed rollers 32 and 34, are assembled between side plates 36 and 38 in suitable ball races. The rollers 32 and 34 are also formed with circumferential grooves of depth 92 (Fig. 4b) and the grooves of all rollers 28, 30, 32 and 34 are aligned.

The rollers 28 and 32 provide an exit nip in a first exit path and the rollers 30 and 34 provide a nip in a second exit path. The roller 30 is driven by way a toothed belt 40 and pulley 42. Roller 30 then drives roller 28 and roller 34 and roller 28 drives roller 32.

Mounted between the four rollers is a diverter 44 pivoting about a shaft 46. The diverter comprises, for each set of aligned grooves, a blade having the shape of a triangle with concave sides. Thus, each blade has three tongues, one of which extends into the grooves between the rollers 28 and 30, and lies either in the groove of roller 28 or in the groove of roller 30 according to the angular position of the diverter; a second enters the groove of roller 32; and the third enters the groove of roller 34. The diverter blades are aligned with one another in the transverse sense.

As can be seen from Figs. 3 and 4, a document 12 fed by the belts 24, 26 enters the nip between rollers 28 and 30 in which it is rolled and gripped across its full width by the rollers. Thus, any misaligned position of the leading edge, of the kind shown in Fig. 2, in immediately flattened. If those tongues of the diverter which extend between rollers 28 and 30 are in their lower position, so that they lie in the grooves of roller 30, the incoming sheet will be advanced over these tongues by the polyurethane rings of the rollers and will be guided by the upper surface of the diverter into the nip of the rollers 28 and 32, from which it is fed into another conventional belt transport system utilising belts 50 and 52.If, on the other hand, the upstream tongues of the diverter are in their upper position, in which they lie in the grooves of roller 28, the incoming sheet enters the nip below these tongues and is guided by the lower surface of the diverter into the nip between rollers 30 and 34, from which it leaves the diverter station along a second path between belts 54 and 56. An actuator 58 (Fig. 3b) is provided to control the position of the diverter.

It will be seen from the drawings that a sheet entering the system is guided across its full width and that it is not possible for a part of the note to be on one side of the upstream tongues of the diverter while another part of the note is on the other side of these tongues; as these tongues lie in the grooves of one of the rollers 28 and 30, the whole of the leading edge must be above these tongues or the whole of the leading edge must be below these tongues.

As shown in Figs. 4b and 4c, each diverter blade has two sections 60 of expanded width to give maximum guidance for the sheet as it is diverted along one exit path or the other.

Claims

1. A sheet feeder including a diverter arranged for movement between first and second positions and in which sheets approaching the location of the diverter continue along a first or a second path according to the position of the diverter, comprises at the diverter location first and second rollers forming a nip into which an approaching sheet is fed, each of the rollers being formed with at least two circumferential grooves, the diverter comprising a set of diverter tongues each of a size to allow it to enter the grooves, and wherein with the diverter in first position the tongues extend into the grooves of the first roller and the diverter surface presented to a sheet in the nip guides the sheet out of the nip along a first path, and with the diverter in the second position the tongues extend into the grooves of the second roller and the diverter surface presented to a sheet in the nip guides the sheet out of the nip along the second path.

2. A sheet feeder in accordance with claim 1, in which the first and second rollers cooperate on their downsteam sides with third and fourth rollers respectively to form nips on the first and second paths and in which the diverter is formed to guide a sheet leaving the nip between the first and second rollers either into the nip between the first and third rollers or into the nip between the second and fourth rollers, respectively, depending upon the position of the diverter.

3. A sheet feeder in accordance with claim 2, in which the third and fourth rollers are also formed with grooves and in which the diverter comprises second and third sets of diverter tongues which enter, respectively, the grooves formed in the third and fourth rollers.

4. A sheet feeder in accordance with claim 3, in which the diverter comprises a shaft on which are mounted parallel blades each of which is of concave-sided triangular shape, one point of the triangle constituting a tongue entering a groove of the first or second rollers, depending upon the angular position of the diverter shaft, and the other points of the blade constituting the tongues entering respectively the grooves in the third and fourth rol lers.

5. A sheet feeder in accordance with claim 4, in which each blade, seen in edge view, has two sections of increased width to increase the guiding surface presented to a sheet leaving the nip between the first and second rollers.