GB2387167A

GB2387167A - Roll storage module

Info

Publication number: GB2387167A
Application number: GB0205272A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pierre Yves Monneron; Willy Burgdorfen
Original assignee: De la Rue International Ltd
Current assignee: De la Rue International Ltd
Priority date: 2002-03-06
Filing date: 2002-03-06
Publication date: 2003-10-08
Also published as: GB0205272D0

Abstract

A roll storage module comprising a sheet storage roll (1) rotatably driven by a first motor (4); and a first pair of band rolls (7,8) carrying respective bands which extend in a juxtaposed manner to the sheet storage roll (1) on which they are wound and unwound in use and between which sheets are secured on the sheet storage roll. A second motor (22) is provided, coupled drive via a transmission to the pair of band rolls (7,8), the drive transmission including a first differential (20) to compensate for differences in winding diameter between the two bands on the sheet storage roll.

Description

ROLL STORAGE MODULE

The invention relates to a roll storage module.

Roll storage modules are used for storing sheet 5 documents such as banknotes and typically comprise a rotatably driven sheet storage roll and a pair of band rolls carrying respective bands which extend in a juxtaposed manner to the sheet storage roll on which they are wound and unwound in use and between which sheets are 10 secured on the sheet storage roll. An example of a known roll storage module is described in US-A-4871125.

It is important to maintain tension in the bands both during the winding and unwinding operations and to compensate for the fact that the bands are wound on the 15 sheet storage roll at slightly different diameters since one band is superimposed on the other.

In accordance with the present invention, a roll storage module comprises a sheet storage roll rotatably driven by a first motor; a first pair of band rolls 20 carrying respective bands which extend in a juxtaposed manner to the sheet storage roll on which they are wound and unwound in use and between which sheets are secured on the sheet storage roll; a second motor; and a drive transmission coupling the second motor to the pair of band 25 rolls, the drive transmission including a first differential to compensate for differences in winding diameter between the two bands on the sheet storage roll.

With this invention, the module makes use of two motors and a differential to deal with both the 30 requirements of maintaining tension and compensation for differences in winding diameter. Thus, less components are required than in the prior art.

Although in some cases it is acceptable to use a single pair of bands, typically the module further 35 comprises a second pair of band rolls carrying respective bands which extend in a juxtaposed manner to the sheet storage roll on which they are wound and unwound in use and

between which sheets are secured on the sheet storage roll, the bands from the second pair of band rolls being laterally spaced with respect to the bands from the first pair of band rolls, and wherein the drive transmission also 5 couples the second motor to the second pair of band rolls.

The addition of the second pair of bands ensures that sheets are held more securely on the sheet storage roll.

Since the second pair of bands may feed in a slightly different manner from the first pair of bands, preferably 10 corresponding rolls of the first and second pairs of band rolls are drivingly coupled together by respective second and third differentials.

This provides a particularly convenient way of ensuring optimum operation of the module while only using 15 two motors.

Roll storage modules according to the invention can be used in any conventional application including sheet acceptors, sheet dispensers and sheet recyclers and they can also be utilized as escrow stores.

20 An example of a roll storage module according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a module from above, rear and right side; 25 Figure 2 is a perspective view of the module from above, front and left side with the left side plate removed; and, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the module with various parts omitted.

30 The roll storage module shown in the drawings comprises a sheet storage roll 1 extending between side plates 2,3 (side plate 3 being omitted in Figure 2). The sheet storage roll 1 is driven by a first motor 4 via a drive belt 5 and a pulley 6. A first pair of band rolls 35 7,8 carrying respective bands 9,10 are rotatably mounted to respective shafts 11,12 journalled to the side plates 2,3.

The bands 9,10 extend round upper and lower rollers 13A, 13B

and are aligned such that they then extend superimposed on one another through the sheet storage roll 1. The band 10 also extends around a pulley 50.

In a similar manner, a second pair of band rolls 14,15 5 carry respective bands 16,17 and are rotatably mounted to the shafts 11,12. The bands 16, 17 extend around respective upper and lower rollers 18,19 coaxial with the rollers 13A, 13B respectively and on to the sheet storage roll 1 at a position laterally spaced from the bands 9,10. The band 10 17 also extends around a pulley 51.

The band rolls 7,14 are coupled via a differential 20 having a sun gear 20A secured to the shaft 11. The band rolls 8,15 are coupled via a differential 21 having a sun gear 21A secured to the shaft 12.

15 The band rolls are driven from a second motor 22 mounted to the side plate 2. A drive belt 23 extends from the motor 22 to a pulley 24 secured to a shaft 25 about which a pair of sleeves 26A,26B are rotatably mounted. The sleeves 26A,26B are coupled via connectors 27A,27B of a 20 differential 27 to a sun gear 27C of the differential, the sun gear being secured to the shaft 25 which in turn is coupled to a shaft 26 by a differential 27.

Rotation of the pulley 24 causes rotation of the shaft 25 and the sleeves 26A,26B via differential 27, and this in 25 turn causes rotation of the shaft 12 via a drive belt 28 entrained about a reduced diameter section of the sleeve 26A and a pulley 29 on the shaft 12.

A second drive belt 30 extends from a reduced diameter section of the sleeve 26B about a pulley 31 secured to the 30 shaft 11.

In operation, when the roll module is to store a sheet, the motor 4 is activated to rotate the sheet storage roll 1 in an anti-clockwise direction as shown in Figure 3 and the motor 22 is activated to cause the band rolls 35 7,8,14,15 to rotate clockwise at speeds selected so as to maintain tension in the bands. A sheet enters through an

inlet aperture 43 between the two pairs of bands 9,10 and 16,17 and is then carried onto the sheet storage roll 1.

When a sheet is to be dispensed, the motors 4,22 are reversed and again operated at speeds to maintain tension 5 in the bands.

The differentials 20,21 compensate for differences in use of the bands 9, 16 and 10,17 respectively while the differential 27 compensates for differences in winding diameter between the inner and outer bands of each pair on 10 the storage roll.

Claims

1. A roll storage module comprising a sheet storage roll rotatably driven by a first motor; a first pair of band 5 rolls carrying respective bands which extend in a juxtaposed manner to the sheet storage roll on which they are wound and unwound in use and between which sheets are secured on the sheet storage roll; a second motor; and a drive transmission coupling the second motor to the pair of 10 band rolls, the drive transmission including a first differential to compensate for differences in winding diameter between the two bands on the sheet storage roll.

2. A module according to claim 1, further comprising a second pair of band rolls carrying respective bands which 15 extend in a juxtaposed manner to the sheet storage roll on which they are wound and unwound in use and between which sheets are secured on the sheet storage roll, the bands from the second pair of band rolls being laterally spaced with respect to the bands from the first pair of band 20 rolls, and wherein the drive transmission also couples the second motor to the second pair of band rolls.

3. A module according to claim 2, wherein corresponding rolls of the first and second pairs of band rolls are drivingly coupled together by respective second and third 25 differentials.

4. A module according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second motor is a torque controlled motor and the first motor is a speed controlled motor.

5. A module according to any of the preceding claims, 30 wherein the module forms an escrow store or a sheet store for a sheet acceptor or sheet dispenser.

6. A roll storage module substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A sheet handling machine including a roll storage 35 module according to any of the preceding claims.

8. A sheet handling machine according to claim 7, wherein the roll storage module forms an escrow store.