GB2324521A

GB2324521A - Stacker with endless belt having flexible blades

Info

Publication number: GB2324521A
Application number: GB9708393A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andre Gerlier
Original assignee: Mars Inc
Current assignee: Mars Inc
Priority date: 1997-04-24
Filing date: 1997-04-24
Publication date: 1998-10-28
Also published as: GB9708393D0

Abstract

A stacking apparatus comprises a rotating belt 10 provided with a plurality of flexible blades 14 on its outer surface. The flexible blades 14 provide pockets for receiving banknotes fed in at an infeed point 30, such that the bladed belt 10 may be continuously rotated whilst banknotes are individually fed in for stacking. A movable stop 34 at the front end of a stacking area 26 arrests the movement of a banknote being stacked, such that the front edges of all stacked banknotes are aligned, and in a second position, the stop allows a stack 36, once formed, to be conveyed onwards. Alternatively, the stack 36 may be conveyed to a storage device by a gripping mechanism (42, Figs 4-10).

Description

BANKNOTE APPARATUS This invention relates to apparatus for, and a method of, forming a stack of sheet-like objects, in particular but not exclusively banknotes.

In some known banknote processing devices, such as note-counting devices, banknotes are processed individually and conveyed to a stacking area in which a stack of banknotes is formed by laying the banknotes sequentially together.

Various devices are known for forming stacks of banknotes, including a rotating wheel having flexible projections, or blades, which form pockets in which the banknotes are received whilst the wheel is rotated. As the wheel rotates, the banknotes are deposited on a stacking receptacle which is immobile and removes the banknotes from the pockets defined by the blades as they arrive in the stacking area.

Although this arrangement provides for a reliable high-speed stacking mechanism, in that the wheel may be rotated continuously and the banknotes may be presented at random times and at high speed for stacking, the arrangement requires a relatively complex mechanism for conveying the stack, once formed, from the stacking area.

For example, in United States patent number 5,342,165, in which such a rotatable wheel is used, the banknotes are stacked onto a stacking plate. In order to convey the stack to an output gate of the apparatus, the stacking plate is elevated to a position in which the stack is in contact with transport belt, and a reciprocable push plate is moved to push the stack towards the output gate.

United States patent number 5,156,393 describes an arrangement for stacking banknotes onto a stacking plate by rotating an endless belt. The endless belt is provided with flaps which form pockets in which the banknotes are received for conveying the banknotes to the stacking area. The flaps protect the front edge of the banknotes as they are slid into position at the top of the stack being formed on the stacking plate.

However, the arrangement described requires the stacking belt to be moved to, and held in, a position in which the flaps oppose the infeed path of the banknotes, whilst a banknote is introduced into the pocket. Thus, the arrangement provides a relatively low-speed operation, and furthermore no mechanism is provided for conveying the banknotes from the stacking area once a stack is formed. The banknotes are stacked in a magazine which must be removed when the magazine becomes full.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided apparatus for forming a stack of sheet-like objects, said apparatus comprising a movable belt provided with projections for presenting pockets within which said sheet-like objects are held during stacking in a stacking area, and means for feeding said sheet-like objects into said pockets at an infeed point, wherein said projections are spaced such that said pockets are sequentially and continuously presentable at said infeed point during movement of said belt.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of forming a stack of sheet-like objects using a movable belt provided with projections for presenting pockets within which said sheet-like objects are held during stacking in a stacking area, said method comprising continuously moving said belt during a period in which a plurality of said sheet-like objects are fed consecutively into said pockets as said pockets are presented.

Accordingly, apparatus and a method are provided whereby a high-speed stacking operation is achievable, as an alternative to that provided by the known rotatable wheel arrangement.

In common with the rotatable wheel arrangement, the apparatus and method of the present invention do not require synchronisation of the movable belt with the incoming object to be stacked.

The projections may comprise flexible blades, or blades which are pivotally attached to the belt.

The blades are preferably arranged to bias the sheet-like objects away from the belt. Thus, the blades may adapt to the shape of a stack of banknotes as it is formed, whilst pressing the stack together.

There is preferably further provided a stop which arrests the sheet-like object at one end of the stacking area. Accordingly, objects of different sizes may be commonly positioned at their front edge by the stop.

The stop is preferably movable from a first position in which a stack is formed in said stacking area to a second position in which a stack, once formed, may be conveyed from said stacking area. Once the stop is moved, the stack may be conveyed by movement of the belt itself.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for forming a stack of sheet-like objects, said apparatus comprising a belt provided with projections for presenting pockets in which said sheet-like objects are held during stacking in a stacking area, and means for conveying a stack of said sheet-like objects from said stacking area.

Accordingly, a relatively simple mechanism for forming a stack and for allowing the stack, once formed, to be conveyed onwards is provided.

According to one embodiment, the apparatus is configured such that the stack may be conveyed from the stacking area by movement of the belt itself.

According to a further embodiment, the apparatus comprises means for gripping and conveying the stack from the stacking area.

The conveying means may be for conveying the stack to an output of the apparatus and/or for conveying the stack to a storage device which is operable to hold a plurality of the stacks.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a prior art stacking arrangement using a rotatable wheel; Figure 2 shows a stacking arrangement in accordance with the present invention; Figure 3 schematically shows how a stack of banknotes may be conveyed from a stacking area once formed in accordance with the present invention; Figures 4 to 10 schematically illustrate a procedure for conveying a stack from a stacking area and depositing the stack in a storage device in accordance with the invention; and Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment of stacking belt in accordance with the present invention.

Reference is now made to Figure 1, which shows a known stacking arrangement. A rotatable wheel 2 having a plurality of flexible blades arranged around its circumference is located between an infeed path 4 and a stacking receptacle 6. As will be appreciated, banknotes are consecutively introduced via the infeed path, each banknote being received within a pocket formed between two of the flexible blades. As the wheel is rotated, the banknote is deposited onto the top of the stack formed in the stacking receptacle 6.

Referring now to Figure 2, a banknote stacking apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes a plurality of, for example four, endless belts 10, provided on their inner surfaces with toothed projections which mesh with toothed rollers 12, at least one of which drives the belts 10.

The belts 10 are provided, on their outer surface, with a plurality of regularly-spaced flexible blades 14. The flexible blades are formed from a material which may be injected or extruded during manufacture of the belt, for example polyurethane. A plurality of the blades are provided on each flight of the belt 10. As will be apparent from Figure 2, the blades are resilient and naturally adopt a position which is such that the free end of each blade trails the end of the blade attached to the belt, relative to the direction of rotation of the belts. The blades are tapered in cross-section, as seen in Figure 2, such that the free end is of smaller cross-section than the end attached to the belt.

A corresponding plurality of flat endless belts 16, rotatable around spring-mounted rollers 18, 20, 22 and 24, oppose the bladed belts 10 in a stacking area 26, and in an intermediate area 28 between the stacking area 26 and an infeed point 30.

The infeed point 30 is defined by guides 32, which are laterally spaced from the bladed belts 10, such that an incoming banknote is guided into a pocket formed by the flexible blades 14 located at the infeed point 30 at the time.

In operation, the bladed belt 10 is rotated continuously whilst banknotes are individually fed into pockets, formed by the flexible blades 14, which are presented at the infeed point 30 successively and continuously (i.e. without interruption) as the belt 10 is rotated. The banknotes are presented at the infeed point by infeed rollers or belts which have a feeding speed which is slightly higher than the speed of rotation of the belt. This ensures that each banknote is correctly (ideally fully) inserted into its respective pocket. In order to compensate for the difference in speed, the infeeders allow the banknote to slip adjustably within the infeeders once the banknote is fully inserted into a pocket, until the banknote leaves the infeeder.

After passing the infeed point guides 32, the flexible blades 14 are first pressed by the opposing flat belt 16 at the first rollers 18. The front portion of a banknote being stacked is gripped between the flexible blades 14 forming the pocket into which it was fed and the belts 10. Thus, the banknote is transported with its front portion firmly held in the product into which it was fed at the infeed point 30.

As the belts 10 are rotated further, the front edge of the banknote being stacked passes the second pressing rollers 20, enters the stacking area 26 and is transported onwards towards a front stop 34. As stated, the front edge of the banknote is held and protected in a pocket formed between the flexible blades 14 located at the front edge, and the upper surface of the bladed belts 10. The remainder of the banknote is pressed upwards, on the lower surface of the banknote, by the flexible blades 14 located behind the flexible blades holding the front portion of the banknote, and pressed downwards, on its upper surface, by the flat belts 16.

During introduction of the first note of a stack, the flat belts 16 are rotated in unison with the bladed belt 10 to encourage the banknote forwards.

The front stop 34, which comprises a plurality of vertically-extending fingers which are laterally separated from the belts 10 and 16, arrest the progress of the banknote, and remove the banknote from the pocket in which it is formed as the bladed belt 10 continues forwards. Once the first banknote is held in the stacking area by the front stop 34, which may be sensed for example by a light emitter/detector pair, the rotation of the pressing belt 16 is halted.

When a further banknote is fed into the stacking area 26, the front edge of the banknote is held and protected by a further pocket formed by the flexible blades 14. The further banknote to be stacked is then slid below the previously-stacked banknote until it in turn reaches the front stop 34, at which point its movement is arrested. In this manner, a stack of banknotes 36, having all front edges of the stacked banknotes aligned with the front stop 34, is formed in the stacking area 26. In each case, the blades 14 on the bladed belt 10 protect the front of the banknote being stacked from jamming on torn notes already stacked. The blades 14 bias the stack 36 away from the bladed belt 10 by pressing only on the last note introduced.

To enable stacking of banknotes in the apparatus, the frictional force exerted by the blades 14 on the underside of the banknote and in the direction of introduction of the banknotes into the stacking area 26 is greater than the reactive frictional force exerted by the pressing belt 16, which is formed of a material having a low coefficient of friction, such as Teflon (trade mark) at least in the intermediate area 28, or by the lower surface of the previously-stacked banknotes.

It will be appreciated that, as a stack 36 is formed in the stacking area 26, the third and fourth rollers 22 and 24 will gradually move away from the bladed belt 10, in order to accommodate the stack being formed. The movement away from the bladed belt 10 of the third and fourth pressing rollers 22 and 24 is coupled in the direction perpendicular to the belt 10, so that the two move in unison. The movement of the first, second and third pressing rollers 18, 20, 22 is however decoupled in the direction perpendicular to the belt 10, so that whilst the third pressing roller 22 may move to accommodate a stack being formed, the remaining pressing rollers continue to press effectively upstream of the stack being formed.

The third pressing roller 22 is placed a distance from the front stop 34 which is approximately equal to, or somewhat less than, the expected minimum length of banknote to be stacked. The second pressing roller 20 on the other hand is spaced from the front stop 34 by a distance which is approximately equal to, or somewhat less than, the expected maximum length of banknote to be stacked. Accordingly, a stack of banknotes of mixed length may effectively be pressed once formed in the stacking area 26.

The front stop 34 is movable from its blocking position, in which the stack is formed, in a direction away from the bladed belt 10, to allow a stack 36 once formed to be conveyed onwards from the stacking area 26. Once a stack is formed, the rotation of the bladed belt 10 is halted whilst the stop 34 is moved to its retracted position, and then the bladed belt 10 and the pressing belts 16 may be rotated in unison to convey the stack 36 onwards past the retracted stop 34 and towards a stack return output of the apparatus.

In this connection, the portion of the pressing belts 16 located adjacent the stacking area 26 during stacking is rubber-coated to provide additional frictional contact with the stack, whereas as previously mentioned the remaining portions of the stacking belts 16 is formed of a material, such as Teflon (trade mark), having a low coefficient of friction.

Figure 3 illustrates how the stack 36, once formed in the stacking area 26 of the apparatus, may be conveyed onwards to a stack return output position 38, of the apparatus, as described above. In addition, in this embodiment of the invention the stack 26 may be conveyed to a storage box 40 once formed. The storage box may be of the type having a stacking plate which is spring-biassed such that the stacking plate moves away from an initial location as stacks of banknotes are introduced into the storage box 40.

A mechanism and method for conveying the stacks 26 into the storage box 40 is illustrated in Figures 4 to 10. Figures 4 to 10 show the stacking apparatus and the storage box in schematic cross-section viewed from the position of the front stop 34.

As will be apparent, the stack of banknotes is a stack of mixed width and length banknotes. However, the lateral edges of the banknotes at one side of the stack are aligned by providing a sheet alignment device upstream of the stacking apparatus. The device aligns a lateral edge of each banknote being processed, with one edge of a feeding path of the banknote being processed. Such alignment devices are known, and commonly used in connection with banknote processing apparatus to allow the ready validation of a banknote optically - an example is disclosed in United States patent number 5,381,021. In relation to this invention, the alignment device may be used not only for optical validation purposes, but also the lateral alignment of the banknotes at one side of the stack 36 provides for reliable holding of the stack 36 by a gripping mechanism 42, even when the stack 36 consists of banknotes of mixed widths.

As shown in Figure 4, once a stack 36 is formed, the stack is formed between the stationary bladed belts 10 and the stationary pressing belts 16. The gripping device 42 is moved into position to grip the aligned edge of the banknote stack 36, as shown in Figure 5.

Once the stack 36 is gripped by the gripping mechanism 42, the system of pressing belts 16 is raised to allow the stack 36 to be removed from the stacking area 26, and, at the same time, a removable holding plate 44 is used to move the banknotes already stored to provide space in the storage box 40 to accommodate the stack 36 being stored, as shown in Figure 6.

The stack 36 is then conveyed by the gripping mechanism 42 into position in the storage box 40, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Once in position, a second removable holding plate 46 is placed on the outer surface of the stack 36, to hold the stack in position whilst the gripping mechanism 42 and the first removable holding plate 44 are each released, as shown in Figure 9.

Finally, as shown in Figure 10, the stack 36 of banknotes is fully stored in the storage box 40 with the aligned edges of the stack 36 reliably held against a back wall of the storage box 40.

The storage mechanism and method illustrated in Figures 4 to 10 is considerably simpler to realise than the conventional stacking storage mechanism in which a piston is used to force stacks of banknotes into a storage magazine.

Moreover, it will be appreciated that the conveying of a stack once formed in the stacking area 26 can then be achieved, whether to an output of the apparatus or to a storage device, in a relatively simple and advantageous manner.

Figure 11 illustrates a further embodiment of stacking belt which may be utilised in an arrangement essentially similar to that illustrated in Figure 2.

In the embodiment of Figure 11, the stacking belt 110, corresponding with the stacking belt 10 illustrated in Figure 2, is provided with individual rigid plastics material blades 114 which are pivotally attached to the belt 110. Again, as the blades 114 pass the infeed point, pockets are presented between the blades 114 and the belt 110, within which the banknotes are gripped as the belt moves towards the stacking area.

The blades 114 may be somewhat flexible, and/or biassed away from the belt 110, in order to allow the blades to adapt to the shape of a stack being formed in the stacking area of the stacking apparatus. An advantage of using the pivotally-attached blades 114 is that each may be replaced independently in case of damage, rather than the entire belt requiring replacement.

It is envisaged that various modifications and variations may be employed in relation to the abovedescribed preferred embodiment without departing the spirit or scope of the present invention. In particular, features of the embodiments described may be employed individually or in individual combinations without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Apparatus for forming a stack of sheet-like objects, said apparatus comprising a movable belt provided with projections for presenting pockets within which said sheet-like objects are held during stacking in a stacking area, and means for feeding said sheet-like objects into said pockets at an infeed point, wherein said projections are spaced such that said pockets are sequentially and continuously presentable at said infeed point during movement of said belt.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said belt is endless and said projections are spaced such that a plurality of said projections are present on each flight of said belt.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said projections comprise flexible blades.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said projections comprise blades pivotally attached to said belt.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said blades are arranged to bias said sheet-like objects away from said belt.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for opposing said belt in said stacking area.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a stop located at one end of said stacking area for removing said sheet-like objects from said pockets during movement of said belt.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said stop is movable from a first position in which a stack is formed in said stacking area to a second position in which a stack, once formed, may be conveyed from said stacking area.

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for conveying a stack of said sheet-like objects from said belt to a storage device.

10. A method of forming a stack of sheet-like objects using a movable belt provided with projections for presenting pockets within which said sheet-like objects are held during stacking in a stacking area, said method comprising continuously moving said belt during a period in which a plurality of said sheetlike objects are fed consecutively into said pockets as said pockets are presented.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein during said period the movement of said belt is independent of the infeed times of said sheet-like objects.

12. A method according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising arresting said sheet-like objects to remove same from said pockets in said stacking area.

13. A method according to any of claims 10 to 12, further comprising conveying a stack of said sheet-like objects formed in said stacking area by moving said belt.

14. Apparatus for forming a stack of sheet-like objects, said apparatus comprising a belt provided with projections for presenting pockets in which said sheet-like objects are held during stacking in a stacking area, and means for conveying a stack of said sheet-like objects from said stacking area.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, configured such that said stack may be conveyed from said stacking area by movement of said belt.

16. Apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, comprising a stop which is movable from a first position in which a stack is formed in said stacking area and a second position in which a stack, once formed, may be conveyed from said stacking area.

17. Apparatus according to claim 14, 15 or 16, comprising a means for gripping and conveying said stack from said stacking area.

18. Apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 17, wherein said conveying means is for conveying said stack to an output of said apparatus.

19. Apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 18, wherein said conveying means is for conveying said stack to a storage device which is operable to hold a plurality of said stacks.