GB2360510A - Cassette for storing paper money in dispensing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A cassette 10 for storage of stacked paper money, used in money dispensing machines has an opening for withdrawal of the paper money from the cassette. The cassette has a shutter 71 to open and close the opening, a means for moving the shutter to open or close the opening, a means for locking the shutter when the opening is closed by the shutter, and means for cancelling/unlocking the lock means. Preferably the shutter is a bendable slatted shutter. The lock may be cancelled when the cassette is inserted into the dispenser. The shutter may be moved by a winding spring 35, 36 and a stopper.

Description

2360510 IMPROVEMENTS TO CASSETTES FOR STORING PAPER MONEY

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns improvements in and relating to cassettes for storing paper money notes S and which will generally be of the type which is installed into a paper money note dispensing apparatus. The term "paper money" is intended to encompass not only currency paper money notes S but also securities such as stock certificates, banking cheques, small sheet ticketslvouchers/coupons and imitation paper money for games and the like. As a generality, the term encompasses notes S being sheets whether they are of paper or of resin or other material.

Background to the Invention

A number of different cassettes for paper money notes S storage have been developed in the past. One example is disclosed in UK Patent Application 9921355.5 of the present applicant. A perspective view of the apparatus in this prior patent application is illustrated in figure 7. This prior art cassette is also illustrated in sectional view in figure 8 installed into dispensing apparatus 1.

The cassette 5 shown as installed into the dispensing apparatus 1 has a generally box-shaped form.

A substantial number of rectangular sheet paper money notes S are stored within the cassette 5 standing on end and tilted slightly at an incline toward the rear of the cassette 5.

The cassette 5 has a sloping front plate 14 at substantially the same angle of tilt and having a large access opening 17 through which an adjacent notably rectangular sheet may be withdrawn as will be described later.

The cassette has a large rectangular base plate 13 having an opposing pair of trapezoidal side boards 10 and 11 upstanding therefrom and capped by 1 rectangular top plate 12 between the pair of side boards 10 and 11. The top plate 12 couples at its rearward edge to a back plate 15 that completes the box form of the cassette 5. The top plate 12 is movable with the back plate 15 and the combination top plate 12/back plate 15 serves as a removable lid for the 5 cassette 5.

The front access opening 17 in the front plate 14 is generally rectangular in shape to correspond to the shape of the stored rectangular notes S and has blanked off top corners 19 to serve as tabs to retain the underlying rectangular note S in place.

Within the cassette 5 a rectangular pressure board 3 is provided at an incline to be substantially plane parallel to the front plate 14 (see figure 8). This pressure board 3 is configured to slide freely along axially of the cassette toward or away from the front plate 14. This pressure board 3 supports the rectangular notes S in their end edge standing tilted upright state and, furthermore, apply pressure to the stack of notes S by virtue of springs 4 that bias the pressure board 3 toward the front plate 14.

The tilted orientation of the pressure board 3 is maintained by shafts 72 and 73 that run in respective upper and lower slots 74 and 75 in the side boards and 11 of the cassette 5.

The dispensing apparatus 1 for dispensing the notes S/rectangular sheet S is a substantially right parallelapiped large box as illustrated in figure 8 and comprises a pair of large side panels 2 and rectangular top plate (not shown) and base plate 2B. The right side of the dispensing apparatus 1 is blanked off by a plate (not shown) and the other left end opening of the apparatus 1 is closed by a small end plate 2E.

2 The cassette 5 is freely insertable into the dispensing apparatus 1 with the sloping front plate 14 of the cassette 5 facing an extraction mechanism 25 to withdraw the notes S from the cassette 5 (see figure 8).

The extraction mechanism 25 has a U-shaped framework 26 as can be seen in figure 9. At the lower region of the respective ends of the framework 26 are provided respective bearing apertures through which a shaft 80 extends and which is freely rotatable.

Centrally mounted and fixed the shaft 80 is a roller 28 for delivery of the notes S. This roller 28 is freely insertable into a small window 18 opening in the lower part of the front plate 14 (see figure 7).

At the upper parts of the respective ends of the frame 26 there are provided a pair of opposing slots 39, 40.

Substantially centrally of the U-shaped framework 26 a fan-housing 83 is fixed. This housing 83 is substantially cuboidal and has fixed thereto a rectangular suction ducting frame 29. Substantially centrally of the opening of the suction ducting frame 29 a shaft 84 traverses the frame 29 and is again freely rotatably mounted. This shaft 84 carries a roller 27 fixedly mounted thereto just as with the roller 28 on the shaft 80 to further assist in delivery of the notes S.

The roller 27 is freely insertable into the large opening 17 of the front plate 14.

A drive belt 85 is provided crossed over an outside edge of the shaft 84 and passing around the shaft 80 to couple them to rotate together.

In figure 8 the movement of the extraction mechanism 25 around the shaft 80 is powered by an upper electric motor 30.

Initially, the electric motor 30 rotates a large gear 36, intermediate a large gear 31 and smaller gear 32. A bolt 38 projecting from rotating gear 36 3 reciprocates the extraction mechanism 25 up and down the slots 39 relative to the front plate 14.

As the extraction mechanism 25 moves towards the front plate 14 fans (not shown) and housings 82 and 83 are driven. By driving the fans, the interior of suction duct frame 29 develops negative pressure and a single notes S at the front of the cassette adjacent to front plate 14 will be pulled outwardly from the cassette 5 by the suction at the opening of the suction duct frame 29.

As one note S is sucked against the suction duct frame 29, the movement of the extraction mechanism 25 separates the note from the front plate 14 under action of the driving electric motor 30. Accordingly, only the very forward most note S is sucked by the suction duct frame 29 and extracted from the opening 17. This situation is similarly illustrated on the cross section end view of figure 8.

The notes S that is extracted by the extraction mechanism 25 is dispensed by driving the lower electric motor 41. The electric motor 41 as it is driven rotates the shaft 80 via the intervening large gear 42 and small gear 43.

Rotation of the shaft 80 rotates the rollers 27 and 28 and serves to dispense the note S upwardly.

The upwardly moving note S is transferred to the exterior of the dispensing equipment 1 under action of a transfer mechanism 50 illustrated in figure 8 but which will not be further described. Each note S is dispensed from the dispensing apparatus 1 rearwardly relative to the front face of the cassette 5 (top left corner in figure 8).

Whereas this existing apparatus generally operates efficiently, it suffers a significant drawback in terms of security against theft of money from the cassette 5.

Jt is a general objective of the present invention to address the security problems of the aforementioned paper money storage cassette. 4 Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided an improved cassette for storage of stacked paper money, the cassette being of the type which is used in money dispensing machines and the like and which has an opening for withdrawal of the paper money from the cassette, the cassette being characterised by having a shutter disposed relative to the opening to be able to open and close the opening and having means for moving the shutter to open or close the opening and means for locking the shutter when the opening is closed by the shutter, and means for cancel linglunlocking the lock means.

Preferably the cancelling means for cancel Ii nglun locking the lock means is adapted to be operated to cancellunlock the lock means when the cassette is inserted into a said money dispensing machine or the like and is rendered inoperative when the cassette is withdrawn from the money dispensing machine or the like so that the lock means may lock the shutter when the cassette is withdrawn.

The shutter is suitably configured to be freely bendable The means for moving the shutter suitably comprises a resilient biassing means biassing the shutter winding spring and an associated stopper.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the preferred embodiment of cassette from the front; Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the cassette of the figure 1 embodiment; Figure 3 is a side elevation view similar to figure 2 but illustrating only the front end of the cassette as it enters a dispensing apparatus indicated in ghost outline; Figures 4 and 5 illustrate progressively further insertion of the cassette into the dispensing apparatus and in figure 6 the cassette is fully inserted into the dispensing apparatus; Figure 7 is a perspective view of an existing prior art cassette as described earlier hereinbefore; Figure 8 is a view of the prior art cassette installed in a coin dispensing apparatus shown as a section through the coin dispensing apparatus; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a note extraction mechanism that forms part of the dispensing apparatus; Figure 10A is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the improved cassette of the present invention; and Figure 10B is a sectional view of the cassette of the second embodiment from one side.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring to figures 1 to 6, the cassette 10 of the preferred embodiment has a large rectangular base plate 11 with opposing upstanding side walls/boards 12, 13, one on each side of the base plate 11.

The side walls/boards 12, 13, as in the prior art design, are substantially trapezoidal in shape with a hypotenuse portion/sloping front portion toward the front of the sideboard 12, 13. NB, for convenience we define the end of the cassette from which the notes S are extracted to be the front of the cassette although it faces towards the rear of the dispensing apparatus in which it is mountqd in use.

6 The sloping fronts of the side boards 12, 13 are bent inwardly to form a pair of flanges/guide rails 14, 15.

The guide rails 14, 15 are respectively covered over by cover boards 23, 24.

The end of the base plate 11 at the front of the cassette 10 protrudes beyond the front and is turned upwardly forming a front lip 27 (see figure 2).

The front lip 27 spans the width of the cassette and its right and left extremities overlie the cover boards 23, 24 and cover the bottom front edge of the front part of the cassette 10.

The upper edge of the trapezoidal form of the side boards/walls 12, 13 has, in each case, a respective upward extension 16, 17 as can be seen in figure 2.

The region of the side walls 12, 13 where they transition from the sloping front to the level upper extensions 16, 17 of the side walls (see figures 2 and 3) is formed with an intermediate slope. This intermediate slope transition on each guide wall is a respective guide plane 21, 22.

Part of the front ends of the upper side wall extensions 16, 17 are bent inwardly.

At the foot of each sideboard 12, 13 where they transition to the base there are provided a respective opposing pair of slender grooves 25, 26, one in each of the side walls 12, 13.

Between each lower front corner of the opposing side walls 12, 13 extends a fixed shaft 31 and toward each end of which is rotatably mounted a respective small bottom hook 32, 33. Additionally, at each end of the lower shaft 31 a respective spiral winding spring 35, 36 is mounted.

An upper fixed shaft 51 is provided extending between the upper side wall extension 16, 17 proximate the front end of the cassette 10 and this upper shaft 7 51 also carries a respective small top hook 52, 53 at each end thereof and freely rotatably mounted thereto.

The top of the cassette 10 is closed in by a top plate 55 that is pivotally mounted to the side walls 12, 13 of the cassette by freely rotatably mounting on 5 the upper fixed shaft 51.

The top plate 55 has end faces that are of flattened U shape and the plate 55 functions as a readily openable an closable lid for the cassette 10.

Each side of the top plate 55 is bent downwardly to form a respective stand portion and it is through the respective stand portions that the top plate 55 is pivotally mounted to the shaft 51.

The lower edge of the stand portions of the top plate 55 each respectively have a slender slot 56, 57 extending there along for a substantial proportion of their length and being open toward the front of the cassette 10.

The front end 59 of the top plate 55 projects and curves downwardly between the guide rails 14, 15. The upwardly facing surfaces of the slots 56, 57 are substantially level with the upper surfaces of the guide rails 14, 15.

The top of each stand portion of the top plate 55 is bent outwardly so that the top plate 55 forms cover pieces 61, 62 and which have at their rearward ends downward protrusions 63, 64 respectively. Each of protrusions 63, 64 is free to come into contact with the rear end of the respective upper extensions 16, 17 of the side walls 12, 13.

Since the downward protrusions 63, 64 space the plate 55 from contacting the upper extensions 16, 17 of the side walls 12, 13 for much of their length, this defines a slender groove 65, 66 between the cover portion 61, 62 of the top plate 55 and the upper edge of the upper portions 16, 17 of the walls 12, 13.

8 The slender grooves 65, 66 begin from and are open at the front of the cassette 10 and run toward and terminate before the rear of the cassette 10.

Having described the general construction of the cassette 10, the shutter 71 to close the cassette 10 will now be described.

The shutter is generally indicated in figures 1 to 6 by reference numeral 71 and is formed in a manner which is to be freely bendable to be able to bend smoothly around bending guide surfaces 21, 22 of the cassette 10. It may be freely bendable in the manner of a wrist watch bracelet or the like.

As illustrated, it has a number of elongate axial plates 72 each of which extends for a length that spans the width of the opening 17 and has a respective axial pin protrusion at each end that slidingly engages in a respective one at the right and left guide rails 14, 15.

Each axial plate 72 has a row of recesses at spaced intervals therealong along each side and each of which recesses carries a respective platelet 74 that is linked to axial plate 72 by a slender hinge shaft 75. Accordingly, by means of the hinge shafts 75, the axial plates 72 and platelet 74 couple together to form an integral assembly of a long freely bending tabular shutter 71.

This long freely bending tabular shutter 71 covers the slope surface of the cassette 10, closing the large front opening 76 as may be seen most clearly in figure 1.

At the leading end of the shutter 71 the right and)eft pin protrusion 73 each have an end of a respective winding spring 35, 36 fixed thereto.

In the state of closure illustrated in figure 1, the right and left pin protrusion 73 at the lowermost leading end of the shutter are respectively caught.by right and left lower hooks 32, 33 (seen most clearly in figure 2).

9 A respective small spring is suitably provided on each respective bottom hook 32, 33.

Similarly, at the rear trailing end of the shutter 71 the right and left pin protrusion 73 are caught by a respective right left and top hook 52, 53 (again best seen in figure 2). These two are suitably also held by respective small springs on the top hooks 32, 33.

Stoppers 77, 78 are provided projecting from each end platelet 74 hinged to the rear most axial plate at the rear end of the shutter 71.

Returning to the casing 10, the back plate 79 of the casing 10 is rectangular and is, at its upper edge, pivotally mounted to the rearward end of the top plate 55. It will therefore lift with the top plate 55, when the latter is raised (as can be seen in figure 2) and can also be pivotally opened and shut independently of opening and shutting of the top plate 55.

A key operated lock 68 is arranged at the lower end of back plate 79.

The cassette 10 is installed within the paper money dispensing apparatus as is shown in figure 6.

As previously discussed with regard to the prior art, the paper money dispensing apparatus 90 consists of a large right parallelepiped upright plate box and which is open at the rear for the cassette 10 to be inserted into the dispensing apparatus 90.

The box form of the dispensing apparatus 90 comprises base plate 92, right and left side walls 93 and 94 and top 95. On the underside of the top 95 a pair of opposing grooves 96, 97 are formed into which the cover portion 61, 62 of the cassette 10 may pass. Furthermore, a pair of smaller grooves 98, 99 are provided on the underside of the top 95 and through which the stoppers 77, 78 of the cassette 10 may pass, respectively. Stages or shoulders 60, 70 are formed on the small grooves 98, 99 for stopping the respective stoppers 77, 78 of the shutter 71.

A pair of opposing bottom rails 20, 30 are provided at the bottom of each of the side walls 93, 94 of the dispensing apparatus 90, on the interior of the side walls 93, 94. These bottom rails 20, 30 can be freely inserted into the slender grooves 25, 26 of the cassette 10, respectively (see figure 1). Corresponding top rails 40, 50 provided near the top of the side walls 93, 94 of the dispensing apparatus 90 on the inside of the side walls 93, 94. These top rails 40, 50 are freely insertable into slender grooves 65, 66 of the cassette 10, respectively.

The filling, installation and use of the preferred embodiment of cassette will now be described.

First of all, the back plate 79 of the cassette 10 is raised by being pivoted about its pivotal attachment to the top plate 55, opening the cassette 10 from the rear (figure 2). The top plate 55 is then lifted, pivoting about the upper shaft 51 opening up the space between the side boards 12, 13 of the cassette 10.

A pressure board (not shown) within the cassette 10 is moved back away from the shutter 71 against the resistance of its associated spring (not shown). The pressure board and spring are substantially as per those used in the prior art of figure 8.

A stack of paper money notes S are then inserted into the cassette between the side boards 12, 13 with the stack extending horizontally and the end edges of the notes S resting on the floor of the cassette 10 and with the stack being supported in a tilted upright condition by the pressure board, the pressure board pushing the stack toward the front end of the cassette 10 under the force of the spring associated with the pressure board.

The top plate 55 and back plate 79 are then lowered back into place and securely locked in position by use of the key operated lock 68.

Once filled with paper money notes S as described above, the cassette is then installed into the dispensing apparatus 90, being inserted through the main opening of the dispensing apparatus 90 as illustrated in figure 3.

The cover portions 61, 62 of cassette 10 insert into large grooves 96, 97 of the dispensing apparatus 90. Simultaneously, stoppers 77, 78 of the cassette shutter 71 insert into small grooves 98, 99 of the dispensing apparatus 90.

Further insertion of the cassette 10 into the dispensing apparatus 90 entails sliding insertion of the top rails 40, 50 of the dispensing apparatus go into grooves 65, 66 of the cassette 10. The long top rails 40, 50 rotate the top hooks 52, 53 around the upper shaft 51 (see figure 3).

By means of this rotation of the top hooks 52, 53, the pin shaft 73 of the rear end of the shutter 71 is freed.

Continued insertion of the cassette 10 into the dispensing apparatus 90 entails insertion of the bottom rails 20, 30 of the dispensing apparatus 90 into slender grooves 25, 26 of the cassette 10 and these long bottom rails 20, 30 will rotate the bottom hooks 32, 33 around the lower shaft 31 (see figure 4).

The rotation of the bottom hooks 32, 33 frees the pin shaft 73 of the leading end of the shutter 71.

12 Further insertion of the cassette into the dispensing apparatus 90 eventually brings the stopper 77, 78 of the cassette 10 on the shutter 71 into contact with the stages 60, 70 in the grooves of the dispensing apparatus 90 as can be seen in figure 5.

Continued insertion of the cassette 10 into the dispensing apparatus 90 while the shutter 71 is blocked from moving by abutment of the stoppers 77,78 against the stages 60, 70 draws up the shutter 71 against the resistance of the biassing forces of the winding springs 35, 36.

When the cassette 10 is fully installed within the dispensing apparatus 90, the shutter 71 will be fully retracted to leave open the sloped large opening 76 in the front of the cassette 10 ready for the extraction of the paper money notes S by the dispensing apparatus' extraction mechanism (not shown).

The extraction mechanism will be substantially the same that of the figure 8 prior art dispensing apparatus and serves to extract the paper money notes S from the front opening 76 one-by-one and dispense the notes via a similar transfer mechanism (again not shown).

When the cassette 10 is withdrawn from the dispensing apparatus 90, the shutter 71 will cover the opening 76 automatically, as follows.

Referring to figure 5, the stoppers 77, 78 are still blocked from moving by stages 60, 70 of the dispensing apparatus 90 but the force of the winding springs 35, 36 acts on the shutter 71 to pull the shutter 71 down. Continued retraction of the cassette 10 from the dispensing apparatus 90 leads to full closure of the opening 76 by the shutter 71 (see figure 4).

13 Further retraction of the cassette 10 leads to freeing up of the bottom hooks 32, 33 from the bottom rails 20, 30 and the hooks 32, 33 pivot back to their upright positions, under force of gravity, for example.

The bottom hooks 32, 33 will catch the pin shaft 73 at the leading/front end of the shutter 71 (see figure 3). In addition, the top hooks 52, 53 will be freed as the cassette 10 is further withdrawn from the dispensing apparatus 90.

These top hooks 52, 53 will separate away from the top rails 40, 50 and pivot to their upright state so that they will then catch the pin shaft 73 at the rear/upper end of the shutter 71 (see figure 2).

Movement of the shutter 71 will now be prevented by the engagement of the shutter 73 ends by the top hooks 52, 53 and the bottom hooks 32, 33.

Accordingly, the shutter 71 is locked in its lowered position closing the opening 76, by means of the top hooks 52, 53 and bottom hooks 32, 33.

Even if the cassette 10 is fully drawn out of the dispensing apparatus 90, the opening 76 will not be exposed. The cassette 10 can only be fully withdrawn from the dispensing apparatus 90 following closure of the opening 76 by the shutter 71.

Although the present invention has been described above with respect to one preferred embodiment, numerous alternative embodiments are conceivable within the scope of the invention.

For example, the shutter 71 need not be constructed in the form of a bracelet of a wrist watch or the form of a tank track. For example, the shutter 71 may have a large number of slender boards witK.'S shaped cross section that are 14 arranged and coupled together to suit the requirement for the shutter 71 to freely bend.

The shutter 71 could be made of slender iron rods of which each edge is inserted into respective continuous caps that are made of plastic resin, for 5 example.

Even a thin sheet of steel that is freely bendable could be used to form the shutter 71.

Small rollers may be attached to the top hooks 52, 53 which run along the top rails 40, 50. Similarly, small rollers may be attached to the bottom hooks 52, 53 that run along the bottom rails 40, 50.

Furthermore, small rollers may be set on the pin extension 73 of the shutter 71 that run along the guide rails 14, 15.

A further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in figure 10.

In the embodiment of figure 10, the shutter mechanism is built into an add-on casing which is added to the basic cassette 5 of figure 7. This modified cassette 201 in figure 10 has a snow plough like shape similar to the shape of the cassette in figure 7. The cassette 201 has a rectangular base plate 21 and trapezoidal side boards 221 upstanding from the base plate 21.

On the inside face of each side board 221, a slot ST is formed extending along the slopinglhypotenuse edge. This slot ST is suitably formed as an elongate groove or an elongate aperture.

A window board 23 is obliquely fixed to the cassette side boards 221 beneath the paired slots ST along the sloping front wall and a rectangular lid 15 plate 25 is found beneath the paired slots ST along the top edge of the side boards 221. This rectangular lid plate 25 is mounted to be freely openabie.

The rear plate 26 is pivoted at its upper end 27 to the rear end of the lid plate 25, similarly to the figure 7 cassette arrangement.

A rectangular cover board 251 is pivotably mounted covering the top of the cassette between the opposing side boards 221.

A slot 241 is provided toward the rear end of the cover for 251 for recovery of paper money notes.

A freely bending shutter S is freely slidably fitted between the pair of opposing elongate slots ST. This shutter S comprises a plurality of slender boards P which are long, flat and arranged evenly. Under each of the slender boards P, a slender rod R is installed, respectively. Each end of the slender rods R is freely slidably inserted into a respective one of the slots ST in the side boards 221.

The plurality of slender boards P are interconnected such as to provide a freely bendable shutter S. They may, for example, be hinged to each other by thin shafts and small links (not shown).

When a plurality of slender boards P are made of plastics/resin molding, it is possible to integrally form the hinge arrangement into each adjoining slender board P.

The perspective and sectional views in figure 10 show the cassette in the state where the shutter S is closed, i.e. closing.the opening 17 of the cassette. As with' the previous described.embodiments, retraction of the shutter S upwardly 16 will open the opening 17. In this case, the shutter S will be held between the top plate 25 and cover board 251.

With the invention as described above in the various embodiments, the cassette's opening can be opened and closed and secured simply and reliably by 5 means of the shutter which presents a relatively straightforward modification.

The opening can be automatically opened when the cassette is installed into the dispensing apparatus and automatically closed when the cassette is withdrawn from the dispensing apparatus. This prevents theft of the paper money from the cassette via the front opening of the cassette.

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Claims (5)

1 An improved cassette for storage of stacked paper money, the cassette being of the type which is used in money dispensing machines and the like and which has an opening for withdrawal of the paper money from the cassette, the cassette being characterised by having a shutter disposed relative to the opening to be able to open and close the opening and having means for moving the shutter to open or close the opening and means for locking the shutter when the opening is closed by the shutter, and means for cancellinglunlocking the lock means.

2. An improved cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cancelling means for cancellinglunlocking the lock means is adapted to be operated to cancellunlock the lock means as the cassette is inserted into a said money dispensing machine or the like.

3. An improved cassette as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the shutter is 15 configured to be freely bendable.

4, An improved cassette as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein means for moving the shutter comprises a winding spring means and stopper means.

5. An improved cassette for storage of stacked paper money of the type which is used in money dispensing machines and the like, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any suitable combination of Figures 1 to 6 or 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.

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